Awkward...

I was pleased with this game until I played it over afterward. Then I felt like someone who had given a nice speech which kept the audience's attention, only to discover after it was over that I had been up in front of everyone with a giant stain on my shirt or pants...

perrypawnpusher - Fendertele
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.

6.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Re8

This line was seen not-so-long-ago in my game against Frele.

9.dxc5 Kg8

9...d6 while it was still easy to play, was seen in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49).

Instead, 9...b6 also attacking the White c5 pawn right away, was seen in perrypawnpusher - catri, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42).


Rybka has a third suggestion, 9...Qe7.

10.f4 Nc6

10...Nc4 was punished in Wall - Santiago, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28) with 11.e5 Nh7 12.Qd5+ Kh8 13.Qxc4.

Rybka suggests the discrete 10...Nf7.

11.e5 Nh7

12.Ne4

I admit that I played 12.Qd5+ in perrypawnpusher - Frele, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26) with the hope that Black would blunder with 12...Re6, but I had to find another way to win when he answered with the sensible 12...Kh8.

12...Nxe5

Nifty thinking: he returns the piece for two pawns and a roughly even game.

13.fxe5 Rxe5 14.Qd4 Qe8

Material is even, but White's c5 pawn continues to exert pressure on Black's game.

15.Ng3 Re1

Leading to trouble. Black should have challenged White's annoying pawn with 15...b6.

16.Bf4

After the game Rybka pointed out what I had missed, that 16.Bxh6 (linking White's Rooks like the text, but also grabbing a pawn and attacking Black's King) was much stronger. Then 16...Re5 would be answered by the simple 17.Bf4; while 16...Qe5 would see the Queen sac 17.Qc4+ Qe6 18.Raxe1; and 16...gxh6 would be crushed by the same 17.Raxe1.

16...Rxa1 17.Rxa1 c6

Saving the c-pawn, but emphasizing the cramp in his Queenside. Black would have done better to simply give up a pawn with 17...d6 18.cxd6 cxd6 to free his development.

18.Nf5 Qg6

A slip. However, I was so enamored with the positional strength of my next move that I totally missed a much stronger tactical move. 

19.Nd6

Owwww...

Everyone together: 19.Ne7+ would win the Queen!!

How awkward.

19...Ng5

Maybe my opponent saw what was coming, but he should have routed the Knight along a safer path: 19...Nf8 20.Re1 Ne6.

20.Bxg5 Qxg5 21.Re1

Black will lose a piece.

21...Kh7 22.Qe4+ Qg6 23.Qxg6+ Kxg6 24.Re8 a5 25.Rxc8

25...Ra7 26.Rc7 a4 27.Rxb7 Ra5 28.Rxd7 Rxc5 29.Ne4 Rxc2 30.Rd2 Rc1+ 31.Kf2 Rc4 32.Kf3 Kf5

Another slip, but this was my day to miss Knight forks. Sigh...

33.g4+ Kg6 34.h4 h5 35.g5 Kf5 36.Nd6+

Saw it this time. Consequently, Black resigned.