The Long and Winding Road

The following game takes its time getting where it's going. In fact, it probably could have taken even longer, if my opponent had not forseen the future and decided to stop travelling.

perrypawnpusher - VGxdys
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.O-O Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ng6 8.Qd5+

Interestingly, Rybka 3 (at a depth of 20 ply) sees this "nudge" as 1/2 pawn better than the immediate capture, 8.Qxc5.

8...Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Nf6

A standard Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit position, although Black has also played 10...Qf6 in perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz FICS 2009 (1-0, 28); 10...Ne5 in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21) and perrypawnpusher - Eferio, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 24); 10...Qe7 in perrypawnpusher - Macgregr, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 10...N8e7 in perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 59), perrypawnpusher - VGxdys, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 32) and perrypawnpusher - apinheiro, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 25).

11.f4

Or 11.d4 and then 12.f4 as in perrypawnpusher - KenWhitaker, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 27).

11...Kf8

Taking the King off of the dangerous e-file, if temporarily putting him on the dangerous f-file. Black's plan is to castle-by-hand, with the King ending up on h7. Instead a center strike with 11...Qe7 12.d3 d5 occurred in perrypawnpusher - LeifPetersen, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 30).

12.f5 Ne5 13.d4 Nc4

It was probably safer to play 13...Nf7, but who can resist harassing the Queen?

14.Qd3 b5

Oddly similar to our earlier game, referred to above.

15.b3 Nb6 16.Nc3 Kg8 17.Qxb5 a6 18.Qe2 Kh7

White has grabbed a Queenside pawn while Black has castled-by-hand on the Kingside. The game is about even.

19.e5 dxe5 20.dxe5 Nfd5 21.Bb2

Good enough, although with White's forces focusing on the f6 square, 21.Ne4 would have been even better.

21...Re8 22.Rad1 Qg5

This was Black's idea, attacking White's King.

25.Rd2 a5 26.Qf2 Ba6 27.Rfd1 Rad8 28.Rxd8 Rxd8 29.Rxd8 Qxd8

30.Qd4 Qg5 31.e6 Bb7 32.Qf2 Be4 33.f6 gxf6 34.Bxf6 Qc1+

The game has taken on some of the annoying aspects of the typical Jerome Gambit Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame. Still, I was willing to exchange Queens and try my luck. Too, exchanging Queens was Black's best chance.

35.Qf1 Qe3+ 36.Kh1 Bxc2 37.e7 Bd3

A slip, which should have been punished by 38.e8/Q, winning the Bishop.

38.Qg1 Qe6 39.Bh4 Qf7

40.Qe1 Bb5 41.Qe4+ Kg7

Another slip: White can now check the King and win the Bishop.

My opponent seems to have been a bit too comfortable with his assessment of the endgame as drawish. That made two of us.

42.Qg4+ Kh7 43.Qe4+ Kg8 44.h3

A small idea, but a useful one. With the back-rank checkmate prevented, my Queen can wander more successfully, not just limiting herself to offeres to exchange or checks on the enemy King.

44...Bd7 45.Kh2 Qe8

White's e-pawn is effectively blockaded, his Queenside pawns will not produce a passer on their own, and creating one on the Kingside will expose the White King to plenty of attacks. A win for for me, if it is there, is a long way down the road.

46.Qc4+ Kh7 47.Qxc7 Black resigned

With my King safe, however, my pawns do not have to do it on their own. The Queen will soon pick off Black's a-pawn, and then White's Queenside pawns will begin to advance and assert themselves.

My opponent decided that there was no need to let things go that far.

23.Nxd5 Nxd5 24.Rxd5 Bb7