Sometimes "Simple" is Better

When a player's position becomes difficult, he might seek complications, hoping that his opponent will lose his way, and then the game. In the following fight, however, the alternative strategy of not getting "too fancy" would have brought better results for my opponent.

perrypawnpusher - Eferio
blitz, FICS, 2011

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

The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Bc5 5.Bxf7+

The Semi-Italian Jerome Gambit.

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

8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxc5 d6 10.Qe3 Ne5

An "in your face" kind of move. In this or similar positions I have faced it twice against Kotimatka (see "Diagnosis: Misplaced Knight" and "Echoes"), twice against mikelars (see "Rumors of My Death" and "Kick Me"), and once against Irhall (see "One Little Pawn").

11.d4 Nc4

Of course 11...Nc4 is not the only way to attack White's Queen. There is 11...Ng4 as in perrypawnpusher - Kotimatka, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 21)

12.Qd3 Be6

Black weaves a complicated defense for his Knight, avoiding the "simple" 12...Nb6.

13.d5 Ne5

Back again.

14.Qg3 Bd7 15.f4 Bb5

More complications. It was time to give material back and keep the loss to a pawn: 15...Ng4 16.h3 N4f6 17.e5 Kf8 18.exf6 Qxf6.

16.fxe5

Instead, 16.Re1 was good enough for advantage, as in 16...Nf7 17.e5, but I was perfectly happy to fall into Black's combination.

16...Bxf1 17.Qxg7 Qh4

If it were not for the White "Jerome pawn" at e5, Black could have defended with 17....Qf6, etc. Now he has to scare up some kind of counter-play, with the accent upon "scare".

18.Qxh8 Kf8 19.Kxf1 Qxe4

"Best" for Black was probably 19...Qxh2 but it held no promise for long-term survival. 

20.Bxh6+ Kf7 21.Qg7+ Ke8 22.Qxg8+ Kd7 23.Qf7+ Kc8 24.Qe8 checkmate