Armor

When I was a kid I was fascinated by "knights in shining armor". My first model was neither a car nor an airplane; it was a knight (the "Red Knight of Vienna"). Only much later did I realize that while all that armor provided a lot of protection, it severely limited what the knight could do. He even needed to be hoisted by his page (and others) onto his horse!

perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Kf8

A solid reply. For an introduction, take a look at "Critical Line: 5...Kf8" parts 1, 2, and 3.

Our two earlier encounters this year had continued, instead, 5...Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (½-½, 54) and perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 28).

6.Nxc6 dxc6 7.d3 Qh4

There are no examples of this move in The Database. It seems like an improvement over 7...Qf6, which I have faced a handful of times.

8.0-0 Bd6 9.f4 Bg4 10.Qd2 Ne7

Although White's pieces are uncomfortable and undeveloped, Houdini gives Black only an edge here, so it must be inpressed by the "Jerome pawns."

11.e5

After the game Houdini recommended 11.Qc3 Ke8 12.d4 Kd7 13.Qb3 Be6 14.c4 b5 15.Nd2 Rhf8 16.e5 Rxf4 17.Rxf4 Qxf4 18.Nf3 Qe4 19.exd6 Bxc4 20.Qa3 cxd6 21.Bd2 a6 22.Re1 Qg6 23.Bg5 Nf5 as slightly better for Black. That's rather complicated. I would suggest the straightforward 11.Qe3 followed by 12.Nd2 and 13.Nf3, instead.

11...Bc5+ 12.d4 Bb6

While I was happy the way my d-pawn blocked out Black's Bishop, my 12th move did not strengthen my center, it actually made it more fragile, as 12...Rd8 13.c3 Nf5 and a subsequent Knight sacrifice on d4 would have shown.

13.g3

My suit of pawn "armor" is almost fully in place, but, as will be seen, I can do little with it. As soon as Black can find a "can opener" I will suffer.

13...Qh3 14.Qf2 Nf5 15.c3 Kf7 16.Nd2 Rhf8 17.Ne4 Kg8 18.Be3 h6

Visually, White may not look too bad off (unless you think "blockade"), but Houdini clearly sees Black as better. The question is: What will White do? It is clear that Black will take advantage of the a7-g1 diagonal, if at all possible.

19.Rae1 Rad8 20.Qd2 Ne7 21.Nf2 Qh5 22.Nxg4 Qxg4 23.Qf2 Nd5

White's squirming in his armor has kept him alive, so far.

24.Qg2 c5 25.h3 Qg6 26.Qf2

A poor move, and the armor is breached.

26...Nxe3 27.Rxe3 cxd4 28.cxd4 Bxd4 29.Qf3 Bxe3+ 30.Qxe3 Rd3 White resigned

Hats off to pirisko, who came back with a new defense, a Theoretical Novelty, a bit of patience and the ability to outplay me right down the line!