Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Nerve



I've been reading the book Nerve, Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool, by Taylor Clark, with the naive hope that it might help me in a number of ways, including my blitz chess. A quick look at my 12th and 15th moves in the game below show I have a ways to go...

perrypawnpusher - Duquesne
blitz, FICS, 2012

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


The Semi-Italian Opening.

4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5 6.Bxf7+


The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kf8

Declined. I was surprised to find only one example in The Database.

7.Bb3 Ng4

Instead, 7...d6 8.h3 Nd4 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Nd5 Nxe4 11.Qf3+ Nf6 12.d3 Be6 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.Bxe6 Qxf3 15.gxf3 Ke7 16.Re1 g5 17.f4 Bb4 18.Re2 gxf4 19.Bxf4 Raf8 20.Bg3 Rhg8 21.Bxg8+ Black resigned, was perrypawnpusher - Duquesne, blitz, FICS, 2010.

8.d3

A little better was to play for the "fork trick" with 8.h3 Nf6 and then 9.Nxe5 Nxe5 10.d4, etc.

8...Nd4

I think my opponent may have decided that his Knight on g4 was tactically protected, i.e. 9.Nxd4 exd4 10.Qxg4 dxc3, but this was short-sighted, as 11.Qf5+ would allow White to pick up the Black Bishop on c5. The calm 8...d6 was probably best.

9.Nxd4 d6 10.Ne6+ Bxe6 11.Bxe6 Bxf2+



12.Rxf2+

From his 7th move, I was sure that my opponent wanted to exchange his two pieces for my Rook and pawn. I was okay with that. What I missed here is that, with my Bishop on e6, attacking his Knight (which protects his Bishop), a better move was 12...Kh1, as both Black pieces remain hanging.

12...Nxf2 13.Kxf2 Qf6+ 14.Qf3 Ke7


15.Qxf6+

Okay, but 15.Nd5+ was Game Over. 

15...gxf6 16.Bf5 Rhg8 17.Be3 c5 18.Nd5+ Kf7


19.Nc7 Rab8 20.Be6+ Ke7 21.Bxg8 Black resigned

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