Ghost of Compensation

Sometimes it is a little bit too easy for me to post other people's games here, with commentary, pointing out good moves and bad moves. I tend to forget that playing the game can be much more challenging. The following wretchedness is another opportunity for others to look at my play and laugh their heads off. Turn about is fair play.

perrypawnpusher  - Tensecterror
blitz, FICS, 2012

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Kf6

This is an example of the defender relaxing a bit too soon. Certainly he should feel confident, as he is two pieces ahead. He has every reason to believe that White, having played foolishly, will continue in his bizarre ways. Yet, a bit of care in analyzing the position would have shown that the attacker can now regain significant material.

7.d4

A strange, if optimistic and almost understandable, move. Having quickly gained the advantage in three earlier games with 7.Qf5+ Ke7 8.Qxe5+ followed by 9.Qxc5+ I had no need to "innovate" with the text move, but should have followed perrypawnpusher - Leontes, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 11); perrypawnpusher - badhorsey, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 30); and perrypawnpusher - chingching, blitz, FICS, 2011 (0-1, 36).

7...Bxd4

My pawn strike was designed to win a piece, because it threatened to win Black's Queen. This is already faulty thinking, as the note to my 7th move shows that there were two pieces to grab.

On top of this, Black could have defended here with 7...Bb4+ 8.Nc3 (8.c3 Nd3+) Bxc3+ 9.bxc3 Nf7 opting to give back a piece after 10.e5+ Ke7 11.Bg5+ Nf6 12.exf6+ gxf6.

8.Qg5+ Kf7 9.Qxd8 Nc6 10.Qh4

White has a Queen for two pieces, but should not relax, either.

By the way, retreating the Queen was best, as 10.Qxc7? Be5 would have immediately been embarassing.

10...Nb4 11.Na3 Bf6 12.Qf4 d6

Black's pieces are swarming, but only a truely careless move will break White's attack which comes after 13.e5, winning a piece.

13.c3 Nd3+ 14.Ke2 Nxf4+ 15.Bxf4 Ne7

And, just like that, I was down a piece for a pawn. How embarassing!

My only other "compensation" is hard to see, but my opponent was running short of time, doing most of his thinking on the 10 second increment. I decided to keep firing off moves to keep the pressure on, as the worst that I could do at this point was lose a lost game...

16.Rhd1 Ng6 17.Be3 Ne5 18.h3 Be7 19.f4 Nc6 20.Nb5 Bd8 21.g4 a6

Tensecterror is playing carefully. There is no need to risk right now, and he can go on the offensive as soon as he's gained on his clock.

22.Na3 Re8 23.Kf3 g6 24.Re1 b5 25.Nc2 Bb7 26.Bd4 Na5 27.b3 Bh4 28.Re2 Re7 29.Ne1 Rae8 30.Ng2 Bxe4+

Neither of us is playing particularly well, but this move allows me to cut the material deficit a small bit.

31.Rxe4 Rxe4 32.Nxh4 Re2 33.Ng2 Rc2 34.Ne3 Rh2 35.Kg3 Rd2

Would I have accepted the repetition of position draw that might have come with 35...Rc2 ? Sheepishly, I admit I would have.

My opponent, instead, stumbles along; and I, along with him.

36.Kf3 Nc6 37.Rd1 Nxd4+ 38.cxd4 Rxa2 39.Rd3 a5 40.Rc3 Rc8 41.Nd5 c6 42.Ne3 b4 43.Rd3 Ra3

Black has done a remarkable job of thinking and moving quickly, and he is only a few moves away from victory. He needs only to return the exchange...

44.Nc4 Ra2 45.Nxd6+ Black resigned