Whispers

In the following game, White's attack advances... slowly. Time after time, Black can counter it – if he listens to the "whispers" that warn him. In the moves we see an example of the adage, it is easier to attack than defend, while in the notes we see the possibilities of heroic defense. 

FelixShmidel - terma
blitz, FICS, 2007

1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nc6 3.Nf3 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 

8.Qd5+ Kf8 9.Nc3 Nge7 

Probably 9...Nf6 was better, but Black plans to aim this Knight at the f-file: f5 now, and f4 shortly thereafter (and then f5 again).

10.Qd2 Ng6 11.O-O d6 12.f4 Nge7 

13.f5

Rybka 3 is not usually wild in its suggestions, but here it prefers 13.b4!?, with the intent of advancing the pawn to b5, kicking the Knight at c6, while opening b2 for its dark-squared Bishop. Should Black capture the pawn, it would be a tempo lost, and a subsequent Nc3-e2 by White would uncover an attack on the Black Knight and cause another lost tempo; while the White Bishop could still go to b2. This is how White should equalize, the computer indicates.

13...Ne5 

While Rybka now sees the game as equal, we can hear whispers of the kind of compensation that the Jerome Gambit player sometimes receives. White's "Jerome pawns" restrain Black's light-squared Bishop, which in turn blocks Black's Queenside Rook. Both risk being late to the battle.

14.f6

By no means the "winning breakthrough", but a positional necessity: opening the enemy Kingside.

14...gxf6 15.Qh6+ Kg8 

Rybka's assessment of the situation is even-handed: Black should attend to his King's safety with 15...Ke8, returning some material for an even endgame: 16.Rxf6 Rg8 17.Bg5 Bg4 18.h3 Kd7 Safe!19.hxg4 Nxg4 20.Qh5 Rxg5 21.Qxg5 Nxf6 22.Qxf6 Qh8 23.Rf1 Qxf6 24.Rxf6 c6 25.Kf2 Re8. 

Black's King placement with the text (keeping out of the center) is one more step toward a slippery slope. While he no doubt counts on his e5 Knight and c8 Bishop to prevent White's Rook from coming quickly to the g-file, his monarch locks out another piece from play.  

16.Qxf6 Be6 

Inexplicable. Possibly a time-error or a mouse slip?

In any event, the computer sees White's attack as unfolding slowly enough that Black can counter it easily – by developing his pieces, tending to his King's safety, and returning material: 16...N7c6 17.Qh6 Ng4 18.Qh5 Be6 19.Nd5 Qe8 20.Qg5+ Qg6 21.h3 Qxg5 22.Bxg5 Bxd5 23.exd5 Nce5 24.hxg4 Nxg4.

17.Qxe6+ Kg7 18. Bh6 checkmate