Rocket Surgery 2.0

The last time that I played MrMef (see "Rocket Surgery") we developed a game that was truly a mess... This time I seriously wanted to get it right.

perrypawnpusher - MrMef
blitz, FICS, 2012

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 h6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.Bxf7+ 

The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.

6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Bxd4 9.Qxd4 Nc6

Attack the Queen is Black's notion. My response was based on the naive notion (although it has proven successful in past games) that Black might want to continue to harass Her Majesty with the erronious 10...Nb4.

10.Qd3 

Probably better was 10.Qc4+. 

10...Ne5

Chasing the Queen to a better spot.

11.Qg3 d6 12.f4 Nc6 13.Bd2 Qe8 

Black is taking steps against the threatened e4-e5 by White, but I think that his Rook needed to be doing this. That would also be preparation for castling-by-hand.

14.Rae1 Bg4 

 Black has made a series of small mistakes, and before this puzzling move the cost has been, at most, allowing White to claim (because of his development) a nearly equal game. Now the first player gets his attack on.

15.e5 dxe5 16.fxe5 Nxe5 

I am not sure if this is an oversight or a miscalculation. Did my opponent not see that my Queen strikes at e5, or was he, perhaps, expecting to see 17.Qxe5 Qxe5 18.Rxe5 Rhe8 with an even game?

17.Rxe5

Of course.

17...Qd8 18.Rd5 

I avoided the better 18.Qxg4 because of 18...Qxd2, but after the game Houdini pointed out that 19.Qe6+ Kg6 20.Rd5 would trap the Black Queen, i.e. 20...Rad8 (20...Qxc2 21.Rxf6+ gxf6 22.Qg4+ Kf7 23.Rd7+ Kf8 24.Qg7+ Ke8 25.Qf7#) 21.Rxd2 Rxd2. 

18...Qe7 19.Re5 

19...Qd6

It may look at first that Black would have done better by withdrawing his Bishop to shield the Queen, but after the game Houdini found that that led to a mate in 25: 19...Be6 20.Nd5 Qc5+ 21.Be3 Qd6 22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Bc5 Qd7 24.Qf3 f5 25.Rd1 Qc8 26.Rde1 h5 27.c4 Rh6 28.Rxe6 Qxe6 29.Rxe6 Rxe6 30.Qxh5+ Kg7 31.Qg5+ Kf7 32.Qxf5+ Rf6 33.Qh7+ Ke6 34.Qe7+ Kf5 35.g4+ Kg6 36.Bd4 Raf8 37.h4 a6 38.h5+ Kg5 39.Bxf6+ Rxf6 40.h6 Kf4 41.Qxf6+ Ke3 42.h7 Kd2 43.Qf5 Kd1 44.h8Q c5 45.Qf1+ Kd2 46.Qc3#

Totally ridiculous, but it does show that White's attack is powerful. 

20.Ne4 Qd4+ 21.Be3 

21...Qxb2 

Instead, 21...Qd7 would have provided a modicum of defense, although White's attack would cost Black significant material.

22.Nxf6 gxf6 23.Qf4

I was pretty sure that the Rook sac at f6 worked, but I couldn't figure it all out in my head until after the game: 23.Rxf6+ Kxf6 24.Qf4+ Kg6 25.Qxg4+ Kf6 26.Qf5+ Kg7 27.Re7+ Kg8 28.Qf7# 

Pity. Bill Wall would not have missed that.

23...f5 

24.Rxf5+ Bxf5 25.Qxf5+ Ke8 26.Qe6+ Kd8 27.Rd1+ Black resigned