The Pawns! The Pawns!

I smiled as I played over this game, and I have to admit to imagining hearing violin music in the background - the kind in the movies that is used to heighten the tension, bit-by-bit... Or - was that the music from "Jaws"?

Or, as Tattoo might have said, "The pawns! The pawns!"

Very funny how the pawns advance to the center - and just sit there. Black does not believe in them, he takes swipes at them, he even thinks at the end that they have abandoned their Knight - but he can't keep his eyes off of them.

Neither could I.

Fun game, killer ending.

Nice game, Mr. Roarke.

(Or should I have said "I think we're going to need a bigger chess board"?)

Wall,B - Guest348906
PlayChess.com, 2013

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

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 

7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 N8e7 9.0-0

Bill has also played 9.Nc3, e.g. 9...b6 10.Qh5 d6 11.f4 Kd7 12.f5 Nf8 13.Qg4 Kc6 14.Qxg7 Nd7 15.f6 Qg8 16.0-0 Qxg7 17.fxg7 Rg8 18.Rf7 Ng6 19.Nd5 Re8 20.d4 Ba6 21.Nb4+ Kb5 22.Bd2 Re7 23.b3 Nc5 24.c4+ Ka5 25.Nd5 checkmate, Wall,B - Andr,T, Chess.com, 2010.

9...Rf8 

This looks like a TN, preparing to castle-by-hand.

Previously: 9...d6, as in perrypawnpusher - nmuffjgp, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 23); and 9...b6 as in perrypawnpusher - Lark, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 59) and perrypawnpusher - jdvatty, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28). 

10.d4 Kf7 11.f4 Kg8

The position is just about even.

12.g4 

A bit more prudent would have been 12.f5.

12...d6 

Black would have done better striking at the center, suggests Houdini 3: 12...d5 13.f5 b6 14.Qc3 dxe4 15.fxg6 Rxf1+ 16.Kxf1 Nxg6. 

13.Qh5 Qd7 

Targetting the pawns. Bill suggests instead 13...Nc6 14.Be3 Nxd4 15.Bxd4 Nxf4. 

14.f5 Nh8 15.c4 Rf6 16.Nc3 Nc6 17.Nd5  Rf8 18.Be3

Mesmerising, aren't they?

18...Na5 19. b3 c6 20.Nc3 d5

This move does not stem the tide of pawns.

21.cxd5 cxd5 22.Nxd5 Re8 23.e5

A little bait, that Black goes for.

23...Qxd5 24.Qxe8 checkmate