Exploratory Weapon

With almost 300 games in The Database, Bill Wall does two things very well: experiment and win. The following strange game has only 50% of that, however.

It contains enough excitement for a half-dozen games. It is well worth close examination.

Wall, Bill - Vilmos
PlayChess.com, 2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6 7.Qf5+

So many of Bill's games include moves that prompt the response "He can't do that, can he?". Here Bill plays with the "nudge" in this line, which usually appears as 7.Qd5+ (or doesn't appear at all, as in 7.Qxc5).

Anyone wishing to follow in Bill's footsteps will need to study this game closely.

7...Qf6

Offering to exchange Queens is natural, but, as White's plans to move on, 7... Nf6 might be a bit stronger.

8.Qxc5 d6

Not surprisingly, Bill has been this way before:

8...Nf4 was seen in Wall,B - Tony7, PlayChess.com, 2011, (1-0, 48);

8...N8e7 was seen in Wall,B - Doantaung, Chess.com, 2010 (1-0, 18); and 

8...c6 9.O-O Nh6 10.d4 d6 11.Qc4+ Be6 12.Qb4 Qe7 13.Bxh6 gxh6 14.f4 Nf8 15.f5 Bc8 16.Nd2 b5 17.Qb3+ Ke8 18.Qc3 Bb7 19.f6 Qf7 20.e5 dxe5 21.dxe5 Ne6 22.Ne4 Kd7 23.Nd6 Black resigned, Wall,B - Smith,R, Chess.com, 2010.

9.Qxc7+ N8e7 10.O-O Rd8 

This offer of a Rook is a very, very strange move. I hope Bill appreciated it. (I hope it was not simply a "blunder" by Black.)

Previously Bill had met 10...Be6 in Wall,B - Guest2900292, PlayChess.com, 2012 (1-0, 24).

The move 10...Nf4!? leads to crazy complications, but is the way to go if Black wants to try to win. A sample: 11.d3 Nxg2 12.e5 (12.Kxg2 Bh3+ 13.Kg3 [13.Kxh3? Qf3+ mates] 13...Rhc8 14.Qa5 Rc5 15.Qxc5 dxc5 Black is winning) 12...dxe5 13.Nc3 Nh4 14.Ne4 Qc6 15.Qxc6 Nxc6 16.f4 Kg6 17.fxe5 Bg4 18.Bd2 Nxe5 when Black has a piece for a pawn, and White's compensation is lacking. 

11. Qxd8 Nh4

Shades of Blackburne's double Rook sacrifice, Black also had 11...Bh3!? 12.Qxa8 Nh4 13.Qxb7 Nf3+ 14.Kh1 Bxg2+ 15.Kxg2 Nh4+ 16.Kg3 Qf3+ 17.Kxh4 Qf4+ 18.Kh3 Qf3+ although it only leads to a draw.

The move in the game should lead to the same result.

12.f3

Stockfish 6 recommends, instead, 12.f4, leading eventually to a draw, but the analysis can go on for a long time, and the position is tactically rich. Here is a sampling:

12.f4 Qg6 (12...Bh3 13.Qa5 [13.Qxa8? Qg6 mates] 13...Bxg2 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qe2 Bxf1 16.Qxf1 Qd4+ 17.Qf2 d5 White has an edge) 13.Rf2 Nxg2 (13...Bh3 14.Qa5 [14.Qxa8? allows mate after 14...Nxg2] 14...Nf3+ 15.Kf1 Nxh2+ 16.Kg1 Nf3+ 17.Kf1 Nh2+ draw) 14.f5 Bxf5 15.Rxg2 (15.exf5 Qg4 16.h3 [16.Qxa8? Ne3+ mates] 16...Qg3 17.Qxe7+ [17.Qxa8 Ne3+ 18.Kh1 Qxh3+ mates] 17...Kxe7 18.Rxg2 Qe1+ 19.Kh2 Qxc1 20.Rxg7+ Kf8 21.Rg1 Qxc2 Black is better; or 15.Rxf5+ Ke6 16.Qxa8 Nh4+ 17.Kf1 Qg2+ 18.Ke1 Qxe4+ 19.Kd1 Qh1+ 20.Ke2 Nhxf5 21.c3 Nh4 22.Qf8 Qxc1 Black is better) 15...Qxg2+ 16.Kxg2 Bxe4+ 17.Kf2 Rxd8 18.d3 Bc6 even game. 

12...Bh3 13.Qa5

The strongest move. White does not wish to be "Blackburned."

13...Bxg2

Black slips, or perhaps his heart has had enough excitement and he is looking for the draw. After 13...Qg6!? 14.g3 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 Nxf3 16.Kf2 Nd4 Black has enough threats to not only balance his 2-pawn deficit, he holds an advantage. Crazy!

14.Rf2 Qg6 15.d3 d5 16.Nd2 Bh3+ 17.Kh1 Bg2+ 18.Kg1 Bh3+ Draw