I don't think that I will ever play a "great" or "wonderful" game (especially as long as I play the Jerome Gambit), but I sometimes aspire to play "an okay game" of some sort or another. With the following game, I'm getting a bit closer, I think.
perrypawnpusher - Tjofs blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 Bc5
The Italian Four Knights Game.
Instead, 4...Nxe4 would have initiated the "fork trick". Now I get to play the Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5.Bxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Qe7
Black has a 4:1 advantage in development, plus two extra pieces. The game is practically won...
8.dxc5 Qxc5 9.Be3
Sharp, and suggesting that I know what I am doing.
My opponent was pretty sure it was time to counter-attack.
10.O-O Nxe4
Consistently "moving forward", but erronious.
11.Qd5+ Kg6 12.Qxe5 Nxc3 13.bxc3 Qg4
14.f3
Stronger was the more direct 14.Bd4 Rg8 15.Qxc7
14... Qe6
I think that time was already beginning to affect us. Simplest was 14...d6
15.Qg5+ Kf7 16.Rfe1
Likewise, getting the Bishop to d4 right away was the correct idea.
16...Qg6 17. Qf4+ Kg8 18.Qxc7 h6 19.Bd4 Kh7
Well, I've played the "right" moves, even if not in the "right" order.
Even though White's material advantage is only one, isolated, pawn (and this against the background of a possible Bishops-of-opposite-colors drawish endgame) Black's lag in development and unsafe King clearly gives the first player the advantage.
20.Re7 Rg8 21.Qe5 d6 22.Qg3
Looked like a good idea at the time. Cutting off counterplay??
22...Qxg3 23.hxg3 Bf5
24.Rxb7 a6 25.Re1 Bxc2 26.Ree7 Kg6
White's pieces are in place, and this escape only helps.
27.Rxg7+
Fair enough, although 27.g4 would lead to mate.
27...Rxg7 28.Rxg7+ Kf5 29.g4+ Kf4 30.Rf7+
Again, quicker would be: 30.Kf2 Bg6 31.Rxg6 Rh8 32.g3#
I'm using the word "swind" in the title of this post to represent "incomplete swindle" because it's shorter than "a-swindle-that-didn't-work-because-I-missed-a-move" and better sounding than "blunder".
This position is from perrypawnpusher - Gibarian, blitz, FICS, 2010.
My opponent had defended very well against my Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit, but time was running low for him, and because of that I had managed to regain my sacrificed piece.
Unfortunately, time was running short for me too. So I decided on a swindle to split the point and maintain my dignity.
32.Rxd6
Looking like a time pressure oversight.
32...Qxf1 33.Rxh6+
33...gxh6 34.Qe5+ Kg8
35.Qe6+
Aaaack!
The draw is obtained with 35.Qg3+: 35...Kh7 36.Qxc7+ etc.; 35...Kh8 36.Qe5+ etc. 35...Kf7 36.Qxc7+ Kf6 (36...Ke8 37.Qe5+ Kd7 38.Qg7+ Ke8 39.Qe5+ etc.) 37.Qd6+ Kg5 38.Qg6+ Kf4 39.Qxh6+ Kf3 40.Qxc6+ Ke2 41.Qc4+ etc.
I did not recognize my opponent's name until after I had challenged him to this game. In two previous games I had not treated him kindly. I do not think that I will bother him any more in the future.
perrypawnpusher - Abatwa blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
The Two Knights Defense.
Previously my opponent had tried the Blackburne Schilling Gambit: 3...Nd4 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.c3 Nc6 7.d4 Nce7 8.Qg4+ Black resigned,perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010.
Black has scored only 33% in this line in the games in the updated New Year's Database, and my games have been a wasteland for the second player. Best is 7...Bd6 8.dxd5 Bxe5.
Previously my opponent had played the intriguing 7...Rf8, although he did not follow up the move strongly: 8.dxe5 Ne8 9.Qd5+ Ke7 10.Bg5+ Nf6 11.exf6+ gxf6 12.Qxc5+ d6 13.Nd5+ Kd7 14.Qd4 fxg5 15.Qg7+ Kc6 16.Qc3+ Kd7 17.0-0-0 Black resigned, perrypawnpusher - Abatwa, blitz, FICS, 2010.
White is a pawn ahead, but Black's next move will diminish it to an isolated, doubled one. Still, this is better than a few moves ago, when I was down two pieces, and such a change in fortunes often causes me to suddenly go meek and mild...
11.0-0 Bxc3 12.bxc3 d6
13.Ba3 c5
Throwing some material on the deadly diagonal to block the Bishop. Black's best chance was to have his King to flee to f7, although after a Queen check he would lose the d6 pawn.
14.Qf4+ Ke8
It all goes to pieces quickly now. The Queen needed to leap in front of His Majesty, but my opponent probably did not want the exchange of pieces and subsequent two-pawn-down endgame, even if he did have slight prospects with the Bishops-of-opposite-colors.
