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it brings with it dulled senses and lazy thinking...
perrypawnpusher - alsuarezdi
blitz, FICS, 2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Bxd4 9.Qxd4 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Qd3 Re8 12.Bd2 Qe7
Alas, alsuarezdi overlooks the opportunity to throw a piece away with the devastating 12...Nb4?
13.Rae1 Kg8 14.Nd5 Qd8 15.Bc3 Nxd5 16.exd5 Rxe1 17.Rxe1 Bd7
Black has been playing solid chess, protecting his advantage, when suddenly, surprisingly, he decides to return the sacrificed piece. Certainly 17...Ne7, instead, would have kept him better.
18.dxc6 Bxc6
Another one of those Bishops-of-opposite-colors middlegames that I've been having lately.
19.Qg6
After the game Rybka suggested much stronger play: 19.Re6 Qd7 20.Rg6 Re8 21.Rxg7+ Qxg7 22.Bxg7 Kxg7
analysis diagram
19...Qf8 20.Re3 Be8
Trying to chase away my Queen before I can get my Rook to g3. Safer was 20...Qf7.
21.Qg4 c5 22.Rg3 Bb5
I don't understand this move. Certainly Black's only hope to hold on was to take advantage of the chances that his last move provided and try 22...g6.
23.Qxg7+
Once again my annoying habit of "simplifying into the endgame" ruins my winning chances in the middle game: surely 23.Qe6+ followed by 24.Rxg7+ was not that hard to find?
23...Qxg7 24.Rxg7+ Kf8 25.Rxb7 a6 26.Bg7+ Kg8 27.Bxh6 Re8
It is true that White has the better endgame: he is three connected passed pawns ahead. But I am not through "simplifying"...
28.f5 Re1+ 29.Kf2 Re2+
It is clear that Black wants this "pig" on the 2nd rank, but 29...Rf1+ 30.Kg3 Rxf5 instead would have snared one of the passers.
30.Kg3 Rxc2
Again, the tactic 30...Rxg2+ 31.Kxg2 Bc6+ 32.Kg3 Bxb7 would have snagged one of White's dangerous pawns and given Black hope for the Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame.
31.f6 Be8 32.Rg7+ Kh8 33.Rb7
Strange. 33.f7 was the move that I had been preparing.
33...Kg8 34.Rb8
I was beginning to lose the thread of the game, and in the process transform a +3 pawn advantage to a -1 pawn disadvantage.
34...Kf7 35.Bg7 Re2
Black can be more active than this by putting his Bishop back on c6 to threaten ...Rxg2+, which he thinks of a move later.
36.h4 Bc6 37.Rf8+ Kg6 38.h5+
Panic concerning the enemy Rook + Bishop. The advantage has been almost completely handed over to Black.
38...Kxh5 39.Rh8+ Kg6 40.Rh2 Rxb2 41.Kh4
41...Rxg2
In a bit of generosity, my opponent returns the "simplification" error and the game becomes drawn.
alsuarezdi was not happy with this turn of events and refused my draw offer. It took almost 50 more moves (and me getting ahead on the clock) to convince him that there was only a half point available now.
42.Rxg2+ Bxg2 43.Bf8 d5 44.Bxc5 Kxf6 45.Kg4 a5 46.Kf4 a4 47.a3 Ke6 48.Ke3 Ke5 49.Bd4+ Kd6 50.Kd2 Kc6 51.Kc3 Kb5 52.Be5 Bf1 53.Bd4 Bc4 54.Be3 Bb3 55.Bd4 Kc6 56.Kb4 Kd6 57.Kc3 Ke6 58.Kb4 Kf5 59.Kc3 Ke4 60.Bc5 Kf3 61.Bd4 Ke2 62.Bc5 Kd1 63.Bd4 Kc1 64.Bc5 Kb1 65.Bd4 Ka1 66.Bc5 Ka2 67.Bb4 Bc4 68.Bc5 Kb1 69.Bb4 Ka2 70.Bc5 Kb1 71.Bb4 Ka2 72.Kd4 Kb3 73.Bc5 Kb2 74.Bb4 Kb3 75.Bd6 Kb2 76.Bb4 Kb3 77.Be7 Kb2 78.Bb4 Kb3 79.Ke3 Kb2 80.Kd4 Kb3 81.Ke3 Kb2 82.Kd4 Kb3 83.Bf8 Kb2 84.Bb4 Kb3 85.Bf8 Kb2 86.Bb4 Kb3 87.Bf8 Kb2 88.Bb4 Kb3 Game drawn by repetition
