I was pleased with this game until I played it over afterward. Then I felt like someone who had given a nice speech which kept the audience's attention, only to discover after it was over that I had been up in front of everyone with a giant stain on my shirt or pants...
perrypawnpusher - Fendertele
blitz, FICS, 2011
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 Re8
This line was seen not-so-long-ago in my game against Frele.
9.dxc5 Kg8
9...d6 while it was still easy to play, was seen in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49).
Instead, 9...b6 also attacking the White c5 pawn right away, was seen in perrypawnpusher - catri, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1/2-1/2, 42).
Rybka has a third suggestion, 9...Qe7.
10.f4 Nc6
10...Nc4 was punished in Wall - Santiago, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28) with 11.e5 Nh7 12.Qd5+ Kh8 13.Qxc4.
Rybka suggests the discrete 10...Nf7.
11.e5 Nh7
12.Ne4
I admit that I played 12.Qd5+ in perrypawnpusher - Frele, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 26) with the hope that Black would blunder with 12...Re6, but I had to find another way to win when he answered with the sensible 12...Kh8.
12...Nxe5
Nifty thinking: he returns the piece for two pawns and a roughly even game.
13.fxe5 Rxe5 14.Qd4 Qe8
Material is even, but White's c5 pawn continues to exert pressure on Black's game.
15.Ng3 Re1
Leading to trouble. Black should have challenged White's annoying pawn with 15...b6.
16.Bf4
After the game Rybka pointed out what I had missed, that 16.Bxh6 (linking White's Rooks like the text, but also grabbing a pawn and attacking Black's King) was much stronger. Then 16...Re5 would be answered by the simple 17.Bf4; while 16...Qe5 would see the Queen sac 17.Qc4+ Qe6 18.Raxe1; and 16...gxh6 would be crushed by the same 17.Raxe1.
16...Rxa1 17.Rxa1 c6
Saving the c-pawn, but emphasizing the cramp in his Queenside. Black would have done better to simply give up a pawn with 17...d6 18.cxd6 cxd6 to free his development.
18.Nf5 Qg6
A slip. However, I was so enamored with the positional strength of my next move that I totally missed a much stronger tactical move.
19.Nd6
Owwww...
Everyone together: 19.Ne7+ would win the Queen!!
How awkward.
19...Ng5
Maybe my opponent saw what was coming, but he should have routed the Knight along a safer path: 19...Nf8 20.Re1 Ne6.
20.Bxg5 Qxg5 21.Re1
Black will lose a piece.
21...Kh7 22.Qe4+ Qg6 23.Qxg6+ Kxg6 24.Re8 a5 25.Rxc8
25...Ra7 26.Rc7 a4 27.Rxb7 Ra5 28.Rxd7 Rxc5 29.Ne4 Rxc2 30.Rd2 Rc1+ 31.Kf2 Rc4 32.Kf3 Kf5
Another slip, but this was my day to miss Knight forks. Sigh...
33.g4+ Kg6 34.h4 h5 35.g5 Kf5 36.Nd6+
Saw it this time. Consequently, Black resigned.
I really like this game, but I have to admit that my attack was made possible by my opponent keeping his d-pawn un-moved for too long. After the game, Houdini and Rybka also criticized me for leaving my f-pawn still – true, but when I pushed it, things really started to move!
perrypawnpusher - Frele
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bc5
The Semi-Itlian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4 Re8
One of a number of "okay" defenses in this line (solid strategic idea, keeps Black's advantage) that still are not "best". Black develops his Rook and prepares to castle-by-hand.
9.dxc5 Kg8
Black immediately went after the forward White c-pawn with 9...b6 in perrypawnpusher - catri, blitz, FICS, 2010 (½-½, 42) and with 9...d6 in perrypawnpusher - louarn, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 49).
10.f4 Nc6
This retreat seems okay to me, but after the game Houdini preferred 10...Nf7. The advance 10...Nc4 proved unfortunate after 11.e5 Nh7 12.Qd5+ Kh8 13.Qxc4 in Wall - Santiago, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 28).
11.e5 Nh7 12.Qd5+
I admit that I was mostly looking for the cheapo 12...Re6? 13.f5 with this move; but the check does little harm.
12...Kh8
White has locked down Black's d-pawn, and that is why most of Houdini's post mortem suggestions for the second player included playing ...d7-d6, anyway, even if it required temporarily sacrificing a pawn. Black cannot afford to play the game without his Queen Bishop and Queen Rook.
13.Bd2 Ne7
While Houdini holds that this still gives Black an edge, it prefers 13...d6 14.cxd6 cxd6 15.Qxd6 Qxd6 16.exd6 Bf5 17.Nd5 Rad8 18.Rfe1 Nf6 19.Nxf6 Rxe1+ 20.Bxe1 gxf6 21.Rd1 Bxc2 when Black's extra piece outweighs White's two pawns.
analysis diagram
14.Qd3 Rf8
The recommendation was still 14...d6.
15.f5 Nc6
The loss of time with this Knight gives White tactical chances.
Still, against both 15...b6 and 15...d6 White now has 16.f6!? with an even game, maybe a bit more.
16.Rae1
Houdini suggested, instead, 16.f6 – a move that I was preparing, something that I didn't want (like in earlier games) to rush into.
Its analysis shows White taking advantage of a lead in development and the available tactical nuances – to achieve a winning endgame: 16...gxf6 (here, the computer dismissed the pawn grab that attacks my Queen, 16...Nxe5, with 17.fxg7+ Kxg7 18.Qg3+ Ng6 19.Nd5 vacating c3 for the dark-squared Bishop Ng5 20.Bc3+ Kg8 21.Qd3 Nh4 22.Kh1 Ne6 23.Bf6 Qe8 24.Ne7+ Wow) 17.exf6 d6 18.Nd5 Be6 19.Bxh6 (the real reason behind 16.f5-f6) Rf7 20.Rad1 Qd7 21.Bg7+ Rxg7 22.fxg7+ Qxg7 23.cxd6 cxd6 24.Nf4 Rg8 25.Rd2 Bg4 26.h3 Ne5 27.Qc3 Bc8 28.Rxd6 Ng5 29.Ng6+ Nxg6 30.Rxg6 Qxc3 31.Rxg8+ Kxg8 32.bxc3.
analysis diagram
Um... sure... right...
Okay, I guess that proves I'm not a computer... Back to the game.
16...Ng5
My opponent hurries to reposition his Knight at f7, for defensive purposes.
You can imagine that Houdini, as a computer, was doubly horrified: Black doesn't play the necessary 16...d6 (leading to only a slight edge for White) and his move allows for the killer 17.f6.
(Silicon Dude! This is a blitz game between two club players! Relax!)
17.Nd5
Of course, everyone saw that 17.f6 again forced a winning endgame, right? After 17...gxf6 18.exf6 Rxf6 19.Rxf6 Qxf6 20.Re8+ Kg7 21.Nd5 Qd4+ 22.Qxd4+ Nxd4 23.Nxc7 Rb8 24.Bc3 Kf7 25.Bxd4 Ne6 26.Be5 Nxc7 27.Rh8 Ra8 28.Bxc7 Kg7 and there you have it...
17...Nf7 18.Bf4
Protecting the e-pawn so that I can play f5-f6, but this was unnecessary, as after 18.f6 Nfxe5 19.fxg7+ Kxg7 20.Qg3+ White's attack would be strong.
18...Re8 19.f6
If it could sigh, I sure that Houdini did when I finally played this move.
19...gxf6
After the proper defense 19...Rg8 White can apply pressure with 20.Qg6 although after 20...Qf8 it would take another tactical mele, starting with 21.Nxc7 to demonstrate my advantage (eventually finding my way to an ending where my Rook and several pawns outweights Black's two extra Knights).
Sometimes it feels that if it were not for mistakes, chess would be too hard.
20.Nxf6
The correct recapture. My 17th move not only kept Black's Queen at home with the threat of Nxc7, it also strongly supported the (eventual) advance f5-f6. Now White's pieces will swarm the Kingside.
20...Kg7 21.Qh7+ Kf8 22.Bxh6+ Ke7 23.Nd5+ Ke6 24.Nf4+
A little nervousness, missing the mate in one, but it did not get away, and I saw it the second time around.
24...Ke7 25.Ng6+ Ke6 26.Qxf7 checkmate
This game is an example of the aphorism (that I just made up): It's not good enough to play an opening's refutation - you have to actually refute the opening.
perrypawnpusher - louarn
blitz, FICS,2010
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bc4 h6 5.0-0 Bc5
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Game.
6.Bxf7+
The Semi-Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.d4
8...Re8
Preparing to castle-by-hand and putting the rook on a file where it hits White's center.
9.dxc5 d6
A bit better than 9...b6 10.cxb6 axb6 11.f4 Ba6 12.fxe5 Rxe5 13.Re1 c6 14.Bf4 Rc5 15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 Rxd5 17.Qh5+ Kg8 18.Rad1 b5 19.Rxd5 cxd5 20.g4 Qb6+ 21.Be3 Qe6 22.Qf5 Rf8 23.Qxe6+ dxe6 24.Rf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1 b4+ 26.Ke1 Kf7 27.Kd2 Kg6 28.a3 bxa3 29.bxa3 h5 30.gxh5+ Kxh5 31.Bf4 g5 32.Bg3 Kg4 33.Ke3 Kf5 34.Kd4 Bc4 35.a4 g4 36.a5 Ba6 37.c3 Bc4 38.Ke3 Ba6 39.Kd4 Bc4 40.Ke3 Ba6 41.Kd4 Bc4 42.Ke3 drawn, perrypawnpusher - catri, blitz, FICS, 2010
10.cxd6 Qxd6 11.Qe2
After the game Rybka preferred 11.Qxd6 with play against the pawn at d6.
11...Bg4
An annoying move, but I underestimated its impact.
12.f3 Bh5 13.Bf4 Kg8
Black's King is safe, almost all of his pieces are developed, and he is close to having refuted White's opening.
14.Rad1 Qe6 15.g4
Overly energetic. Best was something passive like 15.Qf2, when Black still has an edge but White hasn't destroyed his chances.
15...Nxf3+
This is a good time to "return" the extra piece, as the move destroys White's King's shelter and the proper followup leaves Black ahead the exchange, with a better position.
Clearly, this variation needs work.
16.Qxf3 Qxg4+
Wanting to blunt White's "attack," Black decides to exchange Queens and makes the wrong recapture. After 16...Bxg4 17.Qd3 Bxd1 18.Nxd1 Black is clearly better.
17.Qxg4 Bxg4
Black's advantage is now minimal.
18.Rde1 Rad8 19.Bxh6 gxh6 20.Rxf6
Despite White's extra (passed) pawn, he is only slightly better here. Black has a Bishop against White's Knight, and the passer is a long way from being promoted.
Still, I was optimistic, as I was pretty sure that I knew what my opponent would play next...
20...Rd2
Understandable oversight: Black wants to make up for the pawn lost by showing that his pieces can be active and infiltrate White's position.
21.Rg6+ Kh7 22.Rxg4 Rxc2 23.Rg2 Rxg2+ 24.Kxg2 Rg8+
The game is only half over, but the end is in sight.
25.Kf3 c5 26.e5 b6 27.e6 Re8 28.Kf4 Kg6 29.e7 Kf6 30.Nd5+ Kf7
31.Kf5 b5 32.Re6 a5 33.Rxh6 c4 34.Rf6+ Kg7 35.Rb6
35...b4 36.Rb5 Kf7 37.Rxa5 c3 38.bxc3 bxc3 39.Rc5 Ra8
40.Rxc3 Rxa2 41.Re3 Rf2+ 42.Kg4 Ke8
43.Rf3 Rd2 44.Rf8+ Kd7 45.e8Q+ Kd6 46.Qd8+ Ke5 47.Re8+ Kd4 48.Nf4+ Kc3 49.Qxd2+
The simplest.
Here Black had about 5 1/2 minutes on his clock, and he let it run until he lost on time.
The following game has another drawish-looking endgame that is more than meets the eye. Finding those "extra" half-points that don't seem there at first is an important part of improving in chess play.
perrypawnpusher - catri
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...Re8
Fascinating!
This is a defense that I've not seen before, although there are a few similar games in my database in games without ...h6 and 0-0.
When you are up two pieces, as Black is, there are so many ways to play the opening!
9.dxc5 b6
Black can keep his advantage with 9...Qe7, but he wants to develop his Queen Bishop.
10.cxb6 axb6 11.f4 Ba6
This is Black's idea, but it is tactically suspect.
12.fxe5 Rxe5 13.Re1 c6 14.Bf4 Rc5
Black wants to keep his Rook "active," but it was safer and more effective at Re6.
White gets a chance to take over the game.
15.e5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 Rxd5 17.Qh5+ Kg8
When a sufficient advantage has been obtained, a player must attack or the advantage will be dissipated said Steinitz.
White now has 18.Bxh6 gxh6 19.Qg6+ Kh8 20.Qxh6+ Kg8 21.Re3 and he will win. Black defends better with 18...Rd4, but then White can play 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.Re3 with similar play. Again, Black can defend instead with 19...Qh4, but White can just exchange Queens and then withdraw his Bishop, having gained two pawns.
18.Rad1
Playing positionally instead of tactically, focusing on the "hole" in Black's positon at d6. White still has a small advantage.
18...b5
It is hard to understand why Black chose this over the simple exchange of Rooks.
19.Rxd5
A bigger advantage was to be found with 19.Bxh6 as above.
I have a tendency to substitue "strategic" moves for analysis and tactical shots.
19...cxd5 20.g4
It is ironic that this "attacking" move surrenders White's advantage, while the "positional" move 20.Qd1 kept it. I was seriously out of synch with the needs of my game at this point.
20...Qb6+ 21.Be3 Qe6
Better was 21...d4.
22.Qf5 Rf8 23.Qxe6+ dxe6 24.Rf1 Rxf1+ 25.Kxf1
This game has taken on the tone of the previous one (see "More Than Seen At First Glance Part 1") – chosing to reduce the game to a pawn-up Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame with the overheated belief that I can out-play my opponent...
25...b4+ 26.Ke1 Kf7 27.Kd2 Kg6 28.a3
Stronger was 28.Bc5 Kg5 29.Bxb4 Kxg4 30.a4 although Black's Kingside pawns looked dangerous.
28...bxa3 29.bxa3 h5 30.gxh5+ Kxh5 31.Bf4 g5 32.Bg3 Kg4
This looks like a typical Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame – but is it?
At this point it looks like Black's King can get over to the Queenside in time to blockade White's a-pawn, but first it will be wise to slow its advance with 33...Bb5
33.Ke3 Kf5 34.Kd4
White needed to take advantage of his opportunity and play 34.a4 with a good chance that his King could then advance on the Queenside, and eventually win Black's Bishop for the a-pawn.
34...Bc4 35.a4
Now White should have a win – if he sees it.
35...g4 36.a5 Ba6
37.c3 Bc4 38.Ke3
Totally missing the winning opportunity presented by 38.Kc5.
38...Ba6 39.Kd4 Bc4 40.Ke3
Oh, no, I did it again!
40...Ba6 41.Kd4 Bc4 42.Ke3
And again. An advantage isn't an advantage if you don't take advantage of it...
Game drawn by repetition.
Oh, well: yesterday I won a drawn position, today I drew a won position. I guess it balances out...
