The following game shows White surviving his unsound opening, moving gradually to an even position; later, taking advantage of Black's tactical slips to obtain an advantage; later, still, mis-playing his advantageous middlegame into a better endgame; and, further, almost frittering that endgame advantage away... before winning.
perrypawnpusher - strobane
blitz, FICS, 2012
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6 10.Nc3
Or 10.d3 as in Wall,B - G3LC, Playchess.com, 2011 (1-0, 22); or
10.0-0 as in perrypawnpusher TJPOT, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25); or
10.d4 as in guest2199 - guest401, ICC, 2004 (1-0, 87) and mrjoker - Igor77, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 70).
10...N8e7
Also played: 10...c6 in perrypawnpusher - pitrisko, blitz, FICS, 2011 (1-0, 28); and 10...b6 in perrypawnpusher - HGBoone, blitz, FICS 2011 (1-0, 59).
This is familiar territory, so the moves are coming relatively quickly, which is useful in blitz.
11.0-0 Rf8 12.d4 Kf7
Black castles-by-hand. The game is sliding toward roughly equal.
13.f4 Kg8 14.f5 Nh8 15.e5 dxe5 16.dxe5 Qb6
A reasonable, even scientific idea: exchange Queens to blunt any possible White attack; and consider returning a piece for the "Jerome pawns" with an even game.
17.g4 Qxe3+ 18.Bxe3 Bd7 19.Bc5 Rae8 20.f6
After the game, Rybka 3 preferred 20.e6, but at the time that looked too static for me.
20...gxf6 21.exf6 Bxg4
I am guessing that this was just a blitz oversight.
22.fxe7 Rf5 23.Rxf5 Bxf5 24.Rf1 Bg6
Okay, the advanced "Jerome pawn" has become quite powerful. Take a few moments to plan out White's winning plan.
25.Rf8+ Kg7 26.Bd4+ Kh6 27.Rxe8
IF you saw 27.Nd5, headed to c7 or f6 to harass the Black Rook and fight for the e8 square, good for you.
27...Bxe8 28.Bxh8 Kg6
A piece ahead, I was happy with my game, but I never really developed a "winning strategy" from this point, so the game soon turns into an oddly psychological wander.
29.Bd4 Kf7 30.Bxa7 Kxe7 31.Nd5+ Kd6 32.Nf6 Bg6 33.Be3 Bxc2 34.Kf2 c6 35.Kf3 Ke5 36.Ng4+ Kf5 37.Nf2 Bb1 38.a3 Ba2 39.Nd3 Bd5+ 40.Kf2 h5
Ideas for White? Now 41.Bb6 would put a nice cramp on Black's position.
41.Nc5
I had decided that the only thing that I could do with my extra piece would be to exchange it for two pawns. That would leave me in a Bishops-of-opposite-colors endgame, and I would have to use my knowledge, skill and experience there to make something of the drawish situation.
That would be a pretty sad outcome for what seems to be a "won" game.
Black's next move introduces another possibility: White can work to advance his a-pawn and create a passer. I overlooked that possibility totally.
41...b5 42.Kg3 Kg6 43.Kh4 Bf3 44.Nd7 Kf5 45.Nb8 Kg6 46.Na6 Kf5 47.Nb4 Kg6 48.Bd2 Kf5 49.Nxc6 Bxc6 50.Kxh5 Bg2
Here is a rather annoying thought for White: even if he were able to create a passed a-pawn with b2-b3 and a3-a4 (something that Black can prevent by either covering b3 or getting his Bishop to d1 in a timely fashion) leaving himself with two Rook-pawn passers, Black could afford to sacrifice his Bishop for the h-pawn, as this would leave White with a drawn RP + Bishop of the wrong color endgame!
51.h4 Bf3+ 52.Kh6 Ke5 53.Kg6 Be4+ 54.Kg5 Kd5 55.h5 Kc4
A very surprising slip after 30 decent moves of defense. Black's King and Bishop were doing a good job of defending against White's hopes to advance his h-pawn. Now the monarch goes too far away, to attack pawns that are easily defended.
56.h6 Kb3 57.Bc3 Bh7 58.Kf6 Be4 59.Kg7 Bd3 60.h7 Bxh7 61.Kxh7
61...Kc4 62.Kg6 Kd5 63.Kf5 Kc4 64.Ke4 Kc5 65.Bb4+ Kb6 66.Kd4 Kc6 67.b3 Kb6 68.Kd5 Black resigned
