[continued from the previous post]
Chess.com, Giuoco Piano tournament, 2015
17.Bxf6
As Bill Wall had suggested, as an improvement over the previously played 17.Rae1.
17...gxf6 18.Nd5
As in my play against Hywel2. I wasn't sure if my change in move order was going to bring about anything more than a transposition; for example, if Black were now to play 18...Qg7 and I were to follow up with 19.Rae1, then 19...b6 would put us back in the earlier game.
18...Qf7
Black varies, as well, with the placement of his Queen.
19.Rae1 b6 20.Nf4 a5
The difference from the previous game is that White's Knight is now at f4, not d5, and his Rook is at f1, not f3. This allows Black's threat of ...Ba6 skewering White's Queen and winning the exchange.
I thought pressure along the c-file was the answer, allowing White's Knight to reach a beautiful outpost, but putting his Queen in the line of fire. Her Majesty eventually has to move again.
21.Qc3 Bb7 22.Ne6 Rac8 23.Rf3 Nd8 24.d5 c6 25.Qd2 cxd5 26.exd5
White has two pawns for a piece, and a nice-looking Knight, but Black's army looks pretty active.
26...Qh5
A shock. I was planning on playing on the Kingside. What was my opponent doing??
I figured out a line that might give White the initiative, but I was still worried about Black's Queenside forces.
27.Nf4 Rxe1+ 28.Qxe1 Qf7 29.Re3 Nc6
White pins his hopes on the e-file and Black's weakened back rank, (as well as the possibility of a tricky tactic from the Hywel2 game). My opponent decided it was time to return the sacrificed piece.
30.dxc6 Bxc6 31.Re7
White is a pawn up, and Black decides to level the material.
31...Qxa2 32.Qc3
Suddenly, Black is in grave danger.
For example, if now 32...Rf8, to protect the f-pawn, White has 33.Ng6+ (a tactic right out of the earlier perrypawnpusher - Hywel2 game, which made it easy to see) Kg8 (if 33...hxg6 then 34.Qh3+ leads to mate) 34.Nxf8, and Black can only avoid checkmate by giving up his Queen, e.g. 34...Qa1+ 35.Re1 Qxe1 (or 35...Qa2 36.Ne6 Qxe6 37.fxe6) 36.Qxe1 Kxf8 when the imbalance in material is too great.
32...Kg8 33.Qg3+ Black resigned