[Event "Live Chess"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2013.06.30"] [Round "?"] [White "opponent"] [Black "NotDiogenes"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1325"] [BlackElo "1399"] [ECO "B20"] [TimeControl "30|30"] [Termination "NotDiogenes won by checkmate"] 1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 {bowdler attack, very popular chess.com vs the sicilian} e6 3. Nc3 a6 ( 3...Nc6 4.Nf3 e5 5.d3 Be7 ) 4. a3 b5 5. Ba2 { Black is falling behind in development. Too much chasing of the bishop?} Nc6 6. d3 Bb7 7. Nf3 Be7 {missing the change to fianchetto the ds bishop. Not sure which is better. Stockfish: 0.0. This is better.} ( 7...g6? {stockfish: +0.7} 8.Bg5! Nf6? 9.e5 Be7 ) 8. O-O {black's problem: how to play Nf6?} e5? {+1.4} ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 18:-0.08} 8...d6 9.Be3 Nf6 10.d4 cxd4 11.Nxd4 O-O 12.f3 Qc7 13.Nxc6 Bxc6 ) ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 18:+0.08} 8...Qc7 9.Re1 Bd6 10.a4 b4 11.Ne2 Nf6 12.Ng3 O-O 13.Bg5 Ng4 14.Nd2 h6 15.Bh4 Nge5 16.Nc4 Nxc4 17.Bxc4 Nd4 ) 9. Ne2 Nf6 10. Ng3 {white swings to the kingside for an attack. White also has a threat in Ng5, double-attacking the f-pawn. } d5 11. exd5 Nxd5 12. c4 Nf6 {+0.8; recapturing gives black three isolated pawns} ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 18:+0.08} 12...Nf4 13.Bxf4 exf4 14.Nh5 O-O 15.Nxf4 Bf6 16.Rb1 Nd4 17.Nxd4 Qxd4 18.Nd5 Rad8 19.b4 Bxd5 20.cxd5 Rc8 21.Re1 Rfe8 22.Qd2 cxb4 ) 13. cxb5 axb5 { thought the position here was pretty close to equal. Black and white both have a good diagonal for the ls bishop. White is poised for an attack on the wing, black has more central control. White needs to develop the c1 bishop, black needs to castle. Stockfish: +0.4} 14. Ng5 {f7 pawn is double-attacked} O-O 15. Qc2? ( 15.Qb3 Nd5 16.Qxb5 Rb8 17.N3e4 {and white has an excellent game} ) ( 15.Be3 {challenging for control of the center} ) Nd4 {with tempo, for white better was 15 Qb3 or develop the ds bishop. The black knight on d4 is beautiful.} 16. Qb1 Nd5 {-2.4; intending Bxg5 Bxg5 Qxg5} 17. N5e4 Re8 18. Be3 {there goes my pretty knight} Bh4? {I have some idea here of something like 19 Re1 leading to pressure on the g2 pawn. Hangs the c-pawn!} 19. Bxd4 ( 19.Re1 Bxg3 20.Nxg3 Nf4 21.Ne4 Nde2+ 22.Kf1 c4 23.Rxe2 ( 23.dxc4 bxc4 24.Bxc4 Ra4 25.Qc2 ) 23...cxd3 ) ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 17:+0.04} 19.Nxc5 Bxg3 20.fxg3 Nxe3 21.Nxb7 Qb6 22.Bxf7+ Kh8 23.Bxe8 ) exd4 20. Nf5 {At this position I start to think I can get a mate. If I can get Nf4 and Qg5 with the diagonal clear to the g-2 pawn to let in pressure from the bishop, the king should fall. I thought for a long time here and my opponent got impatient and asked me if I was still there, are we still playing, etc.} Rxe4! {I sac the exchange. Black will have good play on white's king. Stockfish:+0.8} ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 19:-0.40} 20...Be7 21.Qd1 Bf8 22.Qf3 Re5 23.Rae1 g6 24.Nfg3 Re6 25.Ne2 Bd6 26.Nxd6 Qxd6 27.Ng3 f5 28.Rxe6 Qxe6 29.Rc1 Qd6 ) ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 19:+0.48} 20...Re5 21.Nfd6 Bc6 22.Qc1 Be7 23.Qxc5 Ra6 24.Rfd1 Ba8 25.Qc8 Qxc8 26.Nxc8 Bf8 27.Rdc1 Bb7 28.g3 f5 29.Ng5 Rg6 30.Nf3 Re2 ) 21. dxe4 Nf4 22. Nxh4?? {white wants to trade down and simplify} ( 22.g3! Nh3+ 23.Kh1 {I had intended Bxe4# here, but I didn't see the queen covering the e4 square until after the sacrifice!} 23...Bf6 {black is down the exchange, worse here although there are still some attacking chances. Stockfish rates this position as even.} ) Qxh4 {-1.5} 23. Bd5? {I didn't see this reply. -10.3} ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 18:-1.13} 23.Qd1 Bxe4 24.f3 Qg5 25.g3 Bc6 26.Bb1 c4 27.Kh1 Ne6 28.Be4 Bxe4 29.fxe4 Qe5 30.Qf3 ) Ra6!! {I sac the bishop. I was worried about loss of time in recapturing bishops. This wasn't an easy sac I was concerned I'd be way behind and wouldn't get the mate.} ( 23...Bxd5 24.exd5 Ra6 25.Qf5 {threatens back-rank mate} 25...Ne2+ 26.Kh1 Qxh2+ 27.Kxh2 Rh6+ 28.Qh3 ) 24. Bxb7?? {if played accurately, there is no defense for white after taking the bishop bait} Rg6? ( 24...Rh6 {more accurate but not best} ) ( 24...Ne2+!! 25.Kh1 Qxh2+ 26.Kxh2 Rh6# ) 25. e5 ( 25.Qd3 Rxg2+ 26.Kh1 Qxh2# ) Rh6? 26. h3 Nxh3+ ( 26...Qg4 27.hxg4 Ne2# ) 27. gxh3 Qxh3 28. f4 ( 28.Rc1 Qh2+ 29.Kf1 {and black is lost} ) ( { [Stockfish 2.2.2] 20:+2.46} 28.Rd1 Rg6+ 29.Qxg6 hxg6 30.Bg2 ) Qh2# {Things I learned: 1. Better to free the knight and prevent e5 in a closed sicilian with d6, rather than e5. 2. The exchange sacrifice here was good! Able to get a lot of play. 3. Look for the fastest mate, and see all the board. Forcing moves!} 0-1