[Event "Tuesday Night Marathon"] [Site "Mechanics"] [Date "2014.8.24"] [Round "3"] [White "J. Sadofsky"] [Black "Nagle"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteELO "1736"] [BlackELO "1448"] 1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 {I wanted to accept, and certainly that's what both theory and computers support. But I really don't know anything about the KGA and felt I shouldn't go into a gambit I don't really understand.} 3. Nf3 d6 {Since the dark-squared bishop is already out. (reminds me of ...Bf5 and ...e6 themes that you see in the Caro.)} 4. Bc4 {Fighting over d5, and introducing the combo starter of Bxf7.} 4... Nf6 {Attacks e4, continues kingside development. Does block Qh4+ for now. } 5. Nc3 Nc6 {fighting over d4.} 6. d3 {Releases the dark-squared bishop. Is there a stronger move here for White? } 6... Bg4 {fighting for central color, willing to give up the good bishop.} 7. Ne2 {This feels erroneous to me. It supports d4, but I feel here like I start to develop a time lead.} 7... Qe7 {My opponent afterwards said I thought here for 20 minutes, and asked what I was thinking about. I've found I often make moves which are purely developing in the opening, without a real sense of what would be better, and suffer for it in the middlegame. Here I thought a lot about kingside vs queenside castling. Theory and computers suggest O-O, but I feel like white's attack just plays itself from there. Then I was thinking about Qd7 vs e7. I decided I'd like to post a rook on the d-file, break open the center, and let it lead (rather than have the Q block it on d7.) Throughout the game, keeping the threat of Qh4+ becomes important, as well as the dark squared pattern with Bc5 already out. So, Qe7.} 8. h3 Bxf3 9. gxf3 {Making O-O even less likely now that Rg1 is opened up. (for example, White has f5, Rg1, and Bg5, and if I played O-O that starts to pose problems.)} 9... O-O-O 10. c3 {prepping d4.} 10... d5 {This move felt very strong to me, and also new. It's not something I habitually play! I usually look for things on the sides to support the center, as opposed to try and break through the center. So this was exciting to find. The thinking was with my rook on the d-file, I should open the file, and with my king already castled and all but my queen-side rook developed, I have a time advantage. If I open things up spacewise, I should be able to push that advantage. (Especially given the undeveloped a1 rook and c1 bishop.) My opponent feared Nh5 here, opening up Qh4+. He said he was relieved when I didn't play it. I don't know what's stronger.} 11. exd5 Nxd5 {I often fear positions like this -- where the knight isn't hanging, but only has one protector. I realized in this game I often avoid situations like this -- I suppose where one has to calculate carefully, and there's the potential for a tactic against a piece like the knight here. } 12. Bxd5 {This seems like he's giving me too much activity in the center.} 12... Qh4+ {Stockfish suggested just RxB is even stronger. My thinking was I wanted to get the Q in before my opponent played h4. But -- the Q in the e-file, after e x f4, pins the knight down, and is a strong piece there. My opponent also though the queen stronger on the e-file. Still, I saw the king goes in front of the queen here, and I feel like that's a good tactical theme to work against. I would like to understand the plan of RxB here -- but I also feel like it's important to play the moves that fit the plans I see, and I could see some places this would go. (The fear is the queen getting blocked by the f4 pawn while the king makes his way to say c2 or b3, and the Queen is out of the attack.)} 13. Kd2 Rxd5 14. b4 {I was worried about c4 coming in. Not terrible for me (I back up to Rd6) but it seemed like White could start to reclaim some space here.} 14... Rhd8 {building off the king-in-front-of-queen theme. It seems to be a theme for me in attacking games to be willing to leave a piece hanging to bring the attack forward. This clearly wins material if he takes the bishop.} 15. Qc2 {This should seal the game for Black. Kc2 and he can keep going. But, Qc2 blocks the king's escape to the c and b-fils, and also creates a dark squared theme: by blocking the light squares, Nxb4 with the idea of BxB4 feels dominating.} 15... Nxb4 {!. This should be the knockout punch. If there's no response, Rxd3 is mate. } 16. cxb4 Bxb4+ {The idea of the sacrifice: because c2 is blocked, this Bishop is unusually strong. I also feel like positionally, all my pieces are now lasered in on the attack. (Maybe the queen is a little far.) Whereas white's pieces aren't in a position to be defenders. I recently saw a video by the idea of reserve attackers -- attackers which while they aren't yet attacking, are a move away from jumping in, and that's how the knight felt to me. Too far to join the attack, but after b4, able to jump in and be sacrificed to put the Bishop in an attacking position. } 17. Ke3 {Kd1 loses the Queen. } 17... exf4+ 18. Ke4 Qe7+ {? -- I missed f5# over the board! } 19. Kxf4 {My memory ends here (and my scoresheet too.) In the remaining minutes, I ... * play something like Rf5+, which was an oversight on my part, but my opponent declines to take for not wanting to get sucked in to my pawns and a mating net, *I play Qe5+ or Qf6+, attacking the king and the a1 rook and winning the a1 rook * my opponent eventually runs out of time here.} 0-1

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