I play pretty much everything on FICS, although I have not yet started Losers and Suicide. Today, I played two Atomic games against a certain user (I am just as nice to keep him anonymous), rated. He was estimated (E) so long gone user. He won with White, me not very good with Atomic blundered away a won position with a direct attack whilst my opponent had an indirect attack on my King. Boom, bad luck, and you lose a good game.

The second game I was White.... the game goes very shortly to a forced win to White:

1.Nf3 e6?? 2.Ne5 and Black disconnects, game ABORTED for too few moves! Of course I would've won with either 3.Nxd7‡‡ or 3.Nxf7‡‡! FICS admins probably can't retrieve it as its aborted, and thus the user abused the disconnection system to the most. I was really like: "you frikkin $)#&!@!)..." as it's just frikkin unfair to run away after you've just won one yourself.

[Event "rated blitz match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2008.07.20"]
[White "Pellemann"]
[Black "TheaN"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1354"]
[BlackElo "1427"]
[ECO "C41"]
[TimeControl "60+8"]

<1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6>

I rarely play Philidor but against slightly lower rated players it usually creates some tactical chances. BTW, my own rating was ~1600 two days ago (7-17); yesterday (7-18) I really had an off-day dropping ~150 points.

<3. Bc4 Nf6>

To avoid some Legal traps, I know it's not theory (Nc6), but most players do not play Ng5 which seems very good for White.

<4. Nc3 Nc6 5. O-O Nxe4>

I don't know whether this is so good for Black but it seems to work in Blitz. The variation that challenges it is the one my opponent played.

<6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Nxe4 Bg4>

Normally, d5 ought to increase Black's center but I thought it wasn't necessary just yet.

<8. h3 Bh5>

Oops... not that taking on f3 isn't that much better; Black is worse here.

<9. g4?!>

Nfg5†! seems to win for White.

<9....Bg6 10. Nfg5+ Ke8 11. d3 Be7>

Sacrifices a pawn in advance for an attack.

<12. Ne6 Qd7 13. Nxg7+?!>

I doubt the move.

<13....Kd8 14. Bg5 Kc8!>

Creating counter chances, Black threatens Bxg5 and Qxg7. I can't play it now because of Bxg5 Nxg5 Qxg7?? Ne6† .

<15. Bxe7 Qxe7 16. Nf5?>

Seems incorrect but thereby the pawngrab seems incorrect also. It opens the g-file: now the White King gets under pressure.

<16....Bxf5 17. gxf5 Rg8+>

Qh4 immediately fails to Qg4, dropping pressure after the Queen trade.

<18. Kh2>

Best move, protecting h3 in advance... Ng3 provokes Qh4 with the simple Kd7 Rg6 and Rad8 with a strong attack, and White pretty helpless to stop it.

<18....Qh4 19. Rg1>

Hm. There seems to be nothing better for White: playing f6 immediately at least slows Black down, though. Some analysis here would be nice.

<19....Kd7 20. f6?>

Too late, shows the continuation.

<20....Nd4!>

You'll see in a moment why.

<21. Rxg8??>

Preparing f7 which is actually a blunder: I have to admit I didn't see it in advance; now that I do know it, White should've played f7 immediately, where he might interpose Qf4† with Rg3. Not great for White, but it stops Black.

<21....Rxg8 22. f7?>

White, continuing unprepared, missed the combination.

<22....Qf4+ 23. Kh1>

And can be noted. White cannot promote with either of the four distinct possibilities. f8=N† is the only move with check, but then the King just moves. Anything else meets Qh2‡. Only Ng3 stops the mate, nonetheless, Black wins the Queen with another great move.

<24. Ng3 Rxg3!!>

I was surprised it works so good. White loses Ng3 and can't really help it: 25.f8=Q? (f8=N+ Ke8!) Rxh3† 26.Kg2 Rh2† 27.Kf1 Rh1†! 28.Kg2 (Ke2 Nd4‡) Qg4†! 29.Kxh1 Qh3‡, a pretty mate. 25.Qf1 meets Rg1†! 26.Qxg1 Nxg1 .

<25. fxg3 Qxg3>

And White is threatened with both Qh2‡ and Qxh3†, unavoidable without giving up the Queen.

<26. f8=N+>

It won't be there for long.

<26....Ke8 27. Qxf3 Qxf3+ 28. Kh2 Kxf8>

And Black wraps up. I kinda messed up the ending nonetheless, giving back Queen for Rook, but the h-pawn taken up inbetween was decisive for my King placement.

<29. Kg1 Qxh3 30. Rf1+ Kg7 31. Rf2 Kg6 32. Rg2+ Kf5 33. Rf2+ Kg4 34. Rg2+ Kf3 35. Rf2+ Kg3 36. Re2 Qg4>

How can I fall for it after such a combination...

<37. Rg2+ Kf3 38. Rxg4 Kxg4 39. Kg2 h5 40. c3 h4 41. c4 h3+ 42. Kh2 Kf3 43. Kxh3 Ke3>

And the rest is easy. Maybe not perfect but I won it pretty sound.

Based on the above analysis I'd say You seem to be a serious student of the game. It is good that You do annotate Your games, a good way to learn and progress further.

I've not really had a chance to go through the game, maybe in the next day or two. Then I'll post a comment here.

You suggested that the final variation should be "best play". The order has some merit, but it runs into a practical problem. It forces an explicit early calculation of inferior variations, which is alright, as long as you have not explored a long decision tree to arrive at the conclusion that the best play shows the original move does not work.

A solution might be to calculate superior variations first and then edit to put the variations in the reverse order, to give best play last. <dzechiel> (a model for us all, as usual) tends to give "best play" first (reflecting the calculation order I suggest), but his prose style is not based on explicit calculation.

My own presentations use an explicit decision tree (Bologan vs B Redon, 1994), so they present the "best play" discontinuously anyway, but I want to let you know that I am interested in the problem, and I have welcomed your occasional comments on it.

Tell me it right now and I will immediately delete it.

did you miss some moves out? This doesnt seem won from what youve put (on your first post)

In short, any square where a capture takes place becomes ground zero, blowing up anything adjacent to it, including the king. After 1.Nf3 e6 2.Ne5, Black can't avoid seeing his King blow up.

<interesting repertoire - what do you play against the caro kann?>

I had a look at the position you posted in Oll vs Shaked, 1997

I would just play 37.Rxh3,Qxh3 38.Kxh3,Rxf6 39.Qd8,Rf7 with a won game for white.

Somehow, I am not sure this is what you had in mind though.

Of course, 38.Rxh6+ is also possible but after 38...Qxh6 39.Rxh3,Qxh3+ 40.Kxh3 the position is about the same as the more simple line.

I don't have a computer so I may be wrong of course, any chance of a hint??

I think it would be awesome to play against someone a year younger than me in both blitz and standard.

My handle in FICS is <RoniChessman>. Give me and invite someone or I will do the same if that's alright with you.