patzer2: Here's my look at the game and the Saturday puzzle (17...?) with the chessgames.com Opening Explorer (OE) and Deep Fritz 14:<1. e4 e5 2. d4?!> This move allows Black quick and easy equality. It was much more popular in the swashbuckling, romantic era of Chess history.
Nowadays it's rarely played in serious games at Master level. This defeat of a strong GM, who was trying it out against a lower rated Master, does nothing to enance its reputation.
<2...exd4> Fritz indicates Black has already equalized.
<3. Qxd4> Here 3. Qxd4 (C22), going into the main line of the Center Game, is by far the most frequently played move in the OE.
Two popular alternatives are 3. Nf3 Nc6
with the possibility of 4. c3 with a Goering Gambit (C44), 4. Nxd4 with a Scotch game (C45) or 4. Bc4 Nf6 with a Two Knights Defense (C55)
or 3. c3 going into the gambit line (a.k.a. Danish Gambit) of the
Center Game (C21).
<3... Nc6 4. Qe3 Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 O-O 7. O-O-O Re8 8. Qg3?!> This allows Black a strong advantage. Though Black probably stands a bit better, White can improve his drawing chances with 8. Bc4
when play might continue 8...d6 9. f3 Ne5 (9... Na5 10. Bf1 Be6 11. Kb1 =) 10. Bb3 a5 11. a3 Bc5 12. Qe1
to
as in G Spiesberger vs H Knoll, 2012.
Also good here might be the Fritz suggestion 8. f3 when play could continue 8...d5 9. Qf2 d4 10. Nb5 Bc5 11. c3 Be6 (11... dxc3 12. Qxc5 cxd2+ 13. Rxd2 Nd7 14. Qe3 a6 15. Nc3 b5 =) 12. cxd4 Bb6 13. Nc3 Qxd4 14. Qxd4 Nxd4 15. Nge2 c6 16. Nf4 =.
<8... Nxe4 9. Nxe4 Rxe4 10. Bf4 Qf6 11. Nh3 d6 12. Bd3 Nd4 13. Bg5 Qe6 14. c3 Qxa2 15. cxd4 Bf5 16. Be3?> This is White's decisive error. It overlooks a drawing opportunity and allows Black a strong winning move.
Instead, White can hold it level with 16. Qf3! when play might continue 16...Ba3 17. bxa3 Qxa3+ 18. Kc2 Qa2+ 19. Kc3 Qa3+ 20. Kc2 Qa2+ 21. Kc3 Qa3+ 22. Kc2 Qa2+ 23. Kc3 Qa3+ 24. Kc2 Qa2+ 25. Kc3 Qa3+ 26. Kc2 Qa2+ 27. Kc3 Qa3+ 28. Kc2 Qa2+ 29. Kc3 Qa3+ 30. Kc2 Qa2+ 31. Kc3 Qa3+ 32. Kc2 = (0.00 @ 23 depth).
<16...Rae8!> This strong move wins, but also clearly decisive is 16... c5! which threatens 17.Qf3 (17. Bxe4 Qc4+ 18. Kb1 Bxe4+ 19. Rd3 Bxd3+ 20. Ka1 Qa6#) (17. dxc5 Rc4+ 18. Bxc4 Qxc4#) 17... cxd4 18. Qxf5 g6! 19. Qd7 Re7 20. Bb1 Qc4+ 21. Bc2 Rxd7 22. Rxd4 Qa2 23. Rxb4 Rc8 24. Kd1 a5 25. Rd4 Qa1+ 26. Kd2 Qxh1
(-9.25 @ 21 depth).
<17. Nf4 R8e5!> This strong follow-up to the decisive 16...Rae8! solves today's Saturday puzzle.
Another strong winning follow-up is 17... c5! when play might continue 18. Bxe4 Qc4+ 19. Kb1 Bxe4+ 20. Nd3 Bxd3+ 21. Rxd3 Qxd3+ 22. Ka1 cxd4 23. Bc1 Qxg3 24. hxg3 Re1 25. Rxe1 Bxe1 26. Bf4 Bxf2 27. Kb1 d3
(-5.76 @ 24 depth).
<18. Rd2 > If 18. Bxe4 then Black wins with 18...Bxe4 when play might continue 19. Nd3 Qc4+ 20. Kb1 Bxd3+ 21. Rxd3 Qxd3+ 22. Kc1 Ra5
.
If 18. dxe5 it's mate-in-two after 18...Rc4+ 19. Bc2 (19. Bxc4 Qxc4#)
19... Rxc2#.
<18... Bxd2+ 19. Bxd2>
If 19. Kxd2 then White wins with 19... Qxb2+ when play might continue 20. Bc2 (20. Kd1 Ra5 21. Ne2 Ra1+ 22. Nc1 Rxd4 23. Ke1 Qc3+ 24. Bd2 Rxc1+ 25. Ke2 Bg4+ 26. f3 Qxd3+ 27. Kf2 Qxd2#) 20... Rxd4+ 21. Nd3 Bxd3 22. Rc1 Qb4+ 23. Kd1 Bf1+ 24. Bd3 Rxd3+ 25. Kc2 Qb3#.
<19... Rxd4 20. Bxf5 Rxf5 21. Re1 Rc5+ 22. Bc3 Qa1+ 0-1> White resigns in lieu of 23. Kc2 Qxe1 24. Nd3 Qe2+
with mate soon to follow.