http://www.nmgastronome.com/abq/ind...

This game took around 3 hours total to complete.

TEST FEN:

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Thanks!!

JESSICA (1725) v. NN (2022)
YAHOO CHESS
(Ten minutes a move)

This was actually the second game in a row against this guy. In the first he beat me in 16 moves, so I think he was tempted to be a little “swashbuckling” in our rematch.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nx6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3

So far, one of the main lines in my “pet” SCOTCH opening.

Now, the thunderbolt: 5…Bxf2+!??

I never played against this sac before, and it doesn’t occur once in our <Opening Explorer>. So it must be “wrong.” Or so you’d think. It scared the crap outta me, however.

6.Kxf2 Qh4+

And now my first mistake.

I played 7.Kg1?, in a panic, worried about 7…Qxe4-- I wanted to "hide" my King as soon as possible.

But after 7.g3 Qxe4? White is much better—viz: simply 8.Bd3! Arghhhh…

So anyhoo, I played 7.Kg1, blocking in my King’s rook. In fact, my King’s rook doesn’t move A SINGLE TIME in this game. Sigh.

So here we are:

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Now, 7…Qxe4 8.Nc3 Qg6 9.Bd3 f5

I thought I was being a “clever pants” by playing Nc3 before Bd3, so as to get TWO developing tempi on his Queen, but of course no, I just provoked the beginning of a dangerous Kingside attack—9…f5.

10.Nd5 Kd8 (practically forced, I think?) 11.Bf4 d6 (forced again)—

Feeling better now, a Bishop up, four pieces developed and active, central pieces. Course, my King is screwed and effectively, due to my paralyzed King’s rook, arguably I’m actually “down the exchange” rather than a bishop up.

Anyhoo:

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12…Nf6

I had illusions of playing Kf2 to connect rooks, but his Nf6 prevents that- I don’t want his stinking knight on g4!!

So 13.Nxf6 Qxf6 14.c3 g5 and HERE COMES THE ATTACK

15.Bd2 Ne5 and I PANICKED AGAIN. Sigh.

I didn’t want to give up my LSB here—So I didn’t play 16.Qe2 which is probably best—

Instead I tried for a more active 16.Qh5??

This saves my LSB cuz if 16…Nxd3 then 17.Bxg5 skewering his Queen.

However, Black just played 16…h6 here

Now 17.Be2 to save old LSB (I’m not sure why I wanted to keep him so bad)

And 17…Be6. I think 17. Re1 was better for him… but what do I know?

18.Nd4 (attack his bishop, centralize Knight) …and Bf7? I thought Bd5 better…

19.Qh3 g4 20.Qg3 Kd7 21.Rf1 Bg6

Which brings us here:

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Cripes the whole point of Rf1 was to restrain his f-pawn and indirectly attack his Queen.

His Knight is super powerful on e5, however, and I became "blind" trying to think of how to dislodge it.

so I played 22.Bf4? instead of the OBVIOUS 22.Bxg4! which puts huge pressure on his f-pawn (cuz of the pin) and relieves the pressure of his K-side pawn storm.

SIGH.

now 22...Rae8 23.Bxe5 (which gets rid of his strong Knight- my MONOMANIACAL PLAN- and also wins a pawn- cuz only NOW did I see Bxg4!)

23...Rxe5 24.Bxg4 h5

Which brings us here, where I had a very long think. I was afraid of him playing h4 and strangling me, since my King's Rook is still perfectly helpless and FUNCTIONALLY I'm still not REALLY a piece up- but rather an exchange down.

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So despite a very long think here, I missed the "quiet" 25.Bd1 here- which puts me in perfectly fine shape. I still have huge pressure on his f-pawn, and if Black plays h4 then I have Qh3! which blockades his h-pawn and makes a vicious battery x-raying his king through his beleagueered f-pawn. On the other hand, he could just play Rf8 and relieve this pressure...

When I saw it, I was so happy I spilled coffee. I checked and rechecked, and here is the "combo" I came up with:

25.Bxf5+! Bxf5 26.Nxf5 Rxf5 27.Rxf5 Qxf5 28.Qg7+ (I'm sure he didn't see this ahead of time) Kc6 29.Qxh8 Qb1+ 30.Kf2.

Now, here he SHOULD play 31...Qxh1 and after I play 32.Qxh5 I have two passed pawns and a difficult, but surely winning (AT LEAST DRAWING) endgame. I was eager to play it out.

This SHOULD have been the position- the position I saw in my head before playing 25.Bxf5+:

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But instead, he gave me the game with 30...Qc1+???

How could he overlook Qxh1??

I've checked this and he has NO pepetual here.

Maybe he didn't want to play a tough Queen and pawn endgame after 3 hours and THOUGHT he had a perpetual??

At any rate, after he runs out of checks I'm a whole Rook up and he has no chance.

So 30.Qc1+ and after he runs out of checks he tries to gobble my Queenside pawns but due to my extra Rook, I manage to force a Queen exchange and he resigns.

I WIN! I WIN! I WIN!!

HAHAHAAHAH.

heh.

So that's the first time I beat somebody over 2000. 300 points higher than me!!!

So I'm bragging today.

Please, any comments or analysis on this game, post them in my forum.

Good game. I wouldn't be so jejune as to subject your game to computer analysis, and your annotations are brutally honest.

The only observation I'd add is that your playing strength is obviously increasing, you took advantage of a cocky player's liberty in the opening, and, I suggest, earned his respect as well when you maintained your sang froid to win after a couple of inaccurate moves.

Ack-- I "edited" this post several times and I still screwed it up.

He played 30.Qc2+, of course, not 30.Qc1+.

I think "NN" was overconfident in the game I posted.

7.Kg1 is actually getting more or less the same eval as <g3>; on the other hand, 14.c3 is frowned upon - apparently it's not a very efficient move in this position, and tactically it leaves Bd3 unprotected in lines after Ne5. instead, moves like <Bd2> or <Rf1> are recommended (e.g. 14.Rf1 g5 15.Bd2 Ne5 16.Qh5 h6 and now White can play 17.h4 without worrying about the bishop; 14...Qxb2 isn't a threat, of course, because of 15.Bg5+).

19...g4 was a serious mistake by your opponent - as the rest of the game clearly shows - <f4> was much better.

Instead of the "obvious" 29...Qb1+, it seems that Black could draw with the clever <29...Qe4!!>:

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With a mate threat on e1 - which White can't parry without allowing either a perpetual or a transition to a queen endgame which isn't favorable anymore: 30.Qf6 Qe1+ 31.Qf1 Qe3+ 32.Qf2 Qc1+ etc.; 30.g3 Qe1+ 31.Kg2 Qe2+ 32.Kh3 Qg4+ etc.; 30.h3 Qe3+ 31.Kh2 Qf4+ 32.Kg1 Qe3+ 33.Kf1 Qf4+ 34.Ke1 Qe4+ 35.Kd1 (35.Kd2 Qxg2+ 36.Ke3 Qxh1 37.Qxh5 Qc1+ 38.Kd3 Qxb2 and now, if anyone has winning chances in the endgame it's Black) 35...Qb1+ 36.Ke2 Qe4+ 37.Kf2 Qf4+ 38.Ke2 Qe4+ etc.

Btw, speaking of games with Bxf2+ sacs "out of the blue" in the opening, check out Hamppe vs Meitner, 1872.

Just finished looking at your <Engine analysis> and your explanations on my board.

Thanks!!! I was gratified to learn my Kg1 wasn't a BONER, but a bit disappointd to hear about my c3. I didn't see why my b-pawn was immune to capture due to Bf5+!

Also, THANK THE STARS my opponent overlooked his saving move 29...Qe4 as well.

The <Hamper v. Mai-tai> game is brilliant and hilarious. <The strange case of the Attacking King> by Robert Louis Stephenson.

Will report back when I have the time.

One suggestion: I think you could have played h4 at a couple of points: it stops the black pawn advance (...g5) etc while also making breathing space for both your king and rook. It's good on move 11 or 12, and if you played it on move 14 it has the added threat of Bg5 winning the queen. Your c3 was unnecessary -- if Black goes grabbing the b2 pawn in that position he'll get killed in the centre.

Eyal's discovery just proves how double-edged these things can be.

I actually did something similar in my game last night: pawn attack on enemy queen on a5, which can go to a6 or home to d8. a6 looks better, but I'd prepared a knight sac which either trapped his queen or won a whole rook. He saw this, and retreated to d8 instead.

Later I discovered the whole thing had been played before - once - and was unsound. He can go to a6, let me grab a rook, and launch a vicious counterattack while I'm off-balance. I was White and the previous white player who came up with that little gem lost the game.

Anyway -- don't panic. When you've got extra material, like here, the best way to kill the game off is often with quiet moves. Exchange pieces and offer more exchanges. Try to neutralize possible enemy threats in advance. Don't let him get any initiative going...

Yes, I enjoyed myself VERY, VERY MUCH-

Here are my most emotionally thrilling games in order: Oh No! It's <Jessica Fischer's Most Memorable 6 Games>!!

1. first time I beat my Dad (age 10)

2. Winning my one and only ever chess tournament in Grade 7, which included three of the teachers- the game I remember was my win with Black against <Mr. Sieben> who organized the tournament.

3. beating my Dad's friend <Mr. Brewster> at age 15- he was much stronger than me.

4. Age 17- Almost drawing against my friend <Ernie> playing white against his Caro Kan. He was a tournament player in Grade 10-- I went to his house three times a week to play him, never came close to winning except this one game-- after, he smiled and showed me-- why not just push your pawn here? It was a win if I had.

Sigh.

5. Age 21: Beating a <Yahoo> player rated over 1500 for the first time. I posted this game in my forum last year.

6. Age 22: The Game I just posted now.

<Dom>: I'm so happy for you that your Tournament play has taken an upswing and that you are back at the Club.