00043.6.07 Analyzed by Expert Tim Smith

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bc4

This is the Philidor Defense with some unusual lines.

3. Bc4 is perfectly all right, but 3. d4! offers much

more possibilities. This is an opening where white can

get a big advantage in the center if black's not careful.

The first way to get an advantage was to play 3. d4.

Again 3. Bc4 is playable.

3. Bg4?!

Not the best choice in opening lines. It brings the queen's

bishop out much too early. The simple 3. Be7 or 3. Nc6

would've sufficed. Also, the strong 3. c6! is a great

way to take advantage of the fact that white didn't play d4

by intending d5 himself with a strong mobile center.

4. h3?!

Some masters of the past have tried this, but with not much

success. This pin is not very strong at all. There's no

need to immediately tickle it with h3. Still attempting to

build up your center by 4. c3 and then d4 was a more

preferable choice. Also, played here has been 4. Nc3 with

pressure on d5.

4. Bxf3?

A mistake. The bishop should've backed up to h5. Now white will get a

strong opportunity to attack the weak f7 point.

5. Qxf3 Nf6?

Definitely bad. Much better is 5. Qd7! When the weak b-pawn

can be defended by c6.

6. d3?!

You have sound development, but you're not being aggressive

enough! 6. Qb3! Continued the strong attack (very similar

to Morphy - Duke of Brunswick in the Philidor's Defense)

and punished black for the mistakes of early development

of the queen's bishop and poor motive for exchanging the bishop.

6. g6?

Bad, once again, due to the fact it leaves the knight poorly

protected (in the short term) and the bishop has nothing to

contribute to the game from that closed diagonal (long term)

unless a center break would occur. Better was mending the

wounds with 6. Nc6 or, in fact the aggressive 6. c6 once

again, intending d5 when the situation permits or queenside

expansion with b5.

7. Bg5!

Development with tempo. Nice.

7. Bg7 8. Bxf6?! Bxf6

Why exchange when your bishops are excellent?

9. Nd2

This move is good development. It leaves open the option

of playing c3. The other plan would involve the d5 square

with 9. Nc3.

9. 0-0

You don't want to commit your king until the center is

defined and you have no weaknesses (g6 is your weakness

here). 9. Nd7 or 9. c6 immediately would be indicated.

Now the powerful attack on the h-file and a castle queenside

can occur. Good strategy would involve confusing your

opponent so he doesn't find the correct strategy right away.

10. 0-0-0

Not bad at all! Slightly better still would be getting

the h-pawn rolling immediately with 10. h4!. 10. c3 could

still successfully be played now to intend a center break.

10. Nd7

A decent developing move. However, an attack on the wing

can't beat a counterattack in the center. 10. Nd7 isn't

the most forcing. Better is 10. c6 once again leaving open

b5 or d5 if it's allowed.

11. h4!

This begins to attack the g6 weakness and attempts to open

the h-file. I'm impressed that each side saw the tactics

involved in a casual yahoo game. Of course, now not 11. Bxh4?,

then 12. Qh3! (with an x-ray attack on h7) c6 13. Qxh4 Qxh4

14. Qxh4 and a decisive material advantage with still some

hope for attack on the h-file.

11. Bg7

Required is a central counterattack with 11. c6, there

might follow 12. h5 g5 13. Kb1 b5 14. Bb3 Nc5 and white

has his own problems.

12. h5 h6? 13. hxg6!

Very nice. The opening of the h-file is deadly, while the

f7 pawn is being massacared.

13. Nf6?

Other moves also lose. 13. Qf6 14. Bxf7+! Kh8 15. Qh3 Rfd8

16. Qe3 and white's obviously winning. If 13. Qe7, then

14. Bxf7+! Rxf7 15. gxf7+ Qxf7 16. Qg3 and white's winning.

14. Rh2?!

Here you missed 14. Bxf7+ with a won game. However, you

still have a strong kingside pressure.

14. d5

Good defense! Counterattacking in the center is the way

to refute a wing attack.

15.exd5?!

Here you missed the intermezzo check with 15. gxf7+! Which

opens the crucial diagonal to the black king. After

15. gxf7+, then 15. Rxf7 16. exd5 Qd6 17. Qg3! (threatening

Rxh6) and you have a winning initiative.

15. fxg6 16. d6+

16. Qg3 was preferable and much more threatening, followed

by 16. Kh7 17. Rdh1 Nxd5 18. Ne4 with threats of Ng5+ hanging

in the air. This position would be very uncomfortable for

Black.

16. Kh8 17. Rdh1

In this position also, 17. Qg3 would make Black pay the piper

quicker.

17. cxd6 18. Qxb7 d5??

This loses outright. Much, much better where black is still

in the game is 18. h5. Now White can play the strong rook

sacrifice 19. Rxh6+ Kg8 (if Bxh6 it's mate in a couple)

20. Rxg6 Rf7 (the only move) 21. Rh8+! Kxh8 22. Qxf7 Qg8

23. Rxf6 and white has an easily won game.

19. Bb5?

Definitely a blunder. The rook sacrifice wins more than a

piece for nothing. This gives black real counter chances.

For instance 19. Ng4! which snatches back the initiative

and protects all of white's threats or the text.

19. Rb8 20. Qa6?

Once again, 20. Rxh6+ would seem to be in order. Now black

has the advantage.

20. Rb6?!

Black doesn't capitalize immediately which he could've done

with 20. Ng4! followed by 21. Qg5 with advantage.

21. Qa4 Ng4??

Of course, this just loses a piece now that the white queen

is on a4.

22. Qxg4 Rxb5???

21. Ng4 DID lose a full piece. The reason is because 22. Rxb5

leads to a forced mate! Definitely required here was 22. Rxf2

and black is still barely hanging on, though a piece down.

White can force a checkmate with 23. Rxh6+! Kg8 24. Qxg6 Qh4

25. R1xh4 Rxf2 (there's nothing else) and 26. Rh8 Checkmate.

23. c4??

A grave error, not winning the game at the earliest moment.

In fact, this once again gives Black counterchances.

23. dxc4???

Another blunder. 23. Rb6 was a required move here. White now

has the same forced mate mentioned before. 24. Rxh6+ Kg8

25. Qxg6 Qh4 26. R1xh4 Rxf2 27. Rh8 Checkmate.

24. dxc4?

Turning the tables towards black once again. This game's

becoming a see-saw action.

24. Rc5?

Once again, giving white a mate opportunity, though it's

very detailed calculation. 25. Rxh6+! Kg8 26. Qxg6 Rxc4+

27. Nxc4 Qg5+ 28. Qxg5 Rb8 29. Rh7 Rb7 30. Qd8+ Kf7

31. R1h6 Rxb2 (nothing else) 32. Nxe5 for the beautiful

checkmate.

25. b4??

Not playing through the winning line once again.

25. Rc7?

Allowing 26. Qxg6!.

26. c5?

This gives black hope again. This appears to be toying

of emotions.

26. a5??

Still allows white to take on g6. Observe: 27. Qxg6 Rff7

28. Ne4 Qf8 29. Ng5! Rxc5+ 30. Kb1 Rc1+ (every single other

legal move on the board is mate very interestingly!)

31. Kxc1 Qc8+ 32. Kb2 Rxf2+ 33. Kb3 Kg8 34. Rxh6 a4+ 35.

Ka3 Qc3+ 36. Kxa4 Qc2+ 37. Qxc2 Rxc2 and the b-pawn marches

forward for the checkmate. This calculation is less

impressive then it looks. There are almost all checks

or forcing moves involved and it's much easier to calculate

deep variations with forced moves involved.

27. Qe6??

Handing his opponent counterchances again.

27. axb4 28. Rxh6+

Finally seeing the move that was begging to be played

forever. Still, 28. Qxg6 was still more forcing.

28. Bxh6 29. Rxh6+ Rh7 30. Qxe5?

30. Qxg6 adds to the pressure and doesn't let black slip

in more defensive opportunities.

30. Rf6??

This hands the game to white again. 30. Qf6 was black's

only chance.

31. Rxh7+?!

Missing the punishment for Black's last move which is 31. Rxg6!.

31. Kxh7 32. Ne4 Rf5 33. Qh2+ Rh5 34. Qf4 Rh1+ 35. Kb2 Qd4+

36. Kc2???

Losing the game to an accidental forced mate.

36. Qd1+! 37. Kb2 Qb1 Checkmate 0-1

This was a topsy turvy game that I'm assuming was due to

time trouble on yahoo. You both play rather decently through

the opening, though some lines were less than the best

choice of theory. However, you need to work on tactics

and exploiting weakening moves by your opponents king.

Overall a good game.