Zippity Zing!!

After noting yesterday the substantive increase in my game load, it already has dropped by one game. Even though my opponent and I had three days per move, we managed to complete this miniature in substantially less than twenty-four hours. As miniatures do, it offers a little mind candy in elementary tactics.

Stripes - E Class Player [C41]
2009 Club Championship, 06.01.2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bc4 h6

This prophylactic move is not terribly unreasonable, but wastes a tempo.

4.Nc3 Nf6 5.0–0 Nc6

5...Be7 6.d3 Bg4 7.Nd5 0–0 8.Nxe7+ Qxe7 9.c3 c5 10.h3 Bh5 11.Qe2 Nh7 12.Qe3 Kh8 13.d4 Nd7 14.Nh2 Ndf6 15.dxc5 dxc5 16.Bd5 Rad8 17.c4 Ng5 18.f3 Ne6 19.Qc3 Nd4 20.Re1 Hrafnkelsson,G-Brandt,J, Copenhagen 2007 ½–½

White to move


6.d4

6.d3 Be7 7.h3 transposes to a more common line

6...Bg4 7.Bb5

One key to beating up on weaker players: create opportunities for tactics. Objectively better is 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Bb5 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Bxf3 (9...Bb4) 10.gxf3 and White has a slight advantage.

7...exd4

Black wins a pawn

8.Nd5?!N

White offers another

8.Bxc6+ bxc6 9.Qxd4 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Be7 11.Be3 Qd7 12.Kg2 0–0 13.Rad1 c5 14.Qd2 c6 15.Bxh6 gxh6 16.Qxh6 Ng4 17.Qh5 Ne5 18.Kh1 Rfb8 19.Rg1+ Ng6 20.Na4 Kf8 21.Nxc5 Qc8 22.Nd3 Rb5 23.Qh6+ Ke8 24.Nf4 Kd7 25.Nxg6 fxg6 26.Rxg6 Qf8 27.Qh3+ Kc7 Ciezkowsky,J-Vansichen,J, Lommel 2000 ½–½

Black to move


8...Nxe4??

Black should have assumed that White meant for him to take the pawn, and looked for why it was offered so freely.

9.Qd3?

Fails to exploit Black's decisive error. Winning is 9.Qe1 Bxf3 10.gxf3 Qh4 11.Qxe4+ Qxe4 12.fxe4 0–0–0 13.Bd2+-

9...Bxf3??

Necessary was 9...Nc5 10.Re1+ Kd7! I overlooked this key defense 11.Qxd4 Bxf3 12.gxf3 a6 13.Qg4+ Ne6 and White has a slight advantage.
I expected 9...f5 10.Nxd4 when Black will lose material.

10.Qxf3 Nf6??

Better, but still losing, was 10...Nc5 11.Re1+ Ne6 12.Nb4 White's overwhelming force against c6 will devastate Black's position.

White to move


11.Nxf6+

More accurate would have been 11.Bxc6+ bxc6 12.Nxf6+ gxf6 13.Qxc6+ Qd7 14.Qxa8++-

11...gxf6

11...Qxf6 12.Bxc6+ Kd8+-

12.Re1+

Second best, but good enough

12...Kd7??

The final blunder.

12...Be7 13.Qxf6 Rg8 14.Qxh6+-
12...Qe7 13.Bxc6+ Kd8 14.Rxe7 Bxe7 15.Bxb7+-

13.Qf5# 1–0