French Perfume

There are principled ways to meet the dangerous French Defense, but the cowardly Exchange variation is not among them. This little gem was a three minute blitz game that lasted about a minute between sips of morning coffee.

mellan (1944) - Ziryab (1906)
Live Chess Chess.com, 06.01.2011

1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4 Bd6 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.0–0 Nbc6 7.c3 Bg4 8.Be3 Qd7 9.Nbd2 0–0–0 10.a4

10.b4 Ng6 11.b5 Nce7 12.Qa4 Kb8 13.c4 dxc4 14.Bxc4 Nf5 15.Ng5 Qe7 16.Nde4 h6 17.Nxd6 Nxd6 18.Nf3 Bxf3 19.gxf3 Qf6 20.Be2 Nf4 21.Bxf4 Qxf4 22.Rac1 Nf5 23.Rc4 Rd5 24.Rfc1 Rxd4 Nyland,T (2156)-Roos,J (2250), Budapest HUN 2009 0–1

10...h5!N



10...Rde8 was played on the Free Internet Chess Server (FICS) in 2000 in a game that found its way into my database via means unknown.

11.h3?!

11.Re1=

11...f6 12.Qc2

12.c4!?

12...g5 13.b4 Bxh3

I should have played 13...Bxf3 14.Nxf3 g4 15.Nh4

14.gxh3



14...g4??

and just like that, overdue for the next sip of coffee, I blundered away an easy game

15.b5??

White returns the gift

15...gxf3–+ 16.Nxf3 Rdg8+

16...Qxh3 17.Bf5+ Nxf5 18.Qxf5+ Qxf5 19.Rfd1 Rhg8+ 20.Kf1 Qxf3 21.b6 Rg1+ 22.Kxg1 Qh3 23.Bf4 Bxf4 24.Rd3 Rg8+ 25.Rg3 Rxg3+ 26.fxg3 Be3#

17.Bg5 Qxh3 18.bxc6 Rxg5+ 19.Nxg5 Qh2# 0–1