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Notes by Ian George
A tactical shemozzle which seemed a better game while it was being played than afterwards when all the mistakes were revealed.
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bxd7+ Qxd7 5.c4 e5 6.0-0 Nc6 7.d3 g6 8.Nc3 Bg7 9.Nd5 h6 10.Be3
As the bishop will have to soon have to retreat anyway, it's better to save a tempo by playing 10.Bd2 at once.
Fritz rates this move as inferior to 12.Bd2 or 12.Qd1. No doubt that's right but I prefer the looser position resulting from this to allowing ...f4 with the kind of King's Indian set-up that Colin favours. It shows what a waste of time 10.Be3 and Qc1 were.
I want to play b4 without leaving the rook vulnerable along the long diagonal after ... e4 but 13.Bd2 keeps the position level.
13...Nxd5 14.cxd5 Nb4 15.Qc4 b5 16.Qb3 a5-/+
White reasons that he will need to put the king on h1 soon and does it now anticipating tactics along the g-file.
15...Nxd5 16.cxd5 Nd4 17.Nxd4 cxd4=
If 17...cxb4 18.Bxb4+/= is preferable but not 17...b6. 18.bxc5 bxc5 19.Ng5 Bh8+-
18.bxc5 Kf7 19.cxd6+- Rxg2 20.Rxb7
I believed I was being very clever in deflecting the black queen. This wins but I was seeing shadows. In my "analysis" the queen was already on h3 and I thought that 20.Kxg2 Rg8+ 21.Kh1 Ng3+ was a win for black but after 22.fxg3 white is two pieces ahead with an easy win whether the queen is on h3 or not. More tactical practice required, methinks.
Passive but 21...Rg8+ 22.Kh1 is no better.
22.Ng5+ Kg6 23.Ne4 Qd7 24.Kh1 Nh4 25.Rg1+ Kh6 26.Nxf4 Qf5 27.Ng6+ Kh7 28.Nxh4
1 - 0
One of those games that are very enjoyable to play but embarrassing to review afterwards when all the mistakes and poor analysis are revealed.