Annotated chess game

This restrained development by Black is sort of OK if she is planning a kind of King's Indian/Modern defence type of game, with ...g6 and ...Bg7 to come. Bit she ought to play 2...d3 (Philidor) or 2...Nc6 (possibly entering a Ruy Lopez) first, as now White can grab the loose e-pawn.

3.Nxe5 was quite safe. The general principle of 'not movving a piece twice in the opening' comes with a rider; 'unless there is a tactic. The 'tactic' here is to win the pawn at the cost of a little time: 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3.

Joe means 3...d6. This or 3...Nc6 were still the best. This flank move is a self-inflicted wound to Black's K-side.

The irony of this is that Black 'bad' third move has made this move reasonable. Better would have been 4...d6, with the same end in view, but also freeing the Queen's bishop. This f-pawn thrust doesn't help mobilize Black's pieces.

Oh, it didn't have to retreat. 5. Be2! fxe5 6. Bxh5+ Ng6 7. Bxg6+ Ke7 8. d4 and Black is helpless in view of the threat 9. Bg5+ winning the queen.

That's not quite right: 5.Be2 fxe5 6.Bxh5ch g6. Now, the best move was in fact to preserve the piece by 5.Nf3, but although OBJECTIVELY 5.Bc4 is a mistake; for SUBJECTIVE reasons, I like the idea behind it - or at least what I think is the idea behind it: 5.Bc4 fxe5 6.Qf3 , and Black has to find a way to meet the threat of mate. The only way is 6...d5, and after 7.exd5 Bg4, Black will have the edge. So White might have a real fight on her hands, but this is the way to learn: chance your arm on this kind of thing.

Joe is right, as I indicate in my previous comment...

'Playing as if nothing has happened', as the Russians say. But 6.Qf3 would have put the onus on Black to find the defence against Qf7# or Bf7#.

This development is a bit on the slow side, but Black's position, though a piece ahead, is rather awkward anyhow. I'd suggest 6...Nc6 here, mobilizing a minor piece, and with a counter-attack in mind should White play 7.Qf3: 6...Nc6 7.Qf3 d5! (the only reasonable defence) 8.exd5 ... (White could capture with a minor piece, of course. After 8,Bxd5 Black should exchange: 8...Nxd5; OR if 8,Nxd5 Black can exchange or play 8...Nd4, attacking f3 and c2.) 8...Nd4 9.Qd1 ... (To defend the Q and the c-pawn both) 9...Bg4 10.f3 Bf5, and Black is none too badly placed (remembering she would still have the extra piece).

White has no forced mate, here, but I can see what you are driving at, Erika. 8.Bxh5ch is a nasty threat, but it really only wins a pawn - and then only if Black allows it to be carried out. In the game situation, in which White has given up a piece in order to scramble the opponent's position, time is of the essence. For that reason I would not recommend this retreat, but suggest that White get her inactive pieces into the game as quickly as ever she can. One possibility is 7.Qf3 at once. I also quite like this: 7.d4!? and if 7...exd4 8.Qf3 ... (Threatening mate, so Black has no time for ...dxc3) 8...d5 9.Nxd5 ... with the idea 9...Nxd5? 10.Bxd5 threatening mate and the a8-rook at the same time - a double attack.

One square too far: 7...g6 was indicated, putting the kibosh on the Bxh5ch threat. Now White gets back her sacrificed material... at usurious interest.

Again, there is no forced mate in 4 moves. But Black is in deep trouble now...

Worse, actually. 8... Ng6 9. Bxg6+ Ke7 10. d4 is similar to the variation I gave earlier: White threatens 11. Bxg5+ and Black just doesn't have a good defence. So 7... g5?? was the losing blunder.

After nuntar's line, White has two threats: 11.Bg5ch (which can be met by 10...Bh6) and 11.Nd5ch. The latter would force the King out into the centre. To recap: 8...Ng6 9.Bxg6ch Ke7 10.d4! Bh6 11.Nd5ch ... and White has a tremendous attack.

Now, there is a forced mate!