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17... Bxc4
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This pawn is free; if White exchanges, Black takes back with check and subsequently wins the d-pawn as well. |
 
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18. b3
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Shoring up those last two pawns. White's castle is looking messy, but luckily Black has no way in (...Bg5+ is handily refuted by f2-f4) and still has to contend with the threat of mate on h7. |
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18... Bd5
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Black retreats his Bishop with tempo, promising to win more pawns as he stares down at g2. |
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19. Qf5
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This is one of surprisingly few safe locations for the WQ. White forces the Black Bishop to move, setting up a mild attempt to win it on d4, while critically keeping the pressure on h7. 19. Qf4 might be stronger, letting White keep his material advantage and tying down another Black piece after 19...Bxd4 20. Qxc7 Rb8 21. Rhe1. |
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19... Bxd4
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Black threatens various pawns around the board and has finally equalized his material, but his minor pieces are somewhat vulnerable to counterattack in their tenuous circle of protection. |
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20. Bb5
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?! White threatens to win one of Black's minor pieces, but the threat is easily parried, and this move by White frees the BQ momentarily from her defense of h7. See my note to White's move 19. |
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20... Rf8
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Black brings up his final piece to complete his development with tempo, driving away the White Queen from her powerful center post and looking hungrily at White's second rank. |
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21. Qh5
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The White Queen maintains pressure on h7 and d5. This is a stronger choice than 21. Qd7? as the latter does not prevent Black from beginning a dangerous attack of his own with ...Qg5+. |
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21... Rxf2
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Black threatens 22...Bb2+ and related violence, which could be fatal if White plays carelessly: 22. Rhf1?? Bb2+ 23. Kb1 Be4+ 24. Bd3 Bxd3+ 25. Rxd3 Rxf1+ 26. Kxb2 Qxg2+ and Black has an easy win. |
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22. Bxc6
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?? White's best shot at living through Black's attack here was probably 22. Rdf1, giving his King some breathing room on d1. After 22...Rxa2 23. Bd3 White stands a chance of staving off Black's ravening pieces long enough to find a perpetual check. With 22. Bxc6, however, White dooms himself to a painful death. After 22...Bb2+ 23. Kb1 Bxc6 24. Rd3 Be4 25. Rhd1 Qe6 White cannot prevent the Black Queen from entering the fight decisively, via c6, g6 or e1: 26. Qc5 (to prevent ...Qc6 followed by ...Qc2#) ...Bxd3+ 27. Rxd3 Qe1+ 28. Qc1 Qxc1#, or 26. Qg4 Bf5 27. Qh5 Bxd3+ 28. Rxd3 Qe4 29. Qd1 Re2 and whatever White plays now, Black would have to blunder horrifically to lose the resulting Q vs R endgame. Best would probably be 26. Qb5 a6 27. Qc4 Qxc4 28. bxc4 Rxg2 and the LSB ties down White's Rooks while Black butchers all the pawns on the map. |
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22... Bb2+
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The Gameknot computer analysis alternately suggests 22...Qg3 or 22...Qe6, aiming for the weak e3 square. |
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23. Kb1
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Forced. |
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23... Bxc6
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Now Black threatens ...Be4+ and mate in one. |
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24. Qh4
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? White holds out longer with 24. Rd3; see my note to White's twenty-second move. Possibly he was baited by the chance at a royal pin with Rd8, but it's irrelevant now--Black has a mate in three available to him. |
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24... Qg6+
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White is done for (25. Qe4 Qxe4+ 26. Rd3 Qxd3#), and he resigns. Black's superior development and open space proved adequate to win back the gambited material and secure victory from all the way across the board. Again, many thanks to chanakam2000 for this game. Comments on the analysis or on the game itself are much appreciated--if you leave a low rating, please leave a comment as well explaining what I can improve! Thanks for reading! |
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