Another game I'm not proud of, particularly, but a win nonetheless. I've read the difference between a 1200 player and a 1500 player is seeing opponents' tactics, and we see an example of that here as I fall behind material because I fail to think through his possible moves.
[Event "ICC"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2009.09.10"]
[White "lawth3"]
[Black "KyleMayhugh"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1180"]
[BlackElo "1258"]
[ECO "C44"]
[Opening "Scotch opening"]
[TimeControl "1800+10"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 d6
We played the Scotch opening for 2.5 moves, that's further than I usually get into a book line. The only recommended response to 3. d4 here is exd4, and then black has a number of options
4. Bc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 exd4
6. Nxd4 Bg4 7. f3 Nxd4 8. Qxd4 c5 9. Qd3 Be6 10. Bg5 Bxc4
11. Qxc4 Be7
I really don't mind exchanging down as black. I have confidence in my endgames if need be (relative to this level, anyway, but not compared to most players). But I struggle in the middle game, as we are about to see, beacuse there are just too many tactics to miss:
12. Qb5+ Qd7 13. Qxd7+ Nxd7 14. Nd5 f6
Oops, walked myself into losing the exchange.
Or did I? I now see that Bd1 saves the material. Shoot.
Crafty says I'm still getting it wrong: Take the bishop, allow the knight-fork, and trade the rook for the knight. I get a bishop and a knight for a rook, a very solid trade for me. I'm still getting basic counting wrong in these exchanges, time to go re-watch some videos.
15. Nc7+ Kf7
16. Nxa8 fxg5 17. Nc7 Bf6 18. c3 Nb6 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Re8+
21. Kd2 Re5 22. c4 h5 23. Rae1 Rf5 24. b3 Bd8
I almost felt bad playing this move. It'd be insulting to a higher-level player, who wouldn't miss the potential skewer, but I didn't see anything else worth playing.
25. Rhf1 Ba5+
He missed it. I've lucked out again.
26. Kd1 Bxe1 27. Rxe1 Re5
I want to keep exchanging and try to outmaneuver his king.
28. Rf1 Kf6 29. g3 Kf5 30. h3 g6
31. g4+ hxg4 32. hxg4+ Kf4 33. Re1 Rxe1+
He really should have put his rook over on the a-file and seen who could do more damage with their rooks back behind the pawns. He had a better pawn structure and a more defensive king for that.
34. Kxe1 Kxf3 35. Kf1 Kxg4
The game is won as far as I can tell at this point, just have to not blow it.
36. Kg2 Kf4 37. Kf2 g4 38. Kg1 g3 39. Kg2 Kg4 40. Kg1 Kf3
41. a3 b6 42. b4 cxb4 43. axb4 Ke4
Pushed things as far as I could on this side, time to go gobble over there and make sure no pawns sneak through.
44. Kg2 Kd4 45. Kxg3 Kxc4
46. Kg4 Kxd5 47. Kg5 Kc4 48. Kxg6 d5 49. Kf5 d4 50. Ke4 d3
51. Ke3 Kxb4 52. Kxd3 a5 53. Kc2 a4 54. Kb2 b5 55. Kb1 Ka3
56. Ka1 b4 57. Kb1 b3 58. Ka1 Kb4 59. Kb2 a3+ 60. Ka1 Kc3
61. Kb1 b2 62. Ka2 Kc2
He offered draw after his move 62, which I at first found a little rude but then he said that he thought it was a stalemate, so an honest mistake on his part.
63. Kxa3 b1=Q 64. Ka4 Qb6 65. Ka3 Qb5
Wasn't paying attention, missed the mate in 1 for the mate in 2. Sloppy.
66. Ka2 Qb2#
0-1
New rating: 1258
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