Manifold Topics

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. Nc3 a6 {To prevent knight hops to b5, creating a safe haven for the queen on c7.} 4. Be2 Nc6 5. d4 cxd4 {Black refuses to completely yield the center.} 6. Nxd4 Qc7 7. O-O Nf6 8. Be3 {This protects the a7-g1 diagonal before 9. f4, and protects the d4 knight nicely.} Be7 9. f4 {Gearing up for a kingside attack.} d6 10. Kh1 {A possible g-pawn push?} O-O 11. Qe1 Nxd4
12. Bxd4 b5 13. Qg3 {The g-pawn will not move. Instead, the queen will use this square to put pressure on e5, preventing that Black advance.} Bb7 14. a3 {Another prophylactic move, denying Black 14…b4.} Rad8 15. Rae1 Rd7 {Preparing a doubling on the d-file.} 16. Bd3 Qd8 17. Qh3 {Only now may the g-pawn march up the board.} g6 {An inaccuracy. Better to leave the pawns stable or calmly defend with 17…h6.} 18. f5 {White attacks the weakness…} e5 19. Be3 {Then targets the dark square by means of Bh6.} Re8 20. fxg6 hxg6 {The h-pawn takes, giving Black the possible defensive plan of Kg7–Rh8.} 21. Nd5 Nxd5 {The first real mistake by Black. The bishop must remove the rampaging knight. Then 22. exd5 Rf8 (To protect the pawn) 23. Bh6 Rc7 24. Bxf8 Qxf8. Black has partial compensation for the exchange in the form of White’s weak pawns and his lack of weaknesses.} 22. Rxf7 {A very impressive sacrifice, but the real trick is White’s conversion of Black’s exposed king into a win.} Kxf7 23. Qh7+ Ke6 24. exd5+ Kxd5 {? Bxd5 limits the damage, keeping Black’s king somewhat safe.} 25. Be4+ Kxe4
26. Qf7 {? A blemish on this game. 26. c4! is mate in nine. A trivial quibble, though. } Bf6 27. Bd2+ Kd4 28. Be3+ Ke4 {A repetition?} 29. Qb3 {No!} Kf5 30. Rf1+ Kg4
31. Qd3 Bxg2+ 32. Kxg2 Qa8+ 33. Kg1 Bg5 34. Qe2+ Kh4 35. Bf2+
Kh3 36. Be1 {Black resigned, caught in a mating net and awaiting Rf3+.} 1-0

1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. e5 {Pushing Black back.} Nfd7 {Black maintains central pressure, although I’ve no idea why c5 doesn’t come on the next move.} 4. d4 c6 {Waiting for the d-pawn to be undefended, I guess?} 5. Bd3 c5 6. e6 {Trying to mess up Black’s pawns and/or expose his king.} cxd4 7. Qh5 {I decided I’d milk the e-pawn all I could.} Ne5 8. Bb5+ Nbc6 9. Bxc6+ bxc6 10. Qxe5 dxc3 11. exf7+ Kxf7 {Hooray! Something to attack!} 12. Nf3 cxb2 13. Bxb2 Qa5+ 14. Bc3 {A natural way to block.} Qa4 15. 0-0 {Tucking the king away before pursuing Black’s.} Kg8 16. Ng5 Qxc2 {A pawn steal that lets me get my pieces even closer.} 17. Ne6 d4 18. Bxd4 {Now I have threats on g7 and the weak back rank.} Qg6 {Unfortunately, I am forced to part with my splendid knight.} 19. Nxf8 Kxf8 20. Rae1 {?? This simply loses the exchange. The other rook!} Ba6 21. Qxe7+ Kg8 {And the king manages to hide.} 22. f4 Bxf1 23. Rxf1 Qf7 {Here I resigned.}

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 exd4 {Ah, a Morphy replay is not to be had.} 4. Nxd4 Qd7 {A bad, non-harmonizing move.} 5. Bb5 {Not good due to 5… Nc6 and the White bishop is a tad misplaced.} c6 6. Be2 c5 7. Bb5 {7. Nf5, evacuating to a nice square from which it is difficult to extract the knight, is preferred.} Nc6 {8. Nf5.} 8. Nf3 a6 9. Bd3 {If 9. Bc4, then 9…b5 takes up valuable queenside real estate.} Nf6 10. Bg5 Be7 {Both sides develop.} 11. Nc3 0-0 12. Qd2 {Here, castling queenside is unwise, because then b5 puts White in a spot of trouble.} b5 13. 0-0-0 b4 {Black’s pawns look menacing, but White can ultimately fend them off. 13…h6, practically forcing 14. Bxf6 Bxf6, was good for Black, giving him a well-placed bishop.} 14. Nd5 Nxd5 15. exd5 Bxg5 {15… Na5, preparing c4.} 16. Nxg5 a5 {16…Na5 kept the game relatively close.} 17. Bxh7+ {Here, Black justifiably resigned.} 1-0