Blitz Position With Mate In 8

[Event "ICS rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2012.04.03"]
[White "paulbuchman"]
[Black "1800"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2042"]
[BlackElo "1800"]
[TimeControl "180"]

1.e4 b6 2.d4 Bb7 3.Nc3 e6 4.Bd3 Nf6 5.Nge2 c5 6.O-O Nc6 7.d5 Ne5 8.dxe6 fxe6 9.f4 Nxd3 10.cxd3 Be7 11.Ng3 O-O 12.e5 Nd5 13.Nxd5 Bxd5 14.Qg4 Qc7 15.b3 Rf7 16.Bb2 Raf8 17.f5 Kh8 18.f6 gxf6 19.exf6 Bd6 20.Nh5
Rg8 21.Qg7+ Rgxg7 22.fxg7+ Kg8 23.Rxf7 Kxf7 24.Rf1+ Kg8 25.Nf6+ Kxg7
26.Nxd5+

[Event "ICS rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2012.04.04"]
[Round "-"]
[White "1700"]
[Black "paulbuchman"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1700"]
[BlackElo "2045"]
[TimeControl "180"]

1.b3 {This is a very playable move, and I kind of like it. Against d5, white can adopt a Queen's Indian Reversed or a Bird. Against e5, white can just play an Owen's Defense with an extra tempo, convert to a hippo with g3, or go for a Sicilian or Hedgehog position with colors reversed.} d5 {I prefer this to 1. ...e5} 2.Bb2 Bg4 {A Ghost Pin ... In 1 minute chess, this often wins the queen (fast e3 by white). It has some points in longer games too. The idea is to just develop the bishop and possibly snap out a knight on f3. White can chase the bishop around with pawns, but it loosens his position slightly. I'd say with correct play white probably gets a slight edge against this.} 3.f3 {A Newer Move ... I'm sure it's been around for a while, but this has only become quite popular in the last 5 years or so. The idea is to play e4 and introduce a sharp gambit. 3.h3 was the move I usually encountered before someone published some analysis of this in one of their books.} Bh5 4.e4 dxe4 {maybe just 4. ...e6 !? } 5.Qe2 {5.Nc3 looks wild an playable too, especially in blitz. The idea here is just like in some lines of the Englund Gambit (and a Grob line), check on b5 and win h5 or b7} Nc6 {? I underestimated the strength of white's next move. 5. ... c6 looks fine} 6.Qb5 {! This left me in a really bad spot. I had just planned Bg6, but then I saw 7.Qxb7. The knight and rook are in trouble, and the threat of Bb5 is also very strong. Black's position is a real mess, and it looks like he will lose at least a piece. It was time for a miracle save. } e5 {I think this is a good try. It cuts the queen off from h5 and prepares the defensive move Nge7.} 7.Qxb7 Nge7
8.Bb5 {I still have troubles with my knight and rook but ...} Kd7 {I was really surprised that this held. Objectively, I still feel quite lost, but I'm making it hard for white.} 9.fxe4 Rb8 10.Qa6 Rb6 11.Qa4 Qb8 {Perhaps 11. ... a6 right away} 12.Bxc6+ {I was definitely worried about 12.Nc3 instead, and I think after it I'd still be in a difficult position.} Nxc6 13.Bxe5 {?? A truly poisoned pawn} Rb4 {! Threatens the queen, breaks the pin on the c6 knight, and allows Rxe4 /Rxe5 as well} 14.Qa5 {A mouseslip or just a blunder out of frustration} Nxa5 {White Resigns} 0-1

[Event "ICS Rated blitz match"]
[Site "freechess.org"]
[Date "2012.04.05"]
[Round "-"]
[White "1768"]
[Black "paulbuchman"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1768"]
[BlackElo "2038"]
[TimeControl "180"]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 d6 {I've been playing this a lot for the last couple of weeks (and d6 in other 1.e4 e5 variations). For a little less space, black gets a playable position without having to remember a whole lot of theory. Most players really aren't prepared for this, because of it's passive reputation and generally small use in practice. I think with correct play white gets an advantage slight to slightly annoying , but a lot of players generally don't know how to play against it (being generally prepared for all the Closed Lopez Systems or Exchange Variation.) } 4.h3 Bd7 5.O-O g6 {Played for variety ... Nf6 with Be7 is probably a little better} 6.c3 Bg7 7.d4 Nge7 {Keeping the f pawn mobile} 8.Re1 O-O {Generally this fianchetto system is really solid and extremely playable. The only danger is running into someone extremely well prepared.} 9.dxe5 Nxe5 {dxe5 is probably fine too. I just felt like chopping off a little wood and seeing what developed.} 10.Bxd7 Nxf3+ 11.Qxf3 Qxd7 12.Bg5 Nc6 13.Nd2 {I really expected Bf6 here,and I planned just to trade and play Qe6. Admittedly, I'm not being very ambitious here. I'm just playing my side and seeing what develops. If white keeps playing solid enough, a draw isn't out of the question, but usually solid positions spiral out of control in blitz.} Ne5 {planning a new home at f7}
14.Qg3 f5 {Striking at the center} 15.f4 {Maybe a little too aggressive. His bishop is getting worse and worse} Nf7 16.exf5 Qxf5 17.Bh4 {Re7 looks worth a try. I'd probably trade on g5 and play Rf7.} Rfe8 18.Nf3 Qd3 { Not necessarily strong, but kind of annoying. One idea is to trade queens. The other is simply to meet Rad1 with Qc2 or Qc4 and keep white distracted on the queenside long enough to get in Nh6 and Nf5. } 19.Ng5 {Maybe ? ... Here I head for the winning endgame pawn structure.} Qxg3
20.Bxg3 Nxg5 21.fxg5 Rxe1+ 22.Rxe1 Kf8 {During the game, I was wondering about 23.Rf1+ Ke7 24.Re1+ Kd7 25.Rf1 , but it looks like 25. ... Re8 26.Rf7+ Re7 works.} 23.h4 Re8 24.Rxe8+ {It looks wrong to reduce material.} Kxe8 25.Kf2
Kd7 26.Ke3 Ke6 27.Ke4 d5+ {The passed pawn makes it first step.} 28.Kd3 Be5 {Heading for the winning king and pawn ending.} 29.Bf2 {He's onto me!} b6 30.a4 c5 {more support for the d pawn} 31.a5 Kf5 {Maybe Kg4 and Bg3 next} 32.axb6 axb6 33.b4 {A nice try at isolating black's pawns, but it doesn't work. White really is trying to make a fight of it.} c4+ 34.Kc2 b5 {saving the pawn ... Making my d pawn backward like this would not be very good if white could blockade it. Fortunately, white can does not have the time. Black can play Ke4 and d4 and rid himself of the pawn (making the c pawn passed). If white plays Bd4 to attempt the blockade, black just trades on d4, creates a protected passed pawn on c4, and simply marches the king over to the kingside to mop up.} 35.Be1 Ke4 {to play d4} 36.Kd2 d4 37.cxd4 Bxd4 38.Ke2 c3 {Black is trying to run white out of moves here. I'd like to get my king to d3, so a white king move is out. If 39.Bg3, I was going to play Be3 with the idea of c2. 39.Bg3 Be3 40.Be1 c2 41.Bd2 c1=Q 42.Bxc1 Bxc1 wins a piece. I think white is in zugzwang all the way. He can't move his king or bishop, and the pawn moves will soon run out.} 39.g3 Be5 {just waiting for the pawn moves to run out ... Here we see whites problem again, he can not force a passed pawn on the kingside.} 40.Kd1 Kd3 {the promised land} 41.Bf2 c2+ 42.Kc1 Bc3 {theat Bd2 and c1} 43.Be3 Bxb4
{New threat Ba3 mate ... Also 44.Kb2 Bd2 ... White Resigns}