Hi
I was PM'd this (by the lser!) stating I might be able to use it.
Replied no as it's over the bar of games I want to use. -1600.
Of course I did look at it. (refreshing to see a game to a game without
an obvious blunder).
Quiet opening then not sure what White expected from his middle game
pawn sac. Possibly to charge the other player with the responsibility
of winning the game.
A ploy myself and others use in OTB games either by accident or design.
A player is dragged out of his shell because you have presented him with a
winning game. Not a winning position, a winning game. Big diffference.
He has to play well now to win it.
And as we all know there is nothing easy about winning a won game.
If you want to try this at home then don't wait too long before passing
the advantage. And don't try it against very good players.
So Black a pawn up takes over and is looking safe and good.
He gave the pawn back trying to make something of a pinned Bishop
on the Queen.
But went astray around here when he played 19...Bxd4 which seems
to release the pressure. I was thinking at the time this was the overture
to a draw offer.
Specualtion of course but I can only say what I see infront of me,
Then, with the position equal and interesting, came Black's 24th move.
As I mentioned in the last Blog ideas that burn bridges are all to often fatal.
It's best to wait and use counter-ideas.
The first player to find a plan often losses because the other player
sees a counter plan. Chess is cruel and lop-sided.
elgallo(1954) - Jack Bertram(1814) RHP 2010
The exchange on d4 was probably releasing the tension too early, although the intention was to gain a passed b pawn versus the blockaded d pawn (which was what led to Nd5 a few moves later). Not sure how I could have clung on to the extra pawn though - think it was only a very temporary pawn sac.
24...Bd5 would have been a much better move - I had overlooked the weakness on f7 and focused too hard on the weakness on h7, which I judged I could ignore.