Game 3519313
looks like a neat drawn game from beggining to end at first sight, but there are two blunders made by black (myself) in this game, meaning there are two nice winning tactical possibilities missed by white. can you spot them?
the first one is 12...Nxe4??. here's the position after 13.Nxe4 d5 :
14.Nc5! is winning the game. if black takes the bishop, the discovered attack by the white queen on d1 will win the d7 black bishop. however, the continuation is really beautiful, the analysis is provided by rybka:
14...Rxb2 15.Rxb2 Bxb2 16. Qe1!! (look at diagram 1)
if black 16...dxc4, after 17.Bxe7, now, wherever the queen retreats, black loses more material. let's say
a) 17...Qc7, then 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 19.Nxd7+ Qxd7 20.Qb4+! and white wins the bishop anyway, being up a rook instead of a piece. so instead, if moving the queen, black attacks the white queen,
b) 17...Bc3, then 18.Qe3 Bd2 19. Qxd2 Qxe7 20.Nxd7. again, being up a piece for a pawn.
--
so black doesn't play 16...dxc4, instead plays 16...f6. white again replies very calmly and quietly, with 17.Bh6! (look at diagram 2 again, if black takes the bishop with
a) 17...dxc4, 18.Bxf8 Kxf8 19. Qd2! with double attack on the bishop. there's no way to protect it: if 19...Ke8 20.Rd1 and now it's clear.
so black instead should play
b)17...Re8. then, another beautiful move, 18. Qb4! if black retreats the bishop with 18...e4, then 19.Qa4!!, still not retreating the bishop!. (look at diagram 3)
if 19...dxc4, this time 20.Qxc4+ Kh8 21.Rd1!, still being up a piece for a pawn.
I loved the calmness and quietness of white's replies here.
the second blunder in the game now should be obvious. 15...Rxb2?? 16.Rxb2 Bxb2 17.Rd1!. winning the bishop.
I feel really sorry to blunder two times in this game. I should have lost it. but I really enjoyed analyzing it afterwards.