[Event "Analyzed Games"]
[Site "ChessDoctor.com"]
[Date "?.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "W38"]
[Black "B38"]
[Result "?"]
[ECO "?"]

{ 00038.5.24 Analyzed by National Master Corey Russell } 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 h6 5. O-O d6 { Everything is going fine so far. Both sides are concentrating 
on developing their pieces, controlling the center, and 
getting their kings into safety (with the exception of black's 
prophylactic...h6). } 6. Nc3 { The last move is certainly playable and logical, but should 
lead to an equal game. 6. c3 would keep more of the pieces 
on the board and retain greater flexibility, and hence 
generate more winning chances for white than the text. 
Grandmasters and masters alike, if they assay the Guicco Piano 
(3. Bc4) will almost invariably choose 6. c3. } 6... Nf6 7. Be3 Nd4 { A good move by black. This prevents 8. d4 by white, which 
is both line-opening and space grabbing. In addition, black 
can now boot any white piece that tries to plant itself at 
d5 by playing his pawn to c6, and last but not least, white 
will have to remove his dark squared bishop to get rid of 
the black knight on d4, since 8. Nxd4?? exd4 would lose a piece. } 8. Na4 Bg4 { Good. This completes development while pinning white's 
knight on f3 to the white queen. 8. ... Bg4 also shows 
that black is paying attention, as white was threatening 
to win a pawn with 9. Nxc5 dxc5 10. Nxe5. } 9. Bxd4 Bxd4 10. c3 Bb6 11. Nxb6 { ?! Since black's bishop wasn't going anywhere, there was 
no need to rush this capture. Instead, white has a chance 
to break the pin by playing 11 Qb3!?. If black takes white's 
knight with ...Bxf3, then white replies Bxf7+ (check!) K moves 
and gxf3. It's true white's pawns are doubled, but they 
reinforce white's center, plus of course white has the pawn 
plus. And at any convenient time, white can eliminate that 
bishop on b6. } 11... axb6 12. Re1 O-O 13. Re3 c6 14. d4 b5 15. Bb3 Qd7 { Playable, but both 15. ... Nd7 and 15. ... Qe7 were worthy 
alternatives, since the queen would be preserved. A queen 
trade goes into an endgame where black has doubled-pawns, 
which may favor white slightly. } 16. dxe5 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 dxe5 18. Rd1 Qe7 { A good place for the queen. It reinforces black's pawns 
on e5 and f7, gets the queen out of danger, and leaves open 
the option to post the queen to c5, if convenient. } 19. Qf5 { considering the black knight guards d7, this move does nothing. 
White may have been worried by ...Nd7-c5, but a3 would be a 
better response. a3 would allow the white Bishiop to move 
(now that it isn't tied down), which could allow Bc2 in some 
lines to defend the e-pawn. Also, the general rule is: keep 
pawns the opposite color of your bishop, if possible. } 19... Rfd8 20. Red3 c5 { ! A nice move which takes advantage of white's dubious Qf5. 
Clearly, white cannot try to win a pawn with 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 
22. Rxd8 Qxd8 23. Qxe5?? as 23. ... c4 24. Bc2 Qd2 threatens 
the bishop and mate, and there is no way to defend against 
both, and white has no perpetual checks. } 21. c4 { If white has to play this (which he does), then clearly 
something went wrong. after black plays ...b4, then white's 
c-pawn is a potential target, d4 is opened up as a potential 
outpost for the black pieces, and the pawn blocks white's 
own light squared bishop. Notice that if white had played 
a3 earlier, then in response to ...c5 he could have simply 
played Bc2, with an even game. } 21... b4 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 23. Rxd8+ Qxd8 24. Qxe5 Qd2 { ! Now due to the inaccuracy of white's play, black will 
enter a superior ending because of black's more mobile knight. } 25. g3 Qe1+ 26. Kg2 Qxe4+ 27. Qxe4 Nxe4 28. Bc2 Nd6 29. b3 { Putting yet another pawn on a light square. 29. Bd3 was 
to be recommended. } 29... f6 30. f4 b5 31. cxb5 { ? Very bad. Allows the black knight great activity and outposts 
(c3 an d4). Far superior was 31. Bd3 bxc4 32. Bxc4+! Nxc4 33. bxc4 = } 31... Nxb5 32. Bd3 Nc3 33. Kf3 Kf7 { Good. It's important the black king get into the game as soon 
as possible. Besides, white's a-pawn isn't going anywhere. } 34. Ke3 Nxa2 35. Bc4+ Ke7 36. Ke4 Nc3+ 37. Kf5 Nd1 38. Ke4 { Dubious. This allows black to consilidate. Better was 
39. Kg6 Ne3 40. Bd3 (Kxg7?? 40. ... Nxc4 wins for black) Kf8 
41. h3, and it's hard to see how black will make progress. } 38... Kd6 39. g4 g6 40. h4 Nc3+ 41. Kf3 Nd5 42. Ke4 Nb6 43. Kd3 { ?? 43. Bf7 still offers white chances to draw. For example, 
if 43. ... c4 44. bxc4 b3 45. c5+ Kxc5 46. Bxb3 trades off 
the queenside, and 43. ... g5 44. fxg5 fxg5 45. hxg5 hxg5 
46. Kf5, white picks up the g-pawn, with a draw the likely 
result. The text should lose immediately, as 43. ... Nxc4 
wins on the spot. } 43... g5 44. hxg5 hxg5 45. fxg5 fxg5 46. Bg8 Ke5 47. Bf7 Nd7 48. Kc4 Kd6 49. Bh5 Ne5+ 50. Kb5 Kd5 51. Ka4 Kd4 { Now black's superior king + knight will decide the game. } 52. Kb5 Nd7 53. Bf7 Ne5 54. Be6 Nd3 55. Bf7 Nc1 56. Ka4 Kc3 57. Be6 Nd3 58. Bf7 Ne5 59. Be6 c4 60. bxc4 Nxc4 61. Kb5 Ne3 62. Kc5 b3 63. Bxb3 Kxb3 64. Kd4 Nxg4 65. Ke4 Nf6+ 66. Kf5 g4 67. Kf4 Kc3 { Black is clearly winning here...only a blunder by black 
could lose/draw this. } 68. Ke3 Nh5 69. Kf2 g3+ 70. Kg2 Kd2 71. Kg1 Ke2 72. Kg2 Ke3 73. Kg1 Kf3 74. Kh1 g2+ 75. Kg1 Ng7 76. Kh2 Kf2 77. Kh3 g1=Q 78. Kh4 Kf3 79. Kh3 Qh1# ?