[Event "fics rated bughouse match"]
[Site "fics, Oklahoma City, OK USA"]
[Date "1999.02.20"]
[WhiteA "pminear"][WhiteAElo "2347"]
[BlackA "Firefly"][BlackAElo "2415"]
[WhiteB "Gnejs"][WhiteBElo "2561"]
[BlackB "JKiller"][BlackBElo "2454"]
[TimeControl "180+0"]
[Result "0-1"]

1A. e4 {178} 1B. e4 {179} 1b. e6 {179} 1a. e6 {178} 2A. d4 {178} 2B. d4 {178}
{C:<-->þFrench is the most common bughouse opening, þthe move Nf6 being general
ly played before d5,þso that the knight can jump on e4.} 2a. Nf6 {177} 2b. Nc6
{178} {C:-->þJKiller almost always uses this special move order,þforcing White
 to protect d4 before he can play Bd3.þ} 3B. Nc3 {178} 3A. Nc3 {176} 3b. Nf6
{178} 3a. Bb4 {175} 4B. Be3 {177} {C:-->þThis move instead of the usual Nf3 is
 a little finesse þby Gnejs, allowing either development by Bd3, Nge2þand f3, e
ither what we will see in the game with a strongþgrip on d4.þThe critical test
 for JKiller's move order is 4.d5!?, whichþis probably not very dangerous for B
lack if he answers þ4...exd5 5.exd5 Qe7+. } (4B. Nf3 {176}) (4B. d5 {176}
4b. exd5 {178} 5B. exd5 {176} 5b. Qe7+ {178}) 4A. Bg5 {174} {C:<--þStriving to
 expose the black queen. Bd3 instead is þthe usual move here.} 4a. h6 {174}
4b. Bb4 {174} 5A. Bxf6 {173} {C:<--þOf course after Bh4 Black would have obtain
ed tooþmuch initiative by waiting for a pawn to drop on g5.} 5a. Qxf6 {174}
5B. Bd3 {176} 6A. Nf3 {173} 5b. d5 {172} {A:?!} {C:-->þGiven the pieces in hand
, this standard move is theþsource of Black's subsequent troubles. More solid þ
seems d6 with the idea e5.} (5b. d6 {174}) 6a. Nc6 {172} 7A. e5 {170} 6B. e5
{175} 6b. Ne4 {171} 7a. Qf4 {170} {C:<--þMore agressive than the commonly playe
d Qg6. The þblack queen is very exposed, and so will be Black'sþkingside.þThe s
trength of the text move is that White is now þforced to sit for material to av
oid being injectedþon e3. At this stage Black must already prepare himself þto
 sacrifice his queen if needed.} (7a. Qg6 {171}) 7B. Bxe4 {174} {A:!} {C:-->þWh
ite is already starting an attack on the darkþsquares of the kingside, taking p
rofit of his bishopþin hand.} 7b. dxe4 {171} 8B. B@g5 {173} 8b. f6 {169} {C:-->
þA little forced. To avoid weakening the dark þsquares Black would need a P or
 B for e7, butþanyway pminear is not in a situation where he can þtrade materia
l.} 8A. B@g3 {164} {C:<--þThanks to this bishop he awaited for some secondsþand
 the following pawn pminear is taking the initiative.þBut what will prove decis
ive is that meanwhile Fireflyþand Gnejs took control of the clock.þWhen players
 are so fast and well coordinated, everyþfew seconds can be important!þIf White
 had dropped the bishop on e3 instead of g3,þBlack would probably had sacrifice
d the queen by þ8a.Qxe3+! 9A.fxe3 N@e4 with reasonable þcompensation.} (
8A. B@e3 {167} 8a. Qxe3+ {170} 9A. fxe3 {167} 9a. N@e4 {170}) 9B. exf6 {172}
9b. gxf6 {168} 10B. Qh5+ {171} {A:!} {C:-->þThis is inventive by Gnejs, who spo
tted that Black þis without pawn to drop on g6. JKiller is now alreadyþin troub
le.} 8a. Qe4+ {167} 9A. P@e3 {161} 9a. P@a3 {165} {C:<--þA standard move to put
 Nc3 under pressure.} 10A. Bd3 {160} 10a. Qd5 {162} {A:?} {C:<--þThis is in my
 opinion a little mistake. After the queen þloses a tempo and is cut from the k
ingside White getsþa strong attack (squares f6,g6 and h7 are all weak).þEspecia
lly given Gnejs' initiative on the other board,þit seemed better to sacrifice t
he queen by axb2!, þobtaining trades and counterplay. } 11A. O-O {158}
10b. N@g6 {143} {C:-->þAfter some sitting to get a pawn, JKiller must play, þFi
refly is ahead on time. Now it is Gnejs' turn to sitþfor material..} 11a. Qa5
{146} {A:?!} {C:<--þVery optimistic!} 12A. Ne4 {156} {A:!} {C:<--þAvoiding trad
es and hitting f6 once more.} 12a. axb2 {144} 13A. Rb1 {155} 11B. P@g7 {160}
{C:-->þThis pawn always hurts when h7 is under attack.} 13a. d5 {140} {A:!} {C:
<--þClever defense. It is important to give to the king anþemergency exit (by B
d7, Kd8-c8).} 14A. exd6 {153} 14a. cxd6 {138} 15A. Bxd6 {151} 11b. Kd7 {132}
{A:!} {C:-->þSad necessity: after Rg8, Qxh7 would be way tooþstrong. But with t
he text move Black retains some þchances to defend succesfully.} 15a. Bd7 {135}
{A:!} {C:<--þThe best defense, while many players in this positionþwould be lur
ed into a mechanical piece drop  toþdefend the dark squares (N@f5) for which it
 is alreadyþtoo late (P@f6 would follow).} (15a. N@f5 {134} {A:?!}) 12B. gxh8=Q
{157} 12b. Qxh8 {131} 13B. d5 {153} {A:!} {C:-->þOne of these "little moves" wh
ich keep the initiative þwithout making it necessary to sit for material.}
16A. P@f6 {142} 13b. exd5 {125} {A:?!} {C:-->þThis would have been the good mov
e, were it onlyþpossible for the partner to sit. But here Gnejs is the þone who
 can sit, getting a very strong attack with þsome material.þTrue, after the mor
e defensive 13b.P@f7 14B.dxc6+ þ14b.bxc6 15B.Rd1+ , Black would risk to be deni
ed þthe right to get a little blocker, while after 15b.Bd6 theþpossible arrival
 of a knight for c5 is quite frigthening.þ} (13b. P@f7 {130} 14B. dxc6+ {153}
14b. bxc6 {130} 15B. Rd1+ {153}) 14B. P@e6+ {151} {C:-->þOf course.} 14b. Kxe6
{123} 16a. R@g6 {124} {A:!} {C:<--þWhat a dream for an attack-defense move! It
 attacksþg2 defends f6, g7 and completely revives Firefly'sþgame. Considering w
hat is happening on the otherþboard, this is certainly the decisive moment in t
he game.} 17A. fxg7 {138} 17a. Rg8 {122} {A:!} {C:<--þSeems more solid than 17a
.Rxg7 18A.Nf6+} 18A. P@h7 {123} {C:<--þAn interesting try would have been 18A.N
f6+!? 18a.Rxf6þ19A.P@h7, giving material but making it more difficultþfor Black
 to defend.} (18A. Nf6+ {138} 18a. Rxf6 {122} 19A. P@h7 {138}) 18a. Rxg2+ {120}
{C:<--þTaking pawns for Gnejs and exposing the white king.} 15B. P@f5+ {126}
19A. Kh1 {120} {A:!?} {C:<--þAfter 19A.Kxg2 19a.Rxg7+ 20A.P@g3 20a.0-0-0!, allþ
of a sudden both kings would be evenly exposed.} (19A. Kxg2 {123} 19a. Rxg7+
{120} 20A. P@g3 {123} 20a. O-O-O {120}) 19a. R2xg7 {117} 20A. Nf6+ {118}
15b. Ke7 {115} {C:-->þThe king must seek safety on the dark squares.} 20a. Kd8
{113} 21A. P@c7+ {116} 21a. Kc8 {112} {C:<--þMeanwhile Firefly is seeking safet
y on c8 as forecasted.} 22A. hxg8=Q+ {114} 22a. Rxg8 {111} 23A. Nxg8 {113} {C:<
--þTaking material and giving up the attack, which þcannot been brought through
 without a big load ofþmaterial. þBxb4 was unplayable because Black wouldþimmed
iately have got a pawn for g2, mating in two.þSlightly better but hopeless too
 was Bg3! þ } (23A. Bxb4 {114} {A:?}) (23A. Bg3 {114} {A:!}) 23a. Bxd6 {109}
{C:<--þThe black king is now completely safe, only White þstaying with some lig
ht-squared holes.} 16B. B@c5+ {111} {A:!} {C:-->þA vicious move. One is lured i
nto automatically taking þthe bishop...þ} 16b. Bxc5 {112} {A:?} {C:-->þWhich is
 a mistake! Nc3 is now unpinned.} 24A. Rg1 {107} 17B. Bxc5+ {109} 17b. P@d6
{112} 18B. Nxd5+ {108} 18b. Kd8 {110} 24a. P@h3 {102} 25A. Nh4 {102} 19B. Bxd6
{101} {C:-->þNow Black's position can hardly be hold.} 25a. P@g2+ {97}
19b. P@d2+ {106} 26A. Nxg2 {101} 26a. hxg2+ {96} 20B. Bxd2 {99} 27A. Kxg2 {100}
{C:<--þOr 27A.Rxg2 27a.P@h3.} (27A. Rxg2 {101} 27a. P@h3 {96}) 20b. cxd6 {103}
{C:-->þBlack is now losing everything. A rook drop on the þseventh rank seemed
 necessary, but where?þR@d7 allows N@e6+, but 20b.R@f7 21B.P@e7+! þlooks quite
 terrible too } (20b. R@d7 {105} 21B. N@e6+ {99}) (20b. R@f7 {105} 21B. P@e7+
{99} {A:!} {C:Black has many moves here but none seems to hold.}) 27a. N@h4+
{94} 28A. Kf1 {99} {A:?!} {C:<--þKh1 was better, but pminear can't be blamed fo
r playingþfast and not considering the possible arrival of a blackþqueen.þIt is
 funny to notice that pminear and JKiller finally tookþback control of the cloc
k, but only at the time where theyþare both in losing positions.} (28A. Kh1
{100}) 21B. N@f7+ {97} 28a. P@g2+ {92} 21b. Ke8 {99} 29A. Rxg2 {95} 22B. Nxh8
{96} {A:!} {C:-->þOne of Gnejs' strengths is to permanently keep bothþboard in
 mind. Now that a queen allows his partner toþmate, he doesn't even consider "p
laying the attack"þwith Nxd6+?þ} 29a. Q@h1+ {90} {C:<--þThis forces mate unless
 White receives a rook. þThere will follow 30A.Rg1 30a.B@g2+ 31A.Ke2 þ31a.Bf3+;
 then Black repeats moves twice, before þgetting a mating pawn..} 22b. P@f3
{94} 23B. P@f7+ {92}

{JKiller resigns} 0-1