Here She Be — The Battlements

Game #1 (Loss)
Opening: Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense (C65)
Result: 1-0

Game #2 (Win)
Opening: French Defense: Queen’s Knight (C00)
Result: 1-0

Each of these games I intend to take a close look at because I began with pretty much the same opening strategy, but in one I was crushed and in the other I did the crushing. I’m trying to develop the theory behind the Vienna Game that I use so often, so that I am more ready to use it in play, but I haven’t had much time to analyze games lately. I have a few ongoing games now as well that have a similar start that will require some careful contemplation that I might make my opening lines more effective. Still, these two in particular were interesting to me because I lost in the first match pretty quickly, and I won the second one pretty quickly; although, in the second game, my opponent essentially refused to resign even though he was obviously defeated. To be honest, I just played the first game terribly, giving up my queen when there was no need early on; I’m not sure where my head was at–for those who have seen my other games, the second game, which I won, is much more comparable to my usual play-style:

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.Nc3 d5 5.Nxe5 Bc5 6.h3 a6 7.Nxc6 Qd6 8.e5 Qe6 9.Nd4+ axb5 10.Nxe6 Bxe6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Nxb5 Ra5 13.Nxc7+ Ke7 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.O-O e5 16.d3 Rg8 17.Qh5 Ra6 18.Qxh7+ Kf8 19.Bh6+ — White Resigns

Watch the game/see the moves: Headless Heads

1.e4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 a6 4.Nf3 c5 5.Ng5 h6 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Bf4 Bd6 8.e5 Be7 9.Bd3 cxd4 10.Ne2 Bc5 11.c3 Qa5 12.b4 Nxb4 13.cxb4 Bxb4+ 14.Kf1 Ne7 15.a3 Bxa3 16.Qb3 Qb4 17.Qxa3 Qxa3 18.Rxa3 b5 19.Nexd4 O-O 20.Nxb5 Bd7 21.Nc7 Ra7 22.Nxa6 f6 23.Be3 Rb7 24.Nc5 Rc7 25.Ke2 Bc6 26.Nxe6 Rb8 27.Nxc7 Rb2+ 28.Kd1 Bb7 29.Kc1 Rb4 30.exf6 gxf6 31.Bc5 Nc6 32.Nxd5 Kf7 33.Nxb4 Ne5 34.Nxe5+ fxe5 35.Bf5 Bxg2 36.Rd1 Kf6 37.Bc2 h5 38.Rg1 Bf3 39.Be3 h4 40.Rg6+ Kf7 41.Ra7+ Kf8 42.Ba4 Be4 43.Bc5#

Watch the game/see the moves: The Heads have Eyes