OC Game Analysis - Black in the Italian

Game I played today. 10+5, both players 1700-1750 rapid on Lichess.

PGN: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 { C50 Italian Game: Giuoco Piano } 4. h3 Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. Be3 Bb6 7. a3 O-O 8. Nc3 a6 9. Qd2 Bxe3 10. fxe3 b5 11. Ba2 Bb7 12. O-O d6 13. Nd5 Nh7 14. Nh2 Ne7 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. Rf3 Kh8 17. Raf1 Ng5 18. Rg3 Rad8 19. Qe2 d5 20. Qh5 Rd7 21. Ng4 Kh7 22. Rf5 f6 23. h4 Ne6 24. exd5 Bxd5 25. Bxd5 Rxd5 26. e4 Nf4 27. Rxf4 exf4 28. exd5 fxg3 29. Qf5+ g6 30. Qf4 Qe1+ 31. Qf1 Qxf1+ 32. Kxf1 f5 33. Ne5 Rd8 34. c4 bxc4 35. dxc4 Re8 36. Nf7 Kg7 37. d6 Kxf7 38. dxc7 Rc8 { White resigns. } 0-1

1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nf6
3. Bc4 Bc5
4. h3?! Nf6

I think White is too passive with this move. 4. c3, 4. Nc3, 4. d3, 4. O-O are all better moves to try.

5. d3 h6?!

A little passive myself, but I didn’t want to deal with Bg4 for ten more moves.

6. Be3 Bb6

White tries to trade bishops, having no good squares to go to on the c1-h6 diagonal. If I were white, I probably would have tried Bd2 and either transferred to either c3 or eventually b4, or waited to see if my attack opened better squares. As black, I don’t want to open the f file willingly, nor do I want to play Be7 given that I’ve already played h6 to prevent any pins. Therefore, Bb6 to either avoid a trade or open the a file for my rook.

7. a3?! O-O

White prevents Nb4, not that it does a whole lot. If they were worried about it, they should have played c3.

8. Nc3 a6

Preventing Nb5.

9. Qd2 Bxe3

I trade now, worried about e.g. Bxh6 gxf6 Qxf6. It’s unclear to me if I truly have anything to worry about, but my king is naked in this line.

10. fxe3 b5
11. Ba2 Bb7
12. O-O d6

I had been intending d5 at some point which is why I delayed this move for so long, but now I recognize that I’m going to have to reroute my f6 knight if I want to attack the king. This may not have been the correct choice, but a bad plan is better than no plan, and this seemed reasonable.

13. Nd5 Nh7
14. Nh2 Ne7

I’m trying to figure out ways to block White’s light square bishop or trade it off. I don’t like that it’s aimed at f7 and my king, especially with the open f file.

15. Nxe7+ Qxe7
16. Rf3 Kh8

Clearly White wants to double or triple up on the f file. I play Kh8 here to unpin the f pawn so I can move it if need be, and because it seems to be easier to protect the king on h8 in this position.

17. Raf1 Ng5

Ng5 prevents tripling on the f file because White’s two choices are Rf2, or Rf5 g6 Rf2. The second line may be overextending my kingside, but I think it would still be difficult for White to attack it.

18. Rg3 Rad8

Preparing d5 to block the bishop out.

19. Qe2 d5
20. Qh5 Rd7

My opponent gets aggressive here. This is an intimidating move, but I wasn’t finding any easily winning lines for white. Rd7 to overprotect f7. I was more worried about Nf3 here than anything else, because Black must either take or hang the e pawn. After Nf3, White’s rooks and queen own Black’s kingside, with perhaps the idea of Qg4 threatening the g7 square.

21. Ng4 Kh7??
    I was worried about some sort of Rf6 shenanigans, but I don’t think they quite worked. Nevertheless, the h6 pawn is what my opponent wants, so I try to protect it. (Computer says the Rf6 shenanigans do in fact work after h4 Ne6, so Black would have to give the knight. I lucked out here. Don't play Kh7.)

22. Rf5 f6

Ben Finegold just fell out of his chair. The e pawn needed some support which it was lacking because I played d5. Therefore, this may not have been the correct plan in the position. (There is a hidden tactic though - Nxe5 fxe5 and the g5 knight hangs because of the pin on the king.)

23. h4 Ne6

The position looks scary for black. White has four pieces coming after the king and Black is holding on to his pawns for dear life. It almost feels like White should have a sacrifice somewhere that ices the game, but I can’t find it. However, this move will prove to be White’s downfall, strangely enough.

24. exd5 Bxd5

25. Bxd5 Rxd5
    (The hidden sacrifice is Nxh6 here. gxh6 and White has mate in 4.)

26. e4?? Nf4!

The beginning of the end for white. This move ONLY works because of two things: White having played h4, and the perhaps misplaced g3 rook. If either of those things were not present, white would still have an attack. The game is not over though, as I only have three minutes on my clock at this point, compared to my opponent’s eight.

27. Rxf4 exf4
28. exd5 fxg3

White’s attack has been successfully defused. Additionally, there is a mate threat on d1.

29. Qf5+ g6
30. Qf4 Qe1+
31. Qf1 Qxf1
32. Kxf1 f5
33. Ne5 Rd8
34. c4 bxc4
35. dxc4 Re8
36. Nf7?? Kg7

White’s last hope of winning this game has disappeared.

37. d6 Kxf7
38. dxc7 Rc8 0-1

I had a lot of fun with this game, even when I was losing. In the end, according to the computer my advantage was about the same as my opponent’s before e4 happened. My luxury was that my advantage was in a position that was very simple to play, whereas theirs was quite complex, with a few hidden sacrifices that are difficult to see. After this game, I probably have to train some sacrifice tactics myself, because frankly I should have been crushed by them. I also need to study some more games and positional ideas in the Italian, as I only recently switched to 1... e5 from playing the Caro-Kann.