0018 PETROFF DEFENSE
Midtown Club IV, 10-98
McCartney (1771) DeBell (1343)
1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nf6 3 Ne5 d6 4 Nf7 Kf7 (This is the Cochrane Gambit. There have been questions as to the soundness of the gambit) 5 d4 Qe7 6 Nc3 Ne4+/= (6…c6! is the right move here, as 7 Bg5 h6 8 Bf6 gf 9 Qh5 Kg7 gives Black the advantage. Best for White would be 7 Bd3=/+) 7 Qh5 g6 8 Qd5 Ke8 9 Qe4 (Not 9 Ne4? C6 10 Bb5 Bd7-+ or 10…cb5?! 11 0-0 Qe6 12 Qb5 Nd7 13 Re with the advantage for White) 9…c6 10 Bg5 Qe4 11 Ne4 Bf5 12 f3 Nd7 13 0-0-0 d5 14 Ng3 Kf7 15 Nf5 gf5 16 Bd3 h6+-(16…Rg8 17 Bf4 Rg2 18 Bf5 Nf6 and "Black wouldn’t be in quite as bad a shape as he is in now") 17 Bh4 f4 18 Rhe Bd6 19 c4 b6 20 cd cd 21 Bd5 Rac (Better was 21…Nf8. Now, Black loses more material, as now the knight is pinned and White has the dual threats of Bd7 and Be6) 22 Kb1 Rc7 23 Be6 Kg6 24 Bd5 Kh5 25 Be7 (25 g3 Nf8 26 Bf6 may have been the quicker path to victory. White, instead, went for the trade down into a winning endgame) 25…Be7 26 Re7 Rhc 27 Rg7 (threatening 28 Bf7 Kh4 29 Rg4#) 27…Nf6 28 Bf7 Kh4 29 g3 Kh3 30 Be6 Kh2 31 Rc7 (31 Rg6 wins at once. A 31…Nd7 32 gf4+- B 31…fg3 32 Rd2 and then a) 32…g2?? 33 Rdg2 Kh1 34 Rg1 Kh2 35 R6g2# b) 32… Kh1 33Rh6 Kg1 34 Bc8+-) 31…Rc7 32 gf4 Kg3 33 f5 h5 34 d5 h4 35 d6 Rh7 36 d7 Nd7 37 Rd7 Rd7 38 Bd7 h3 39 f4! (The only move that wins. 39 B any Kf4!-+) 39…Kf4 40 f6 Ke5 41 f7 h2 42 Bc6 1-0 (Notes by McCartney)