[Event "Gothic Chess Live Debut"]
[Site "Philadelphia, PA"]
[Date "2005.05.03"]
[White "ChessCarpenter (Rob Colanzi)"]
[Black "GothicInventor (Ed Trice)"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Claude Jeruchim and Dmitry Goldberg"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "rnbqckabnr/pppppppppp/10/10/10/10/PPPPPPPPPP/RNB



QCKABNR w KQkq - 0 1"]

1. f4 d5
2. e4 dxe4
3. Cxe4 Af6

{It should be noted that this was just a casual game to initiate the game site. Rob certainly is playing these moves to demonstrate his happiness at getting the new live site in place.}

4. Cg3 Nh6
5. Nh3 Ah4
6. Cd3 Bg4!

{A very interesting position that has no 'regular chess' counterpart. The flight squares for the Queen have been exhausted. Somebody needs to tell Ed this is just a fun game, he is playing way too seriously.}

7. Qe1 Axe1
8. Cxe1 Nc6
9. c3 Bf5

{Black takes a stab at setting up a murderous check with ...Bd3+ but it will never happen, of course.}

10. d4 Cd6
11. Nd2 Ng4

{It is hard to tell if Ed is now joining in on the 'merriment' or if he is planning something. The game is being played at a fast enough pace, about 10 seconds per move on both sides, so who knows ?}

12. g3 Ch6
13. Bxc6

{More cavalier play from Black's side of the board, for a change, and now we see White taking steps to get back into the game. Rob gains a much needed tempo, functionally trading the Bishop for the minor, but more importantly, the forced move. Everyone is expecting the immediate ...bxc6, but Ed has something else in store.}

13...Ci4?!?

{It is hard to qualify the merit of this move with an on-the-spot assesment. Of course Nxh2+ Axh2 Cxh2+ is being threatened, and even so, h2 can be defended easily enough. The game has taken on an interesting character from the guise of casual, carefree play to one of growing interest, move by move.}

14. Cf3 bxc6
15. Ng5!

{A momentum shift favoring Rob's positional merit. Of course, the threat of Nxh7+ is idle with Black's Bishop holding h7, and White has no pawns to displace it from this post. Just when you think you know what is coming next, you should be prepared for anything when sitting across the board from Ed.}

15...Nxh2+?!
16. Axh2 Cxi2!

{OK, we are both confused by this sequence of events. Trading the Knight for 2 pawns plus a trashed Kingside is not the only point to consider. White will get some counterplay, won't he?}

17. Aj3 Qd5!!

{The subtle point that is not easy to grasp. 17...Cj4 looks to hold down the fort with the threat to the Archbishop and the revelation of the Bishop to hit the Rook, but after the game Black shows an incredible line where White can draw.}

18. Axi2 Bxi2
19. Ch2 Bxj1
20. Nxh7+ Kg8
21. Nxj8 Bc8!

{What a fantastic combination on White's part, yet the well timed, complete retreat of the Black Bishop assures that the scales are tipped favorably to him. This has become a great boxing match!}

22. c4 Qxd5
23. Ce2! Qd3
24. Ke1! Be6!

{Rob is not relenting in the least. Hoping that Ed would trade his Queen to stop Cxe7+ was the best defensive plan for White. The task of finding ...Be6 as the interefering piece was delegated to Black.}

25. Ce4 i5!

{An odd looking move that is full of purpose. Room is made for the Black Bishop, and ...Bi7 will recover the Knight.}

26. Kf2 Bi7
27. Ni6 jxi6
28. b3 Rd8
29. Kg2 g5!
30. fxg5 Bh8!

{A second strong retreating move, this time by a diffrent Bishop. The Rook on a1 is now the target of the Bishop's long range rifle scope.}

31. Rb1 Bc3
32. g6! Kf8!
33. gxf7 Bxf7
34. Cf4

{Rob has a plethora of annoying moves at his disposal as he sets up a disjointed fortress position of sorts. The pieces exert strange protecting influences over one another, frustrating any attempt by White to end the game more quickly.}

34...Qc2!
35. Ce2 Bxd2
36. Ra1 Qd1
37. Cf2 Bxc8
38. Cxd1 Rxd1

0-1