B50 Sicilian: 2...d6, Miscellaneous (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.h3)

This game is just one more addition to the countless games I have played where I give the advantage to my opponent and then at some point they are kind enough to give the advantage back. Of course they are not doing that on purpose and this does happen the other way around as well. I lost games last year that I should have won but did not because I could not see some one move threat that my opponents made against me. This year has not started mistake free either and already I have made idiotic blunders that I really should not make anymore. I have added 3 mate in two puzzles, one mate in 8 and one mate in three puzzle.

[Event "Corr game 15.11.2010-13.1.2011"] [Site "http://www.redhotpawn.com"] [Date "2010.11.15"] [Round "?"] [White "Vierjoki, Timo"] [Black "stevemcc"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B50"] [WhiteElo "1831"] [BlackElo "1518"] [Annotator "Tactical Analysis 2.10 (5s), TV"] [PlyCount "97"] [EventDate "2010.??.??"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 {B50 Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin} Nf6 4. h3 { B50 Sicilian: 2...d6, Miscellaneous} e5 5. Bb5+ (5. Bd3 Be7 6. Bc2 O-O 7. d4 Nc6 8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Qe2 Qc7 10. O-O h6 11. Nh4 Re8 12. Nf5 Bxf5 13. exf5 e4 14. Nd2 Bd8 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Bxe4 Qe5 17. Re1 Bc7 18. g3 Qf6 19. Qc2 Re7 {Hofmann, T (2259)-Lentjes,N (2239) Schwarzach 2016 1/2-1/2 (57)}) 5... Nc6 $146 (5... Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nbxd7 (6... Qxd7 7. d3 Nc6 8. c4 Be7 9. Bg5 Nh5 10. Bxe7 Nxe7 11. g3 g6 12. Nc3 O-O 13. Nh4 Ng7 14. Qd2 Ne6 15. O-O Nd4 16. Kg2 f6 17. Ne2 g5 18. Nxd4 cxd4 19. Nf3 Ng6 20. Nh2 Kg7 21. Qa5 {Olle,P (2248)-Szalanczy,E (2354) Hungary 2010 1-0 (39)}) 7. d3 Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. Nbd2 Qc7 10. g4 Nb6 11. c4 a6 12. Nf1 Nc8 13. Ng3 b5 14. b3 Rb8 15. g5 Nd7 16. h4 f6 17. Nh2 Qd8 18. Qg4 fxg5 19. hxg5 Rf4 20. Bxf4 {Popov,A (1791)-Gantsevich,A (1599) St Petersburg 2012 1-0}) (5... Nbd7 6. Qe2 Be7 7. d4 O-O 8. O-O a6 9. Bxd7 Nxd7 10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Rd1 Qe8 12. c4 Bd8 13. Nc3 Nb8 14. Be3 b6 15. b4 cxb4 16. Nd5 Nd7 17. Nxb4 a5 18. Nd5 Ba6 19. Rab1 Rc8 20. Nd2 {Glek,I (2528)-Kondenko,A (2238) Voronezh 2010 1-0 (31)}) 6. O-O Qb6 {0.80/18} (6... Nxe4 $11 {0.00/23} 7. Re1 f5) 7. Qe2 {-0.23/22} (7. Na3 $16 {0.80/18}) 7... Bd7 {0.48/19} (7... Be7 $11 {-0.23/22}) 8. Na3 {0.00/23} (8. c4 $14 {0.48/19 is more appropriate.}) 8... a6 {0.58/20} ( 8... Be7 $11 {0.00/23}) 9. Bc4 {0.12/22} (9. Ba4 $14 {0.58/20}) 9... Be7 10. Nc2 {-0.51/21} (10. d3 $14 {0.50/21}) 10... Qc7 {0.60/20} (10... Na5 $1 $15 { -0.51/21}) 11. a4 {-0.11/22} ({White should try} 11. Ne3 $14 {0.60/20}) 11... O-O {0.70/18} (11... Na5 $11 {-0.11/22}) 12. d4 {-0.56/19} (12. Ne3 $14 { 0.70/18}) 12... cxd4 {0.19/20} (12... Na5 $15 {-0.56/19} 13. dxe5 dxe5) 13. cxd4 $11 exd4 {0.09/22} (13... Rae8 $15 {-0.46/21}) 14. Ncxd4 Ne5 {0.52/19} ( 14... Bd8 $11 {-0.24/23}) 15. Bb3 $14 b5 {0.88/20} (15... Rfe8 $11 {0.11/21 remains equal.}) 16. axb5 axb5 17. Rxa8 Rxa8 18. Bd2 {0.15/22} (18. Nxb5 Nxf3+ 19. gxf3 Qc5 $17) (18. Nf5 $16 {1.00/20} Bxf5 19. exf5) 18... Qb7 {0.70/19} ( 18... Nc4 $11 {0.15/22}) 19. Re1 {0.29/22} (19. Bg5 $14 {0.70/19}) 19... Re8 $11 20. Bg5 {0.09/24} (20. Nxe5 $14 {0.64/21} dxe5 21. Nf3) 20... Bd8 21. Nh4 { -0.74/18} (21. Nxe5 $14 {0.35/24 stays ahead.} Rxe5 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Bd5) 21... h6 {0.09/23} (21... Nc4 $1 $17 {-0.74/18} 22. Qf3 d5) 22. Bxf6 Bxf6 23. Nhf5 Qb6 24. Qe3 $2 {-1.95/19} (24. Rd1 $11 {0.09/27}) 24... Nc4 $19 25. Bxc4 { -2.33/21} (25. Qd3 $142 {-1.79/24}) 25... bxc4 26. Re2 {-3.23/18} (26. Nc2 $142 {-2.22/26} Qxb2 27. Nxd6 Qxc2 28. Nxe8 Bxe8 29. Rc1) 26... Ra8 {-1.58/23} ( 26... d5 $1 $19 {-3.23/18} 27. f3 (27. exd5 Rxe3) 27... Kh7) 27. f4 {-2.74/20} (27. Nf3 $17 {-1.58/23} Ra1+ 28. Kh2) 27... Bxf5 $2 {-0.09/24} ({Black should play} 27... Ra2 $19 {-2.74/20} 28. Nf3 Qxe3+ 29. Rxe3 Bxb2) 28. Nxf5 $11 Qxe3+ 29. Nxe3 $19 {Endgame KRB-KRN} Bd4 30. Kf2 Re8 31. Kf3 Bxe3 32. Kxe3 $14 {KR-KR } d5 33. Kd4 dxe4 34. Rxe4 Rb8 35. Re2 $1 (35. Kxc4 $6 Rxb2 36. g3 g6 $11) 35... Rc8 36. Rc2 g5 $2 {3.06/21} (36... Rd8+ $16 {0.89/28 was necessary.} 37. Kxc4 Rc8+ 38. Kd3 Rb8) 37. f5 $2 {0.85/30} ({But not} 37. Rxc4 $6 Rb8 $18) (37. b4 $18 {3.06/21 has better winning chances.}) 37... Kg7 $2 {3.65/20} (37... Rb8 $16 {0.85/30}) 38. b4 $18 ({Not} 38. Rxc4 Rd8+ 39. Kc3 Kf6 $16) 38... Kf6 39. g4 ({Don't do} 39. Rxc4 $6 Rd8+ 40. Kc5 Rc8+ 41. Kd5 Rd8+ 42. Kc6 Rc8+ 43. Kb5 Ra8 $18) 39... h5 {4.96/22} (39... Rb8 {3.25/25 might work better.} 40. Rxc4 Rd8+ 41. Kc5 Rc8+ 42. Kb5 Ra8 43. Rc6+ Ke5 44. Rxh6 Kd5) 40. b5 hxg4 41. hxg4 Ke7 42. Rxc4 Rd8+ 43. Ke5 {[#] And now Rc7+ would win.} f6+ 44. Ke4 Rd6 { 15.12/21} (44... Rd1 $142 {5.04/27} 45. b6 Rb1) 45. Rb4 Rb6 46. Kd5 Kd7 47. Kc5 Kc7 48. Re4 {[#] White wants to mate with Re7+.} Rb8 49. Re7+ {Accuracy: White = 30%, Black = 14%.} 1-0