Casual ICC Game

The following is a game I just played on the ICC. I don't usually play standard games that are less than 85 5 per player, but nobody was biting this time. Please note I do not have a computer program that will help me see tactics and evaluate positions, but doing this sort of thing on my own, even if doing it poorly, is probably somewhat helpful.

[Event "ICC 45 0"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2007.11.09"]
[White "*bookseller"] This is my ICC handle.
[Black "*WilliamShatner"]
[WhiteElo "1298"]
[BlackElo "1512"]
[Opening "Sicilian: Alapin's variation (2.c3)"]
[ECO "B22"]
[NIC "SI.46"]
[TimeControl "45+0"]

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. cxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. Nf3 e6 8. O-O Be7 9. Re1 a6 10. Ba4 O-O 11. a3 b5 12. Bb3 Na5 13. Ba2 Rc8 14. Qd3 Nc4 15. Re2 e5 16. b3


Position after 16. b3

This is my first break. My opponent has a choice: he can play 16. exd4, attacking my knight and probably keeping material even, or he can play 16. Nb6, which loses a pawn to my next move, 17. dxe5. He chose the latter, leaving me with more confidence agaist this higher-rated player.
16...Nb6 17. dxe5 dxe5 18. Nxe5 Ng4


Position after 18...Ng4

Now it is I who has the choice. My hanging knight is attacked, but I notice that simply capturing by Nxg4 doesn't get me much, and actually seems to help my opponent gain some activity. I decide to go with Nxd7, which wins me the bishop pair (worth approximately 0.5 pawns on the average) and takes away my opponent's ability to oppose bishops on the diagonal once I play b4.
19. Nxd7 Nxd7 20. b4


Position after 20. b4

This move allows me to give my light-squared bishop a very good diagonal, but it also serves the important function of blocking the a-pawn from attack so I can move my dark-squared bishop.

20...Bf6 21. Bb2 Nge5 22. Qd5 Bh4 23. Rd1 Qg5 24. Qb7 Rcd8 25. g3 Qg4


Position after 25...Qg4

Now I make a very unfortunate mistake--I move too quickly. Immediately, I see the tactic that is coming, but it is, of course, too late. I was too focused on the future. Knowing that I would want to move my knight from c3 eventually (in order to get it in the game, along with my dark-squared bishop), I needed another piece to guard both of my rooks, as the knight was working overtime on that front. I saw one of several moves that accomplish that goal and clicked away! As it turns out, they lose material to what black actually played, 26...Nf3+. The good news is, we are still pretty even in material due to my stolen pawn earlier and my retained bishop pair. But I must activate for it to mean anything.

26. Red2 Nf3+ 27. Kg2 Nxd2 28. Rxd2 Bg5 29. h3


Position after 29. h3

Probably my favorite move. It forces black to move his queen to the one "safe" square it has on h5. In so doing, black leaves his d7 knight inadequately defended. Three cheers for removal of the guard! I should win the game after this for sure, but I always find a way to lose, make no mistake.
29...Qh5 30. Rxd7 Bf6


Position after 30...Bf6

And here I think is my losing sequence (31. e5 Qxe5 32. Bxf7+), or at least the one that threw me personally. Instead I think I should have tried 31. Nd5. Then a possible continuation would be 31...Bxb2 32. Rxd8 Rxd8 33. Nf4 (again exploiting the cramped queen) Qe5 34. Qxf7+ Kh8 35. Ne6 Rc8 36. Nf8 Rc4 37. Nd7 Qxe4+ 38. Kh2 Qa8 39. Nb6 Qb8 40. Nxc4 bxc4 41. Bxc4 Bxa3
But I digress. Not sure what happens after this. I have would have several mating threats looming, but who knows. Here's that hypothetical setup:


Maybe a draw?

The actual continuation: 31. e5 Qxe5 32. Bxf7+ Kh8 33. Rxd8 Bxd8 34. Qc8 Qf6 35. Bb3 Qxf2+ 36. Kh1 Qf1+ 37. Kh2 Rf2#
0-1

All in all, not too shabby for me against someone ~200 points higher. Fun game.