[Event "Warsaw"] [Site "?"] [Date "1844.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Hoffman, F."] [Black "Petrov, A."] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "C54"] [Annotator "MJDonnelly"] [PlyCount "40"] [SourceVersionDate "2022.06.06"] {[%evp 0,40,21,11,19,19,19,11,11,1,1,1,-7,-7,101,101,111,95,101,40,73,44,45, -302,-302,-302,-334,-634,-700,-708,-688,-716,-721,-721,-717,-29993,-29994, -29995,-29996,-29997,-29998,-29999,-30000]} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 (6. cxd4 {is the main continuation of the Giuoco Piano initiating vast complexities after} Bb4+ 7. Nc3 ({and} 7. Bd2)) 6... Ne4 { This is a slightly risky move although played by some fairly strong players. Instead the World elite including on numerous occasions Carlsen, but also Kramnik, So, Caruana and others play the characteristic freeing move in 1.e4 e5 openings of} (6... d5 {when most games continue with} 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb6 {with chances for both sides.}) 7. Bd5 {Although inviting the Black sacrifice as well as moving a piece for the second time in the opening this move is probably the strongest line. The more solid} (7. cxd4 Bb4+ 8. Nbd2 d5 9. Be2 { results in Black more or less solving opening problems as occured in, for example, Paehtz-Kosteniuk, Erfurt Blitz (Women) 2017.}) 7... Nxf2 (7... f5 { stabilising the Ne4 has been played many times but is not a better continuation as after} 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Nbd2 ({or} 9. Bd2 Nxd2 10. Nbxd2 { Black's game is very compromised in both lines due to the active Bd5.})) (7... dxc3 {has been played in a number of games but Black obtains no compensation for the piece after} 8. Bxe4 ({but not} 8. Bxf7+ {Moglinaya-Pen Li, UKR-ch U8 (Girls) Evpatoria 2007 which is about level.}) 8... cxb2 9. Bxb2) (7... Nxc3 { Martinez-Altes, ESP Provincial-ch U18 1992 is also of little use after simply} 8. bxc3) 8. Kxf2 dxc3+ 9. Kg3 {The king is actually reasonably safe here as it is after the alternative move} (9. Kf1 {which has been played as frequently. One example being Dann-Jahncke, Karlsruhe Grenke op 2017 which went} cxb2 10. Bxb2 d6 11. exd6 O-O 12. Nc3 {and White was somewhat better.}) 9... cxb2 { The most sensible even though it accelerates White's development. Other moves do little for Black though, examples include} (9... h5 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Qd5+ Ke8 12. Qxc5 {winning as in Granados Ortiz-Robles Carballo, Managua Hurtado Memorial 2017.}) (9... d6 10. Bxc6+ bxc6 11. Nxc3 {Zolfagharian-Sherif, Solingen-ch 2011.}) (9... O-O 10. Nxc3 {and again White is far better, a recent example being Can-Nasyrova,Titled Tuesday INT Blitz chess.com 2021.}) 10. Bxb2 Ne7 {It seems a little odd to move this piece again so other options that have been played here such as} (10... O-O) ({and} 10... d6 {at least help development.}) (10... h5 {once more is poor due to} 11. Bxf7+ { Weeramantry-Marthinsen, USA Open Philadelphia 1993.}) 11. Ng5 $2 {Too eager to get at f7 White moves the knight for a second time denuding the White king and is simply blown away. Other moves have been played here on a few occasions each and are more rational so White is at least level in each case. These are 11.Be4, 11. Qc2, and 11. h3.} Nxd5 (11... O-O {appears very natural but gives credence to White's last move and the far better game due to} 12. Qd3) 12. Nxf7 {A case of false Touche!} ({but} 12. Qxd5 {is useless due to} Qxg5+) 12... O-O {Excellent play. Black judges that the queen can be sacrificed for a chance to get at the now over-exposed White king.} 13. Nxd8 (13. Qxd5 {leaves White two pawns down after} Rxf7 {as} 14. Qxc5 {loses quickly to} Qg5+ 15. Kh3 d6+ 16. g4 Qxg4#) 13... Bf2+ 14. Kh3 (14. Kg4 {is hardly appealing either as the king wanders aimlessly in no-mans land to be mated as follows.} Rf4+ 15. Kg5 (15. Kh3 Rh4#) (15. Kh5 Rh4+ 16. Kg5 h6+ 17. Kf5 Ne7#) 15... h6+ 16. Kg6 Ne7+ 17. Kh5 Rh4#) 14... d6+ 15. e6 {Prolongs the game a bit as} (15. g4 {allows an instant finish with} Nf4#) 15... Nf4+ 16. Kg4 Nxe6 {Another fine move just leaving the White king "in mid-air". White has no reasonable continuation now and is dead lost .} ({But note that Black avoided the rash} 16... h5+ {which is a disaster as the White king limps to safety with} 17. Kf3 Nxe6+ 18. Ke2 Nxd8 {and Black is still a piece short for the sacrificed queen.}) 17. Nxe6 { As given in the Russian language book "First Russian Masters" publishd in 1979, and on some Internet chess sites, is taken as the correct record of the game. Instead} (17. g3 {is given by ChessBase (and appears to be analysed as a possible variation in the Russian book) as the 17th move and the conclusion as} Nd4+ (17... Nxd8+ {looks a swifter end which leads to mate after} 18. Kg5 Rf5+ 19. Kg4 Rf6+ 20. Kh4 Rf4+ 21. Kg5 Ne6+ 22. Kh5 g6+ 23. Kh6 Rh4+ 24. gxh4 Be3#) 18. Ne6 (18. Kh4 Nf3+ 19. Qxf3 Rxf3 {with material equivalence but with White lost would drag the game out for some moves}) 18... Bxe6+ 19. Kh4 Nf5+ 20. Kh3 Ne3+ 21. Kh4 Ng2+ 22. Kh5 g6+ 23. Kh6 Be3#) ({Instead} 17. Qd5 {at least pins the Ne6 but fails to hold due to} Rf4+ ({but certinly not} 17... Rxd8 18. Kf3 { and the king escapes.}) 18. Kh5 Rh4#) 17... Bxe6+ 18. Kg5 ({If} 18. Kh5 Rf5+ 19. Kg4 Re5+ 20. Kf3 Rf8#) 18... Rf5+ {Quickest although} (18... h6+ {soon mates too.}) 19. Kg4 h5+ 20. Kh3 Rf3# 0-1