Chess Log: 1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘ge7

5-0 blitz, I played White: 1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 ♘ge7 4. d4 exd4 5. ♘xd4 ♘xd4 6. ♕xd4 ♘g6 7. O-O c6 8. ♗c4 d5 9. exd5 cxd5 10. ♖e1 ♗e7 11. ♗b5 ♗d7 12. ♗xd7 ♕xd7 13. ♕xg7 ♖g8 14. ♕f6 O-O-O 15. ♕c3 ♔b8 16. ♗e3 ♘h4 17. ♗f4 ♔a8 18. g3 ♘g6 19. ♗e3 ♘e5? 20. ♗f4? (20. ♕x♘) ♘g6 21. ♕e3 ♘xf4 22. ♕xf4 ♗d6 23. ♕d2 f5 24. ♘c3 f4 25. ♕xd5 fxg3 26. fxg3 h5? 27. ♕xh5 ♖h8 28. ♕d5 ♕h3 29. ♕g2 ♗c5 30. ♔h1 ♕c8 31. ♘a4 ♗d6 32. b3 ♖dg8 33. ♖e3 ♗f4 34. ♖c3! ♕f5 35. ♘c5 ♖g7 36. ♘xb7! ♖xb7 37. ♖e1 ♗c7 38. ♖xc7 ♖b8 39. ♖xb7 ♖xb7 40. ♖e8 1-0 {Black forfeits on time} Black's only move is 40. ... ♕c8, which is answered by 41. ♖x♕ checkmate.

1. e4 e5 2. ♘f3 ♘c6 3. ♗b5 is the Ruy Lopez, mentioned in the Goettingen manuscript of 1490, called the Ruy Lopez after the Spanish priest of that name who analyzed the opening in his Libro del Ajedrez (Book of Chess), published in 1561. 3. ... ♘ge7 is the Cozio Defense. MCO-13 says it "is rarely seen in modern play, and then usually in conjunction with ...g6." It may well have been rare among Grandmasters in 1990, when the MCO-13 was published, and for all I know it may have been used sparingly by them since -- it appears just once in Chess Informant 65, from 1995-96, the newest reference work I have on hand -- but there's never been anything unusual about it among my opponents. 4. d4 exd4 5. ♘xd4 ♘xd4 6. ♕xd4 is a secondary line in the MCO-13, and 6. ... ♘g6 took us out of the book. Black blundered on the 19th move by offering me a free Knight, I blundered on my 20th move by not taking it, Black gave away a Pawn on the 26th move and this time I saw the mistake and took the Pawn. I've given myself an exclamation point for my 34th move, attacking black's Queen, and again for my 36th move, sacrificing a Knight in order to pin down one of black's Rooks. After that the win was pretty straightforward, accomplished under slight time pressure: 29 seconds on White's clock and 2:02 on Black's clock after White's 36th move, 14.7 seconds left for White and 1:39 after White's 40th move. Pretty good stuff from White, for patzers on my level. Actually, Black is rated quick a bit above my level, and I've have to call Black's 19th and 26th moves uncharacteristic blunders. White's blunder on the 20th move: not so uncharacteristic, unfortunately.