I win a nice game

Vicary, Elizabeth (2082)- Roberts, Peter (2050)
Banker's League g/75
April 22, 2010

1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 e6
3. b3 I play 3. Bb5 against 2....Nc6 and 2...d6, but obviously can't here. 3. b3 makes extra sense against 2...e6 because black's ideal set up involves pawns on e5-d6-c5, but playing ...e6-e5 will cost another tempo.
3... a6
4. Bb2 d6
5. g3 Nd7
6. Bg2 Qc7
7. O-O Ngf6
8. Qe2 Be7

I've been very non-commital thus far, but if my opponent is going to be this wussy, I felt I should at least play d4.

9. d4 cxd4
10. Nxd4 O-O
11. c4 Rb8
12. Nc3 Re8
13. Kh1 Qc5
14. Rad1 b6

find a good move for white

So here I spent a bit of time, because I felt like black had played some silly moves (what's Qc5? and Rb8 struck me as awkward too), but I also felt like he was about to finish development and if he did that I would have missed my chance to punish him. I knew I ought to open the position, because my pieces are more actively placed, so I started looking at 15. e5. It has some ideas of following up with Nc6 and winning the exchange, although I have to be careful if I give up my light squared bishop for his rook because he might get a dangerous queen and bishop battery!

15.e5 Nxe5
16. f4 Neg4

If I play 17. Nc6 here, he can either play 17... Rb7 and if 18. Nxe7 Rbxe7, or 17...Bb7 18. Nxb8 Bxg2 19. K/Qxg2 Ne3, winning back the exchange. Attacking his queen with 17. Na4 or 17. b4 doesn't make much sense-- I don't want my knight on a4 and playing b4 will make c4 weak, plus he will just play 17...Qh5, which threatens checkmate.

17. h3 Nh6
18. Nc6 Rb7

Computer wants to sac the exchange 18... Bb7 19. Nxb8 Nf5 20. Kh2 Bxg2 21. Qxg2 Rxb8 and it thinks black has compensation because of the weakness on e3 and the possibility of activity after ...b5.

19. g4! I was happy to find this pretty move -- it threatens to fork the knights and to trap the queen with Na4 or b4.

19....d5

what should white do?

The simple 20. Nxe7+ Rbxe7 21. g5 doesn't work because of 21... Nf5. So the best is the straightforward

20. cxd5 exd5
21. Nxd5 Qxc6

I thought if black took back, 21... Nxd5, then I would too: 22. Bxd5 and my position looks so nice: I love my pieces, I'm threatening 23. Qe5, and black can hardly move.

how does white win?

22. Nxe7+ Rbxe7
23. Qxe7 Rxe7

The more critical line is 23... Qxg2+ 24. Kxg2 Rxe7 25. Rd8+ Re8

(analysis diagram)

26. Bxf6! removing his rook's defender and creating my own!

back to the game...

24. Bxc6 Nd7

25. Ba3
1-0