Welcome to my Italian Opening game (ECO C56) with Sean McKinney page!

On this page I have posted one my chess games in which I played the White side of the Italian Opening . The game includes analysis and diagrams. This is my second win against Sean and I still have one game in progress with him. I am including the Two Knights defense under the umbrella of the Italian Game. The ratings listed below are for each player at the conclusion of this game.

[Event "ICC correspondence 2008Quad.06.05"]
[Site "Internet Chess Club"]
[Date "2008.05.24"]
[Round "-"]
[White "OnGoldenPawn"]
[Black "az2112"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ICCResult "Black resigns"]
[Opening "Two knights defense"]
[ECO "C56"]
[NIC "KP.02"]
[Time "11:13:08"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5
8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Rxe4+ Be6 10. Nxd4 O-O-O 11. Be3 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 Bb4 13. Ne4
Rxd4 14. Qxd4 Rd8 15. Qxg7 Qd5 16. Ng3 h5 17. Qh7 Qd1+ 18. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 19.
Nf1 Bc4 20. Qf5+ Kb8 21. h4 Bd6 22. g3 Rxf1+ 23. Kg2 Rd1 24. Qxh5
{Black resigns} 1-0

Online Correspondence Game
ICC
Dates played: 24 May 2008 to 15 July 2008
White: Mike Serovey (1637) Black: Sean McKinney (1552)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6

Two Knights defense after 3... Nf6.

This begins the Two Knights defense and gets White out of what he intended to play, the Max Lange attack.

4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3

Two Knights defense after 8. Nc3.

Everything up to this point is "book". The Black Knight on e4 is pinned to the Black King and the Black pawn on d4 is pinned to the Black Queen. If Black plays 8... dxc3?? White will play 9. Qxd5!! winning the Black Queen for a Knight. Black has several places that he can put his Queen but d8 and a5 seem to be the most common.

Qa5 9. Rxe4+ Be6 10. Nxd4 O-O-O

Two Knights defense after 10... 0-0-0.

This position is even and often leads to a draw because White has all of his sacrificed material back and the development for both sides is even. I expected Black to pile up on that pinned Knight at d4 but he traded off on that square instead.

11. Be3 Nxd4 12. Rxd4 Bb4 13. Ne4 Rxd4

Two Knights defense after 13... Rxd4.

White knows that Black's next move is going to be Rd8. If he recaptures on d4 with his Bishop the Bishop gets pinned to the Queen and then lost. By putting his Queen on d4 White also attacks the Black pawn at g7.

14. Qxd4 Rd8 15. Qxg7

Two Knights defense after 15. Qxg7.

Black is now down a pawn on the Kingside. He can win it back by playing 15... Qxa2! because if 16. Rxa2?? Rd1#!

Qd5 16. Ng3 h5 17. Qh7 Qd1+?

Two Knights defense after 17... Qd1+?

Black's last move is a mistake because he doesn't get enough compensation for the Queen. Qxa2 is no longer playable because of Nf1 after the Rook check.

18. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 19. Nf1 Bc4 20. Qf5+ Kb8 21. h4 Bd6

Two Knights defense after 21... Bd6.

As compensation for the sacrificed Queen Black is trying to checkmate the White King by cutting off his escape squares, but it doesn't work.

22. g3 Rxf1+ 23. Kg2 Rd1 24. Qxh5 1-0

Two Knights defense after 24. Qxh5 (Final position).

White is threatening to capture the Black Rook at d1 and also to play Qh8+ leading to a mate in two. What Black missed is that after 24... Bd5+ White has to play 25. f3 or his King gets chased around. After 25. f3 simply play 25... b6 and the mate threat is gone. Black is still losing because he is down two pawns.

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