The Game of Week

Polerio,Giulio Cesare - D'Arminio,Domenico

Rome, 1610

Commented by

[Ojas & Abdul khader]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 

3.Bc4 

the Italian game was developed by alessandro Salvio  and giulio Polerio in the 15th century, today this variation is used successfully by the Moldavian grandmaster Viorel Bologan.

  3...Nf6 the two knights variation, the black knight attacks the white pawn on e4 but black gives the opportunity for white to jump with his knight on g5 threatening a fork on f7. 4.Ng5 attacking the pawn on f7. 4...d5 stopping the attack on f7. 5.exd5 Nxd5 

6.Nxf7! 

white is sacrificing a piece to bring the king into the center. [6.d4]

 6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ giving check to the king and attacking the black knight on d5. 7...Ke6 the only move to protect the knight on d5. 8.Nc3 putting more pressure on the d5 square. 

8...Nce7

 protecting the knight on d5.  [8...Ncb4 9.Qe4 (9.a3 Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nd4 11.Bxd5+ Kd6=) 9...c6 10.a3 Na6 11.d4 Nac7! 12.Bf4 (12.Qxe5+ Kf7) 12...Kf7 13.Bxe5]

 9.d4! Opening the center and the c1–h6 diagonal for the bishop. 9...c6 protecting the knight on d5. 10.Bg5 Pinning and attacking the knight on e7. 10...h6 11 .Bxe7 Bxe7 

12.0–0–0! 

Castling and putting more pressure on the d file.

 12...Rf8 attacking the Queen. 13.Qe4 Rxf2 [13...Bg5+ 14.Kb1 Rf4 15.Qxe5+ Kf7 16.Nxd5 cxd5 17.Bxd5+ Kg6] 14.dxe5 opening the file for the rook. 14...Bg5+ 15.Kb1 Rd2 black is trying to close the file. 16.h4! attacking the defender of the rook. 16...Rxd1+ 17.Rxd1 Bxh4 18.Nxd5 cxd5 19.Rxd5

19... Qg5 20.Rd6+ double check. 20...Ke7 21.Rg6! attacking both the queen and the pawn on g7.  21...Qd2 22.Rxg7+ Kf8 23.Rg8+ Ke7 

24.Qh7# checkmate

 1–0