[Event "Rapid Play # 2"]
[Site "Mechanics Institute"]
[Date "2017-07-27"]
[White "Patrick Cook"]
[Black "Rodney Jacobs"]
[WhiteElo "1648"]
[BlackElo "1704"]
[Result "1-0"]

1.Nf3 d5 2.d4 Nf6 3.g3 Bf5 4.Bg2 e6 5.O-O h6 6.Nbd2 c5 7.c3 {The same opening as that which I had played against Kevin in the preceding game. In both, I was happy with the setup. Black's Queen's bishop, a perennial problem in Queen's pawn games, has a beautiful, unopposed diagonal to work with; White's King's bishop, usually a strength in these openings, seems to me to have limited scope. (RJ)} Nc6 8.Qb3 {My engines don't like that, recommending Qa4 or Nb2. They indicate Qb3 passes the initiative to Black. (RJ)} Qd7 {They don't like this either, indicating it's even again. The engines prefer Rb8 or a6. (RJ)} 9.Qb5? {I thought this had to be bad and the computers agree. It's non-developing and the queen is very awkwardly placed. (RJ)} c4! {With the aim of maybe trapping the White queen. But cd or a3 is better. (RJ)} 10.b3 {Qa4 is best. (RJ)} a6 11.Qb6 cxb3? {Qc8! (RJ)} 12.axb3? {Ne5! (RJ)} Qc8? {But now Bd6 is more accurate. (RJ)} 13.Ne5! Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd7 15.Qa5 Nxe5 {I thought I had played a nice precise opening, and now had an advantage. In fact the engines show White has played quite innacurately and it's even. (RJ)} 16.c4 Nc6 17.Qa4? {Qb6 (RJ)} d4? {Bb4 or Qd7. (RJ)} 18.Nf3 Qd7 19.Rd1 e5 20.e3 {b4 (RJ)} d3 {Stockfish 7 indicates it's about even here. (RJ)} 21.Bb2 Bd6 {f6 (RJ)} 22.Rac1 O-O 23.Nh4? {The knight isn't well placed here. e4 or c5 are best. (RJ)} Bh7 24.e4? {c5 (RJ)} Be7 {Bb4 is stronger. (RJ)} 25.Nf5 Bxf5? {Bc5. (RJ)} 26.exf5 Rfd8? {Simply Qxf5 (RJ)} 27.Be4 {Of course. (RJ)} Bg5 28.Rxd3 {The programs don't like this because of Black's queen sac. (RJ)} Qe7 {Timid. Correct is 28......Qxc3 29. Bxd3 Bxc1 30. Rxd3. (RJ)} 29.Rcd1 {Now White has the upper hand. (RJ)} Rxd3 30.Rxd3 Nd4 31.Bd5 {Qa5 is stronger. (RJ)} Nxf5 32.Ba3 {Rf3 was also strong. (RJ)} Qc7 {Finding the best move, with a 1 minute left. (RJ)} 33.Be4? {Giving away White's advantage. Rf3 again is good. (RJ)} Nd4 34.f4? {The winning move, but a mistake! Qb4 or Bb2. (RJ)} Rd8?? {Simply overlooked that the bishop was attacked, and, ruining an interesting game. Bf6 was necessary. (RJ)} 35.fxg5 Ne2+? 36.Kf2 Rxd3? 37.Bxd3? {Qe8 mate. (RJ)} Nd4 38.Qe8# {Here I happily moved my king to h7, as I had intended. Pat grabbed my hand to stop me. I didn't know what he was talking about! Perhaps a case of chess blindness . (RJ)}