Sensational Game

I recently played a game at chess.com which has to be one of my most memorable. In this game I mated my opponent with two pieces en prise. The game had a fork, skewer and pin. My opponent, Muliadi of Indonesia, was black. Here are the moves of the game along with my commentary:

1. e4 b6
2. d4 Bb7
3. Nc3 e6
4. Bd3 Bb4
5. Bd2 Bxc3

Black decides to give up his bishop for my knight. I am happy to take control of the a1-h8 diagonal and control the dark squares.

6. Bxc3 Qg5

Black plays aggressively. He brings out his queen early and attacks g2.

7. Qf3 Ba6
8. Bxa6 Nxa6

My capture of the bishop helps black to develop his knight but it leaves it on a bad square. Black has no bishops in a game that could become very open. This is good for me because bishops are favoured over knights in open games.

9. Nh3 Qh6
10. Bd2 Qf6

Black offers an exchange of queens. I decide to keep my queen to increase my attacking possibilities.

11. Qe3 Ne7
12. 0-0-0 d5

I castle queenside because I want to use my kingside pawns in an attack. I expect black to castle kingside because it is better defended than the queenside. With d5 black fights for control of the centre.

13. e5 Qg6
14. Nf4 Qg5
15. h4 Qh6

My pawn attack begins.

16. g4 g5
17. hxg Qxg5
18. Qd3 Qxg4

My queen attacks the knight on a6.

19. Qxa6 Nf5

Now black cannot castle kingside because it is too dangerous and my queen prevents him from castling queenside.

20. Nh5 Nxd4

I prepare a knight fork.

21. Nf6+ Ke7
22. Nxg4 h5
23. Bg5+ Kf8

Though my knight is en prise, I decide to use my bishop in my attack and increase my control of the dark squares.

24. Qa3+ c5

Black cannot capture my knight because if he does, I capture his rook on h8 with check and then capture his rook on a8.

25. Rxd4 Kg7

My rook is immune from capture because this puts black in check. With his move, black unpins his pawns. My rook and knight can now be captured.

26. Bf6+ Kg6

I check black with my bishop. This move in which a piece is forced to move but a less valuable piece can then be captured is called a skewer.

27. Qd3#

My initial reaction is to play Bxh8 but it is not my best move. I notice that I have a move to end the game with my queen. My rook and knight are both attacked but it is of no consequence.

This is one of the most memorable games of speed chess I have ever played. I use a devastating fork to win the white queen, a pin to capture the black rook, and a skewer to force mate. My opponent plays aggressively but fails to protect his king.