(67) Paul Fricano (1927) - Richard Sherman (1803) [C55]
Rd 2
[RM+Fritz 9 (120s)]

White's speculative sacrifice pays off in the endgame. 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 Nc6 4.Nf3 Nxe4?! The N is vulnerable to tactical shots here, and after White's next, it can't easily return to f6. [4...exd4 is perfectly playable.] 5.dxe5 Qe7 [5...Bb4+? loses to 6.c3 Bc5 7.Qd5 .] 6.Qd5?! Now Black recovers. [6.0-0! increases White's developmental edge. If Black takes the e-pawn, he only opens the e-file for White's Rook.] 6...Nf6 7.Qxf7+ Qxf7 8.Bxf7+ Kxf7 9.exf6 gxf6 10.Bf4 d6 11.Nbd2 Bf5 12.0-0-0 Rg8 13.Nh4 Bd7 14.Nc4 Ne7 15.Bxd6!? cxd6 [The intermezzo 15...Bh6+! clears f8 for Black's King.] 16.Nxd6+ Kg7 17.Nxb7 Bc6 18.Nd8 Since the N can be trapped here, White might consider [18.Nd6 .] 18...Kh6? [18...Bd5! forces a liquidation that solves Black's development problems. 19.Nf5+ Kg6 20.Nxe7+ Bxe7 21.Rxd5 Rgxd8-/+ ] 19.Nxc6 Nxc6 20.Rhe1 Bc5 21.Re6 Rac8 [21...Bxf2? just walks into an Rxf6+ fork.] 22.Rxf6+ Kg7 23.Rf5 Be7 24.Rd7 Rgf8 25.g4 Kh8 26.Rxf8+ Rxf8 27.Nf5 Bg5+ 28.Kd1 Rd8? White's pawns look scarier with every exchange. [28...Ne5 is a serious alternative, winning the g-pawn, undermining the Nf5, and preparing the Rook's entry on the f-file.] 29.Rxd8+ Bxd8 30.Kd2 Ne5 31.h3 Kg8 32.b3 Kf7 33.Ke3 Kf6 34.Ke4+/- Nc6 35.c3 Bb6 36.f4 Bf2 37.Nd6 Be1 38.Nb5 a6 [38...Ke7 39.Nc7+/- ] 39.Nd4 [39.Nc7! keeps this strong N on the board and prepares the King's entry to d5.] 39...Ne7 Black's choices are unenviable. [>=39...Nxd4 40.cxd4 Bb4 is about t he best Black can hope for; at least White can't easily make a passed pawn on the Queenside.] 40.c4 Ba5 41.a3 Bc7 42.b4 h6 43.a4 Ng6 44.g5+ hxg5 45.fxg5+ Kf7 46.b5 axb5 47.axb5 Bb6 48.Nc6 [>=48.Nf3 threatens the immediate advance of the h-pawn, and if 48...Bf2 49.Nd4 gets the Queenside pawns rolling.] 48...Ke6 49.Nd4+ Kd6 50.Nb3 Once this N is capable of supporting some pawn advance, Black collapses. 50...Nh4 1-0