it's better to not take the pawn immediately and see if black will give it up better is 5.0-0 or 5.d4 exd4 6.Nxd4!
Some fun with the Ruy Lopez, but was it sound?
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Thanks for sharing this game with me :)
blunder of Qg6!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 Nxe5 is weak: 5... Qd4, 6 Nf3 Qxe4+, 7 Qe2 Qxe2+, 8 Kxe2 Nf6, and Black has nullified White's Kingside pawn majority and has an advantage in mobility.
6 Qh5 is refuted by g6!, 7 Qg5 Qxe5+, and now White has to play 8 Qe3 to avoid losing a piece to f6. There follows 8.... Qxg2!, and aggressive discovered checks by White get into deep trouble after (usually) Ne7. White must play such as 9 Nf3+ Ne7, 10 Rg1 Qh3, 11 Rg3 Qe6, and Black is a pawn up with a better position.
Black's 8 ... Qxg2 isn't a blunder as you list it to be. However 8 ... Nf6 is a bit better.
Black's 9... Qg6 is a horrible move. A move such as 9....Kd7 holds everything.
10 Qxg6 and 11 Nxh8 wins material. The move you made lets Black escape.
10.... Kd7 is a better than your 10... Kd8 and only gives White a small advantage.
Live Match, G15+0
White: Me
Black: 1340 or so
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5
I was expecting 3...a6 here, which he played. I play the 4. Bxc6 line often, and I enjoy the whimsical lines that usually result (this game would be one of them). Any other suggestions for the 3...a6 Ruy Lopez?
3...a6
4. Bxc6 dxc6
5. Nxe5
Here I was mainly testing Black; a good portion of people my ranking are unaware of 5...Qe7 6. d4 f6, which I was prepared to play if necessary. If not, I'm up a pawn and have a better pawn structure. I was not expecting what he played next, however:
5...Qd4
I thought for a good two minutes or so on this one. I knew that I was going to have to cover the check with my Q, and if he captured, then I lose my right to castle. If I don't cover the check with my Q, then I move my K and lose my right to castle. That being said, Nf3, Nd3, or anything like that was unpalatable, and I noticed that I already had some pressure on the weak f7 pawn. I mounted that with 6. Qh5, with a number of ideas:
a. I protect my knight on e5
b. I would answer 6...Qxe4+ with 7. Kd1, planning to get my rook to e1 after he defended the f7 pawn
c. I would maintain the initiative if he wasn't careful
I was a bit weary about 7. g6, which probably would have put me on the ropes, but I was ready for high adventure at this point with Qh5 anyways.
6. Qh5?! Qxe4+
7. Kd1 Be6
I was expecting him to defend f7 this way. I'm glad he did, because that gave me opportunity to mount some e-file pressure.
8. Re1 Qxg2?
Here I got a bit optimistic about my chances, especially that he had declined g6 until it was too late (if he did it after my next move [9. Nxf7], I would have had 9...g6 10. Qe2 Qh3 11. Ng5 +/-). Now I move in:
9. Nxf7 Qg6
I've now got all the advantage I need, but he makes a decisive mistake:
10. Nd6+ Bxd6? (better was Kd8, still with +/-)
11. Rxe6+ Kf7
12. Rxg6 1-0
Not a very well-played game on my part, in retrospect, but I'm admittedly not that great of a player! Any corrections from the more experienced players? Thematic tips for the Ruy Lopez? Thanks muchly.