The 2,000,000th post game

A somewhat longish-seeming game decided by pins; I'm not sure my opponent has dealt with many in the game before.
Looked a lot like a mirror match for the first couple of moves ...

[WhiteElo "1695"]
[BlackElo "1700"]
[PlyCount "61"]

1. e4 {[%emt 0:0:4]} e5 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 2. Nc3 {[%emt 0:0:3]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 3. Nd5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Nd4 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 4. c3 {[%emt 0:0:16]} c6 {[%emt 0:0:7]} 5. Ne3 {[%emt 0:0:12]} Ne6 {[%emt 0:0:28]} 6. Nf5 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Nf4 {[%emt 0:0:48]} 7. d3 {[%emt 0:0:12]} g6 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 8. Bxf4 {[%emt 0:0:27]} gxf5 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 9. Bxe5 {[%emt 0:0:2]} f6 {[%emt 0:0:6]} 10. Qh5+ {[%emt 0:0:8]} Ke7 {[%emt 0:0:19]} 11. Bd4 {[%emt 0:0:3]} fxe4 {[%emt 0:0:45]} 12. 0-0-0 {[%emt 0:0:5]} exd3 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 13. Rxd3 {[%emt 0:0:20]} d6 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 14. Bc5 {[%emt 0:0:23]} Be6 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 15. Bxd6+ {[%emt 0:0:6]} Kd7 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 16. Bxf8+ {[%emt 0:0:8]} Bd5 {[%emt 0:0:16]} 17. Bg7 {[%emt 0:0:31]} Qe8 {[%emt 0:0:27]} 18. Qf5+ {[%emt 0:0:13]} Qe6 {[%emt 0:0:23]} 19. Qxe6+ {[%emt 0:0:4]} Kxe6 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 20. Bxh8 {[%emt 0:0:2]} Nh6 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 21. Bg7 {[%emt 0:0:6]} Nf5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 22. Bxf6 {[%emt 0:0:30]} Kxf6 {[%emt 0:0:6]} 23. Rf3 {[%emt 0:0:17]} Be4 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 24. Rf4 {[%emt 0:0:9]} Bd5 {[%emt 0:0:21]} 25. f3 {[%emt 0:0:11]} Bxa2 {[%emt 0:0:10]} 26. g4 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Be6 {[%emt 0:0:9]} 27. gxf5 {[%emt 0:0:3]} Bxf5 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 28. Bh3 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Re8 {[%emt 0:0:6]} 29. Rxf5+ {[%emt 0:0:3]} Kg6 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 30. Kd2 {[%emt 0:0:12]} Rd8+ {[%emt 0:0:4]} 31. Kc2 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 1-0

*** for tat doesn't always, or even usually, work in chess.
Similar-looking setups don't perform the same for Black as for White, and vice versa. The King's Gambit, for instance, is a well respected opening that gives White what is called a tempo advantage and excellent winning chances.
By contrast, the Latvian Gambit, essentially the mirror image of that opening, played by Black, is regarded as quite possibly the WORST opening any serious player can choose. Here, my opponent does not notice taking knight for knight allows my bishop to coordinate with my queen, un-house his king, and threaten valuable pieces, while allowing me to castle and set up pins that will eventually devastate his forces:

Hm. Of ALL things, this board would censor, I ...

Ah, skip it. Here's my remaining visuals for the game logged above; note how getting caught by pins affects black's chances:

Game played against a higher-ranked.
Game was going HEAVILY their way until about 3/4 of the way through.

[WhiteElo "2163"]
[BlackElo "1718"]
[PlyCount "67"]

1. d4 {[%emt 0:0:1]} e5 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 2. dxe5 {[%emt 0:0:2]} f6 {[%emt 0:0:1]} 3. exf6 {[%emt 0:0:1]} Nxf6 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 4. Nf3 {[%emt 0:0:2]} Bc5 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 5. e3 {[%emt 0:0:2]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 6. Bc4 {[%emt 0:0:2]} d5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 7. Bb5 {[%emt 0:0:3]} a6 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 8. Bxc6+ {[%emt 0:0:1]} bxc6 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 9. 0-0 {[%emt 0:0:1]} h5 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 10. Qd3 {[%emt 0:0:10]} Ne4 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 11. Nbd2 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Bf5 {[%emt 0:0:24]} 12. Nxe4 {[%emt 0:0:16]} Bxe4 {[%emt 0:0:2]} 13. Qe2 {[%emt 0:0:7]} h4 {[%emt 0:0:6]} 14. h3 {[%emt 0:0:2]} Be7 {[%emt 0:0:23]} 15. b3 {[%emt 0:0:10]} g5 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 16. Bb2 {[%emt 0:0:5]} Rg8 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 17. Ne5 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Qd6 {[%emt 0:0:31]} 18. a4 {[%emt 0:0:46]} Bf6 {[%emt 0:0:8]} 19. Qh5+ {[%emt 0:0:29]} Bg6 {[%emt 0:1:1]} 20. Nxg6 {[%emt 0:0:26]} Bxb2 {[%emt 0:0:14]} 21. Rab1 {[%emt 0:0:24]} Rxg6 {[%emt 0:0:25]} 22. Rxb2 {[%emt 0:0:4]} 0-0-0 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 23. Rd1 {[%emt 0:0:17]} Qf6 {[%emt 0:0:21]} 24. Qg4+ {[%emt 0:0:8]} Kb8 {[%emt 0:0:7]} 25. Qd4 {[%emt 0:0:13]} Qf5 {[%emt 0:0:15]} 26. c3 {[%emt 0:0:16]} g4 {[%emt 0:0:5]} 27. hxg4 {[%emt 0:0:4]} Rxg4 {[%emt 0:0:3]} 28. Qd3 {[%emt 0:0:7]} Qg5 {[%emt 0:0:12]} 29. f4 {[%emt 0:0:14]} Qg8 {[%emt 0:0:21]} 30. Rdd2 {[%emt 0:0:34]} h3 {[%emt 0:0:13]} 31. Qf5 {[%emt 0:0:27]} Rg3 {[%emt 0:0:24]} 32. Qh5 {[%emt 0:0:41]} Rd7 {[%emt 0:0:33]} 33. Kh2 {[%emt 0:0:20]} Rh7 {[%emt 0:0:9]} 34. gxh3 {[%emt 0:0:33]} 0-1

Started to illustrate the above relatively completely, but, whereas most other games can reasonably be viewed as "I did as I wanted, though it looked insane, opponent did as he wanted, and, despite disadvantage, I won"
I'm NOT at all sure my opponent really DID do what he intended here, not on the move that decided the game.

Would be instructive otherwise.
Maybe, if the site keeps the visual log, I'll get screenshots.

For now I'll just text sketch the overall action and provide scans of the last 2 moves:

I play as Black. Opponent opens with d4, and I respond by trying the Englund-Soller Gambit. I opt not to castle kingside, my opponent does. I structure everything to attack his new position, while my opponent ...
Well, I'm not sure exactly what my opponent is doing, but I assume it's reasonably sound because he's rated more than 300 points higher.
I see pawns descending queenside from him and I don't worry about it because I think it will take him at least one more turn than he'll have to really nail me.

But he catches my uncastled king at a crucial moment.
It almost means the game, but my bishop concerns him enough that he doesn't, possibly can't, continue until deals with it. While he does so, I castle queenside, and early disaster is avoided. Not being able to get to my king anymore, my opponent instead targets my queen, hoping to lure me into a trade off with his own. The England-Soller gambit, practically by definition, gives White a 2 pawn advantage.

Since pawns threaten to become queens as the game proceeds, this becomes something I REALLY need to keep in mind.
Actually, things aren't likely to work any better even if he DOESN'T promote; I need to keep as many pieces on the board as I can.

Regarding promotion, however, I'M a lot closer to it than he is.
The flip side of Englund-Soller is quicker advancement.
White's King has a VERY serious problem developing.
White gets his Queen in position to deal with the threat, and unpins his knight pawn by moving his king from behind it.
Unfortunately, when an opportunity comes to take that pawn out, White does so WITH that knight pawn. It means White now has no means to stop my rook on the h-file from taking his queen in retaliation, and, no matter what he does, he can't stop that same rook from taking that offending knight pawn afterwards for a checkmate win, so White resigns.

Randomness, but a topic I might re-visit at some point in time.
The problems of the fitness industry, the unhealthy influence of Hollywood, the potentially ameliorating effects of the internet, health awareness, etcetera.

.

I should probably make clear that, just because I post something does NOT necessarily mean I agree with it. With the Donald Trump entry here, for instance, I don't believe Trump believes what the author suggests he does.
There's plenty to go after Trump for, much legitimate; this is probably not such a case.

Trump probably does understand the power of imagery, though.
And likely more than most.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wTB8aIza_DI
Dave Ramsey on Debt Fraud.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3YCpEKAmnE
Ramsey on Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kdYEJraRiYI
Ramsey on Tipping