In my naivete, I thought I would surprise an International Master with the Evans Gambit. I didn't know it at the time, but he was much better prepared than I. The text was "state of the art," yet I perceived it as an error.
8. cxd4 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Qb3
Better is 10. Ba3. I thought he was going to go passive with 10...Nce7, when 11. Ba3 starts to tie Black up.
10... Be6 11. Qxb7 Ndb4 12. Bb5 Bd7
Breaking the pin is understandable, yet 12. .... Bd5 is better.
[12... Bd5 13.Nc3 (13. Re1+ Kf8 14. Ba3 Kg8 15. Bxb4 Nxb4
Note how the Bishop is better on 'd5'.
16. Qxa8 Qxa8 17. Re8+ Qxe8 18. Bxe8 Bxf3 & .... Nc2.)
13... Rb8 14. Bxc6+ drops a Knight.]
13. Re1+ Kf8 14. Ba3
"Now let us turn to 14. Ne5. This was analyzed at some length by Cafferty and Harding in their 1976 book and then, in response to the annotation to the Davis-Peters game, some further refinements were added by Cafferty and Nunn in the British Chess Magazine (1984)."
"14. Ne5 Nxe5 15. Rxe5 c6 16. Bc4 Rb8 17. Qxa7 Bb6 18. Qa3 (Cafferty and Harding) when he can win by 18... Bxd4 19. Bb2 Be6!! So I think that in the last analysis 14. Ne5 proves inadequate and hence White should take his chances with 14. Ba3."
- Open Gambits by George Botterill.
All this is very interesting of course, but was beyond my perception. All I saw was that my Queen was in danger and my last two moves begin to dig her out.
14... Rb8
Peters says that unpinning now with 14... Kg8 15. Bxb4 Rb8 16. Bxc6 Rxb7 (16...Bxb4 17. Bxd7 Bxe1 18.Qd5) 17. Bxd7 Qxd7 18. Bxa5 should win for White.
15. Qa6 Rb6?
But by unpinning now, Peters gives the following: [15... Kg8 16. Bxb4 Rb6 (16... Nxb4 17. Qxa5 Rxb5 18. Qxa7 Nc2 19. Nc3 Nxe1 20. Rxe1 White has compensation for the exchange.) (16... Bxb4 17. Rc1 Ne5--A position difficult to assess.) 17. Qxa5 as in the game.]
At the time however, the only idea was to win the Queen.
16. Qxa5 Nxa5 17. Bxb4+ Kg8
(17... c5 18. Bxa5 Bxb5 19. dxc5 Qf6 20. cxb6 wins for White -Peters.)
18. Bxd7 Rxb4 19. Re8+ Qxe8 20. Bxe8 g5
Immediately after the game Jack thought that this was a mistake. Annotating for the Informant later that year, he called it best; I certainly thought so at the time, as this simultaneously gives luft for the King, which will activate his remaining Rook. It also mounts a threat against the 'd4' Pawn. True, Ne5 attacks 'f7' with the Bishop, but I don't believe a tactical skirmish is wise with my queenside in its current state.
21. h3 Kg7 22. a3 Nb3
"Peters gives (22... Rc4 23. Nbd2 Rxe8 24. Nxc4 Nxc4 25. Nxg5 Nd2) as the last chance, but here 25. a4 and 25. Rc1 Na3 26 Rc7 are both +-" - Botterill.
I thought this was a mistake at the time and do still.
White may well be winning, but Black loses heart and makes the win easier.
27...a6 clears the file for the Rook and preserves a passed Pawn.