O'Kelly is OK

Some say that the O'Kelly is a great defense - that might be true.

However, I say, the O'Kelly line is a great attack - the game I played yesterday evening proves so.

Guido De Bouver - Bram Verschoren
Mechelen, 2016

1.d4 Nf6 2.f3 d5 3.e4 dxe4 4.Nc3 exf3 5.Nxf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.g4 !!

As suggested in a famous Chesscafe article.

7...Nxg4 8.Nh4 g6 9.h3 Nf6 10.Bg5 e6 ?

Better would have been 10...Ne4. But in the game, I now missed the equalizing move : 11.d5 !!

11.Qe2 Be7 12.0-0-0 Nd5

With two pawns up, black exchanges a few pieces. Cant be bad...

13.Bxe7 Nxc3 14.Qe5.

Black now makes a horrible mistake. Simply 14...Kxe7 would have left me with 15.bxc3 Nd7 and black won a very important tempo as compared to the actual game.

14...Nax2+ 15.Bxa2 Ke7

Now I have a crucial extra move for the pawn, which allows me to open up the centre. However, when returning home, my silicon assistant says 16.Nxf5 gxf5 17.Rhe1 is actually a lot better for white.

16.d5 cxd5 17.Nxf5 gxf5 18.Rhe1

18...Qa5 19.Rxd5

Here my opponent took the piece on a2 and suggested a draw. Myself, I had a terrible headache and did not want to look any further and agreed to the draw, as we both saw 19...Qxa2 20.Qd6+ Kf6 21.Qe5+ with a perpetual check.

However, the position allows for a mate in 6, can you find it ?

19...Qxa2 20.Qd6+ Kf6 21.Rxf5+ !!

Ouch !! that hurts.

21...Kxf5 22.Qe5+ Kg6 23.Rg1 Kh6 24.Qg5 mate.

Pity I did not see that finish... But I certainly know now that the O'Kelly defense is actually a great attack.