When you have the more active pieces, winning quickly can be as simple as looking for a threat on every turn.
Ludwig Rellstab White
Theodore Tylor Black
Hastings 1930
Philidor’s Defense C41
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 ♘f6 4 dxe5 ♘xe4 5 ♕d5 ♘c5 6 ♗g5 ♕d7!?
More common is 6...♗e7 and 7 exd6 ♕xd6.
7 ♘c3 dxe5?
With 7...c6! Black kicks the White queen off its perch and might trade it after 8 ♕c4 d5 9 ♕h4 ♕g4. Or he can hide behind the center, 8 ♕d2 d5 9 0-0-0 ♘e6.
8 ♗b5!
Now 8...♘c6 9 ♘xe5! is very nice for White.
8...c6 9 ♕xe5+ ♘e6
Or 9...♕e6 10 0-0-0!, threatening ♖d8 mate. Then 10...f6 11 ♕c7 ♗e7 12 ♖he1 is a terrific initiative.
10 ♖d1! f6
Not 10...♕c7? 11 ♕xc7 ♘xc7 12 ♖d8 mate.
11 ♕e2 ♕f7 12 ♗c4! b5
The threat was 13 ♘d4. Black could resign after 12...fxg5 13 ♘xg5. Also bad was 12...♘a6 13 ♘d4 ♘ac7 14 ♗f4 and ♗xc7.
13 ♗b3 b4 14 ♘e4 ♗a6 15 ♕e3
And here 15...♗e7 loses to, among others, 16 ♗xe6 ♕xe6 17 ♘d6+.
Question 80: And what after 17...♔d7 ?
15...♘d7 16 ♗xe6 ♕xe6 17 ♘xf6+ ♔f7 18 ♖xd7+ ♗e7 19 ♘e5+ resigns.
Bartlomiej Heberla White
Daniel Uribe Black
Calvia 2006
1 e4 e5 2 ♘f3 d6 3 d4 ♘f6 4 dxe5 ♘xe4 5 ♕d5 ♘c5 6 ♗g5 ♕d7 7 exd6 ♗xd6 8 ♘c3 ♘c6 9 ♘b5 ♘b4 10 ♘xd6+ ♕xd6 11 ♕xd6 cxd6 12 0-0-0! ♘xa2+ 13 ♔b1 ♘b4 14 ♖xd6 ♗f5 (14...0-0!) 15 ♗b5+ ♔f8 16 ♘d4 ♗g6 17 ♖e1 ♘e4? 18 ♖xg6 hxg6 19 ♖xe4 ♔g8 20 c3 ♘d5 21 ♗c4 ♘b6 22 ♗b3 ♖xh2 23 ♖f4 ♔h7 24 ♖xf7 ♖xg2 25 ♘e6 resigns.