The Irish Chess Union

[Event "Irish Championship 1994"] [Site "Armagh IRL"] [Date "1994.??.??"] [Round "5"] [White "Daly, Colm"] [Black "O'Donovan, Richard"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2265"] [ECO "B32"] [Annotator "O'Donovan, Richard"] [ICUid "20496"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 e5 5. Nb5 d6 6. N1c3 a6 7. Na3 b5 8. Nd5 Nf6 9. Bg5 Qa5+ 10. Bd2 Qd8 11. Bg5 Qa5+ { A draw with the Black pieces against an opponent of Colm's strength would be quite a good result for me. } 12. Bd2 Qd8 13. Nxf6+ { Understandably a draw would not suit my opponent. } 13... Qxf6 14. c4 Qg6 15. f3 Be7 16. g3 { 16. cxb5, 16. Kf2!?, and 16. Be3 are alternatives. } 16... f5 ({ In retrospect I think } 16... O-O { may be better. }) 17. exf5 Bxf5 18. cxb5 Nd4 19. bxa6 ({ In my opinion } 19. Bc4 { offers a better fighting chance. }) 19... O-O { I can find no record of this move having been played before. } 20. Bc4+ Kh8 21. O-O Bh3 22. Rf2 e4 23. f4 (23. fxe4 Rxf2 24. Kxf2 Qxe4 25. Bf4 Qg2+ 26. Ke3 Bf6 { and with White's King so exposed Black should win. }) 23... Nf5 24. Qe1 { To prevent 24... e3. } 24... d5 { Black wants the g1-a7 diagonal for his Bishop. } 25. Bxd5 Nxg3 26. hxg3 Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 Bc5 28. Qxe4 (28. Qg1 $1 { is better. I had thought that I could answer this move with } 28... Qh4 { and that I would win because of the threats of 29... Bf2 or a discovered check with the bishop, however things are not so simple. }) 28... Qxf2 29. Bxa8 Bf1 $1 30. Rxf1 Qxf1+ (30... Qh4+ 31. Kg2 Qg4+ $10) 31. Kh2 Bg1+ 32. Kg3 Bf2+ 33. Kg4 h5+ 34. Kg5 (34. Kf3 Bg1+ 35. Kg3 Qf2+ 36. Kh3 Qh2#) (34. Kxh5 Qh3+ 35. Kg6 (35. Kg5 Qh4+ 36. Kg6 Rf6#) 35... Qh6#) 34... Qh3 35. f5 (35. Qg2 Qf5#) (35. Qf3 Qf5#) 35... Bh4+ 36. Kxh5 (36. Qxh4 Qxf5#) (36. Kf4 Qg3#) (36. Kg6 Rf6+ { transposes into the game. }) 36... Be1+ (36... Bf6+ 37. Kg6 (37. Qh4 Qxh4+ 38. Kg6 Qh7#) 37... Qh7#) 37. Kg6 (37. Kg5 Bxd2+ { wins. }) 37... Rf6+ 38. Kg5 Bxd2+ 39. Qf4 { 39. Qf4 Rxf5+ 40. Kg6 Qh7 mate. } 0-1