The Irish Chess Union

[Event "ICU IM Norm League 2018"] [Site "Dublin IRL"] [Date "2018.08.27"] [Round "4"] [White "Daly, Colm"] [Black "De Verdier, Michael"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2329"] [BlackElo "2290"] [ECO "B41"] [Annotator "Daly, Colm"] [ICUid "47614"] [UsedInIcuSite "true"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. a3 b6 8. Be3 Bb7 9. Bd3 $6 $11 (9. f3) 9... Nc6 10. Rc1 $6 (10. f3) (10. Nxc6 $5) 10... Bc5 $1 11. Nc2 Ne5 12. h3 $2 { White has gone wrong and is now worse } (12. f3 $11) 12... Qd6 $1 $17 { Black is better now } 13. Ke2 $5 { A comical move to play. Black is much better now anyway, but this is an effort to confound Black. Objectively a bad move bvut the alternatives offer no chance to try confuse Black. } (13. Be2 Qxd1+ 14. Rxd1 Nxe4 15. Na4 Bxe3 16. Nxe3 Bc6 { Looks easy enough for Black }) 13... Bxe3 $2 $11 ( 13... Nh5 $1 14. g3 f5 $1 { Is the point }) 14. Nxe3 O-O (14... Qc7) 15. Bb1 Qc7 16. Qd4 $1 Nc6 17. Qd1 { Black now had a big think and was probably considering the option of repeating with 17...Ne5, 18 Qd4, Nc6 which is a result I would have been content with considering how badly I played the opening. } 17... Nh5 $6 { The start of a drift for Black. With his last move, he is trying for an advantage when there is no longer any reason for this. } (17... b5 $5) 18. Kf1 $5 (18. Re1 Qh2 19. Rg1 Nf4+ 20. Kd2 Ng6 21. Ke2 $11 { According to the computer this is equal but I think what I played makes more sense. }) 18... g6 19. Kg1 { Perhaps Black was hoping White might get carried away and go active at the wrong moment? } (19. Ncd5 $2 exd5 20. cxd5 Qf4 $1 { Is a s far as I was bothered to look, assuming Black was better somehow or other. } 21. dxc6 Ng3+ 22. Kg1 dxc6 23. fxg3 (23. Rh2 Rfe8 24. Rc4 b5 25. Rc5 Nxe4 26. Bxe4 Qxe4 27. g3 Rad8 28. Qc1 Re5) 23... Qxe3+ 24. Kh2 Rad8 { With a difficult position for White }) 19... Ne7 $6 { Made after another long think, White was now ready to play Ncd5 with the difference of the King being on g1 being vital. } (19... Ne5 $1 $11) 20. h4 $1 { Calm and confidently played. I was happy now thinking that I am comfortable, Not better but Black was still trying to be active and with time trouble also looming I was optimistic about my chances. I had a 28 minute time edge. } 20... f5 $2 { Trying to be active but creating weaknesses. } (20... Rac8 $1) 21. exf5 Nf4 $2 { Black is in trouble after this, but the nature of the position had changed so much that he was thinking in terms of still trying to be active, when it is Black who is now in serious danger. } (21... exf5 22. Qd4 { A bit better for White } (22. Ncd5 Nxd5 23. Nxd5 Bxd5 24. Qxd5+ Kg7 25. Qd4+ Nf6 26. h5 Rae8 { Is very close to being equal })) 22. h5 $1 (22. fxg6 $5 Nexg6 23. h5 Ne5 24. Rh2 { This wins a pawn and keeps some advantage for White but I felt that this type of position and path gives Black what he wanted and plenty of activity and complex play. Unlear to me what is really going on. }) 22... gxf5 ( 22... Nxf5 23. Bxf5 gxf5 24. Rh4 d5 (24... e5 $2 25. Nxf5 Nxg2 $4 26. Qg4+) 25. cxd5 Rad8 26. g3 Nxd5 27. Ncxd5 Qe5 28. Qd4 $1 { With the Rook on h4 playing a vital role } 28... Qxd4 29. Rxd4 exd5 30. Rc7 Rf7 31. Rxf7 Kxf7 32. Nxf5 { Probably winning for White }) 23. Rh4 $1 $16 { The point of Whites play. } 23... e5 { Black now offered a draw and I used up a heck of a lot of time thinking about it. I knew I should be winning but it could get messy indeed and my form for a while hs seen me go wrong in a fair few games over the last few months. I found the right moves but then still, as I feared, went wrong badly. } 24. g3 $1 (24. Nxf5 $5 Nxf5 25. Bxf5 Qxc4 26. g3 Kh8 27. Bb1 Rad8 28. Rxf4 exf4 29. Ba2 Qc6 30. Bd5 Qf6 31. Bxb7 fxg3 { Is the very sort of crazy play I was keen to avoid, regardless of the objective evaluation. }) 24... Ne6 25. Ncd5 Qd8 26. Nxe7+ Qxe7 { All forced over the last few moves and now White has a choice to make. Very hard to know which is the best option but I am happy enough with what I played } 27. Nxf5 (27. Bxf5 $5 Nd4 28. Be4 Bxe4 29. Rxe4 Nf3+ 30. Kg2 Kh8) 27... Qf6 28. Qxd7 $1 $16 (28. f3 $5 $14) 28... Rf7 (28... Bc8 $4 29. Qd6 Nd4 30. Qxf6 Nf3+ 31. Kg2 Rxf6 32. Kxf3 Bxf5 33. Bxf5 Rxf5+ 34. Kg2 { Two pawns up. }) 29. Qd2 $2 { White is still better after this but it is getting messy and more difficult to play. } (29. Qd6 $1 Rd8 (29... Kh8 30. Qxb6 Ng5 31. Qxf6+ Rxf6 32. Kf1 Nf3 33. Rd1 $1 Nxh4 34. Nxh4 Raf8 35. Rd2 { With three pawns for the exchange and excellent winning chances. }) 30. Rg4+ Kh8 31. Qxb6) 29... Kh8 $1 (29... Rd8 $2 30. Nh6+ Kf8 (30... Kg7 31. Rg4+ Kf8 32. Rg8+ Ke7 33. Rxd8) 31. Qb4+ Re7 32. Nf5) 30. Re1 $4 { The very sort of thing I was worried about. White is lost now } (30. Qh6 $5) 30... Ng5 $1 ( 30... Rd8 $5 $17 31. Qh6 (31. Qc3 Ng5 32. Kf1 { Transposing back into the game } (32. f4 $5 Nf3+ 33. Kf2 Nxh4 34. gxh4 { Now there is a beautiful variation that could occur if Black gets careless } 34... exf4 $2 35. Nh6 Rff8 $4 (35... Rd2+ 36. Kf1 Qxc3 37. Nxf7+ Kg7 38. bxc3 Kxf7 39. Bxh7 Rh2 40. Bg6+ Kf6 41. Rb1 Rh1+ 42. Ke2 Rh2+ 43. Kd3 { With advantage White, but plenty of play left in the position. }) 36. Re7 $3 $18 { Would be wonderful to have on the board. })) 31... Ng5 32. Qxf6+ Rxf6 33. Kf1 Nf3 34. g4 Rxf5 35. Bxf5 Nxh4 36. Rxe5 { When despiute having three pawns for the piece White is in big trouble }) 31. Kf1 (31. Qc3 Nf3+ 32. Kf1 Rd8 { Transposing back into the game. }) 31... Rd8 $1 (31... Nf3 $5 32. Qc3 Rd8 (32... Nxh4 33. gxh4 Re8 34. f4 Bc8 35. Rxe5 Ref8 36. Ke2 $15 { Is wild and unlear, though should be advantage for Black, or just equal. All three results are possible. })) 32. Qc3 Nf3 33. Bc2 $1 Nxh4 (33... Rd2 $1 { Was the best move now I think. }) 34. gxh4 { Be nice to take back on h4 with the Knight but the problem is mate on f2! I thought I was ok now but we both were down to minutes on the clock now. I think I had 15 compared with 8 minutes. } (34. Nxh4 $4 Qxf2#) 34... e4 { I used up a lot of time here , as I was very tempted to try 35 Nh6 but it does not do anything. } 35. Qxf6+ $1 (35. Nh6 Rff8 36. Qxf6+ Rxf6 37. Ng4 Rf4 38. Ne3 Rdf8 $1 (38... Rxh4 39. Rd1 Rh1+ 40. Kg2 Rhxd1 41. Bxd1 Kg7 42. Kf1 Kf6 43. Ke1 { Better for Black, maybe winning but technical and by no means easy. }) 39. Re2 Rxh4 40. Rd2 Rxh5 41. Rd6 Rh2 $1 { Very strong }) 35... Rxf6 36. Ne3 $1 { Better than Ng3 } ( 36. Ng3 Rdf8 37. Re2 e3 38. Bf5 exf2 39. Re7 (39. Rxf2 $4 Bc8 $1 { Wins }) 39... Bc8 40. Bxc8 Rf3 41. Be6 (41. Bf5 $2 Rxg3) 41... Rxg3 42. Rf7 Rxf7 43. Bxf7 Kg7 44. Be6 Kh6) 36... Rd2 $6 (36... Rf3 $1) 37. Re2 Rxe2 38. Kxe2 Rf4 { Very hard to know what to do now with a time trouble scenario for both players. White is hanging on, just about } 39. Ng2 $5 (39. b4 $5 Rxh4 40. Nf5 Rxh5 41. Nd6 Bc6 42. a4) 39... Rg4 40. Kf1 { I thought I might be opk now but had not forseen my opponents next move which is just one of those weird blunders that comes out of nowhere. } 40... Kg7 $4 (40... e3 $1 { Is what I expected } 41. Nxe3 Rxh4 42. Ke2 (42. Bd1 $2 Rh1+ $1 { I missed this } 43. Ke2 Rxh5) 42... Rxh5 43. Nf5 Rh1 { Feels like Black should be able to win. }) 41. Bd1 $1 { Amazing that White is now winning. } 41... Rxg2 42. Kxg2 Kf6 43. Kg3 Kf5 44. Bg4+ Ke5 45. h6 Bc6 46. Bc8 a5 47. Kg4 Be8 48. Kg5 { And Black had enough. Unlucky to lose, but possibly would have been lucky to have got the win too. A game with lots of curious, crazy ideas and tactics with many mistakes by both players. } 1-0