[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
