The 2011 Irish championship was hugely enjoyable and a credit to the players and organisers. Is it a trick of the imagination, due to the presence of live games and almost instant availability of game scores, or was the chess really more entertaining than usual? Perhaps a mixture of both?
Here is a finish with a timeless appeal:
Black now played 49 … h3. How do you evaluate this move and the resulting position with best play? Was there anything better?
See the solution.