1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. Rb1 a5 7. a3 Nf6 8. Nf3 O-O 9. Bg5 h6 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. Nd5 Bg7 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 Ne7 14. b5 e4 15. dxe4 Nxd5 16. cxd5 Bc3+ 17. Kf1 f5 18. Qc2 Bg7 19. Nh4 Qf6 20. e3 fxe4 21. Bxe4 Bh3+ 22. Bg2 Bg4 23. h3 Ra1 24. f4 Rfa8 25. Rxa1 Qxa1+ 26. Kf2 Ra2 27. Rxa1 Rxc2+ 28. Kg1 Bxa1 29. hxg4 Kg7 30. Be4 Rc5 31. Nxg6 Rxb5 32. Nh4 Rb4 33. Nf5+ Kf6 34. Bf3 Kg6 35. Be2 Rb2 36. Kf1 b5 37. Bd3 Rb3 38. Ke2 Rb2+ 39. Kf3 Rb3 40. Bc2 Rc3 41. Be4 b4 42. Nxd6+ Kf6 43. Nf5 b3 44. Nxh6 b2 45. g5+ Kg7 46. Nf5+ Kf8 47. Ke2 Rc1 48. Kf3 b1=Q 49. Bxb1 Rxb1 50. e4 Re1 51. Ne3 Bd4 52. Nf5 Bb2 53. Nh4 Kf7 54. Nf5 Bc3 55. Nh6+ Kg6 56. Nf5 Kf7 57. Ne3 Bd4 58. Ng4 Rf1+ 59. Ke2 Rg1 60. Nh6+ Kg6 61. Nf5 Bc3 62. Kf2 Re1 63. Kf3 Bb2 64. Ne7+ Kf7 65. Nc6 Bc3 66. Nd8+ Ke7 67. Nc6+ Kf7 68. e5 Kg6 69. Kg4 Re4?

“This makes it easy but Black was demoralized by his complete lack of options, in any event there seems to be no defence, e.g. 69... Rd1 70. f5+ Kf7 (70... Kg7 71. f6+ Kf7 72. e6+ Kg6 73. Ne7+ Kh7 74. g6+ Kh6 75. g7) 71. f6 Rxd5 72. Kf5 Rd3 73. g6+.”

In fact 69... Re4?? is a losing blunder.

69... Kf7 70. Kf5 Rd1 71. Nd8+ Ke7 and White has nothing better than a repetition; Colm's main line claiming a win runs 71... Kg8 72. d6 (better 72. Nc6=) 72... cxd6 73. e6 Re1 (here 73... Kf8 wins) 74. Kg6 d5 75. f5 d4 76. f6 d3 77. e7, but instead of 76... d3??, simply 76... Kf8 wins for Black.

69... Kf7 70. e6+ Kg7 71. f5 (71. Kf5 Rd1=) 71... Rd1 72. Ne7 (72. f6+? Bxf6!) 72... Rd3 73. f6+ Bxf6 and White has nothing better than a perpetual via 74. Nf5+ Kg6 75. Nh4+.

70. d6

The Irish Chess Journal gives the additional moves 70... cxd6 71. exd6. After 71... Bd4 72. d7 Bb6 73. d8=Q Bxd8 74. Nxd8 “the knight and three pawns will win fairly soon” (tablebase win).

1-0

Annotator(s): Colm Daly, Irish Chess Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, August-September 1997, pp. 18-21.

Event information: Tournament report.

Note: This game won the Best Game prize.