1. d4 Nf6 2. g3 c5 3. d5 b5 4. Bg2 d6 5. a4 b4 6. c3 Na6 7. Bg5 bxc3 8. bxc3 g6 9. Bxf6 exf6 10. Nf3 Bg7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nfd2 f5 13. Nc4 Nb8 14. Qd2 Ba6 15. Nba3 Qf6 16. Nb5 Rd8 17. Ra3!? Nd7 18. Na5 Bxb5 19. axb5 a6 20. b6! Nxb6 21. Rb1 Rab8 22. Qa2 Nd7 23. Nc6 Rxb1+ 24. Qxb1 Re8 25. Qb7 Ne5 26. Qxa6 f4 27. Ra4 fxg3 28. hxg3 Qf5?! 29. Qb5 h5? 30. Ra8 Qd7 31. Bh3 Qxh3 32. Rxe8+ Kh7 33. Nxe5 Bxe5 34. Qc4! g5!

Black is lost anyay so might as well just + have a go [+].

35. Rxe5!?

Looks like the simple way to win quickly.

35... dxe5 36. Qe4+ Kg7 37. Qxe5+ f6 38. Qe7+ Kg6 39. Qe8+ Kg7 40. d6 h4 41. Qe7+ Kg6 42. Qe4+ Kg7 43. Qe7+ Kg6 44. Qe8+?

Quite incredible as now I was so worried about allowing a threefold repeat of the position and my brain seemed to seize up. A very simple win was to be had with just 44. Qd8 when according to chess playing engine Houdini White is close to 11 pawns up. Main point is that Black can never take on g3 because of Qg8 check and another check on the h file. How on earth I failed to play this is something I simply do not yet understand. A very very strange end to an otherwise well played game. To say my technique let me down would be an understatement.

44... Kg7 45. gxh4??

In trying to avoid a threefold repeat of the position I allow an even easier draw.

45... Qg4+ 46. Kf1 Qh3+ 47. Kg1 Qg4+ 48. Kf1 Qh3+ 49. Kg1

A truly astounding result which I am at a loss to understand or explain. That's chess for you I guess!

1/2-1/2

Annotator(s): Colm Daly, Daly-Fitzsimons, LCU blog, July 9, 2012 (via the Wayback Machine).

Source(s): Tournament web site.

Event information: Tournament report.

Note: The version of the game annotated by Colm Daly differs from the pgn provided by the organisers (which is the one given here); the finish in the version annotated by Daly was 40. Qe7+ Kg6 41. d6 h4 42. Qe8+ Kg7 43. gxh4 Qg4+ 44. Kf1 Qh3+ 45. Kg1 Qg4+ 1/2-1/2.

Download pgn.