[Event "Irish Championship 2012"]
[Site "Dublin IRL"]
[Date "2012.07.08"]
[Round "2.2"]
[White "Daly, Colm"]
[Black "Fitzsimons, David"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteTitle "FM"]
[WhiteElo "2327"]
[BlackElo "2293"]
[WhiteICU "2280"]
[BlackICU "2258"]
[WhiteClub "Bray/Greystones"]
[BlackClub "Elm Mount"]
[WhiteNationality "IRL"]
[BlackNationality "IRL"]
[WhiteFideId "2500434"]
[BlackFideId "2501961"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[ECO "A45"]
[Opening "Queen's pawn game"]
[EventDate "2012.07.07"]
[Source "Tournament web site"]
[Annotator "Colm Daly (LCU blog)"]
[URL "https://www.irlchess.com/irlch2012_allfiles/games_irlch2012/g8.htm"]
[LastModified "Mon Mar 25 10:33:42 2024"]
{ Event information: Tournament
report. } { Annotator: Colm Daly, Daly-Fitzsimons,
LCU blog, July 9, 2012 (via the Wayback Machine). } { Other information:
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. }
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 $5 Nd7 18. Na5 Bxb5 19. axb5 a6
20. b6 $1 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 $6 29. Qb5 h5 $2 30. Ra8 Qd7 31.
Bh3 Qxh3 32. Rxe8+ Kh7 33. Nxe5 Bxe5 34. Qc4 $1 g5 $1 { Black is lost anyay
so might as well just + have a go [+]. } 35. Rxe5 $5 { 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+ $2 ({ 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 $4 { 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