[Event "Warsaw Olympiad 1935"]
[Site "Warsaw POL"]
[Date "1935.08.30"]
[Round "18.4"]
[White "De Burca, Aibhistin"]
[Black "Salo, Tapio"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteTeam "Ireland"]
[BlackTeam "Finland"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[ECO "D22"]
[Opening "QGA"]
[Variation "Alekhine defence"]
[EventDate "1935.08.16"]
[EventType "team"]
[WhiteFullName "de Búrca, Aibhistín"]
[Entry "David McAlister"]
[URL "https://www.irlchess.com/olympiads/warsaw1935/deburca-salo-warsaw-1935.htm"]
[LastModified "Tue Sep 2 12:47:41 2025"]
{ Annotator: David McAlister, De
Búrca or Cranston again, and other Warsaw reverberations,
IRLchess, August 30, 2025. } { Event information: Match scorecard
and final event table,
OlimpBase. } { Source: Evening Echo, February 15, 1936, p. 6. }
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 a6 4. a4 Nf6 5. e3 Bg4 6. Bxc4 e6 7. O-O Nc6 8.
Nc3 Bd6 9. Re1 O-O 10. h3 Bf5 11. g4 Bg6 12. e4 e5 13. Bg5 exd4 14. Nd5 Be5
15. Nh4 Na5 (15... h6 { was a plausible alternative and after } 16. Nxg6
fxg6 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 { if White goes material hunting with } 18. Nxc7+ Kh7
19. Nxa8 { then Black could counter-attack with } 19... Bh4 20. Rf1 Ne5 21.
Bd5 { when both } 21... Nf3+ ({ and } 21... Rf3 { look promising. })) 16.
Ba2 d3 17. f4 Bxb2 18. Rb1 ({ Here White could have offered the exchange by
playing } 18. f5) ({ or } 18. e5 { when, in both cases, capturing the Rook
would give White a strong attack. }) (18. Nxg6 { is probably not as strong
as the two pawn moves if Black's declined the exchange sacrifice, but }
18... Bxa1 { would be catastrophic for Black after } 19. Nde7+) 18... Bd4+
19. Kg2 c6 20. e5 ({ Here the alternative pawn push } 20. f5 { might have
been better. White can win a piece with } 20... cxd5 21. fxg6 hxg6 22. e5 {
but he would not necessarily be better, e.g. } 22... Bxe5 23. Rxe5 { when
now Black can try } 23... Nc4 24. Re1 d2 $5 25. Bxd2 Ne4 26. Bxc4 Qxh4 {
White would now be forced to play } 27. Rxe4 { and after } 27... dxe4 28.
Rxb7 { Stockfish 14 assesses this as 0.00. }) 20... cxd5 21. f5 h6 ({
Better here would be } 21... Bxe5 22. Rxe5 Nc4 23. Re1 h6 $1 { with
advantage for Black. }) 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. fxg6 fxe5 24. gxf7+ ({ This works
out well; the alternative was } 24. Nf5 fxg6 25. Nxd4 exd4 26. Qxd3 { The
pawns at d4, d5 and g6 are all targets and Re6 is a threat. Best for Black
might be the counter-attacking } 26... Qf6 { e.g. } 27. Bxd5+ Kh8 { and if
} 28. Re6 Qf2+) 24... Kh8 ({ Black now goes badly wrong. He had to
sacrifice the exchange, viz. } 24... Rxf7 { and if } 25. Nf5 { then } 25...
Rxf5 26. gxf5 Qg5+ { with good counter-attacking chances }) 25. Ng6+ Kg7
26. Nxf8 Qxf8 27. Bxd5 Qc5 28. Qf3 Rf8 29. Rf1 Qd6 30. Be4 $2 { Letting
Black back into the game. Instead } (30. g5 { immediately and if } 30...
hxg5 (30... h5 { and now } 31. Be4 { works; if still } 31... Nc4 (31... Rh8
32. Qf5 { and ...f8(Q) and followed by mate is inevitable. }) 32. Qxh5 {
and the only way to prevent mate in two is } 32... Ne3+ 33. Kh1 Nf5 { and
after } 34. Rxf5 { White is a Rook up - plus Stockfish asserts it is at
most mate in 9. }) 31. h4 gxh4 32. Kh1 { and the threat of Rfg1 is
decisive. }) 30... Nc4 31. g5 Ne3+ 32. Kh1 Nxf1 33. Rxf1 hxg5 34. Qf5 Qh6
35. Bxd3 a5 ({ Black must play } 35... e4 { to allow his Bishop to help out
the defence. After } 36. Bxe4 { best is probably } 36... b5 { when } 37. a5
{ may well be better than capturing the pawn. White could probably continue
to keep manoeuvring away hoping Black will crack. }) 36. Rf3 (36. Be4 {
stopping ...e4 would be stronger. One idea available would pushing h4 - for
instance (although not forced) after } 36... b6 37. Rf3 Bb2 38. Kg2 Bd4 39.
h4 $1 gxh4 (39... Qxh4 40. Qf6#) 40. Qg4+ Kh8 41. Kh3 { and mate in ten
according to Stockfish. However the move actually played turned out well.
White's relentless pressing finally paid off as Black now self-destructed.
}) 36... Qh5 $4 37. Qf6# 1-0