1. e4 e5 2. f4 d6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nf6 5. O-O Bg4 6. d3 Be7 7. f5 O-O 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 d5 11. Nc3 dxe4 12. dxe4 Kh8 13. Be3 g6 14. Rad1 Qc8 15. Bh6 Rd8 16. fxg6 fxg6 17. Qg3 Qe6 18. Rf5

Precipitating the crisis.

18... Rxd1+ 19. Nxd1 Bc5+ 20. Kf1?

20. Kh2 was the correct move when 20... Nxe4 ( instead 20... Bd6 21. Rf1 Nxe4 22. Qh4 Nc5 and Black is slightly better ) 21. Rxe5 Nxg3 22. Rxe6 Nf1+ 23. Kh1 Ng3+ 24. Kh2 Nf1+ is perpetual check.

20... Rd8?

Missing 20... Qc4+ 21. Ke1 ( or 21. Qd3 Qxd3+ 22. cxd3 gxf5) 21... Qxe4+ winning.

21. Rxe5?

Unfortunately for Graf, this forces O'Donovan to find the move he missed previously.

Instead White has a difficult to see resource found by Stockfish 14: 21. Nf2 Bxf2 22. Rxf2 and if 22... Nxe4 23. Qd3!! and if 23... Rxd3 24. Rf8+ Qg8 25. cxd3 Nd6 26. g4 and the most likely result is a draw.

21... Qc4+ 22. Ke1 Qd4

This is good enough to secure the win but Stockfish 14 prefers 22... Qxc2 23. Nc3 (23. Qf3 Rxd1+ 24. Qxd1 Qf2#) 23... Bd4 as an easier road to victory.

23. Nc3 Bd6 24. Bf4 Kg8 25. Rg5 Nxe4 26. Rxg6+

A last desperate attempt, hoping for 26...hxg6 27.Qxg6 when White can still hope to keep the complications alive.

26... Kh8! 27. Rxd6

Losing immediatel y, but there does not seem to be any move here that would have prevented Black taking the win.

27... Qg1+

0-1

Annotator(s): David McAlister.

Source(s): Evening Echo, February 23, 1935 p. 6.

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