|
1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 g6 3. e4 d6 4. d4 Bg7 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 b6 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. Nge2 c5 9. d5 e6 10. h3 exd5 11. cxd5 Re8 12. Qd2 Ba6 13. Bxa6 Nxa6 14. O-O-O?? As soon as I had castled queenside I knew that I had made a terrible mistake. 14... Nc7 15. g4 b5 16. Ng3 b4 17. Nce2 Nb5 18. Rdg1 Qa5 19. Kd1 Qxa2 20. Nc1 Qa4+ 21. Ke2 c4 22. Kf2 c3 23. bxc3 Nxc3 24. Ke1 Nd7 25. Nf5 Ne5 26. Kf2 Nc4 27. Qd3 Nxe3 28. Kxe3 gxf5 29. gxf5 Kh8 30. Rxg7 Kxg7 31. Rg1+ Kh8 32. Qd4+ Re5 33. f4 f6 34. fxe5 dxe5 35. Qd2 Rg8 [RR ??, allowing White to equalise. 35... Rc8 36. Rxg8+ Kxg8 37. d6 Qd7 38. Nb3 Nb5 39. Qd5+ Kh8 40. Nc5 Qxd6 41. Qa8+ Kg7 42. Qb7+ Kh6 43. Qxb5 Qd4+ (=) [RR 44... a6!= was more accurate.] [RR 46. Ke2 would have given more chances to Black to go wrong, but after 46... a5! there is no win.] 46... Kg5 47. h4+ Kh5 48. Qb5 Kxh4 49. Qd7 h5 50. Qd8 Kh3 51. Ke2 (Much too late.) 51... b2 52. Nf2+ Kg2 53. Qg8+ Qg3 14. O-O-O was a dreadful positional mistake, my worst move of the tournament. Black just poured over me after that and his game largely played itself. I was being absolutely hammered. Then in a final act of desperation, I threw in the Old Guard like Napoleon at Waterloo and sacrificed a Knight followed by the exchange to go a full Rook down. But unlike Napoleon at Waterloo salvation beckoned. Black wobbled under the pressure and I got back my sacrificed material in spades, actually emerging a piece ahead for two pawns. But the position was unwinnable. Black rallied and played the ending, which was drawn, very well. I refused his offer of a draw as I had to win to catch Wolfgang Heidenfeld and lost the ending through overpressing. Despite its many flaws, this was a most exciting game, a real titanic struggle. I still remember the crowd of spectators around the board during the final 10 moves of the first session with both of us in severe time pressure and in a hugely tension filled position. 0-1 Annotator(s): Paul Cassidy. Event information: Tournament report. Download pgn. |
