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!? 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! 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?

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! 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?? 37. Qf6#

1-0

Annotator(s): David McAlister, De Búrca or Cranston again, and other Warsaw reverberations, IRLchess, August 30, 2025.

Source(s): Evening Echo, February 15, 1936, p. 6.

Event information: Match scorecard and final event table, OlimpBase.

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