[Event "Irish Intervarsity Championship 2016"]
[Site "Cork IRL"]
[Date "2016.04.02"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Doyle, Hugh"]
[Black "O'Mahoney, Keegan"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[WhiteElo "2044"]
[BlackElo "1803"]
[ECO "A37"]
[Annotator "O'Mahoney, Keegan"]
[ICUid "31896"]
[UsedInIcuSite "true"]
1. c4 { Hugh and I have played many games where he's played the English
(mostly friendlies) and almost always struggle. Usually I choose a
different line each time, without really knowing it. This time, I wanted
something aggressive to give myself a chance at least. } 1... c5 2. g3 g6
3. Bg2 Bg7 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Nf3 e5 6. O-O Nge7 7. d3 { Not 100% sure if this
is the correct move order, but it's pretty close at least } 7... O-O 8. a3
d6 9. Rb1 a5 10. Ne1 f5 { So I got the kind of position I wanted with
chances to attack his king. } 11. Nc2 f4 { Preventing Ne3-d5 and
continuting with my plan. } 12. Bd2 g5 { Objectively, my play probably
hasn't been the best and I am worse, but I certainly have practical
chances, especially in a rapid game } 13. b4 axb4 14. axb4 Qe8 { Preparing
to enter with the queen to h5. If I get a chance, Rf6-h6 then becomes the
plan } 15. Ne4 { I'd seen this but figured I'd give up a pawn to get my
attack going. Again, Qe8 was not good objectively and the computer loves
Ne4 and white's position } 15... Qh5 16. Nxd6 Bh3 { I had originally
thought about playing Rf6 here, but figured I didn't want to give up my
bishop for Hugh's knight, when it could potentially be an important
attacking piece. I would much prefer to trade it for Hugh's defensive
bishop } 17. Ne4 { Preventing the potentially dangeorus Rf6. Incredibly, we
had actually been following the game Moreto Quintana - Fernandez Cardoso up
until this point, unknown to either myself or Hugh. White played f3 in that
game, and black subsequently won } 17... g4 { There's no turning back now.
Ideas of f3, or Bxg2 and then f3+ } 18. f3 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 { While I'm
certainly not lost here, I think my next move is a mistake } 19... Qh3+ {
Probably better is cxb4, butas a human, it's quite natural to want to
continue your attack } (19... cxb4 20. Bxb4 (20. Nxb4 Nd4 { Brings another
piece into the game }) 20... Nxb4 21. Rxb4 Nf5 22. Kg1 fxg3 23. hxg3 Nxg3 {
A nice line suggested by the computer } 24. Nxg3 Qh3 25. Rf2 { Surprisingly
the only move for an advantage } (25. Ne4 g3 26. Nxg3 Qxg3+ 27. Kh1 Rf5) (
25. Qe1 { Is only good enough for a draw } 25... gxf3 26. Rxf3 Rxf3 27.
exf3 Ra2 28. Qf2 Rxc2 29. Qxc2 Qxg3+ 30. Kf1 Qxf3+ 31. Qf2 Qd1+ 32. Qe1
Qf3+ 33. Kg1 e4 34. Rb5 Qg4+ 35. Kh2 Bh6) 25... gxf3 (25... Qxg3+ { Taking
the knight immediately is good for white } 26. Rg2 Qh3 27. Rxb7 Ra6 28.
Rxg4) 26. exf3 (26. Rxf3 Rxf3 27. exf3 Qxg3+ 28. Kf1 Qh3+ 29. Kf2 Qh2+ 30.
Ke1 Qh1+ 31. Kd2 Bh6+ 32. Ke2 Qg2+ 33. Ke1 Ra2) 26... Qxg3+ 27. Rg2 Qxf3 {
And the game goes on }) 20. Kg1 Nf5 { Another mistake, but I had planned
this when I played Qh3. The problem was that I had missed Hugh's response }
(20... gxf3 21. exf3) 21. Nf2 { An obvious move, but a good one. I felt
things had gone wrong at this point and indeed I am now completely lost }
21... Qh6 { Best } 22. Nxg4 { fxg4 was much better } (22. fxg4 Nfd4 23.
Nxd4 Nxd4 24. bxc5 { My attack is dwindling and white has too many pawns })
22... Qg6 23. e4 Nxg3 { A nice idea that keeps me in the game. fxe3 was
probably the other playable move. In each case though, I am still near
lost. Certainly, Nxg3 is more direct } (23... fxe3 24. Ngxe3 Rfd8) 24. hxg3
h5 { The point } 25. Nf2 { If Nh2 the knight is actually trapped after
fxg3, however that might actually be best! } (25. Nh2 fxg3 26. bxc5 Rf7 27.
Kg2 gxh2+ 28. Kxh2 Qf6 { And again, the game goes on but white has a clear
advantage }) 25... Qxg3+ 26. Kh1 Qh4+ 27. Kg2 { And now it's just a draw. I
considered Rf6 here, but after Rh1 his king runs away } 1/2-1/2