Last year, we reported here on the 1974 Irish championship, and remarked that no games were available from the event. Remarkably, a few months later one turned up, on the ICU web site, in Paul Cassidy’s article My Memorable Games and Opponents: his round 8 encounter with the top seed, Bernard Kernan.
It seems to have been a searing experience for Paul:
“This happened in round 8 of the Irish Championship 1974. A win for me would have put me in a very strong position to challenge for the title in the final round. I played a very good game, got a winning position, refused numerous draws, made a very nice and not obvious Rook sacrifice to force mate, and then blew it all! …
This loss represented the end of my serious chess career. For many years I simply could not come to terms with it. I had, of course, previously lost won positions like we all do but for some reason this one seared into my soul. There was so much at stake and I had played so well to conjure up a beautiful finish with the Rook sacrifice. I have now come to terms with it but it still hurts to reproduce it here and experience once again the calamitous finish. ”
Paul’s memory fails him here, as the 1974 championship only had 8 rounds, and furthermore even if there had been a ninth round and he had won this game, he would have been on 5½, still 1½ adrift of Tony Doyle.
Still, it must have been a galling experience. Here is the finish:
Position after 41. Bc3
The event seems to have retained the unusual time control used the previous year: 45 moves in 2½ hours in the first session. This has considerable bearing on what followed, since Black was in “tremendous” time trouble.
The continuation was 41… d4 (41… Rf4 or 41… Rf3 would be even stronger, but Black still has an overwhelmingly won game) 42. Bd2 Rf3 43. Qd7 Rf1+! 44. Kxf1 Qh1+ 45. Kf2, and now (in the last move before the time control!) came the disastrous 45… Qxh2+??, when the white king escapes. The finish was 46. Kf3 Qh1+ (46… Rf8+ changes nothing) 47. Kf4 Rf8+ 48. Ke5 Qh2+ 49. Kd5 1‑0.
The straightforward 45… Rf8+ (the intended continuation when 43… Rf1+! was played) would have won on the spot.
[Click to replay the full game.]
The tournament report has been updated to add this game.