Last weekend’s events also featured the Irish International Open, which attracted a mammoth field of 75. The top seed, by a margin of over 300 rating points, was IM Kristian Stuvik Holm of Norway. Only four other players were rated over 2000 FIDE: Colm Daly, Shane Melaugh, Oisín O’Cuilleanain, and Anuar Tureshbayev.
Holm duly finished first on 6½/7, with his sole dropped half point conceded against O’Cuilleanain, in a short draw where O’Cuilleanain, as Black, seems to have stood somewhat better.
O’Cuilleanain won a fine game, also as Black, against Colm Daly in round 5, and held the joint lead going into the last round. However, he lost as White against Tureshbayev, after dropping an exchange in a level position.
A full report has been added to the Tournament pages here, with 49 games from live boards.
One interesting episode occurred in the third round game between James Kavanagh and Shane Melaugh.
24… ?
In the diagrammed position, Black is winning comfortably enough, and needed only to play 24… g6. Instead he erred with 24… Qxf2+??, and found that after 25. Rg2 he was losing his queen, since after 25… Qd4, as played, White had 26. Rd7. After 26… g6 27. Rxd4 Rxd4, the second diagrammed position was reached.
28. ?
But does White have any real winning chances here? It does not appear so: there isn’t enough time to break through with h4-h5, and in many lines Black can exchange a pair of rooks and create a fortress. Of course, White could take an immediate draw via 28. Qf6 Rfd8 29. Rxg6+, etc.
35… ?
White went astray and lost the h-pawn, and after the exchange of a pair of rooks, the third diagrammed position was reached. This is beyond the range of tablebases, but it appears this should be drawn with best play. However, White has to be careful. In the game, he went astray and Black managed to roll his K-side pawns home.