[Event "Irish 65+ Championship 2025"] [Site "Dublin IRL"] [Date "2025.01.04"] [Round "4.14"] [White "Burniston, Michael"] [Black "Fitzpatrick, Kevin"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1684"] [BlackElo "1629"] [WhiteICU "1708"] [BlackICU "1597"] [WhiteClub "Unaffiliated"] [BlackClub "Galway"] [WhiteNationality "IRL"] [BlackNationality "IRL"] [WhiteFideId "2500582"] [BlackFideId "2505886"] [PlyCount "57"] [ECO "D31"] [Opening "QGD"] [Variation "3.Nc3"] [FIDETournamentId "403262"] [ChessResultsKey "1093553"] [Venue "Talbot Hotel Stillorgan"] [EventDate "2025.01.02"] [Annotator "Michael Burniston"] [URL "https://www.irlchess.com/irish65plus2025_allfiles/games_irish65plus2025/g67.htm"] [LastModified "Wed Jan 15 00:28:17 2025"] { Source: Queen Sac Game.doc, Michael Burniston, January 9, 2025. } { Annotator: Michael Burniston (see Source). } { Event information: Tournament report. } 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 f5 { This move surprised me as I was expecting Bb4. I usually play the Staunton Gambit when facing the Dutch Defence but Kevin's move order had prevented that. So I decided to simply develop my pieces and await developments. } 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nf6 6. Be2 Bd6 { I didn't like this Bishop bearing down on h2 so decided to discourage it. } 7. Ne5 O-O 8. cxd5 exd5 9. O-O Qe8 10. f4 { Supporting my Knight and hoping to close the light squared Bishop's diagonal. } 10... Nbd7 11. Bd2 { Heading for f2 to support the backward e pawn. } 11... Ne4 12. Nxe4 { Sorry, you're definitely not a welcome visitor! } 12... fxe4 13. Be1 Bc7 14. g4 { I took a deep breath before playing this move, but I wanted to grab some of that wide open space on the kingside while two of Black's pieces were still at home. } 14... Nxe5 15. dxe5 { My position looked somewhat better now with a supported passed pawn and two good bishops. } 15... Bb6 16. Bf2 Bc5 17. Kh1 { Making the King a little safer and clearing space for the f1 Rook. } 17... Qe6 18. Rg1 Bb6 19. Rg2 { I had vague plans for doubling my Rooks behind the advanced pawns. } 19... Qe7 20. Rc1 Kf7 21. Rc3 { Change of plan! Black's King seemed to want to wander over to the queenside. Bh4 would discourage that so I had to protect the e3 pawn another way. } 21... Ke8 22. Bg3 Qf7 { This clears the way for Bh4, but why not shut out Black's Bishop first? } ({ [RR ?; this is the losing move. } 22... g6 $14 { leaves Black well in the game.] }) 23. f5 Qg8 24. e6 Ke7 25. Bh4+ Ke8 { Black's last seven moves have been of King and Queen while two queenside pieces are still at home having a chat. It must be time to attack. } ({ If } 25... Kd6 { , which would have been safer, I'd planned } 26. Qe1 { - g3. To avoid mate Black would have had to play e4 or c4 when surely I'd be able to strip away the pawns and finish off the King. After Ke8, and a careful check that I wasn't making a dreadful blunder, I played - }) 26. Qxd5 $3 { Sorry about the immodesty, but I do think it's justified. After this move I couldn't bear to watch and left the playing hall for some fresh air. I was sure that Kevin would see that cxd5 led to Bb5+ with mate next move, but what would he play instead? Bxe6 loses a piece and the mate threat is still there. He chose - } 26... g5 27. fxg6 Qxg6 { Perhaps he hoped I'd forget the en passant rule? } 28. Rxc6 $3 Qh6 { White has put two major pieces en prise, neither of which could be taken as either capture led to an immediate mate. } 29. Rxc8+ { Black's light squared Bishop dies in his bed and this third sacrifice proves too much. It's mate next move on d7 so Black grinned and shook hands. } 1-0