1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 Bc5 4. c3 Nge7 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 d5 8. e5 O-O 9. Bg5 Bg4 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. O-O h6 12. Bh4 Qd7 13. h3 Bh5 14. g4 Bg6 15. Ne2 h5 16. Qa4 hxg4 17. Nh2 Nf5 18. Bg3 Nxg3 19. Nxg3 Be7 20. hxg4 f5 21. gxf5 Bxf5 22. Rfc1 Rab8 23. Qxc6 Rxb2 24. Qxd7 Bxd7 25. Nh1 Bh4 26. Rxc7 Bxf2+ 27. Nxf2 Rfxf2 28. Rxd7 Rg2+ 29. Kf1 Rxh2 30. Kg1 Rbg2+ 31. Kf1 Rf2+ 32. Ke1

32. Kg1 is also a loss. 32... Rhg2+ 33. Kh1 Rg4 and 34. Rg1 allows mate by Rh4. In reply to any other defence Black retreats his Queen’s Rook to f5 and mates on the h-file next move.

[There appears to be a flaw in Creevey’s analysis. Instead of the blunder 34. Rg1, White should play 34. Re1 defending against the mate and with best play the ending would have been drawn. Indeed, on move 34, moving the Rook anywhere between b1 and d1 also provides access to the second rank, preventing the suggested mate, while pushing the a-pawn forward also achieves the same objective. Therefore we can conclude that 32. Ke1 was the losing blunder.]

32... Rf4!!

[Despite Creevey’s two exclamation marks for the final move, there is a more clear-cut (and perhaps more obvious) way to finish off White. The move played will lead to winning the a1-Rook, but instead 32... Rb2 threatens mate which White can only delay but not prevent.]

... ? See reference (White probably resigned at move 40).

0-1

Annotator(s): James C. Creevey (see Source).

Source(s): Evening Herald, January 26, 1946 p. 4.

Reference(s): Wenman-O'Hanlon, Hastings 1945-46, David McAlister, IRLchess, May 8, 2022.

Event information: 21st Hastings Premier 1945/46, BritBase (ed. John Saunders).

Note: Primary notes here are excerpted from Creevey; additional notes (in square brackets) are from David McAlister.