1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 e6 3. e4 Be7

3... h6 is the main line but this is just as good.

4. e5 Nd5 5. Bd2 c5 6. c4 Nc7

Gerry didn't like 6... Nb6 because of 7. a4 but 7... d5 is fine for Black. In the game continuation Black is more cramped.

7. Qg4 Kf8

Too committal. 7... g6 ( or even 7... cxd4) should be considered.

Definitely not 7... Bf8 8. Bg5 winning a pawn.

8. dxc5 Nc6 9. Nf3 Bxc5 10. Nc3 d5 11. O-O-O Bd7 12. Bd3 h5 13. Qg3 Nb4 14. Bg5 Qe8?

This is a mistake. 14... Be7 ( or 14... Nxd3+) had to be played instead.

15. Bb1?! Rc8 16. Bf6!

Spectacular though it may also have worked on the previous move e.g. 15. Bf6 and (a) Nxd3+ Rxd3 and (a1) 16... Rg8 17. Ng5 gxf6 18. exf6 Rg6 19. Qxc7 Rc8 20. Qf4; (a2) 16... Rh7 17. Ng5 Rh8 18. Bxg7+ Kxg7 19. Nxe6+ Kh7 20. Qg7 mate; or (b) 15... gxf6 16. exf6 Rg8 17. Qxc7 Rc8 18. Qf4 Nxd3+ 19. Rxd3 Rg6 20. Ne5.

16... gxf6 17. exf6 Rg8 18. Ng5 Rg6 19. Bxg6 fxg6 20. a3

Not 20. f7 as this gives Black the e7 square for his bishop.

20... Nba6 21. b4

Here 21. Rhe1 retaining presure was probably better. The game continuation gets a material advantage but exposes the white king posiiton.

21... Nxb4 22. axb4 Bxb4 23. Qe5!

Preventing ... e5 followed by ... Bf5.

23... Qd8!

This stops (23... Qd8) 24. f7 by 24... Bxc3 25. Qxc3 Qxg5+.

24. Rd3 Ne8 25. Rf3

Still 25. f7 is premature because of 25... Ng7 -f5.

25... Qa5 26. f7 Qa1+ 27. Kc2 Ba4+ 28. Kd3 dxc4+ 29. Ke3 Qxh1 30. Nxe6+ Ke7

(Time)

Black lost on time but his posiiton is gone anyway.

1-0

Annotator(s): Tom Clarke, Irish Chess Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, August-September 1997, p. 17.

Event information: Tournament report.