1. e4 c5 2. c3 Nf6 3. e5 Nd5 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nf3 e6 6. Bc4 Nb6 7. Bb3 Nc6 8. cxd4 d5 9. O-O Be7 10. Nc3 Bd7 11. a3 a5 12. Qd3 a4 13. Ba2 Na5 14. Nd2 Rc8 15. f4 g6 16. Rf2 Nbc4 17. Nf1 Qb6 18. Ne3 Nb3 19. Bxb3 Qxb3 20. Nxc4 Rxc4 21. Be3 Bb5 22. Qd2 Bc6 23. Rf3 Qb6 24. Bf2 h5 25. Rc1 Kd7 26. Nd1 Rxc1 27. Qxc1 Rc8 28. Rc3 Qa6 29. Qd2 Bb5 30. Rxc8 Kxc8 31. Be1 Bc4 32. Qc1 Qb6 33. Bc3 Kd7 34. Qd2 Qb3 35. Ne3 Qa2 36. Qc1 Bd3 37. Bb4 Bxb4 38. axb4 Qb1?? 39. Qxb1= Bxb1 40. Nd1 Bd3 41. Nc3 b5 42. Kf2 Ke7 43. Nd1 Kf8 44. Ne3 Kg7 45. g4 Kh6 46. Kg3 hxg4

46... Be2!?.

[RR 46... hxg4? is the losing move, as illustrated by the game continuation. Instead 46... Be4 holds, provided Black answers an eventual gxh5 with ... gxh5.]

47. Nxg4+ Kg7 48. Kh4 Be2 49. Nf6 Bd3 50. Kg5 Be2?

50... Kf8 51. h4 Ke7=.

[RR Black is already lost. 50... Kf8 51. h4 Ke7 fails to 52. Nh7 followed by Kh6-g7, and the f-pawn falls.

If Black keeps the king on g7, White transfers the knight to c7, and plays h4 and f5!, winning.]

51. h4 Bd3 52. h5 gxh5 53. Nxh5+ Kf8 54. Kf6 Bf5 55. Ng3 Bg4 56. Nh1 Bh3 57. Nf2 Bf5 58. Nd1 Be4 59. Nc3 Bd3 60. f5 exf5 61. Nxd5 Ke8 62. Nf4 Be4 63. d5 Bc2 64. Nh5 Be4 65. e6 fxe6 66. dxe6 Bc6 67. Kxf5 Ke7 68. Ke5 Bf3 69. Ng3 Bg4 70. Nf5+ Kd8 71. Nd4 Ke7 72. Nc6+ Ke8 73. Kd6 Bh3 74. Nd4 Bf1 75. e7 Bc4 76. Nf5 Kf7 77. Ng7

1-0

Annotator(s): Colm Daly, Irish Chess Journal, vol. 9, no. 4, August-September 1997, p. 16 (excerpted here).

Event information: Tournament report.