1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5

I didn't expect my opponent to play this so I knew I was going to be a bit unsure and lost for the opening

3... c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Be3 cxd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nge7 8. Nf3 a6

I think this was too slow and conservative, I think I would have een better off developing. I was preparing for if whites a3 and b4 by leaving a little space for my bishop on a7. I was also preventing the knight from ever hopping into b5

9. Bd3 h6

Another move that I feel was just too slow, I was just letting white get so ahead on development.

10. O-O Bd7

I was still abit unsure of castling, white has so many pieces that can easily attack my kingside and theres aways risks of sacrifices

11. Rc1 Qa5

This was definitely not a good move, I was just trying to put some pressure on the queenside pawns but it really did nothing but waste time. The queen was better off where she was

12. a3 Bxc3 13. Rxc3 b5

I had a hard time coming up with a plan. I decided to just try and get some space on the queenside but it ended up doing the opposite

14. b4 Qd8 15. Qd2 Nf5

I was hoping white would take the knight and at least give me something to play for with the pawn on f5 and ideas of starting a kingside attcak with maybe g5 and Rg8 at some point

16. Rc5 Nce7

Trying to reloacte my knight and get it to be more useful

17. h3 Nxe3 18. fxe3 O-O

finally castled, I wanted the Rook on f8 so that I could play f6/f5

19. Qf2 f5 20. exf6 Rxf6

I was thinking maybe I culd have a bit of play now that my pieces are starting to get freed up a bit

21. Qg3 Nf5 22. Bxf5 Rxf5 23. Rfc1 a5

I felt like white was just dominating here with his strong doubled rooks so I decided to go for a bit of an ambitious counter attack, I didn't really calucalte too much I just felt it was worth trying

24. Rc7 axb4 25. axb4 Ra2 26. Rxd7

I completly missed that I could have just taken the rook with the queen here and got a perpetual. My friend Peter told me about this after the game which had me kicking myself.

26... Qf6

26... Qxd7 27. Rc7 Rxf3!! 28. gxf3 Ra1+ and perpetual! [RR The king can escape the perpetual on the queenside, but Black then has ... Rg2, e.g., 29. Kf2 Ra2+ 30. Kf1 Ra1+ 31. Ke2 Ra2+ 32. Kd3 Ra3+ 33. Kc2 Ra2+ 34. Kb3 Rg2.]

27. Rc8+ Kh7 28. Rdd8 Rg5

here I am just lost no hope left

29. Nxg5+ hxg5 30. Qf3

1-0

Annotator(s): Eibhia Ní Mhuireagáin.

Source(s): Eibhia Ní Mhuireagáin, via Craig DuBose; Lichess (https://lichess.org/study/UpruGBZG/cOZANX6X).

Event information: Tournament report.