1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd5 5. Bg5

I hadn't seen this in a while and was taken by surprise

5... e6 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 h6 8. Bh4 O-O

Just playing normal developing moves, wasn't very clear on exactly what I should be doing

9. Nge2 b6

I played this with the idea of trading my bad bishop on c8 for whites better bishop on d3

10. Rc1 Ba6 11. Nb5 Bxb5 12. Bxb5 a6 13. Bd3 Nbd7

Here I wasn't overly happy with my position, I didn't like white having control over the c file

14. O-O b5

My idea was to play Nb6 next and maybe head for c4

15. Rc6 Ne4

I should have stuck with my orginal plan but instead I played this which after I played it regretted it. I was hoping to get some kind of movement on the jingside but I had already started working on the queenside so switching plans was not a good idea

16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Qc2 Nf6

Now the pawn on e5 is just a iability and wite has total control of the c file, my position was crumbling at this point

19. Ng3 Qb7

Played this to try and be a little bit tricky but it really amounts to nothing

20. Rc1 Qd7 21. Nxe4 Nxe4 22. Qxe4 Rac8 23. Qc2 Rxc6 24. Qxc6 Qxc6 25. Rxc6 a5 26. Kf1

Here I am just in a losing

26... b4 27. Ke2 Rd8 28. Rc5 a4 29. Kd3 Rb8 30. Kc4 b3 31. axb3 axb3 32. e4 Kf8

Torturing myself playing on

33. d5 Ke7 34. Rc7+ Kf6 35. d6 Rd8 36. d7 Ke7 37. Kxb3

Just when I was about to resign my opponent made a mistake and so I felt obliged to play on, I thought there might be a chance of a draw once I get rid of the pawn on d7

37... Kd6 38. Ra7 Kc6 39. Ra6+ Kxd7 40. Ra7+ Ke8 41. Rc7 Rd2 42. Rc2 Rd7 43. Ka2 Ra7+ 44. Kb1

Here I was very hopeful of a draw

44... Rb7 45. g3 Ke7 46. Rc4 Rb3 47. Rc3 Rb4 48. Re3 Kd6 49. f4 Kc5 50. Rc3+ Kb6 51. e5 Re4 52. Rd3 Kc6 53. Kc2 Re2+ 54. Rd2 Re3 55. Rd6+ Kc7 56. b4 Re4 57. Kc3 g5 58. Rd4 Re3+ 59. Kc4 gxf4 60. Rxf4 Rxe5 61. Rxf7+

started looking a bit dodgy again for me

61... Kc6 62. Rf6 h5 63. Rh6 Re4+ 64. Kc3 Re5 65. Kd4 Kd6

I knew I had to play perfectly here, I was low on time and it was getting hard to find the best/only move

66. Rh8 Rb5 67. Kc4 Re5 68. Rh7 Kc6 69. Ra7 Re4+ 70. Kc3 Re5 71. Ra5

I should not have let this happen, now I am either forced to trade or lose a pawn

71... Re3+ 72. Kd4 Rb3 73. Kc4 Rb1 74. Rxh5 Rc1+ 75. Kd3 Rb1 76. b5+ Kd6

Here I felt totally defeated but decided to play on as my opponent seemed to be unsure of how to win

77. Rg5 e5 78. Rg6+ Kd5 79. b6 e4+ 80. Ke3 Rb3+ 81. Kf4 e3 82. Rg5+ Kd6 83. Kf3 Ke6 84. Rg4 Kd5 85. b7 e2+ 86. Kxe2 Rxb7 87. h4 Rh7 88. Rf4 Rh5 89. Kf3 Ke5 90. Kg4 Rh8 91. Rf1

I mean resigning would have been logical here

91... Rg8+ 92. Kh3 Ke6 93. h5 Rh8 94. g4 Ra8 95. Rf3 Rh8 96. Kh4 Ke7 97. g5

1-0

Annotator(s): Eibhia Ní Mhuireagáin.

Source(s): Eibhia Ní Mhuireagáin, via Craig DuBose; Lichess (https://lichess.org/study/9VPqspwa/uOd7Iah9).

Event information: Tournament report.