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Notes by Jeremy Menadue
4...Bf5 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 (6.b3 6...Bg6) 7.Nxg6 hxg6
Quiet move but White was clear in the tournament
Usually Qb3 - Qb6 or Qc7 is automatic, here White's queen ties down the black rook!
Stops Bb4
If white allows 0-0 and Re8 black is better
12...Qe7 asking for trouble. 13.Rae1
Retreating the knight isn't just a draw. 14...Ngf6 15.Ngxe4 Nxe4 16.Nxe4 Bc7 17.d5 cxd5 18.Qxd5+/-
15.Nxf7 Rxf7 16.fxe3 Ngf6 17.Ne4
Big surprise - Ng5 to follow. I expected the positional 17.e4
Or simpler 17...Nxe4 18.Qxf7+ Kh8
White's played some very clever moves too!
22...Nef6 23.Qxd6+ Kg8 ( 23...Qe7?? 24.Bb4). Also crazy is 22...Qf6 23.Rxf6+ Ndxf6 24.Qc6
Black's weathered the storm but running out of time
25...Qe7 26.Rc1 g6 27.Qf3 Ne4 28.Be1 Rf8 29.Qg4 Ng3 30.Bf2 h5
Diabolical. 30...Nh1 31.Kxh1 Rxf2 won but Nh1[!] - empty square sacrifices very hard to see
Black was just trying to hang on until move 40 then get 50 more minutes to win the position. 35...b4 stays in control
Not good but better than losing on time. Black is still just ahead with 37...Qd7 38.Bxf2 Rxf2 39.Re5. I saw this but not the computer continuation 39...Nd6 40.Rxh5+ Kg7-/+ 41.Re5 Nf7 42.Rc5 Qd6+ 43.Kg1 Qg3
Strange echo of the queen sacrifice in the note to move 22 38...Bg3+ 39.Kg1 gxf5
Time control
½-½
Draw agreed - both players exhausted. Dignam stayed ahead and won the event unbeaten on 8½ out of 11, JM 3rd = on 7½. Most tiring event for many years,even so roll on Aberystwyth!
41...Nxg4+ 42.Kg2 Re8 43.Qxa4 Rxe3 would probably be drawn. Game suggests more time means interesting games..