PeterLalic: Hello, everyone!
Firstly I thank you for your comments, and I'm flattered that you like the game.Some of you have posed the good question, "what happened at moves 15-16?"
I analysed this game in one of my monthly articles for "CHESS Magazine". Hopefully my analysis will help:
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST, BY QUEEN (ON H7)
Glorney Cup 2012
P.Lalic - O.Murchadha
Staunton Gambit
1 d4 f5 2 e4!?
Modern chess authors on the Dutch defence tend to claim "easy equality" for Black upon 2 e4, and it is precisely this poor reputation that makes the Staunton Gambit so dangerous.
2...fxe4 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 Nc6
My opponent was whipping out his theoretical “antidote”, obviously aware of positional pitfalls like 4...d5?! 5 Bxf6 exf6 6 Qh5+ g6 7 Qxd5.
5 d5 Ne5 6 Qe2!?
Here he stopped for thought, no doubt expecting only the clichéd 6 Qd4. The rarer 6 Qe2, played only 20% as opposed to 70%, has the additional idea of breaking open files with f2-f3, besides preparing queenside castling and regaining the e-pawn.
6...Nf7 7 Bxf6 exf6 8 Nxe4 Bb4+!
I was impressed that Oissine Murchadha found this nuance, despite being in unknown territory. Like several stronger players before him, he provoked a subtle commitment in my pawn structure, anticipating a long-term queenside weakness for my king.
9 c3 Be7 10 d6!
This positional pawn sacrifice is an irresistably attractive option. Remember that chess is not merely a move-by-move problem-solving exercise. Your wider plan is to make your game easier to play and your opponent’s harder. Although that sounds obvious, I have often seen perfectionists spend unnecessary time and energy. They may find the objectively winning move; on the other hand, if it requires computer-like accuracy during their self-created time trouble, then that risks being a practically losing one!
10...cxd6
Diagram
My enduring compensation is more than enough for a meagre pawn: 1) Black’s doubled isolated queen’s pawns are not only static weaknesses in an endgame, but suffocate his dynamic piece play; 2) If the queenside bishop cannot escape its tomb of pawns, then nor can the cornered rook; and 3) White’s pieces develop harmoniously towards the outposts at d5 and f5.
11 Ng3 0–0 12 0–0–0 Re8?!
This understandable precaution suddenly leaves the f7 knight vulnerable down the a2-g8 diagonal.
13 Qh5! Ne5
However crude my attack, Black must defend carefully, since 13...Bf8?! would be embarrassed by 14 Bd3!, forcing the awkward 14...Nh6, as Black’s developmental lag could never survive the initiative after 14...g6?? 15 Bxg6! Bh6+ 16 Kb1 hxg6 17 Qxg6+ Kf8 18 Nf5, while 14...h6?? 15 Qf5 would make the light-squared bishop’s absence felt. 13...g6 would just delay the kingside attack; after centralising my queen at the beautiful d5 blockading square, h2-h4-h5 would follow.
14 f4 g6 15 Qh3 Qa5!
Diagram
With this ingeniously pragmatic decision, the Irish player actually managed to set me some problems. Instead of passively retreating, allowing my bishop to dominate on c4, he cleverly tried to reverse the roles of attacker and defender. So enjoyable was my peace of mind that I barely considered giving him any counterplay, and quickly opted for safe prophylaxis.
16 Kb1!
16 fxe5 may have been objectively no better or worse, but it seemed like practical madness! After 16...dxe5 17 Bc4+ d5!?, my “extra” piece would stay stuck on the kingside, dominated by Black’s central pawn majority. What happened to that crippled structure and imprisoned bishop pair? Instead I correctly defended against my opponent’s only threat, which left him with the same predicament.
16...b5!
In a disadvantageous position, Murchadha adopted a commendable attitude: he forced me to accept the material imbalance, knowing that the attacker (particularly a risk-free technician like me) would not appreciate complications.
17 fxe5 dxe5 18 Be2 d5 19 Bg4! Qa4!
We must always be open to sacrificing back material, which I had prepared after 19...f5?! 20 Nxf5! gxf5 21 Bxf5 Bxf5+ 22 Qxf5, leaving Black’s monarch completely denuded (and not in a good way, like Demi Moore in her 1996 blockbuster!)
20 Be6+ Kg7 21 N1e2 b4 22 Rd3!
I had already visualised the upcoming tactical finish a move ago, and developed in preparation for the trap. The bait was a deceptively winning fork of my bishop and rook, which I must confess to making even more tempting, thanks to my masterful acting of anxiety! Who could have guessed that taking Drama at GCSE would actually prove useful?
22...Qa6??
Diagram
23 Nf5+!! Kh8
23...gxf5 24 Rg3+ Kh8 25 Qh6 wins, be it after 25...Bf8 26 Rg8# or 25...Qxe6 Qg7#.
24 Qxh7+! Kxh7 25 Rh3# 1–0
Diagram
Kibitzing
sac: 24.Qxh7+
to =.
.
