(1) Kirby,P (2001) - Tandy,C (2166) [C63]
Inter Insular, 14.05.2011



1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 f5 4.d3 fxe4 5.dxe4 Nf6 6.0-0 Bc5 7.Qd3 d6 8.Qc4 Bd7 9.Nc3 a6?
A mistake, but it was rather difficult to forsee the forcing variations that follow.

10.Bxc6[] Bxc6 11.Nxe5 Bxf2+
Played after more than 20 minutes thought, and this is what I expected. [11...dxe5 12.Qxc5 White is a pawn up with no compensation for Black. 12...Nxe4? 13.Qxe5+ Qe7 14.Qxe7+ Kxe7 15.Re1+- ]

12.Rxf2 dxe5 13.Bh6!
A wry smile appeared on Chris's face. It is time to admit that this wasn't entirely my own invention. I had been out of book from move 11, but I had a vague recollection of seeing Bh6 before (indeed it was recommended in Andrew Greet's book on the Ruy Lopez). While Chris had been contemplating his 11th and 12th moves, I was busy analysing 13. Bh6.

13...gxh6
[13...Qe7 14.Bxg7! Qxg7 15.Qe6+ Qe7 16.Rxf6+/- ; 13...Rg8 A very plausible move, but there is now a series of spectacular moves that refute it. 14.Rd1! (14.Rxf6? Qd4+ Black has nearly equalised.) 14...Qe7 15.Rxf6! Qxf6 I hadn't seen this line during the game ! 16.Qxg8+ ; 13...Qd4 14.Qe6+ Kf8 15.Bxg7+ Kxg7 16.Qxf6+ Kg8 17.Qf7# ]

14.Qe6++/- Qe7 15.Rxf6 Qxe6 16.Rxe6+ Kd7 17.Rxh6
[17.Rxe5 Rae8 18.Rd1+ Kc8 19.Rxe8+ Rxe8 20.Rd4 White is still winning, but I preferred Rxh6 as I thought it was more important to keep Black tied to the defence of the h7-pawn, rather than defending the e4- pawn.]

17...Rae8 18.Rd1+ Kc8 19.Nd5 Bxd5 20.Rxd5 Re7 21.Rh5 Rd8 22.Rxd8+ Kxd8 23.Kf2 Kd7 24.Ke3 a5 25.g4 Kd6 26.Rh6+ Kc5 27.g5 Kc4 28.h4 a4 29.a3
It is impor tant to keep the Black king out of the dark-squares on the queen-side.

29...c5
[29...b5?? 30.Rc6# ]

30.Rb6
Preventing Black any counterplay.

30...Rf7 31.h5 Rf4 32.Rxb7 Rg4
Now we both noted a potential stalemate trick, remove the Black Rook and if the h6-pawn can't move then it's stalemate, but it doesn't quite work.

33.Rg7 Rg2 34.Kf3 Rxc2 35.Rxh7 Rxb2 36.g6 Rb3+ 37.Kg4 Rxa3 38.g7 1-0