Toon, J. - O'Sullivan, P.
Civil Service League, 02/07/2008
[B76]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 O-O 9.O-O-O I prefer this to the main line with Bc4.
9...Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 A very tactical line which is currently under a cloud. 9...d5 must be the logical reaction to White's decision to omit Bc4.
11.Kb1! Black wants to play ...Qa5, but now Nd5 threatens to win the pawn on e7 or to capture twice on f6 and wreck Black's pawn structure. So Black has to waste a move preparing for ...Qa5.
11...Qc7 12.h4 Rfc8 13.h5 Qa5 14.a3

[More exact is
14.hxg6 hxg6 15.a3]

14...Rab8

[Now Black could continue with
14...Nxh5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.g4 Rxc3 17.gxh5 Rc5 18.Qd4+ f6 19.hxg6 hxg6 and he stays a pawn up.]

15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Bxf6

[Theory recommends
16.Bd3 b5 17.Qg5 and Black does not have a good continuation as the pawn on b5 cannot advance. 17...Qc7 may be best when the position remains tense.]

16...exf6

[This novelty seems better than recapturing with the bishop:
16...Bxf6 17.Nd5 Qxd2 18.Nxf6+ Kg7 19.Nh5+ gxh5 20.Rxd2 Rh8 21.Rd4 and White has a better pawn structure in the ending.]

17.Nd5 Qd8

[The alternative is
17...Qxd2 18.Rxd2 Kf8]

18.g4

[Here I think it might be better to attack the bishop immediately with
18.Nf4 Rc6 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Bb5 Rb6 21.Bc4 and Black's position looks fragile.]

18...b5 19.Bd3 Bxd5 20.exd5 a5 21.Rh2 b4 22.a4 f5 Black has got his queenside moving. Now he opens the diagonal for the Dragon Bishop. But this accelerates my attack also.
23.gxf5 Qf6 24.Qc1 Forced. 24...Qe5

[24...Rc3 is more direct (White can't take the rook) but I'm holding the posltion after
25.fxg6 b3 26.Rdd2 fxg6 27.Be4]

25.Rdh1 b3 26.c3 Qe8 Intending to come in round the back by taking on a4, and if Bb5 then ...Rxb5. But White's attack is quicker.

[26...Qxd5 is the other try and looks menacing but it comes to the same thing as the game after
27.Be4 Qc4 28.fxg6]

27.fxg6 fxg6 28.Qg5 Threatening to take on g6. Black has no defence to this so tries one last attack but it allows a nice finish.
28...Qxa4 29.Rh8+! Bxh8 30.Qxg6+ Bg7 31.Rh8+! Black resigns because it's mate on h7 next move. The successive rook sacrifices on h8 were very satisfying. This was the first time in my chess career that I had managed a double rook sacrifice.

1-0

Created with PGNtoJS

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.f3 Nc6 8.Qd2 O-O 9.O-O-O I prefer this to the main line with Bc4. 9...Nxd4 10.Bxd4 Be6 A very tactical line which is currently under a cloud. 9...d5 must be the logical reaction to White's decision to omit Bc4. 11.Kb1! Black wants to play ...Qa5, but now Nd5 threatens to win the pawn on e7 or to capture twice on f6 and wreck Black's pawn structure. So Black has to waste a move preparing for ...Qa5. 11...Qc7 12.h4 Rfc8 13.h5 Qa5 14.a3
	[More exact is 14.hxg6 hxg6 15.a3]
14...Rab8
	[Now Black could continue with 14...Nxh5 15.Bxg7 Kxg7 16.g4 Rxc3 17.gxh5 Rc5 18.Qd4+ f6 19.hxg6 hxg6 and he stays a pawn up.]
15.hxg6 hxg6 16.Bxf6
	[Theory recommends 16.Bd3 b5 17.Qg5 and Black does not have a good continuation as the pawn on b5 cannot advance. 17...Qc7 may be best when the position remains tense.]
16...exf6
	[This novelty seems better than recapturing with the bishop: 16...Bxf6 17.Nd5 Qxd2 18.Nxf6+ Kg7 19.Nh5+ gxh5 20.Rxd2 Rh8 21.Rd4 and White has a better pawn structure in the ending.]
17.Nd5 Qd8
	[The alternative is 17...Qxd2 18.Rxd2 Kf8]
18.g4
	[Here I think it might be better to attack the bishop immediately with 18.Nf4 Rc6 19.Nxe6 fxe6 20.Bb5 Rb6 21.Bc4 and Black's position looks fragile.]
18...b5 19.Bd3 Bxd5 20.exd5 a5 21.Rh2 b4 22.a4 f5 Black has got his queenside moving. Now he opens the diagonal for the Dragon Bishop. But this accelerates my attack also. 23.gxf5 Qf6 24.Qc1 Forced. 24...Qe5
	[24...Rc3 is more direct (White can't take the rook) but I'm holding the posltion after 25.fxg6 b3 26.Rdd2 fxg6 27.Be4]
25.Rdh1 b3 26.c3 Qe8 Intending to come in round the back by taking on a4, and if Bb5 then ...Rxb5. But White's attack is quicker.
	[26...Qxd5 is the other try and looks menacing but it comes to the same thing as the game after 27.Be4 Qc4 28.fxg6]
27.fxg6 fxg6 28.Qg5 Threatening to take on g6. Black has no defence to this so tries one last attack but it allows a nice finish. 28...Qxa4 29.Rh8+! Bxh8 30.Qxg6+ Bg7 31.Rh8+! Black resigns because it's mate on h7 next move. The successive rook sacrifices on h8 were very satisfying. This was the first time in my chess career that I had managed a double rook sacrifice. 1-0