(3) Collins,S (2340) - Fitzpatrick,B (2107) [B30]
Gonzaga Classic
[Brian Fitzpatrick]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.0-0 g6 6.Nc3 Nc7 7.Bxc6 dxc6 8.Re1 Bg7 9.Ne4 b6 10.Nf6+ Kf8 11.Ne4 Bg4 12.Neg5!? (we reached this position in the Irish championship last year. I reacted badly with 12.. h6?! 13. h3 Bxf3?! and after good play by Sam, I was soundly defeated) 12...Qd5 13.h3 Bf5 (normally in these sorts of positions you swap off the bishop for knight, but there is a specific tactical reason behind my move) 14.d3 Rd8?! [14...c4!] 15.b3??
(there' s no real way back after this mistake; of course white should try 15.Qe2 which is unclear, or a bit better for white) 15...h6! 16.c4!? ( equally difficult for white was: 16.g4 hg [ 16.. Bxg4 17. Nh7!?] 17. gf Rxh3 18. Re3 gf [not 18..g4? 19. c4 though]. 16. Ne4 is of course unplayable due to 16.. Bxe4 17.Rxe4 16...Qxd3 17.Qxd3 Rxd3 18.Ne4 Bxh3 19.Be3 Bg4 20.Rad1 Rxd1 21.Rxd1 Ne6 (This is even stronger than 21.. Ke8) 22.Rd7 Bxf3 23.gxf3 Bxe5 24.Rxa7 f5 25.f4 (clearly forced) 25...Nxf4 26.Bxf4 Bxf4 27.Nc3 Kf7 28.Na4 Rb8 29.Ra6 Bc7 30.Ra7 Bd6 ( 30.. b5 31. Nxc5 [Rxc7 is similar to the game] Bb6 32. Rxb7 Rxb7 33. Nxb7 b4 also wins) 31.Ra6 b5 32.Nb2 Be5 33.Nd3 Bd4 34.Rxc6 bxc4 35.bxc4 Ra8 36.Nc1 e6 37.Kf1 Ra4 38.Nb3 Rxa2 39.Nxd4 cxd4 40.Rd6 e5 41.f4 Rc2? (there's no particular reason not to take this pawn, but I was playing my moves instantaneously, as all roads appeared to lead to Rome) 42.fxe5 Rxc4 43.Ke2 Rc5 44.Rf6+ Ke7? (44.. Kg7 45. Re6 g5 46. Kd3 Rd5 47. Kc4 Rd7 48. Kd3 h5 49. Rf6 Rf7 50. Rd6 h4 was much quicker) 45.Rxg6 Rxe5+ 46.Kd3 Re6 47.Rg1 Re4 48.Rh1 Kf6 49.Rxh6+ Ke5 (I now started playing a lot more cautiously, somewhat embarrassed that I had dropped a pawn, especially as there were some surprised-looking kibitzers who were presumably wondering how Sam had got back in the game!) 50.Rh3 Rg4 51.Kc4 Rg8 52.Kd3 Ra8 53.Rh7 Ra3+ 54.Ke2 Re3+ 55.Kd2 Ke4 56.Re7+ Kf3 57.Rd7 d3 58.Rh7 f4 59.Rh8 Kg2 60.Rf8 Re2+ 61.Kxd3 f3 62.Rf7 Re6 63.Rg7+ Kf1 64.Kd2 f2 65.Rg8 Rd6+ 66.Kc3 Rd1 (I'm not quite sure what I was up to here) 67.Kc2 (Kc4 Re5) 67...Rd4 68.Kc3 Rd5? 69.Kc2 Ke2 70.Re8+ Kf3 71.Rf8+ Ke3 72.Rf7 (72. Re8 Kf4 73. Rf8 Rf5) 72...Rd4 0-1
