Round 3 Games

What follows are the games from Rathmines win in Round 3 against the Albanian team, with some quick notes of my own. Download the games here: Round 3 Games for Rathmines

Zarkaj, Artur vs. Stuart, Robert
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bd2 c6 8. O-O Bb4 9. a3 Bxc3 10. Bxc3 Qc7 11. Re1 Nbd7 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. Rxe5 Ng4 14. d5?! White gives up the exchange for a passed pawn on d6. Nxe5 15. d6 Qd7 16. Bxe5 f6 17. Bg3 e5 18. Qd2 Be6 19. Be2 O-O 20. Rd1 Rfd8 21. c4 b6 22. b3 c5 23. a4 Rac8 24. f4 e4 25. Qe3 Bf5 26. b4 Rc6 27. bxc5 bxc5 28. Rd5 Be6 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. Qxc5 Qxd6 31. Qxa7 Qd2 32. Qb6 Re8 33. Qb5 Bd7 34. Qd5+ Qxd5 35. cxd5 Bxa4 Black is up the exchange and has a passed pawn on e4, supported by the rook. If he can stop white’s pawn on d5, then the game should be won. It seems to me that instead of wasting time collecting the harmless f-pawn, he should immediately chase down the d-pawn. 36. f5 Bd7 Can he try the following?: 36. …e3 37 Bc7 Bd1! 38. Bxd1 e2 39. Bxe2 Rxe2 40. d6 Rd2 and the pawn is safely blocked. Can black win from this position? It is still very difficult because the rook is tied down to guarding the d-pawn. 37. Bc7 Bxf5 38. Bb5 Rc8 39. d6 Rxc7 40. dxc7 Bc8 41. Kf2 Kf7 42. Ke3 Ke6 43. Kxe4 1/2-1/2

Smith, Derek vs. Bajraktari, Hajredin
1. e4 d6 2. d4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 Nf6 7. a4 Nc6 8. O-O e6 9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 O-O 11. f5 d5 12. Bf3 dxe4 13. Nxe4 exf5 14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bxc6 Bxd4 16. Bxd4 Qxc6 17. c3 Be6 18. Rf3 f6 19. Qd2 Rf7 20. a5 Rd8 21. Rg3 Bd5 22. h4 Qd6 23. Qf2 Be4 24. h5 Qc6 25. h6 g5 26. Re1 Qd5 27. Qf4 Kf8 28. Qf2 Rc8 29. Rge3 g4 30. b4 Rc6 31. Qf4 Rc8 32. Kh2 Qc6 33. Bc5+ Kg8 34. Bd4 Qc7 35. Qxc7 Rcxc7 36. Kg3 Rf8 37. R3e2 Kf7 38. Rh1 Kg6 39. Kf4 Re8 40. Re3 Re6 41. Rb1 Kxh6 42. Rb2 Kg6 43. b5 axb5 44. Rxb5 Rce7 45. g3?? Leads to mate Bc6 46. Rxf5 Re4+ 0-1

Prifti, Viktor vs. Delaney, Killian
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. Nf3 d6 5. g3 O-O 6. Bg2 Nc6 7. O-O e5 8. dxe5 dxe5 9. Bg5 Be6 10. b3 h6 11. Bd2 Qe8 12. Qc1 Kh7 13. Re1?? White just loses a piece. e4 14. Nh4 g5 15. Nf3 exf3 16. exf3 Rd8 17. f4 Qd7 18. Rd1 gxf4 19. Bxf4 Qc8 20. Re1 Nb4 21. Re3 Bf5 22. Re7 Nd3 23. Qe3?! Black wins another piece, but white generates some counterplay, but it is hopeless Ng4 24. Qd2 Nxf4 25. Qxf4 Bxc3 26. Bxb7!? Clever, but not enough Qxb7 27. Qxf5+ Kh8 28. Rc1 Ne5! Using the back rank threats to save the bishop 29. Qf6+ Kg8 30. Qxh6 Nf3+ 31. Kf1 Bd2 32. Qh5 Bxc1 33. h4 Rd1+ 34. Kg2 Nxh4+ 35. Kh3 Rh1+ 0-1 Killian crushed his opponent, who looked very weak. But you can only beat what’s in front of you!

McCabe, Darren vs. Begaj, Agron
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 Bd7 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. O-O Qc7 9. b4 Bb6 10. Qe2 Nge7 11. Na3 a6 12. Bd2 Ng6 13. Rae1 Nce7 14. c4 Qb8 15. c5 Ba7 16. Rc1 O-O 17. h4 Rc8 18. h5 Nf8 19. Bg5 Nc6 20. b5 axb5 21. Nxb5 Nb4 22. Be7 Nxd3 23. Qxd3 Bxb5 24. Qxb5 Re8 25. Bd6 Qc8 26. Rb1 Bb8 27. Qxb7 Bxd6 28. exd6 Qxc5 29. Ne5 Ra7 30. Qb5 Qxb5 31. Rxb5 f6 32. Nc6 Ra6 33. Rc1 Rxa2 34. Rb7 h6 35. Ne7+ Kh7 36. Rcc7 e5 37. Nc6 Ne6 38. Re7 Raa8 39. Rxe8 Rxe8 40. Re7 Rxe7 41. Nxe7 Nd8 42. Kf1 d4 43. Ke2 Ne6 44. d7 Nd8 45. Kd3 Kh8 46. Ke4 Kh7 47. f4 Ne6 48. fxe5 d3 49. Kxd3 fxe5 50. Kc4 e4 51. Nc6 g6 White now cashes in his pawn for a piece and emerges with a won ending, but one he has to be very clever with. 52. d8=Q Nxd8 53. Nxd8 gxh5 54. Kd4 Kg6 55. Kxe4 Kg5 56. Kf3 h4 57. Ne6+ Kf6 58. Nf4 Kf5 59. Nh3 h5 60. Nf2 Ke5 61. Nh3 Kf5 62. Nf4 Kg5 63. Nh3+ Kf5 64. Nf2 Kg5 65. Nd1 Kf5 66. Nc3 Ke5 67. Nb5 Kf5 68. Nd6+ Ke5 69. Ne4 Kf5 70. Nd6+ Ke5 71. Ne4 Kf5 72. Nf2 Ke5 73. Nh3 Kd4 74. Nf2 1-0

Frasheri, Petrit vs. Killane, Jack
1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 Bd7 8. Nxc6 Bxc6 9. Bd3 Qd7 10. Bg5 O-O-O 11. Qf3 Kb8 The g-pawn is poisoned, but white snatches it. 12. Bxf6? gxf6 13. Qxf6 Rhg8 14. Ne2 Rg6 15. Qh4 Rdg8 And black’s rooks look formidable. From here on, black pursues his attack down the g-file relentlessly. 16. Ng3 h6 17. Kh1 Bd4 18. c3 Bf6 19. Qh3 Qd8 20. f4 Bd7 The bishops join the attack and gain time on the queen. White is forced to loosen his pawn structure. 21. f5 Rg4 22. Ne2 Rh4 23. Qf3 Be5 24. g3 Black is creating weaknesses all over the white position, forcing another pawn to move. Rhg4 25. Rg1 Bc6 26. h3 R4g5 27. Rad1 Qf6 28. Kh2 h5 Now the h-pawn joins in and the g-file will be blasted open. 29. Nd4 h4 30. Nxc6+ bxc6 31. Kh1 Rxg3 32. Rxg3 Rxg3 33. Qf1 Qg5 34. Be2 0-1 A very well-executed attack from Jack.

Whelan, Niall vs. Sherifaj, Pasho
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 g6 4. e4 cxd4 5. Qxd4 Bg7 6. Bf4 Nc6 7. Qd2 d6 8. Be2 a6 9. Nf3 O-O 10. O-O Bg4 11. h3 Bxf3 12. Bxf3 Rc8 13. Rab1 Qa5 14. b3 e5 15. Bg5 Nd4 16. Qd3 Rfe8 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Bg4 Rb8 19. Nd5 Bg7 20. a4 Qd8 21. g3 f5 22. Bd1 Rf8 23. Rb2 f4 24. Bf3 h5 25. Kg2 Rf7 26. g4 Qh4 27. Rh1 Bf6 28. Rh2 Kg7 29. Rb1 b5 30. cxb5 axb5 31. axb5 Rxb5 32. b4 Ra7 33. Bd1 Ra2 34. Kg1 Bd8 35. Nc3 Ra3 36. gxh5 gxh5 37. Rg2+ Kh6 38. Qc4 Rb7 39. Qg8 Bg5 40. Qf8+ Kh7 White is generating good counterplay: the best option in this game. 41. Nd5 Rg7 42. Nf6+ Bxf6 43. Rxg7+ Bxg7 44. Qf7 Rxh3 45. Qxh5+ Qxh5 46. Bxh5 Rxh5 47. b5 f3 0-1