1.e4
e6
2.d4
d5
3.Nd2
Nf6
4.e5
Nfd7
5.f4
c5
6.c3
Nc6
7.Ngf3
Qb6
8.Nb3
cxd4
9.Nbxd4
Nxd4
10.cxd4
Qb4+
My opponent had already used around 45 minutes out of 90 for the first 36 moves.
11.Qd2
I spent a while seeing whether I could trap the Queen with Bd2, Qxb2 and Rb1 and correctly decided that there was no trap.
11...Nb6
12.b3
Bd7
13.Be2
Bb5
14.0-0
Bc6
15.Qc2
Rc8
16.a3
I didn't see this move straight away but it nicely does the job of forcing Black's Queen back to e7.
16...Qe7
17.Qd3
Qd7
18.f5
A pawn sacrifice which opens Black's King up.
18...exf5
19.Ng5
I spent several minutes considering Nh4 but settled on Ng5 as the Knight attacks f7 here.
19...h6
20.e6
fxe6
21.Bh5+
Ke7
22.a4
I was very pleased with this move because of the mate that follows if Black takes the Knight. What I didn't see was that Rae1 and Rxf5 are much nastier moves.
22...Kf6
[22...hxg5
23.Bxg5+
Kd6
24.Qg3+
f4
25.Qxf4+
e5
26.Qxe5#
]
23.Nf7
Bd6
24.Nxh8
Material is now level but I should have taken the Bishop and followed up with Ba3. I didn't see a clear win here so I took the Rook, commiting Jonathan Rowson's chess deadly sin of Materialism. [24.Nxd6
Qxd6
25.Ba3
Qc7
26.Rae1
g6
27.Rxe6+
Kxe6
28.Bxg6
Rcf8
29.Bxf5+
Kf7
30.Qh3
h5
31.Qe3
Kg8
32.Qg5+
Qg7
33.Be6+
Kh7
34.Qxh5+
Qh6
35.Rf7+
Rxf7
36.Qxf7+
Qg7
37.Bf5+
Kh6
38.Bc1+
Qg5
39.Qg6#
My computer program tells me that Black has the choice of massive material loss or this mating sequence. If only I'd seen enough of this sequence to take that Bishop instead of the Rook on h8!]
24...Rxh8
25.g4
g6
26.gxf5
gxf5
27.Ba3
I now saw that Black's dark square Bishop was holding his position together and optimistically sought to deflect it away from the main battleground.
27...Rg8+
28.Kh1
Bxa3
29.Qe3
I threatened Qe5+ and Qxh6 but completely missed Black's reply.
29...Rg5
30.Rxf5+
I was running short on time and this move was pure wishful thinking. In any case, my opponent has successfully kept me at bay and has victory in sight.
30...Rxf5
31.Qxh6+
Ke7
32.Qg7+
Kd6
33.Qg3+
Ke7
34.Rxa3
Rxh5
35.Qg7+
Kd6
36.Qg3+
Ke7
37.Qg7+
Kd8
38.Qf8+
Kc7
39.Qf4+
Kc8
40.a5
Rf5
41.axb6
Rxf4
42.Rxa7
Qf7
It's now obvious even to the most optimistic White player that the pawn is not getting through and obviously Black will mate in a few moves. 0-1