(12) Daly,Colm - Scanell,Stephen [E11]
Malahide 2007
[Colm Daly]

The situation for this game was that i needed to win to at least share first prize but a draw or loss would see my opponent win outright or at worst jointly. Th opening had worked out wel for me with a small but durable advantage that would be hard to defend against. Still I could not have hoped things to go as smoothly as they did as White was able to increase his advantage with Blacks next move and thereafter it is hard for Black to hold the position.

18...Ne4?
Going into the endgame like this leaves Black with no play and a passive defense all the way from here on in.

19.Qxe7 Rxe7 20.Rac1 Kf8 21.f3! Nf6 22.Kf2 Rd8 23.g4
Gaining space and creating some disharmony in the Black camp.

23...g5?!
A radical effort to keep things stable on the Kside. The price is the loss of the f5 square forever.

24.Bd3
[24.h4 h6 25.Rh1 Kg7 26.Bd3 a6 27.Bf5 Was possibly the most accurate.]

24...Ree8
[24...Bxg4 25.fxg4 Nxg4+ 26.Kf3 Nxe3 27.Re1 g4+ 28.Kf2 Rde8 29.Bxh7 g3+ 30.Kxg3 Nf5+ 31.Nxf5 Rxe1 32.Rc7 ]

25.Rc7 Rd7?
I dont know if this was a pawn sac or just an oversight but either way White will be a pawn up now.

26.Nxe6+ fxe6 27.Rxd7 Nxd7 28.Bxh7 Ke7 29.Kg3! Rh8 30.Bd3 e5?
This mistake from Black. set himself up for a final blunder after which White can win very easily.

31.Bc2 Kd6?
One mistake often leads to another and so it is here. [31...Nf6 32.Bb3 Rd8 33.f4 gxf4+ 34.exf4 exf4+ 35.Kxf4 Rf8 36.h4 Ne4+ 37.Ke5 Leaves Black with little reason for hope.]

32.Be4 Nf6 33.Bxd5 Nxd5 34.e4 Ke6 35.Rxd5
And White won with no further problems 1-0