Round 2 saw a very interesting encounter between Fred MacDonald and myself over a Latvian Gambit. I have added a few additional comments from the world's leading expert on the Latvian John Elburg.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f5 3. Nxe5 Qf6 4. d4 d6 5. Nc4 fxe4 6. Nc3 Qg6 7. Qe2 Nf6 8. f3 Nc6

It is this move that questions the validity of the greedy 7.Qe2. With his next move White embarks on a rare and very sharp line, one that unfortunately his opponent is extremely well versed in. Had he wanted to play safe he could have chosen 9. Be3.

9. d5 Nd4 10. Qf2

Slightly unusual, but it normally affects a transposition.

10.Qd1 exf3 11.Qxd4 fxg2 12.Bxg2 Qxg2 13.Rg1 Qxh2 (and Black has all the play!) (Elburg)

10... exf3 11. Bd3?!

Although he didn't know it this was his first deviation from theory, not bad seeing he was clearly working it out from move 3. As said previously, 11.Qxd4 had to be played here.

11... Qxg2 12. Qe3+?! Kd8 13. Rf1 Nxc2+ 14. Bxc2 Qxc2 15. Rxf3

I relaxed here as the time my opponent had left (just under half an hour compared to my hour and ten minutes) was too small for him to offer serious resistance in the coming tactical bloodfest. Even so I took almost 25 minutes in trying to figure out the best way to press home my advantage. the main problem with this line being that Black cannot easily gain security for his King.

15... Bg4?!

Doing nothing, but more importantly missing 15...Ng4!? which may well have won on the spot.

(1) 15...Qxh2 16.Qd4 Be7 17.Be3 Bh3 18. 0-0-0 Qg2 (Elburg)

(2) 15...Nxg4 16.Qe2 Qxe2+ 17.Kxe2 Nxh2 18.Bg5+ Be7 19. Bxe7+ Kxe7 20.Rxf4 g5 (Elburg)

16. Rg3 Kd7 17. Qd4 Re8+ 18. Ne3 Qxh2 19. Rxg4 Nxg4 20. Qxg4+ Kd8 21. Ne2 Be7

21...Qh1 22.Qg1 Qxg1+ 23.Nxg1 Be7 24.Nf3 Bf6 25.Kf2 h5 (Elburg).

22. Nf5 g6

22...Qh1+ 23.Kf2 Rhf8 24.Neg3 Qh2+ 25.Ke3 h5 26.Qg6 h4 27.Ne4 Qh3+ 28.Kf4 Qf1+ 29.Kg4 Qg2 (Elburg) was much better.

23. Nfg3 Bh4

Black's play is shamefully lazy, forcing exchanges and playing to the absence of White's time on the clock.

24. Bg5+ Bxg5 25. Qxg5+ Kc8 26. O-O-O Qf2 27. Rd3 Re5 28. Qg4+ Kb8 29. Rc3 Rhe8 30. Rf3 Qe1+ 31. Kc2 Rxe2+ 32. Nxe2 Qxe2+ 33. Kc3 Qe1+

At last White's flag had fallen under the cynical influence of gravity.

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This was the first time I had ever played in the Fisherwick Tournament, having only recently returned to the fold of Ulster chess after a 4 year absence due to University. it was the third night of the tournament and after defeating Fred MacDonald in a very theoretical Latvian Gambit I'd been unfortunate enough to be chosen by Alex Beckett to face Steve Scannell. "That'll teach you for beating me" quipped Fred as I swiftly regretted my decision not to accept Alex's invitation to play for Fisherwick that year. As it turned out though things were to end differently than expected.

1. d4 f5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bg5 d5 4. Bxf6 exf6 5. e3 Bb4 6. Bd3 c6 7. Nge2 a5?!

The first (blatant) mistake in the game, played to gain space but a developing move should have been preferred.

8. a3 Bd6 9. Ng3 g6 10. Qf3 Qe7 11. Nce2 Be6 12. h4! h5 13. Nf4 Kf7 14. Nxg6!?

It would be easy to claim that Steve's major reason for playing this was that against an opponent rated 400 points below him, these kinds of complications usually favour the stronger player. However he thought for quite some time about this move, and clearly saw a strong potential in it. To be fair to him it might well have been a winning move. However it was my opinion that I was positionally inferior already, and I was thus genuinely surprised that Steve took this sharper course of action.

14... Kxg6 15. Nxh5 Rxh5 16. g4 Rh6 17. gxf5+ Kf7 18. fxe6+ Ke8 19. Rg1 Kd8 20. Rg8+ Kc7 21. Qg4 Kb6

To be honest I contemplated resigning instead of playing 21...Kb6. Both Steve and myself agreed that White looks as if he must be winning after 21.Qg4. Black's Knight seems to be out of the game and his other pieces cannot seem to attack anything. However I decided that White still had a bit to do to win the game, so I may as well continue for now.

22. Bf5 Ka7 23. Rc1?!

The first slip, probably 23.Kd2 (linking the Rooks) was better, as it will be ten moves yet before c4 is played. White is already coming to grips with the problem of how to convert his temporary bearhug into a win.

23... Na6 24. Rg7 Rxh4!

One thing leads to another and now Steve has allowed my only tactic to come into play.

25. Rxe7 Rxg4 26. Rd7 Rg5 27. Bd3 Bh2

Probably Steve missed this surprisingly annoying move. He also plays routinely with regard to it. It was my opinion that this Bishop needed to be pressured, not ignored.

28. Ke2 Bg1 29. Kf3?! Re8

f3 is not a secure place for white's King. In time trouble White's play deteriorated.

30. e7 Nb8 31. Rd6 Rxe7 32. Rxf6 Reg7 33. c4 Rg2 34. Ke2 Nd7 35. Rf5 Nb6 36. cxd5 Nxd5 37. Rc5 Kb6 38. Rf8 R7g3

I had to know if I was winning or not. A few moves ago Steve had turned down a draw, but now I sensed there must be something in the position for me. If I waited I felt I would only be outplayed in a technical endgame, so there was now no time for contrition.

39. Kf1?!

Now in real time trouble Steve missed the uncompromising defence of 39.Be4. Had he played this I felt he would have still had a real chance in the game.

39... Nxe3+! 40. fxe3 Bxe3 41. Rcf5 Rxb2 42. d5 Rg1+

Such was his shortage of time that Steve took 5 seconds to notice it was checkmate.

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