Jimmy Liew - Ismail Ahmad, Round 6

I had many interesting positions in the 2011 National Championship.
Here is one against Ismail Ahmad.

Black has just played 14...Qg5. Hard to believe but he just lost a pawn by force. Quite a difficult tactic to find.

15. a3 Be7 16. Nf3 Qh5 17. e4 Nf6 18. Nd6 Nc5

After 18... Bxd6 19. Bxd6 both the knight on a6 and rook on f8 are under attack.

19. Nxb7

This is simpler than 19.b4 Bxd6 20. Bxd6 Ncxe4 21. Bxf8 Rxf8 which wins an exchange but black has a pawn for it and some chances with his active minor pieces.

Nxb7 20. e5 Nd5

Other moves allow 21. Rd7 forking bishop and knight.

21. Bxd5 exd5 22. Rxd5 Rad8 23. Rad1 Rxd5 24. Rxd5 Qg4 25. Nd4 Qc8 26. h3 Qc1+ 27. Kh2 Bc5 28. Nf5 g6

Black tries to chase away the knight otherwise white plays Qg4 with dangerous attack. I found a neat reply.

29. e6!

29... gxf5 30. Rxf5 f6

Black can lose in various pretty ways if he does not give back the piece. White's immediate threat is 31. Qg4+ Kh8 32. Be5+ f6 33. Rxf6 and mate follows.

30... Qh6 31. Qg4+ Kh8 32. Rxf7! (threatens Be5+) Rxf7 33. exf7 (now Qg8 mate is threatened) Qg7 34. Qc8+ Bf8 35. Qxb7 , black has stopped the mating threats but now his pieces are completed tied up and white can win pretty much as he pleases.

30... Nd6 31. Qg4+ Kh8 32. Be5+ f6 33. Rxf6

30... Bd6 31. Qg4+ Kh8 32. Rxf7 Qxb2 (32...Rxf7 33. gxf7 and mate on g8 cannot be avoided) 33. Bxd6 Rg8 34. Qh5 Rg7 35. Be5


31.e7 Bxe7 32. Qxe7 Rf7 33. Qe8+ Kg7 34. Rf4 h5 35. Qe2 Qc5 36. Rh4 Kg6 37. Qe4+
Kg7 38. Bf4 Re7 39. Qf3 Kg6 40. g4 hxg4 41. Qxg4+ Kf7 42. Rh7+ 1-0