McCrum - Williams

Ulster Championship (Preliminary Tournament Play-off) 1893

[Event "Ulster Ch Prelim tie-match"]
[Site "Belfast"]
[Date "1893.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "McCrum, William"]
[Black "Williams, R.A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A00"]
[Annotator "Williams"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "1893.11.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "3"]
[EventCountry "IRL"]

1. Nc3 {Mr McCrum remarked on this "Rynd's move."} c5 2. e3 {Black wanted a
Sicilian opening, and White could have safely gratified him with 2.e4.} Nc6 3.
d4 cxd4 4. exd4 d5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bb5 {It is not often good play to develop the
King's Bishop on the Queen's side in a close opening, and we cannot see that
this game forms an exception. Steinitz and Zukertort have both laid it down as
an axiom that in such cases the Bishop ought to be played to e2 in order to
keep it in connection with both wings.} e6 7. Bg5 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1 Qb6 {
In order to make an impression on White's Queen side, but it is not
consistently followed out.} 10. Qd2 Ne8 $2 ({Premature.} 10... a6 {forcing} 11.
Bxc6 {would have probably been better.}) 11. Bxc6 Bxg5 12. Nxg5 Qxc6 13. Qd3 f5
14. Qh3 Nf6 15. Re3 {We think this loss of time.} h6 16. Nf3 Ng4 17. Ne5 Qb6
18. Nxg4 fxg4 19. Qxg4 e5 20. Qd1 {The only move to avoid losing the exchange.}
Qxd4 (20... exd4 {would be answered advantageously with the same move as in
the text} 21. Nxd5 {For if} Qc5 {then there would follow} 22. Ne7+ {and if} Kh7
23. Qd3+) 21. Nxd5 Qxb2 22. Rb3 Qd4 23. Qxd4 exd4 24. Ne7+ ({This move is now
bad. It would have been better to play} 24. Rd1) 24... Kh7 25. Nxc8 Raxc8 26.
Rb2 ({If} 26. Rxb7 Rxc2 27. f3 Re8 {which would draw at least, and has winning
chances.}) 26... Rc3 {Although this move turns out well through defective play
on White's part, the Rook should have gone to c7. It may be remarked that
Black has really the worse position here on account of the out-of-the-way
situation of his King.} 27. Kf1 Rfc8 28. Rc1 R8c7 29. Ke2 Rf7 30. Rb3 ({
A mistake!} 30. Rf1 {was the best reply.}) 30... d3+ $1 31. Kd2 Rxc2+ 32. Rxc2
dxc2 33. Rf3 $2 ({This simply throws the game away! But even after} 33. Kc1
Rxf2 {Black has good winning chances.}) 33... Rxf3 34. gxf3 Kg6 {No further
comment is necessary, the game henceforth plays itself.} 35. Kxc2 Kf5 36. Kd3
Kf4 37. Ke2 g5 38. h3 b6 39. a4 a6 40. Kd3 Kxf3 41. Kd4 Kxf2 42. Kd5 Kg3 43.
Kc6 b5 {[Game source: Belfast News-Letter, 23rd November 1893]} 0-1






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