You are here: Home Archives Ulster Chronicles 2016-2017 Season UCU Web 2016 Belfast South tournament: Two more best game prizes awarded

Belfast South tournament: Two more best game prizes awarded

There was so much great chess played in the post-Christmas portion of this season's BSCC Open that the organisers have decided to award not one but two best game prizes.

With so many great games being played at Belfast South's Monday night tournament, the club have decided to award two best game prizes for the post-Christmas period; one to Norman McFarland for his display of coolness under intense time pressure against Robert Lavery in round 13, and the other to Mikhail Pavlov for his fantastic attacking performance against the same opponent in round 16.

Robert Lavery 0-1 Norman McFarland (round 13)

(click here to play through the full game)

Lavery-McFarland

We join the action after Black's 36th move. With an advanced passed pawn and just seconds on his opponent's clock, White should win. But instead, complacency begins to creep into his play:

37 b6?

This allows a perpetual check: 37 ... Rh2 38 Re1+ Kf3 39 Rf1+ Rf2 40 Rxf2+ Kxf2 41 c3 Rd3+ 42 Kc2 Rd2+ 43 Kb1 Rd1+ 44 Kb2 Rd2+ 45 Kc1 Re2+ 46 Kb1 Re1+ 47 Kb2 Re2+, and so on. 37 Kc1 would have kept White out of trouble.

37 ... Kf3

Objectively - according to Stockfish - Black can still draw, but in practice it's prohibitively difficult; it took Stockfish about a minute to find the drawing line. (38 b7 Rd2+ 39 Kc1 Rh2+ 40 Kb2 Rxh1 41 b8=Q Rgg1 42 Qf8+ Kg2 43 Rxb4 Bd2 44 c3 Bxc3+ 45 Kxc3 Rc1+ 46 Kd3 Rhd1+ 47 Ke3 Re1+ 48 Kd3 Red1+)

38 b7 Rgg2?

Now, 39 Rh3+ is a clear win for White as 39 ... Kf4 allows the White king to escape to safety via c1. Instead:

39 Bh3??

But does Black even have enough time to capitalise on this error?

39 ... Rd2+!

He does.

40 Kc1 Rxc2+ 41 Kd1

Or 41 Kb1 Rb2+ 42 Ka1 Ra2+ 43 Kb1 Rgb2#.

41 ... Rgd2+ 42 Ke1 Bh4+!

The crucial move White missed when playing his 39th, instead expecting 42 ... Re1+ 43 Kf1 Rf2+ 44 Kg1 when Black has no good checks left.

43 Kf1 Rd1#

Black delivered mate with just eight seconds to spare.

Mikhail Pavlov 1-0 Robert Lavery (round 16)

(click here to play through the full game)

Pavlov-Lavery

White wastes no time in sacrificing material to break up Black's Kingside:

22 Bxh6 Bxf2+

Black fights fire with fire.

23 Kxf2 Ne4+ 24 Kg1 gxh6

It now looks like Black has the situation under control, but he had reckoned without another sacrifice from White:

25 Rxe4! dxe4 26 Qxe4

Black will now either be mated on h7 or suffer ruinous material loss.

26 ... Qf5 27 Qc4+ 1-0

Navigation
News
Ulster Fischer Championships took place on June 8th at Civil Service Pavilion One of the most exciting competitions of the year involves chess with a difference. The initial position of the main pie... Jun 29, 2025
Annual General Meeting 2024/2025 2024/2025 season is rapidly coming to a close and with this comes the announcement of the UCU’s Annual General Meeting... Jun 27, 2025
Washingbay FIDE Rapid This week's upcoming event's early entry list Jun 02, 2025
City of Belfast Winners Well done to Steve Scannell our champion, and David Jeffers on winning the Intermediate trophy! May 26, 2025
The Belfast Megafinals took place at Methodist College on Sat May 10th 2025 The last of this years monthly tournaments at Methodist College. Ended with the Delancey Chess Challenge Belfast Megafin... May 25, 2025
More news…
« July 2025 »
July
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031
Upcoming Events
City of Lisburn Championship Jul 26, 2025 - Jul 27, 2025 — Lisburn Chess Club, 60-62 Longstone Street
Ulster Championships 2025 The top Ulster competition returns to open the 2025-2026 season! *FIDE registration of the event is pending.* Aug 23, 2025 - Aug 25, 2025 — Queens University, South Dinning Hall, Belfast
FIDE RATED County Tyrone Rapid Championship 2025 Wednesday 3 September 2025 Check-in at 7:45pm. The 5 rounds will be played back-to-back from 8pm to 10:30pm Washingbay... Sep 03, 2025 07:45 PM - 10:30 PM — Washingbay Centre, 92 Ballybeg Road, Aughamullan, Coalisland, County Tyrone, BT71 5DX
18th Sept. FIDE RATED City of Bangor Rapid Congress 2025 Rounds 1-5 10 rounds of FIDE Rapid play at City of Bangor Chess Club over 2 evenings. 5 Rounds on 18th Sept. 5 Rounds on 25th Sept. Sep 18, 2025 07:15 PM - 10:00 PM — City of Bangor Chess Club, Church of Ireland Parish Hall, 30 Main Street Groomsport
25th Sept. FIDE RATED City of Bangor Rapid Congress 2025 Rounds 6-10 10 rounds of FIDE Rapid play at City of Bangor Chess Club over 2 evenings. 5 Rounds on 18th Sept. 5 Rounds on 25th Sept. Sep 25, 2025 07:15 PM - 10:00 PM — City of Bangor Chess Club, Church of Ireland Parish Hall, 30 Main Street Groomsport
Upcoming events…