Round two of the 2016 Autumn Swiss saw a near-upset, with Geoff Barber essaying an aggressive MacCutcheon French Defense against Sugrue’s 1. e4:
White: Sugrue
Black: Barber
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 Ne4 8.Nf3 Nxc3
9.bxc3 c5 10.Bd3 Nc6 11.O-O Qc7 12.Qd2 Bd7 13.Rab1 Rb8 14.Rfd1 c4 15.Be2 O-O
16.Rf1 f6 17.exf6 Rxf6 18.Rfe1 Rbf8 19.Bf1 Be8 20.Qe3 Nd8 21.Be2 Bg6 22.Qd2 Be4
23.Rf1 Nf7 24.Rb2
Position after 24. Rb2
24 … b6
Missing 24 … Bxf3 25.Bxf3 Rxf3! 26.gxf3 Ng5 and white faces either checkmate of the loss of his queen.
25.Qe3 Kh7 26.Nd2 Bg6 27.Qg3 Qe7 28.Nf3 Be4 29.Nh4 g5
30.Nf3 Rf4 31.Nd2 Bg6 32.Qe3 Nd6 33.Bf3 Qf6 34.Qe2 Ne4 35.Bxe4 Bxe4 36.Nxe4
Rxe4 37.Qd2 Qf4 38.Qxf4 Rfxf4 39.Rbb1 Re2 40.Rbc1 Kg6 41.f3 g4 42.Rfe1 Rxe1+
43.Rxe1 gxf3 44.Rxe6+ Kg5 45.Re5+ Rf5 46.Rxf5+ Kxf5 47.gxf3 Kf4 48.Kf2 h5
49.Ke2 h4 50.Kf2 a6 51.Ke2 b5 52.Kf2 a5 53.a3 Kg5 54.Ke3 Kf5 55.h3 Kg5 56.f4+
Kf6 57.Kf2 Kg6 58.Ke3 Kf6 59.Kf3 Kf5 60.Ke3 Kg6 61.Ke2 Kf6 1/2-1/2
Geelong Chess Club 