A Clever, but Necessary, Queen Sacrifice by Dunlop

    The following game is thoroughly enjoyable. The winner was John Boyd Dunlop (October 30, 1884 – October 29,1973) who won the New Zealand Championship six times between 1921 and 1940, and was the first player to win the title in three consecutive years. He died in Auckland at the age of 88. 

    Born in Dundee, Scotland, his father was a Presbyterian minister and when he was appointed to the chair of theology at Theological Hall, Dunedin, in 1887, the family moved to New Zealand. 

    Dunlop undertook dental studies in London and while there he learned to play chess, before returning to New Zealand in 1906,[5] and going into practice as a dentist in Dunedin. He moved to Nelson in mid-1911, where he went into practice with another dentist. 

    Dunlop joined the Otago Chess Club in Dunedin in about 1908 and won the Otago junior championship in 1909. He won the senior provincial championship in 1910 and finished fourth at the 1911 New Zealand championship. Dunlop joined the Oamaru Chess Club in 1912 and was Oamaru club champion from 1913 to 1917. Dunlop entered the 1914 national championship, but withdrew before the start of the tournament because of a family illness. In 1955, he was awarded the title of New Zealand Master by the New Zealand Chess Association. 

    Of his play it was written, "He looks very deeply into the complicated positions arising from time to time, and rarely fails to take an immediate advantage of the slightest slip by an opponent. His moves are well timed, and frequently an admirable combination of attack and defence. His play is at all times attractive, and he is in every way a worthy champion."

 

[Event "New Zealan Chp 1910/11, Timaru"] [Site "Timaru NZL"] [Date "1911.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "John Dunlop"] [Black "A Beck"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "C36"] [Annotator "Stockfish 17"] [PlyCount "59"] [EventDate "1911.??.??"] {C36: King's Gambit Accepted} 1. e4 e5 2. f4 {A promising start!} exf4 3. Nf3 d5 {The Modern Defense (the classical move is 3...g5). Black concentrates on gaining piece play and fighting for the initiative rather than keeping the extra Pawn.} 4. exd5 Qxd5 {Black may play either this or 4...Nf6 which seems [referable. The text is the Scandinavian Variation which loses time with the Q. } 5. Nc3 Qd8 {Here in addition to the text black has tried retreatng the Q to h5, e6 and a5} 6. d4 {[%mdl 1024]} Bd6 7. Bc4 Bg4 8. O-O Nf6 {Slightly better was 8...Nc6. In that case white would reply with either 9.h3 or 9.Nb4 with a good game in either case} 9. Re1+ (9. Qe1+ {was a good alternative.} Qe7 (9... Be7 10. Bxf4 {is also good for white.}) 10. Qxe7+ Bxe7 11. Nb5 {and white is better.}) 9... Kf8 (9... Be7 {falls into a trap.} 10. Bxf7+ Kxf7 11. Ne5+ { followed by Nxg4 and white has an excellent position.}) 10. Qd3 g6 {[%mdl 8192] Black is oblivious to any danger and plays a move that white immediately shows to be tactically faulty.} (10... Nc6 {Also safe was 10...Bxf3} 11. Ng5 Bh5 12. Nb5 {Correct was the equalizing 12.Nge4. Now black gained the advantage.} a6 13. Nxd6 Qxd6 14. c3 h6 15. Ne4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 g5 {Mensing,F (2127)-Allen,D (1979) Turin 2006. Black has the advantage.}) 11. Ng5 {Beginning a relentless attack.} Nd5 12. Nxf7 Kxf7 13. Bxd5+ Kg7 14. Bxb7 Qh4 {Was black deceived in thinking that his "attack" looks extremely menacing!} 15. Bxf4 {Very good!} ( 15. Bxa8 {runs in to the rejoinder} Qxe1+ 16. Qf1 Qxf1+ 17. Kxf1 g5 {White is clearly better, but the move 15.Bxf4 is nuch stronger.}) 15... Bxf4 16. g3 Qh3 17. Bxa8 c6 18. gxf4 Bf3 19. Re2 Re8 {Black has cleverly managed to reach a position where if white tried to save his R black will be able to equalize!} 20. Qxf3 {Did this, the only winning move, come as a shock to Beck?} (20. Rf2 Qg4+ 21. Kf1 Qh3+ {draws}) (20. Rd2 Qg4+ 21. Kf1 Qh3+ {draws}) 20... Qxf3 21. Rxe8 {Black now gets a bunch of checks, but white's K manages to escape.} Qg4+ 22. Kf2 Qxf4+ 23. Ke2 Qxh2+ {He has to keep checking.} (23... Qxd4 24. Rf1 Qc4+ 25. Ke1 Nd7 26. Re7+ Kh6 27. Rff7 Qh4+ 28. Kd2 Qd4+ 29. Kc1 {and white is winning.}) 24. Kd3 Qh3+ 25. Kc4 Qd7 26. Rxb8 Qe6+ 27. d5 cxd5+ 28. Bxd5 { The checks are over.} Qd6 29. Rg8+ {And now it is white's turn to start checking.} Kf6 {Suicide, but he was in a mating net anyway.} (29... Kh6 30. Rh1+ Kg5 31. Ne4+ Kf4 32. Nxd6 Kg5 33. Ne4+ Kf4 34. Rf8+ Ke5 35. Rhf1 h5 36. Re8#) (29... Kf6 30. Ne4+ Ke5 31. Nxd6 Kxd6 32. Re8 Kc7 33. Kc5 h5 34. Rae1 h4 35. R1e7#) 30. Ne4+ {Black resigned} 1-0