[Event "Isle of Man"] [Site "?"] [Date "2018.10.18"] [Round "?"] [White "Burrows, Nick"] [Black "Ireland, David"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [Annotator "Waddington,Mike"] [SetUp "1"] [FEN "2r5/7R/6p1/4k3/Pp6/4P3/1K1R1PPP/6r1 w - - 0 1"] [PlyCount "40"] [EventDate "2021.01.16"] {Many spectators joined the action around here with Burrows 1/2 point down on Ireland and needing a win to joint the tie for 1st place. With 3 extra pawns he looked well placed to do so in short order. Ireland is trying to activate his rooks while Burrows would like to exchange them.} 1. g3 Rcc1 2. Kb3 Rc8 ( 2... Rb1+ 3. Rb2) 3. Rhd7 Rc3+ $5 {Attempting to muddy the waters. The passed pawn might be useful to hide behind and hey if your 3 pawns down what's another one?} 4. Kxb4 Rc8 5. Rd1 $1 {A good move especially if you have seen the follow up.} ({I would have played} 5. R7d5+ Ke4 6. Rb5 Rb1+ 7. Ka3 Ra1+ 8. Ra2 Rf1 9. a5 Ra8 10. Ka4 Rd1 11. Rb6 Rd5 12. a6 g5 13. Kb4 g4 14. Rb7 Rd6 15. a7 Rd1 16. Rf7 Rb1+ 17. Ka5 Kd3 18. Ka6 Rb3 19. Rb7 Rc3 20. Rb8 Rc6+ 21. Kb7 $18) 5... Rg2 {Understandably unwilling to swap a pair of rooks for something worse..} 6. R7d2 $1 Rxh2 $5 {Really no other try except resignation. Burrows now thought for the best part of 5 mins with spectators passing quizzical looks. Reality dawns and white has not understood his last few moves and plays an absolute howler when everyone expected the back of the net to bulge. £615 goes a-begging !} 7. a5 $4 (7. f4+ Ke4 8. Rxh2 $18) 7... Rh7 8. Rd7 Rh2 9. R1d2 Rh1 10. Rd1 Rh2 11. Rf1 $6 {Looked extremely passive to my eyes at the time.} g5 12. a6 Rh6 13. Ra1 $2 {The natural move. Here it is poor as the white king becomes stranded on the a- file.} Rb6+ 14. Ka5 Rcb8 $1 {And now the passed pawn gets in the way of the king threatened with a perpetual ! What a turnaround! All I could see at the time was Rb7.} 15. Rd4 $2 (15. Rb7 $2 R6xb7 16. axb7 Rxb7 {and I know from my own praxis converting 3v1 rook ending is not easy, never mind the king being cut off on the a file.}) (15. Rad1 $1 {I missed this resource which provides a1 as a flight square for the king although you have to negotiate such ideas as Rb2-a2 mate and Rb5-b6 perpetual which given the stressful situation of the game with all 3 results not unlikely is never easy.}) 15... Rb5+ 16. Ka4 R5b6 $1 {Please don't lose Nick!} 17. f4+ {'Too late' I hear you cry!} gxf4 18. gxf4+ Ke6 19. Re4+ Kf6 20. Ka5 Rb5+ 1/2-1/2