The last moves have decided the game.  Both players have overlooked that 20.  Q-B6 would have won a pawn at least (QxQ, 21.  KtxQch with KtxB and BxP). 20. ...  BxKt leads to an immediate loss by 21.  QxB, BxKt; 22.  QxB followed by P-KKt4! with an overwhelming attack.

Instead of 19. ...  Kt-B3, Black should have played P-B3, followed by K-R1 and the occupation of the Kt file by the Rooks.  White’s last move allows him to de this with even greater effect.

20. ...                K-R1
21.  Q-R3              R-KKt1

Black has now a preponderance of material on the field of battle, and it can be concluded off-hand that White, not being able to bring his Rooks into play, must lose.

22.  Kt-Kt3 Q-B3
23.  K-B1

K-K2 is a shade better.  But there is no longer any adequate defence.

23. ...  R-Kt5
24.  R-K1 QR-KKt1
25.  Kt-K5

Black was threatening BxKt, followed by R-R5 and P-B5

25. ...  KtxKt 26.  PxKt Q-Kt4 27.  Q-R5 BxPch 28.  K-Kt1 RxKt?

QxQ and B-K5ch was simple and effective.

29.  RPxR BxR 30.  QxQ BxQ 31.  KxB R-Q1 32.  P-B4

R-Q1 is much more promising, although it means the loss of a pawn (RxR and B-B8, etc.).  With Bishops of different colour the game is not easy to win even now.

32. ...  R-Q7 33.  PxB RxB 34.  R-Q1 RxKtP 35.  R-Q7 K-Kt2 36.  RxRP R-QB7

He could have played P-Kt5 at once.

37.  R-R5 R-QKt7
38.  P-R4

R-R3 would only have drawn out the agony a little longer.

38. ...  P-Kt5
Resigns.

Game No. 24

White:  Atkins.  Black:  Barry.

French Defence.

1.  P-K4 P-K3 2.  P-Q4 P-Q4 3.  Kt-QB3 Kt-KB3 4.  B-Kt5 B-K2 5.  P-K5 KKt-Q2 6.  BxB QxB

---------------------------------------
8 | #R | #Kt| #B |    | #K |    |    | #R |
|---------------------------------------|
7 | #P | #P | #P | #Kt| #Q | #P | #P | #P |
|---------------------------------------|
6 |    |    |    |    | #P |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
5 |    |    |    | #P | ^P |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
4 |    |    |    | ^P |    |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
3 |    |    | ^Kt|    |    |    |    |    |
|---------------------------------------|
2 | ^P | ^P | ^P |    |    | ^P | ^P | ^P |
|---------------------------------------|
1 | ^R |    |    | ^Q | ^K | ^B | ^Kt| ^R |
---------------------------------------
A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H

Diag. 135.

7.  Kt-Kt5