Paul Worledge (Ramsgate) v Harry Sharples

[Event "Sandwich v Ramsgate (Steele Cup)"] [Site "St Clement's Hall"] [Date "2024.05.07"] [Round "?"] [White "Paul Worledge"] [Black "Harry Sharples"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1813"] [BlackElo "1777"] [EventDate "2024.05.07"] [ECO "B40"] [PlyCount "80"] {Harry maintains his excellent record against Paul Worledge, refusing to let himself be put out of joint and then seizing upon a hasty pawn push which has fatally weakened his opponent's king.} 1.e4 e6 2.Nf3 c5 3.b4 $5 Nc6 ( {Gambits should normally be accepted:} 3...cxb4 $1 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd3 d5 6.e5 Ne4 7.O-O Nc6 $10 ) 4.bxc5 Bxc5 5.d4 Bb6 $14 {Black's reluctance to be pulled out of shape by taking on b4 results in his conceding the centre to White.} 6.c3 d5 7.e5 f6 $1 {Black delayed playing ...Nf6 with good reason here.} 8.Bf4 Bd7 ( {Black passes on another "out-of-shape" move:} 8...g5 $1 9.Be3 g4 $1 10.Nfd2 {and now e.g.} 10...fxe5 11.Qxg4 exd4 12.cxd4 Nf6 13.Qh4 O-O $3 $15 ) 9.Bd3 Bc7 10.Qe2 fxe5 11.Bg5 Nge7 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.dxe5 O-O $1 14.O-O Qe8 15.Nd2 Ng6 16.Nf3 Bd8 17.Rab1 $2 b6 $2 {MIssing a nice tactic (removing a defender)} ( 17...Rxf3 $1 {wins two pieces for a rook:} 18.Qxf3 Bxg5 19.Rxb7 Nxe5 20.Qg3 Nxd3 21.Qxg5 Nc5 22.Rc7 Na6 23.Rb7 Qc8 24.Rb2 $17 ) 18.Bxd8 Qxd8 $6 {This allows White to double the pawns in front of Black's king.} ( 18...Rxd8 ) ( {The best answer of all may be to counterattack:} 18...Nf4 $5 19.Qc2 Nxd3 20.Qxd3 Qxd8 $10 ) 19.Bxg6 hxg6 20.Qe3 Rc8 21.Ng5 Rf5 22.f4 $1 $16 Rc4 23.g4 $2 ( {Paul annotates in the margin of his scoresheet the improvement} 23.Rb4 {and, indeed, things look good for White now:} 23...Qc7 24.Rxc4 Qxc4 25.Rf3 Qxa2 26.g4 $1 {Black must give up the exchange} 26...Rxg5 27.fxg5 Bc6 {and it seems} 28.Qd4 {is necessary for White to keep a small edge.} ( 28.Qf4 {is drawn, e.g.} 28...Kh7 29.Qg3 Kg8 30.Qf4 ) ) 23...Rxg5 $1 {In the game, Black willingly gives up the same exchange, since now it wins a pawn with check.} 24.fxg5 Rxg4+ 25.Kh1 d4 $2 ( {A quiet move now wins:} 25...Bc6 $1 26.Qf3 Rxg5 27.Rbd1 Rxe5 28.Qf7+ Kh7 29.Rd4 Qg5 $17 ) 26.Qf3 Rxg5 27.Rg1 $4 ( {White has to take this chance to reconnect his central pawns, which are arguably his greatest asset now, e.g.} 27.cxd4 Qe8 28.Rbc1 Rf5 29.Qg3 Bc6+ 30.Kg1 Qd7 31.Rxf5 gxf5 32.Qf4 $10 ) 27...Qe8 28.Rxg5 Bc6 {Paul's scoresheet notates this move with check, but of course the point is that it isn't - White's queen is in the way!} 29.Rf1 Bxf3+ 30.Rxf3 Qc6 31.Rg3 dxc3 $1 {White cannot take, as the rook is pinned.} 32.Kg1 c2 33.Rc3 Qd5 $2 {A slip by Black which could have cost him dear...but in fact leads to mate!} ( {Simply,} 33...c1=Q+ 34.Rxc1 Qxc1+ 35.Kg2 Qc2+ 36.Kh3 Qf5+ 37.Kg2 Qxe5 $19 ) 34.Rc8+ Kf7 35.Rgc3 Qd1+ 36.Kf2 Qd4+ 37.Kf3 Qd5+ 38.Kg4 Qe4+ 39.Kh3 g5 $1 40.Rxc2 $4 Qf3# 0-1

Christopher Exton (Ramsgate) v John Thorley

[Event "Sandwich v Ramsgate (Steele Cup)"] [Site "St Clement's Hall"] [Date "2024.05.07"] [Round "?"] [White "Christopher Exton"] [Black "John Thorley"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1067"] [BlackElo "1592"] [EventDate "2024.05.07"] [ECO "D04"] [PlyCount "60"] {The 2nd Earl of Sandwich is unfazed by some odd shenanigans and, though he misses at the first attempt, second time around puts away an elegant shot.} 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.e3 Bf5 4.Bb5+ c6 5.Bd3 Bxd3 6.Qxd3 e6 7.b3 Nbd7 8.Nbd2 Rc8 9.Bb2 Qc7 10.O-O Bd6 11.g3 $6 O-O 12.Kg2 $6 {Perfectly extraordinary behaviour!} 12...c5 $1 {Black focuses on the centre.} 13.c3 h6 14.Rac1 Qc6 15.c4 Qa6 $5 16.Qb1 ( {White could have simplified here, e.g.} 16.Ne5 cxd4 17.exd4 dxc4 18.Rxc4 Bxe5 19.dxe5 Nd5 20.Qb1 ) 16...cxd4 17.Bxd4 $6 ( 17.exd4 {is right.} ) 17...e5 $1 {Now this comes with tempo, allowing the pawn to break through to e4.} 18.Bb2 e4 19.Nh4 Rfe8 20.Nf5 Be5 21.cxd5 Rxc1 22.Rxc1 Bxb2 $2 ( 22...Qe2 $1 {right away.} 23.Rc2 Qg4 $10 ) 23.Qxb2 Qe2 $2 24.Nh4 $2 ( 24.d6 $1 {Black has let this passed pawn get loose. In the line above, his queen had too many threats for White to have the time to push this pawn.} 24...Re5 ( 24...Re6 $4 25.Nd4 $18 ) 25.Nd4 Qh5 26.Rc7 $16 {Passed pawn plus rook on the seventh equals trouble.} ) 24...Ng4 $1 25.Rf1 Ndf6 $4 {John fluffs his first shot on goal.} ( 25...Nxe3+ {Exploiting the pinned f2-pawn} 26.Kg1 ( 26.Kh3 $4 Qg4# ) 26...Nxf1 27.Qa1 e3 28.fxe3 Nxd2 $19 ) 26.Qd4 $4 {But Chris immediately gives John another chance, and this time he doesn't miss...} ( 26.Nf5 $1 {extracts White from the mess, e.g.} 26...Re5 $6 27.Nd4 Nxe3+ 28.Kg1 $1 Qd3 29.fxe3 Qxe3+ 30.Rf2 Qe1+ $6 31.Nf1 $16 {White has made his point. The attack is over.} ) 26...Re5 $1 27.Nc4 Rxd5 $1 28.Qxa7 $2 {There's no time for this lunge, as Black has matters sewn up at the other end of the board.} 28...Rd1 29.Qb8+ Kh7 30.Rxd1 Qxf2+ {White resigns, in view of 31...Qxh2#.} 0-1

John Thorley v Chris Carpenter (Margate)

[Event "Sandwich v Margate (Millar Cup)"] [Site "St Clement's Hall"] [Date "2024.04.30"] [Round "?"] [White "John Thorley"] [Black "Chris Carpenter"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "1592"] [BlackElo "1594"] [EventDate "2024.04.30"] [ECO "E61"] [PlyCount "41"] {The new "2nd Earl of Sandwich" continues his rich vein of form in Sandwich's 5-2 Millar Cup victory over Margate...} 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.f3 $5 {Rare, and evidently John's trademark move here} 4...O-O 5.e3 $5 ( {Usual is} 5.e4 {and now e.g.} 5...d6 6.Be3 c5 7.Nge2 Nc6 8.d5 Ne5 9.Ng3 e6 10.Be2 exd5 11.cxd5 a6 12.a4 Bd7 13.h3 b5 14.f4 Nc4 15.Bxc4 bxc4 16.O-O Rb8 17.e5 $10 ) 5...c5 6.Bd3 d6 7.Nge2 a6 8.O-O Nc6 9.a3 Rb8 10.d5 Ne5 11.f4 $6 ( {More solid is} 11.e4 Nfd7 {and only now} 12.f4 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 {when Black should continue by pressing on the queenside:} 13...b5 $1 14.cxb5 axb5 15.b4 c4 $15 ) 11...Nxd3 12.Qxd3 Bd7 $6 {Passing on an early chance to take control of the game} ( 12...b5 $1 {This is not a sacrifice, but rather it wins a pawn.} 13.cxb5 axb5 14.Nxb5 $6 Nxd5 $1 15.Qxd5 Rxb5 $17 ) 13.Ng3 $2 ( 13.a4 $1 {preventing 13...b5.} ) 13...b5 $1 {Better late than never!} 14.b3 bxc4 $6 ( 14...Nxd5 $1 {With this bravura sacrifice Black uncorks a savage pin along the h8-a1 diagonal to win the white rook:} 15.cxd5 ( 15.Qxd5 Bxc3 $17 ) 15...b4 16.axb4 cxb4 17.Nce2 Bxa1 $17 ) 15.bxc4 Rb3 16.Bd2 ( 16.Rb1 $1 Rxb1 17.Nxb1 {resolves matters before Black can cause any more trouble in this corner of the board.} ) 16...Qc7 17.Rac1 $6 Rbb8 $2 {An odd retreat} ( {The obvious continuation is} 17...Rfb8 ) ( {but even better is the simple pawn grab:} 17...Rxa3 $1 18.Ra1 Rxa1 19.Rxa1 a5 $1 $17 ) 18.f5 $5 ( {Best now for White was} 18.Rb1 {but, considering the error it prompts, it's hard to criticise John's choice, which threates to tear to the top off Black's kingside pawns.} ) 18...e5 $2 19.Nce4 $5 {White declines to take en passant and instead tries to fish out the strong f6-knight.} ( {Black must have expected the en passant capture} 19.dxe6 fxe6 {but clearly White should decline a further exchange on e6 and instead continue with his intention of hacking at the black king's defences:} 20.fxg6 $1 hxg6 21.Qxg6 $14 ) 19...Nxe4 20.Qxe4 Bxf5 21.Nxf5 gxf5 22.Qxf5 $14 Qc8 {Black is sufficiently alarmed by recent events to offer an exchange of queens.} 23.Qg5 {Meanwhile, White is sufficiently encouraged to turn him down!} 23...f6 24.Qg3 Qe8 25.e4 Qg6 {Black is desperate to achieve this trade.} 26.Qe1 {White is equally desperate to avoid it!} ( 26.Qxg6 hxg6 27.Rb1 f5 {is a logical continuation but looks drawish.} ) 26...f5 $1 27.Rc3 f4 28.Kh1 Kh8 29.g3 Rb7 $6 ( {What Black needs here is some good old-fashioned counterplay, with rook to the seventh:} 29...Rb2 $1 30.Rcf3 Rc2 31.gxf4 exf4 32.Rxf4 Rxf4 33.Rxf4 Rxc4 34.Qf1 Rc2 35.Rf8+ Bxf8 36.Qxf8+ Qg8 $10 {and a perpetual check beckons.} ) 30.Rcf3 Rbf7 $6 ( 30...Rb2 $10 $1 ) 31.gxf4 $1 Qh5 $2 ( 31...exf4 32.Rxf4 Rxf4 33.Bxf4 Re8 $14 {looks as if it could be held by Black.} ) 32.f5 $1 {Exactly. This is why the pawn had to be taken.} 32...Rf6 $2 33.Qg3 Rg8 $2 {Black just can't get his defences arranged properly.} 34.Rg1 Qf7 $2 ( 34...Rff8 {is hardly much better now:} 35.Bg5 Qf7 36.f6 Bh6 37.Bxh6 Rxg3 38.Rfxg3 Rd8 39.Rg5 a5 40.Rf5 a4 41.Rg7 {Ouch!} 41...Qf8 42.Rd7 $1 Rxd7 43.Bxf8 $18 ) 35.Bg5 $1 {To quote John himself, "Game over!"} 35...Rh6 36.Bxh6 Bxh6 37.Qxg8+ Qxg8 38.Rxg8+ Kxg8 39.Kg2 Bf4 40.Rb3 Kf7 41.Rb7+ Kg8 42.Rd7 {Black resigns.} 1-0

Peter McGill (Margate) v Robert Starley

[Event "Sandwich v Margate (Millar Cup)"] [Site "St Clement's Hall"] [Date "2024.04.30"] [Round "?"] [White "Peter McGill"] [Black "Robert Starley"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1908"] [BlackElo "2151"] [EventDate "2024.04.30"] [ECO "C44"] [Annotator "Robert Starley"] [BlackTeam "Sandwich"] [BlackTeamCountry "ENG"] [EventCountry "ENG"] [EventType "team"] [WhiteTeam "Margate"] [WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"] {Having successfully defended his "Black-and-White" title, Robert also leads by example in Sandwich's 5-2 win at home to Margate in the Millar Cup, bravely diving into the murky waters of the Göring Gambit Accepted. Robert annotates his own play. C44: Ponziani Opening and Scotch Gambit} 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Bc4 cxb2 {The best way to refute a gambit is to accept it, so I happily take both of the pawns offered.} 6.Bxb2 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nf6 8.O-O O-O 9.Nd5 ( 9.e5 {is the other main option here, when White has decent compensation for the sacrificed pawns, but probably not quite enough if Black plays accurately.} ) 9...Be7 ( {Not} 9...Nxe4 $2 10.Qc2 Re8 11.Bd3 $16 ) ( 9...Nxd5 $6 10.exd5 $14 {would also play into White's hands somewhat.} ) 10.e5 $6 {This is not as good as it would have been on the previous move, as now the knight can escape from the pawn by simply capturing on d5.} ( 10.Qc2 d6 $15 ) 10...Nxd5 $17 11.Bxd5 d6 12.Be4 $6 ( 12.Qb3 $142 $5 $17 ) 12...Nxe5 $19 13.Nxe5 dxe5 14.Qc2 $5 ( {Understandably, White wanted to avoid trading queens when two pawns down.} 14.Bxe5 Qxd1 15.Rfxd1 c6 $19 ) 14...Bd6 {I decided that I would rather keep the e-pawn than the h-pawn, so the long diagonal stays closed.} ( {Another option I considered was} 14...f5 $1 15.Rfd1 Bd6 16.Bd5+ Kh8 17.Rd2 $19 {which probably would have been even better, keeping all the pawns at the cost of slightly weakening the kingside and blocking in my light-squared bishop.} ) 15.Rad1 $2 {Now I can hold onto all three extra pawns without any problem.} ( 15.Bxh7+ Kh8 16.Be4 $19 ) 15...Qh4 16.Rfe1 Rb8 17.Bd5 Qh5 18.Bf3 Bg4 $5 {I decided to give a pawn back in order to complete development and trade both bishops. After all, a two-pawn advantage should be enough to easily win the endgame.} ( {It was also possible to be greedy and keep all three extra pawns with} 18...Qg5 19.Re3 $19 {but then I still haven't completed development and White would retain some initiative.} ) 19.Bxg4 Qxg4 20.Bxe5 Bxe5 21.Rxe5 Rfe8 22.Rde1 $6 ( 22.f3 Qf4 23.Red5 $19 ) 22...Rxe5 23.Rxe5 Rd8 24.Re1 Qb4 25.Rb1 Qd2 {Now the queen trade will be forced, as back rank mate is threatened if the queen moves away from guarding d1.} 26.Qxd2 ( 26.Qa4 Qd4 27.Qxd4 ( 27.Qb3 Qd3 28.Qxd3 Rxd3 $19 ) 27...Rxd4 $19 ) 26...Rxd2 {Now I have the simple task of winning a rook ending with 2 extra pawns} 27.g3 b6 28.Rc1 c5 29.a4 Ra2 30.Rc4 Kf8 31.Re4 Rb2 32.Re5 Rb4 33.a5 Ra4 34.axb6 axb6 35.Kf1 Ra7 36.Rd5 ( 36.Ke2 {would be met with} 36...Re7 $19 {forcing the rooks off.} ) 36...Ke7 37.Rd1 b5 38.Rb1 b4 39.Ke2 Kd6 40.Kd2 Kc6 41.f4 Ra2+ 42.Kd3 Rxh2 43.Kc4 Rc2+ {White resigned.} ( 43...Rc2+ 44.Kd3 Rc3+ 45.Ke4 Rxg3 $19 ) 0-1

Paul Carfrae (Broadstairs) v Harry Sharples

[Event "Sandwich v Broadstairs (Millar Cup)"] [Site "St Clement's Hall"] [Date "2024.03.05"] [Round "?"] [White "Paul Carfrae"] [Black "Harry Sharples"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "1747"] [BlackElo "1777"] [EventDate "2024.03.05"] [ECO "D00"] [PlyCount "110"] {Here is another excellent win from our 5-2 victory at Broadstairs, all three of which were with the black pieces! This one came on Board 3 courtesy of Harry. He survives some dangerous early kingside manoeuvres from Paul and proves the value of controlling and exploiting open files with your rooks. Once White's backward e-pawn is exposed to the full strength of Black's attack, there is no coming back.} 1.d4 d5 2.Bf4 Bf5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 $1 {When Black plays symmetrically against the London System like this, it's difficult for White to find a plan.} 5.c4 c6 ( {The main move here is} 5...Bxb1 $1 6.Rxb1 {and now} 6...Bb4+ 7.Ke2 Bd6 {and White has lost castling rights for nothing.} ) 6.c5 $146 Nbd7 ( 6...Na6 $6 7.Qa4 $1 ) 7.Qb3 Qc8 ( {A viable alternative for Black is} 7...b6 $1 8.Ba6 $1 Be7 9.Bb7 $5 bxc5 10.Bxa8 Qxa8 11.O-O O-O $44 {where Black has sufficient compensation for the exchange.} ) 8.Nbd2 Nh5 $1 {Black means to remove the powerful dark-squared bishop in order to regain access to the c7- and b8-squares.} 9.g3 $6 ( {Harry feared} 9.Bd6 $5 Bxd6 10.cxd6 {which does seem unclear.} ) 9...f6 $2 10.Nh4 ( 10.Bd6 $1 Bxd6 11.cxd6 Qb8 12.h3 {and Black has trapped his own knight with the f7-f6 pawn push.} ) 10...g5 11.Nxf5 exf5 12.Be2 Ng7 $10 13.Bd6 Bxd6 14.cxd6 Nb6 $1 15.h4 g4 16.h5 h6 17.f3 $6 Qd7 ( {I can't see much wrong with} 17...gxf3 $1 18.Bxf3 Qe6 19.Rc1 Qxd6 $17 ) 18.Qb4 $6 O-O-O $1 $17 19.fxg4 fxg4 20.a4 $1 {If there's one trump in White's position, it's that he knows which side he should be attacking on. Black is better, but he must be wondering where, if at all, White intends to castle now.} 20...Qxd6 ( {It's the perfect time to play the important} 20...Kb8 $1 ) 21.Qxd6 Rxd6 22.a5 $1 Nd7 23.Bxg4 f5 24.Be2 Re6 $1 {Black prepares to pile up on the White's weak e-pawn.} 25.Kf2 Rhe8 26.Ra3 Nf6 27.b4 Ng4+ 28.Bxg4 fxg4 29.Rc3 a6 30.Rh2 Rf6+ 31.Ke2 $2 ( {While it's tempting to treat the king as an attacking piece, this is not yet an ending, and the king is safer in the corner:} 31.Kg1 $1 Rf5 $1 32.Rh4 Rg5 33.Nf1 ) 31...Nf5 $1 32.Nf1 $2 ( 32.Kd1 $1 {Run away!} ) 32...Nxd4+ 33.Kd3 {Now the white king has no choice but to try and hold on in the centre.} 33...Nf3 34.Rh1 $19 Ref8 35.Rc1 Ne5+ 36.Kd4 Nf3+ 37.Kd3 {Black is momentarily jammed. Of course White wants this repetition.} 37...Re8 38.Nh2 Nxh2 $1 39.Rxh2 Rf3 40.Re1 Re4 $1 {Now Black threatens captures on both g3 and b4.} 41.Rb1 Rfxe3+ ( {Two rooks on the sixth looks even more inviting and might have brought about a swift finish:} 41...Rexe3+ $1 42.Kd4 $4 Kc7 $1 43.Rc2 Kd6 44.Rxc6+ bxc6 45.b5 Re4# ( 45...Rd3# ) ( 45...c5# ) ) 42.Kd2 Rxg3 43.Rf1 Rxb4 44.Rf8+ Kd7 45.Rhf2 $2 Rb2+ $1 46.Ke1 Rxf2 47.Kxf2 Ra3 $6 ( {Quick win no. 2:} 47...Rf3+ $1 48.Rxf3 gxf3 49.Kxf3 c5 $1 {The pawn ending is completely winning.} ) 48.Rf7+ Ke6 49.Rxb7 Rxa5 50.Kg3 Ra4 $6 ( {And no. 3:} 50...d4 $1 {Passed pawns should be pushed!} 51.Kxg4 d3 $1 $19 {The black king is well placed to prevent the white rook from getting behind this pawn.} ) 51.Rg7 c5 $1 {Finally the passed pawns start to motor.} 52.Rg6+ Kf5 53.Rxh6 Kg5 54.Rh8 Ra3+ 55.Kg2 Rh3 $19 {Harry's notation runs out, but Black's win is clear enough.} 0-1