[Event "Sandwich v Broadstairs (Millar Cup)"]
[Site "St Clement's Hall"]
[Date "2024.03.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Andy Flood"]
[Black "Jon Hunt"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1638"]
[BlackElo "1501"]
[EventDate "2024.03.05"]
[ECO "B01"]
[PlyCount "131"]
{Published "by popular demand", I make amends for my poor showing two weeks earlier against Margate, posting a fine win in a 5-2 victory over Broadstairs in which every Sandwich player was unbeaten. I also break my duck against Andy Flood, after several years' trying!} 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.Nf3 a6 5.d4 Nf6 6.a4 $6 {A very unusual sixth move choice} 6...Nc6 7.h3 Bf5 ( {Against this, where Bc4 would seem to be White's intention (though in fact Andy doesn't play it), there's much to be said for} 7...Be6 $5 $10 ) 8.Bd3 $1 Bxd3 $1 9.Qxd3 O-O-O 10.Be3 e5 $1 {Yes, Black can play it, so why not?} 11.Qf5+ $5 Qd7 $1 12.Qxd7+ Nxd7 $10 {This took me a while to calculate, but Black successfully holds the pawn on e5 and the position is about equal.} ( 12...Rxd7 $2 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.dxe5 Nd5 15.Nxd5 Rxd5 16.f4 $1 g5 17.g3 {and White hangs onto the extra pawn.} ) 13.dxe5 $6 ( {I expected} 13.d5 $1 Nb4 14.O-O-O {which is certainly how White should proceed, and now e.g.} 14...Be7 15.g4 $5 g6 16.h4 f5 17.gxf5 gxf5 18.Bg5 Rde8 19.Bxe7 Rxe7 20.Rdg1 $5 $10 ) 13...Ndxe5 14.Nxe5 Nxe5 15.Bf4 $6 Ng6 {This is not the strongest forcing move.} ( {I'm not surprised to find the engine recommending the option I turned down:} 15...Nc4 $1 16.Bc1 Bb4 17.O-O Rhe8 ) 16.Be3 Bb4 17.O-O Rhe8 {Black's development lead is small but clear to see.} 18.a5 $6 ( 18.Na2 $1 {was an idea I had seen:} 18...Bd2 $5 19.Rad1 Bxe3 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.fxe3 f6 $15 {Black's lead remains minimal.} ) 18...Bxc3 19.bxc3 {While I was somewhat reluctant to open up the b-file for White to exploit, the fact is that the c-pawns are weak and a natural target now.} 19...Re4 $6 {This turns out to be hasty, although not at all the wrong idea.} ( 19...Ne7 20.Ra2 Nf5 21.Bg5 f6 22.Bf4 Re4 $17 {now comes with tempo.} ) 20.Ra2 $6 {I definitely expected Ra3, not Ra2. I wondered if Andy's plan was Rfa1 followed by Ra4 (since then the exact choice of square doesn't matter), but I can't say I get it.} 20...Nf4 $1 {My moment to shine. This surprising leap forward presents White with multiple threats and options.} 21.Kh2 $6 ( {The correct choice, as I had calculated, was} 21.Re1 $1 {preventing ...Ne2 entirely, but the continuation is hardly attractive for White since this allows another fork:} 21...Nd5 $1 22.Bd2 Rc4 23.Ra3 b5 24.axb6 cxb6 $15 25.Rxa6 $4 {The d2-bishop is hanging.} 25...Nc7 26.Rxb6 Rxd2 ) 21...Ne2 $1 22.Ra3 Rc4 $17 {The c3-pawn must fall.} 23.Bc1 $1 Nxc3 24.Bb2 Nb5 25.Re3 Rxc2 $6 ( {Black should prefer} 25...f6 {which I turned down because I feared the white rook entering my second rank now} 26.Re7 Rxc2 27.Bc1 Rg8 $17 {holds perfectly well.} ) 26.Bxg7 Nd6 27.Bf6 Re8 $1 ( {I could have tried the obvious alternative, but it's not quite as strong:} 27...Rg8 28.g4 $1 Rg6 29.g5 h6 30.h4 hxg5 31.hxg5 Rg8 $15 ) 28.Rxe8+ Nxe8 29.Bh4 Nd6 ( 29...b5 $1 {at once is fine.} ) 30.f4 $2 f5 $6 ( {Actually, there's time for} 30...Ra2 31.Be1 Ra1 $1 ) 31.Re1 Ne4 32.Rd1 Rd2 $1 33.Re1 h5 $1 {An excellent practical blockade, just as White was beginning to contemplate striking out with g2-g4.} 34.Kg1 b5 $6 ( 34...Ra2 $1 ) 35.axb6 cxb6 36.Rc1+ Kb7 37.Be1 $6 $19 {Andy is already down to three minutes, and on my next move I fall below five. Black is clearly winning, but there's significant work still to be done. What follows is from memory, and I have my doubts about its absolute accuracy.} 37...Ra2 38.Kf1 a5 39.Rd1 Kc6 40.Rc1+ Kd5 $1 41.Rd1+ Kc4 42.Rc1+ Kd3 43.Rc7 $2 ( {I expected} 43.Rc6 $6 ) ( {Better for White is} 43.Rb1 a4 44.Bb4 b5 {but Black's passed pawns are still making progress.} ) 43...b5 {My memory is definitely hazy from hereon in, and I can't be sure that the mating combinations in the variations below were definintely on the board.} 44.Rd7+ Ke3 45.Re7 Kxf4 46.Rb7 $2 b4 47.h4 Ra1 48.Ra7 Ke3 $1 49.Re7 Kf4 $2 {I was baffled by the pin along the e-file preventing my intended ...Nd2+. (Whether that should have been ...Ng3+ is another story!)} ( 49...b3 $1 50.Rb7 Ng3+ 51.Kg1 Rxe1+ 52.Kh2 {and now take your pick!} 52...Rh1+ $1 ( 52...Kf2 53.Rxb3 Rh1# ) 53.Kxg3 f4# ) 50.Ke2 $1 {How did that happen? (But, one way or another, it did!)} 50...Ra2+ 51.Kd3 Nc5+ {I may have interpolated along the way, but I'm sure that this was the position reached.} 52.Kc4 {And now, it seems, the simple ...Rc2+ eludes me.} 52...b3 $2 {This is a fairly poorly judged sacrifice, but it might just be good enough...} ( 52...Rc2+ $1 53.Kd4 {and now the king is cut off from the pawns.} ( 53.Kb5 $2 b3 $1 ) ) 53.Kxc5 a4 54.Bc3 b2 $2 ( 54...Rxg2 $1 55.Rb7 Rc2 56.Kd4 Kg3 57.Be1+ Kg2 58.Ke3 Rc1 $19 ) 55.Rb7 $6 ( {Black has allowed White a way out to a draw now:} 55.Be5+ $1 Ke3 ( 55...Kg4 $4 {fails to an extraordinary mate:} 56.Rg7+ Kxh4 57.Bf6# ) 56.Bxb2+ Kf2 57.Be5 Kxg2 $10 ) 55...a3 56.Rb4+ $6 Kg3 57.Kd5 Ra1 58.Bxb2 axb2 59.Rxb2 Re1 $1 $17 {This really is as far as I can reconstruct the game. I think (hope) I had the good sense to cut off the white king from the kingside pawns like this (the alternative, probably also winning, is ...Kxh4), but if I did then I didn't successfully maintain it in the ensuing frenzy. Undoubtedly, there were times when the position was a theoretical draw, but the clock pressure on Andy was enough for me to win both white pawns and queen the f-pawn to collect his rook and the game.} 0-1
