[Event "Thanet & East Kent Chess League Jamboree"]
[Site "Union Church Hall, Margate"]
[Date "2022.06.23"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Clive Le Baigue"]
[Black "Jon Hunt"]
[Result "0-1"]
[BlackElo "1684"]
[ECO "A30"]
[EventDate "2022.06.23"]
[WhiteElo "1548"]

{ An outrageous steal in a lost position helped make Sandwich joint-winners (with Bridge) of this year's League Jamboree. (Apologies again to Clive - that's two wins of yours we promise to publish next season...) } 1.c4 c5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 e6 4.Nc3 d5 $1 { I don't know anything about the English Opening. I couldn't see anything wrong with this, and indeed it's the main line, but I already felt that I might be playing into Clive's hands by playing this way. } 5.cxd5 exd5 6.d4 c4 $6 ( { I thought that } 6...cxd4 7.Qxd4 Nc6 { would lose the d-pawn, but: } 8.Qd3 Nb4 $1 ) 7.Bg5 $1 { Now the threat of doubled f-pawns haunts Black. } 7...Be6 8.e3 $6 ( 8.Bxf6 $1 gxf6 9.e3 ) 8...Qa5 $6 { I was baffled already in an unfamiliar position. I hoped to prevent Qa4 and "enable" Nbd7. } ( { In fact, } 8...Nbd7 { was all that was needed. } ) 9.Bxf6 $1 { Of course! } 9...gxf6 10.Ne2 Nd7 11.Qa4 $5 { Fair point - Black has not prevented Qa4 at all! } 11...Qxa4 12.Nxa4 O-O-O 13.O-O b5 $2 { I snatched at this move without thinking it through, and felt a right fool when White played the only logical move in reply... } 14.Nac3 Nb6 $1 { This, however, was a good decision. Black cannot afford to let the d-pawn fall. } 15.Nxb5 Kb7 16.Nbc3 Kc6 $6 { I knew I was already losing. This move is intentionally perverse and stubborn. Now the d-pawn will not fall any time soon, and Black's king is pulling his weight while White's cowers in the corner. } 17.Rfc1 h5 $1 { I seized the opportunity to get in one move of "counterplay". It turned out to be a very important move later on. } 18.a4 $1 { Clive rightly puts his foot down and begins the queenside onslaught. } 18...Bb4 $2 { I thought this was clever because it stops White playing b4. } 19.b3 $2 ( { White should just press on: } 19.a5 $1 Nc8 20.Ra4 ) 19...a5 $2 ( { Best was } 19...cxb3 $1 { exploiting the potential fork on b2. More on that later... } ) 20.Na2 $2 { Both players are struggling in unfamiliar territory, but White missed a clean win here. } ( 20.bxc4 $1 { calls Black's bluff, with his king caught in a double-pin: } 20...Nxc4 21.Nxd5 Bxd5 22.Rxc4+ $18 ) 20...Kd6 { Releasing both pins } 21.Nxb4 axb4 22.a5 cxb3 $1 { Correct - the fork on b2 is still useful to Black. } 23.Rcb1 Nc4 24.Rxb3 Ra8 $6 ( 24...Rb8 { was the logical move, and Clive's response indicated that he was surprised not to see it. } ) 25.Rxb4 { Things are going thoroughly White's way now. } 25...Rxa5 26.Rxa5 Nxa5 27.Nf4 $1 { A good move I hadn't considered } 27...Kc6 { Preventing Rb5 } 28.Nxd5 { Not the best, but why shouldn't White simplify into a clearly winning ending now? } ( 28.Ra4 $1 ) 28...Bxd5 29.Bxd5+ Kxd5 30.Rb5+ Ke4 31.Rxa5 Kf3 $2 { Clumsy } 32.Rf5+ $1 { Surely it's time to resign? [HIARCS +6.1] } 32...Ke2 33.Rxf6 $6 ( 33.Kg2 $1 { or h4 or h3 would give the white king the luft he needs. } ) 33...h4 $1 { Remember Black's brilliant "counterplay" half the game ago, on move 17? Now White must take care. } 34.Rxf7 ( { I was hoping for the careless: } 34.gxh4 $4 Rg8+ 35.Kh1 Kf1 36.h3 Rg1+ 37.Kh2 Rg2+ 38.Kh1 $10 ) 34...h3 $1 { I was getting overexcited, as White can easily parry the mate threat. } 35.e4 $4 { Clive couldn't quite see it - probably he couldn't believe that Black still has a threat like this in such a desperate position! } ( 35.Rc7 $1 Ra8 36.Rc1 ) 35...Rc8 { White resigned, in view of: } 36.Rc7 Rxc7 37.f4 Rc1# 0-1