[Event "Sandwich v Margate (Steele Cup)"]
[Site "St Clement's Hall"]
[Date "2024.03.12"]
[Round "?.1"]
[White "Micklethwaite, Michael"]
[Black "Starley, Robert"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1675"]
[BlackElo "2210"]
[EventDate "2024.03.12"]
[ECO "C89"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[BlackTeam "Sandwich II"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ENG"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventType "team"]
[WhiteTeam "Margate III"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ENG"]
{It's nice to see Robert get into trouble every once in a while...and even nicer to see him get out of it again to score us the full point just when we need it for a 2-2 draw against Margate! Like all the greatest works of art, it's unfinished, so you'll just have to use your imagination as to how he got there from the final position...} 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.d4 $5 ( 9.exd5 {is more usual:} 9...Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 12.d4 Bd6 13.Re1 Qh4 14.g3 Qh3 {This appears to be a well known position in this Ruy Lopez line, with fairly even chances to judge from results at high level.} ) 9...dxe4 $5 10.Nxe5 Bb7 $6 {Here Robert perhaps goes wrong, since this move, though frequently played, has resulted in many a win for White.} ( {He might have preferred} 10...Nxe5 11.dxe5 Qxd1 12.Bxd1 $1 Nd5 13.Rxe4 {where Black could argue that White is behind in development for the extra pawn.} ) 11.Bf4 $146 {We are totally out of book now.} ( 11.Nd2 {is the continuation with which White appears to have caused trouble in this line.} ) 11...Na5 12.Bc2 Qd5 $6 ( {Better is} 12...c5 $1 {threatening to open the d-file (I see this a lot in my Scandinavian lines), e.g.} 13.dxc5 Bxc5 14.Nd2 {(unless White wants to exchange queens, of course)} 14...Nd5 15.Nxe4 Bxf2+ $1 16.Nxf2 Nxf4 17.Be4 Bxe4 18.Rxe4 Ne6 $10 ) 13.Qe2 b4 $6 {Leaving the c-pawn at home is looking like a very odd decision now.} 14.Nd2 $1 e3 $2 {This sets up a "cheapo".} 15.fxe3 ( 15.Qxe3 $4 Qxg2# ) ( 15.Bxe3 $4 Qxg2# ) 15...Nh5 $4 {Robert is still fishing for mate on g2. However, he has reckoned without Mick's next move.} 16.Bxh7+ $1 {Greek Gift sacrifice!} ( {And not, of course} 16.Qxh5 $4 Qxg2# ) 16...Kxh7 17.Qxh5+ Kg8 18.Qf3 $2 {Luckily for Robert, Mick doesn't find the best way to sort out the cheapo.} ( 18.e4 $1 {is game over.} 18...Qd8 19.Re3 Bc8 20.g4 f6 21.Ng6 $18 {and it's goodnight from him.} ) 18...Qb5 19.Qg3 Rfe8 $6 20.Bh6 ( 20.c4 $1 {is a tricky little exercise in decoying:} 20...Qb6 21.Nxf7 $5 Kxf7 22.Bxc7 Qh6 23.Bxa5 $18 ) 20...Bf8 21.c4 $1 Qb6 22.Bf4 Qe6 23.b3 Rac8 $2 24.d5 $1 {This shuts Black's light-squared bishop out of play.} 24...Qf5 25.e4 $1 Bc5+ 26.Kh1 Qh5 27.Ndf3 Bd6 28.Nd3 Bxf4 $5 {I'm sure it's White who should want to exchange off the pieces here, not Black! (White is two pawns up.)} 29.Qxf4 c5 30.Nfe5 Red8 31.Re3 f6 $2 32.Ng4 ( 32.Rh3 $1 {Whither is the queen to fly?} 32...Qe8 $4 ( 32...Qe2 $4 33.Qh4 {ditto.} ) 33.Qh4 {and mate swiftly ensues.} ) 32...Rf8 ( {The engine requires} 32...Qg5 {but what's the use after an exchange of queens?} 33.Qxg5 fxg5 34.Nge5 $18 ) 33.Rg3 Kf7 $2 {My HIARCS engine scores this position at +26.85 to White. We're going to have to nickname Robert "The Human Houdini" after this game...} 34.Rf1 ( 34.Nxf6 $1 {finishes things fast, since} 34...gxf6 {is effectively forced, and now} 35.Qd6 {is a deadly infiltration.} ) 34...Ke7 35.Qe3 $2 Kd6 36.Qf3 Ba8 {This is another move HIARCS hates, but Black has to be practical. The bishop is entombed, but the knight is still breathing...just.} 37.Ne3 $6 ( 37.Qf4+ $1 {and HIARCS can see its way to mate.} ) 37...Qxf3 $1 {Black is only too glad to keep exchanging into that two-pawns-down ending and trying his luck with a 500+ points rating lead!} 38.Rfxf3 g5 39.e5+ fxe5 40.Rxf8 Rxf8 41.Rxg5 e4 $5 {HIARCS would put a piece on b7 now, but there's no doubt that human players understand the hypnotic effect of a passed pawn on the move...} 42.Rg6+ Kc7 43.Nxc5 Rf2 $2 {Yes, you read the notation right. Rook on the seventh is bad for Black in this position.} 44.Nxa6+ ( {Here's why:} 44.d6+ $1 Kb8 ( 44...Kd8 $4 45.Rg8+ Rf8 46.Rxf8# ) ( 44...Kc8 $4 45.Rg8+ Rf8 46.Rxf8# ) 45.d7 Rd2 46.Rg8+ Ka7 47.d8=Q Rxd8 48.Rxd8 $18 ) 44...Kc8 45.Nxb4 Re2 46.Nf1 e3 {The rook isn't even the right side of the passed pawn! HIARCS is unimpressed and rates White about +12.} 47.h4 $2 {Mick falls under the baleful influence of Robert's hypnotic pawn.} ( 47.Kg1 $1 ) 47...Re1 $1 48.Kg1 e2 $1 {You might like to consider how you would evaluate the position now that Black's passed pawn has made it to the seventh rank. HIARCS has knocked about 9 points off its rating of two moves ago.} 49.Rf6 Nb7 ( 49...Rd1 50.Nc2 Rc1 51.h5 $1 {Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear!} 51...Rxc2 52.Re6 exf1=Q+ 53.Kxf1 {and Black is still losing, so once again I can't prefer HIARCS' suggestion over what Robert is playing.} ) 50.h5 {The ear moves a step closer to pursedom.} 50...Rc1 ( {HIARCS' line} 50...Rd1 51.Nc2 Rc1 52.h6 {still doesn't seem any better to me.} ) 51.Nd3 $1 Nc5 $5 {By now I had finished my own game and was glued to this one. I was as hypnotised as Mick by the tactics surrounding the defence of e1, and I certainly didn't see that White can ignore everything Black is threatening!} 52.Rf8+ ( 52.h6 $3 {It's so hard to force yourself to analyse lines where you let your opponent queen first!} 52...Nxd3 53.h7 $1 e1=Q 54.h8=Q+ Kd7 55.Rf7+ Kd6 56.Qf8+ Ke5 57.Re7+ Kd4 58.Rxe1 Rxe1 59.Qxa8 $18 ) 52...Kc7 53.Nxc5 $4 {The engine swings to -1. Advantage Black!} 53...e1=Q 54.Ne6+ Kd6 55.Rf3 Bxd5 $2 $10 {0.0 (HIARCS). This sac is rather cavalier, and probably underestimates the power of the queen - funny, considering how much heavy lifting she was left to do on her own in the game!} ( 55...Qh4 $1 56.Rh3 Qe7 57.Kf2 Rc2+ 58.Kg1 Qf7 59.Rf3 Qxh5 60.Ne3 Rxa2 $17 {Black has queen for knight and four pawns, and this is probably winning for Black now.} ) 56.cxd5 Kxd5 $4 ( 56...Rc3 57.Rf2 Kxd5 {is fine.} ) 57.Nf4+ $1 {The knight heads for the fork Robert has missed.} 57...Ke4 58.h6 $2 ( {Mick misses the win one last time:} 58.Nd3 $1 Qd2 59.Nxc1 Qxc1 $18 ) 58...Qh4 59.Nd3 Qxh6 60.Nxc1 Qxc1 {A tantalising place for the notation to stop. The position is almost certainly a theoretical draw, with HIARCS scoring it at +0.3 to White (nothing more than his opening advantage). It's perhaps no surprise then that from here the stronger player managed to overpower his opponent into conceding a queen-versus-rook ending which Robert was eventually able to convert.} 0-1
