[Event "Sandwich v University of Kent (Steele Cup)"]
[Site "St Clement's Hall"]
[Date "2023.12.05"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Oliver Parrish"]
[Black "Harry Sharples"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1787"]
[BlackElo "1777"]
[EventDate "2023.12.05"]
[ECO "D35"]
{Anatomy of a League Match, Board 1: The Old War-Horse} 1.d4 {It's worth noting here that not one of the four games in this match began 1.e4!.} 1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 $5 {The wily old war-horse eschews his usual Slav Defence for a relatively obscure line of the Queen's Gambit Declined.} 5.Bg5 $6 {White should consider exchanging on d5 first, to increase the pressure of this pin on the f6-knight.} ( 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Bg5 $1 {and play might continue} 6...Be6 $1 7.e3 Nbd7 8.Bd3 Bd6 9.O-O c6 {with a level game.} ) 5...Be7 6.e3 dxc4 $5 {Often Black will delay this capture until the light-squared bishop has moved, but Harry recognises that he can force play quite effectively with the immediate capture.} 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a4 $5 {While the engine isn't so keen, this ambitious move won in its only outing in high-level play. This time it's Oliver who forces the play.} 9...b4 10.Ne2 ( {The high-level game continued} 10.Bxf6 gxf6 $1 11.Ne2 Nd7 12.Qc2 c5 13.Be4 Qc7 14.Bxb7 $6 Qxb7 15.O-O Rc8 16.Rfc1 O-O 17.Qd3 Rfd8 18.Qb3 cxd4 19.exd4 Nb6 20.Nf4 $6 Qe4 21.Nd3 Nd5 22.Nc5 Bxc5 $1 23.dxc5 Kh8 $2 $10 ( {Black should have preferred} 23...Nf4 $1 24.Rc4 Qd3 $15 ) ) 10...a5 $6 ( {Perhaps Harry didn't see that Black can get away with} 10...c5 $1 11.dxc5 Nfd7 $5 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.O-O Nxc5 $15 {Advantage Black!} ) 11.Rc1 Nbd7 12.Bf4 $6 Bd6 ( 12...Rc8 $1 {is a useful developing move for Black.} ) 13.Qc2 $6 {White's plan isn't so cunning...} 13...Bxf4 $1 14.Nxf4 Rc8 $1 {Now the c-pawn is transformed into a battering ram!} 15.Bb5 c6 16.Be2 c5 $1 17.O-O cxd4 $1 $17 {Black has completely turned the tables on White down the c-file.} 18.Qd3 e5 $2 19.Nh3 $2 {In allowing ...e5 (and ...e4) Oliver finds himself completely on the back foot.} ( {White can call the senior stallion's bluff here with a nice zwischenzug:} 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Qb5+ $1 Ned7 21.Qxb7 O-O 22.exd4 $14 {White picks up a key central pawn.} ) 19...e4 {Harry gets his fork after all.} 20.Qxd4 exf3 21.Bb5 O-O ( {In fact White can get away with} 21...fxg2 $1 22.Qe5+ Qe7 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.Qxe7+ Kxe7 25.Kxg2 Ne5 {since he's a clear piece up.} ) 22.Rfd1 Rxc1 23.Rxc1 Qb6 24.Bxd7 Qxd4 25.exd4 Nxd7 26.g3 $6 ( {White would do better to be materialistic with} 26.gxf3 ) 26...Rc8 27.Re1 Kf8 28.Kh1 Rc2 29.Nf4 Rxf2 {White resigns. Beware the war-horse!} 0-1
