[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
