[Event "Broadstairs v Sandwich (Steele Cup)"]
[Site "The Bradstow Mill"]
[Date "2024.04.29"]
[Round "?"]
[White "David Marsden"]
[Black "Jon Hunt"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1409"]
[BlackElo "1501"]
[EventDate "2024.04.29"]
[ECO "B21"]
{This game just goes to show that it's always worth throwing in an opening trap when it costs you nothing to play!} 1.d4 c5 2.e4 cxd4 3.Nf3 {White was banging out moves very fast, considering the standardplay time controls, and so it seemed sensible to play the trappy move here.} 3...e5 $1 4.Nxe5 $4 Qa5+ {Winning the knight} 5.Nd2 Qxe5 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Bb4 $6 ( {A piece up, I should be aiming to play more solidly, e.g.} 7...Bc5 8.Nb3 d6 9.Bf4 Qh5 $1 10.Nxd4 {and Black develops into his win with} 10...O-O $1 11.c3 Bxd4 12.cxd4 Qxd1+ 13.Kxd1 $19 ( 13.Rxd1 $6 Nxe4 14.Bxe4 Re8 ) ) 8.O-O O-O 9.Nc4 Qc5 10.b3 ( {I expected the immediate} 10.e5 Qxc4 11.exf6 {when} 11...g6 $1 {is the answer I couldn't quite find in my calculations. Perhaps it would have occurred to me if we had reached this position.} ) 10...Nc6 11.a3 Bc3 $1 12.Nb2 $2 ( 12.Rb1 $2 {is hardly any better.} ) ( 12.Bb2 $1 Bxb2 13.Nxb2 ) 12...b5 $6 ( 12...Qe7 $1 {After all, White can't even play Re1 now.} ) 13.Nd3 Qb6 14.Bb2 Bxb2 15.Nxb2 Bb7 16.b4 $6 ( 16.a4 $1 {seemed to me a much more useful move for White here:} 16...b4 17.a5 Nxa5 18.Na4 ) 16...a5 17.Rc1 $6 {At this point, I had the sense that White was really bluffing. I couldn't see how advancing the c-pawn would help his position, and the pawn dropping on b4 seemed real. It was!} 17...axb4 18.axb4 Nxb4 19.Re1 Na2 $1 {Bravo, Jon! This excellent move was a brave choice.} 20.Ra1 ( 20.Rb1 $2 Nc3 {drops the exchange.} ) 20...Nc3 21.Qd3 Rxa1 22.Rxa1 Ra8 $6 ( {I was right to notice after 22...Ra8 that I had missed the chance to win the pawn on e4:} 22...Bxe4 23.Bxe4 Ncxe4 ) 23.Re1 Ra2 $1 {Bravo again, as this was a doubly brave decision! Black's point is that the white knight has nowhere to go but the back rank.} 24.Nd1 Ra1 $1 25.e5 $1 {The crucial last roll of the dice by White} 25...Nfd5 26.Kf1 $2 Rxd1 $6 ( 26...Nxd1 $1 27.Rxd1 Nb4 $1 28.Qd2 Bxg2+ 29.Kxg2 Qc6+ 30.Kg1 Rxd1+ 31.Qxd1 Nxc2 {wins.} ) 27.Rxd1 Nxd1 28.Qxd1 Nc3 29.Qd3 Qa6 $1 {Making a direct mate threat} 30.Bxb7 ( 30.Qxd4 $4 Qa1+ 31.Qd1 Qxd1# ) 30...Qxb7 31.f3 Qd5 $1 32.Kg2 Qxe5 33.Kh3 {Time was short now - on my clock, at least! - and so I'll excuse myself suboptimal moves now, so long as they win!} 33...g6 {I was just glad to give my king some luft, before White could conjure up any back-rank tricks.} 34.g4 h5 35.Qf1 $2 ( 35.gxh5 Qxh5+ 36.Kg2 Qe5 ) 35...hxg4+ 36.fxg4 Qe3+ 37.Kh4 Qe5 38.Kh3 Ne4 39.Qa1 Ng5+ 40.Kg2 Qe4+ 41.Kf1 ( 41.Kf2 {avoids the back-rank skewer but still leads to mate:} 41...Nh3+ 42.Kg3 Qe3+ 43.Kh4 ( 43.Kg2 Nf4+ 44.Kh1 Qe4+ 45.Kg1 Qg2# ) 43...g5+ 44.Kh5 Kh7 45.Qf1 Qe6 46.Qd3+ Qg6+ 47.Qxg6+ fxg6# {A remarkable finish!} ) 41...Qh1+ {White resigned, since 42...Qxa1.} 0-1
