I know what you’re thinking. Classics from the Archives means “another chance to see some recently-repeated filler material again.” Rumour has it that the BBC originally resisted showing repeats because viewers might complain they were being short-changed for their licence fee. Life is very different now. Last year, the BBC ran more repeats than original shows. This is the inevitable effect of funding cuts: there isn’t so much money to make new programmes.
Well, have I got news for you. The Rodney Barking blog does not repeat itself. Not intentionally, anyway. What follows is previously unpublished.
In this series we bring you a classic game from Barking’s earlier years – and these go back a long way. Today we revisit 1990. The scene: a playing venue somewhere in London in March 1990. The occasion: Streatham & Brixton 1 v Kings Head 1 in the London League. In those days, Kings Head were the strongest club in London. (This was before a team of professionals took over the league and started winning it every year.) The boys from S&B were no pushovers but my recollection is that they were out-rated on every board and lost the match 8–4.
On one of the lower boards, Barking was White against Kings Head legend Rick McMichael.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bd3 c5 6.e5
I was already feeling uncomfortable in this unusual French position. Apparently theory recommends exchanging on d5 and c5 to open the centre with a free-for-all.
6…Nfd7 7.dxc5 Nc6 8.Qe2 Nxc5 9.Bf4 g5!
Rick clearly knew the French better than me. I wasn’t expecting this typical thrust. Black now takes over the initiative.
10.Bg3 g4 11.Nd2 Nd4 12.Qe3 Nxd3+ 13.Qxd3 Nf5 14.Bf4 Bd7 15.h3 Nh4 16.Kf1?
This was an error of judgement. I should simply castle queenside. Black can’t really take the g-pawn because he is overextended on the kingside.
16…Ng6 17.Bg3 gxh3 18.Rxh3 Bg5 19.f4?
Another error, in a complex position. I am now probably losing. Instead 19.Rh5 would have kept things murky.
19…Bxf4 20.Bxf4 Nxf4
By now I was feeling quite ill. But it was too early to go home. In desperation I tried…
21.Rxh7
Now if he takes my queen, I take his rook with check and then his queen, and I come out a piece up. So he can’t ignore the threat. He should simply castle short, when I lose the exchange, or (more aggressively) take the rook, play …Qg5 with threats, and castle long, when it’s more or less game over. He thought for a long time over his next move, and then… he simply ignored the threat.
21…Qg5??
He threatens …Qxg2+ followed by …Nxd3+ and assesses (correctly) that this is worth more than the double rook sacrifice. However…
22.Rxh8+ Ke7 23.Nxd5+!
A bolt from the blue! A line clearance sacrifice! He was probably expecting 23.Rxa8 Qxg2+ 24.Ke1 Nxd3+ 25.cxd3 Qg3+ 26.Ke2 d4 27.Nce4 Qe3+ 28.Kd1 Qg1+ picking up the rook, or 28.Kf1 Bb5 and the bishop enters the game to decisive effect.
23…exd5
23…Nxd5 allows 24.Qa3+ and mate next move.
24.Qa3+ Ke6 25.Qd6+
Suddenly it’s all over. After 25…Kf5 26.Qxd7+ Kg6 27.Rh2 Qg3 28.Nf3 I am simply a rook up. Rick shook his head in disbelief and resigned. I still remember his parting words: “My captain’s going to kill me for this!” Posterity records that his life was spared on that occasion although I wouldn’t be surprised if he was sent to the Naughty Step for a while.