Matthew Sadler (1974 -)
Matthew Sadler was born on 15th May 1974 and, like many of the players featured in these articles, showed early promise. He took part in some world junior championships and competed in the annual Lloyds Bank tournament, where he showed an ability to topple much stronger opponents. Matthew gained the international master title aged 14, and went on to become a grandmaster aged 19. Soon after this he won the 1995 British Championship with a score of 8½ out of 11. He played very successfully for the English team in several events, gaining a gold medal for the best result on board 4 (10½/13) at the 1996 Yerevan Olympiad and a silver medal with 7/9 on board 4 at the European Team Chess Championship in Pula in 1997. Also, in 1997 he tied for first (with Michael Adams) in the British Championship.
His results at this time suggested he would go on to rival Nigel Short and Michael Adams at the pinnacle of British chess, but in 1999 something unexpected happened – Matthew announced his retirement from chess and went to work in the IT industry.
Many strong players have a kind of love-hate relationship with the game; they, like everyone else, enjoy winning, but the adrenaline-rush of competing is offset by the fact that playing top-level chess is extremely stressful. For professional players it’s even worse if your finances depend on regular good results. Matthew’s retirement was not total, as he continued to play in the Bundesliga and some events in the Netherlands, where he was living at the time. However, he didn’t play at all from 2004 to 2010, but then seemed to regain his love of playing and staged a successful comeback. He had several good results in the following years and scored 7/10 for England at the 2014 Tromsø Olympiad (the fourth best result on board 4). By 2020 he had pushed his rating up to 2694, but since then has not played a single rated game, so that remains his rating to the present day. It is to be hoped that Matthew’s second retirement does not last forever, as his games are usually interesting and hard-fought.
In addition to his over the board career, Matthew has been a successful chess author, reviewer and commentator. His most notable book is probably Game Changer (New in Chess, 2018), co-authored with Natasha Regan, which analysed the impact of the revolutionary computer software AlphaZero.
Matthew Sadker
Noted for his fierce demeanour at the board, Matthew’s results depend on excellent opening preparation coupled with an alertness to exploit any mistake. Even in a bad position he remains a dangerous opponent and is quick to turn the game around if given the chance, as in the following game.
Johann Hjartarson - Matthew Sadler
Malmö 1995
English Opening
1.c4 c5 2.b3 Nf6 3.Bb2 Nc6 4.Nf3 e6 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 0-0 7.0-0 d5 Black reacts to White’s double fianchetto in classical style.
8.e3 The alternative is 8.cxd5, when 8...exd5 9.d4 leads to a Tarrasch, while 8...Nxd5 9.d4 cxd4 10.Nxd4 gives White a slight edge in a roughly symmetrical position.
8...d4 8...b6 is also playable, but Matthew prefers to head for a reversed Modern Benoni.
9.exd4 cxd4 10.Re1 White has extra time compared to a standard Modern Benoni, both because he is White and because Black will have to put some effort into achieving ...e5. On the other hand, the bishop on b2 is not necessarily well-placed, as after ....e5 it is ‘biting on granite’.
10...Ne8 This move, intending ...f6 and ...e5, is associated with Ivanchuk, although it was played as long ago as 1968. 10...Re8 and 10...a5 are decent alternatives, so it seems that Black has few problems in this position.
11.a3?! The inclusion of the moves with the a-pawns helps Black, because it deprives White of the chance to activate his bishop by Ba3. 11.d3 f6 12.Na3 e5 13.Nc2 Nc7 is also fine for Black, so the critical line is 11.Ne5 Nxe5 12.Rxe5 f6 13.Re1 e5 14.Ba3 with perhaps a slight edge for White.
11...a5 12.Ne5 The most logical move, as if Black is allowed to play ...e5 unchallenged he will have a very comfortable position.
12...Nxe5 13.Rxe5 f6 14.Re1 e5 15.d3 Rb8 I think it was slightly more accurate to play ...Nc7-e6 as soon as possible to put White off f2-f4. Without this pawn move it is hard to see much of a future for the b2-bishop.
16.Nd2 Nc7 17.f4?! 17.Qe2! was better, as Black then cannot play 17...Ne6 due to 18.f4 exf4? 19.Bd5, so to counter the threat of f4 he must play a clumsy move such as 17...Rf7.
17...exf4 18.gxf4 b6 19.Qe2 Bc5 20.Qf2 Bf5 21.Ne4 Qd7 The position is equal. Playing f4 has allowed White to weaken the d4-pawn and Black must continually defend it, but he can take comfort in his space advantage and the weak white pawn on f4.
22.Qd2 22.b4!? axb4 23.Nxc5 bxc5 24.axb4 Rxb4 25.Ba3 is an interesting idea, but Black can continue 25...Na6! 26.Bxb4 Nxb4, which maintains the balance as the d3-pawn is doomed.
22...Bxe4?! Giving up this bishop is a significant and unnecessary concession. The tactical 22...Bh3 23.Bxh3 Qxh3 24.b4 axb4 25.axb4 Qg4+ is fine for Black after, for example, 26.Ng3 Bd6, but the simplest move was 22...Na6, preventing b4 while keeping the light-squared bishop.
23.Rxe4 f5 24.Re5 Qd6 Black’s plan has prevented b4, but left him with few active prospects. However, it isn’t easy for White to make progress, and for a time he quietly manoeuvres.
25.Qf2 Rbd8 26.Kh1 Kh8 27.Qg3 Rf7 28.Bf3 Rdf8 29.Qf2 Rd7 30.Qh4 Rdf7 White shows no real signs of making progress, and Matthew patiently awaits events.
31.Qg3 Rd7 32.h4 Rf6 33.h5 Qf8 34.Qf2 Qd6 35.Qg2 Qf8 36.Rae1 Rd8 Avoiding the trap 36...Bxa3? 37.Bxa3 Qxa3 38.c5! (threatening a back-rank mate) 38...h6 39.Bc6 followed by cxb6, and White wins.
37.R1e2 Rd7 This time 37...Bxa3? loses to 38.Bxa3 Qxa3 39.Re7.
38.Qg1
With a possible b4 in mind.
38...Qd8? Matthew prevents b4 by covering d4 a third time, but runs into back-rank difficulties. In fact b4 wasn’t much of a threat, and the simple 38...h6 would have kept the balance, since 39.b4 axb4 40.axb4 Bxb4 41.Bxd4 may be met by 41...Bd6, exploiting the weak f4-pawn.
39.Qe1! Now Black must retreat to cover the back rank.
39...Rf8 40.Bc6?! Missing the chance to weaken the long diagonal by playing 40.h6!, after which 40...gxh6 41.b4 axb4 42.axb4 Bd6 43.Bxd4 loses at once. The only move to avoid an immediate loss is 40...Qf6, but even then 41.Rh2!, renewing the threat of b4, would be unpleasant for Black.
40...Rd6 41.Bf3 Rh6 Matthew doesn’t give White a second chance to play h6, but he remains in a difficult position, as the rook isn’t well placed on h6.
42.Rg2 Qd7? Black cannot prevent b4, because 42...Qd6 43.Qg3 leaves him with no reasonable way to protect g7 (43...Rf7 44.Rxf5 Rhf6 45.Rxf6 Qxf6 46.Bc1 leaves White a pawn ahead). However, 42...Rf7 43.b4 Bd6 44.Bxd4 Bxe5 45.Bxe5 axb4 46.axb4 Re6 was a tougher defence, as g7 is better defended by the rook rather than the queen.
43.b4 axb4 44.axb4 Bd6 45.Bxd4! An excellent exchange sacrifice. The two active bishops and strong pressure against g7 provide fantastic compensation for the small sacrifice.
45...Bxe5 46.Bxe5 Ne8 47.d4 In addition to Black’s problems on the kingside, he also faces the prospect of White creating two connected passed pawns.
47...Nf6 48.Rg5 Rg8 49.d5 Qa4 Activating the queen in the hope of harassing the slightly exposed white king.
50.Qc3 Qa2
51.Kg1? Not a bad move if followed up correctly, but the simplest win was by 51.Qd3!, cutting out a back-rank check and intending d6-d7. Then 51...Qf2 52.Qe2 Qh4+ 53.Kg2 leaves Black totally tied up, and unable to counter the advancing white pawns.
51...Qb1+ 52.Kg2? This is a more serious error, since now White’s rook cannot be used to shield the king. 52.Kh2! would still have won after 52...Qf1 (the ingenious 52...Ra8 53.Rg1! Ra2+ 54.Kh1 Qe4 is met by 55.Re1!) 53.Bxf6 Rxf6 54.Rg2! (intending c5) 54...Ra8 55.d6 Ra1 56.d7 Qh1+ 57.Kg3 Rd6 58.Qe5, but this is much more complicated than the win Hjartarson missed the previous move.
52...Ra8 Suddenly Black has serious counterplay, and White must take care not to lose.
53.Bd4! The only move. 53.Bxf6 loses beautifully after 53...Ra2+ 54.Kh3 Rxh5+! 55.Rxh5 (55.Bxh5 Qh1+) 55...Qf1+ 56.Kh4 Qg1! 57.Bxg7+ Kg8, and White must give up his queen to avoid mate.
53...Ra2+ 54.Kg3? It’s very hard to adjust when you have been winning and things suddenly turn against you. White could still have drawn by 54.Bf2! Rc2 55.Qe5 Qxb4 56.Qc7, and with his king more secure White has enough counterplay to hang on.
54...Qf1! Threatening 55...Nxh5+ 56.Rxh5 Rxh5.
55.Qe3
Now 55...Nxh5+ fails to 56.Rxh5, and there is a mate on e8.
55...Rxh5! Black strikes with a spectacular finishing combination.
56.Rxh5 Or 56.Bxh5 Rg2+ 57.Kh4 Rh2+ 58.Kg3 Rh3#.
56...Nxh5+ 57.Kh4 57.Bxh5 leads to mate after 57...Rg2+ 58.Kh4 Qh1+ 59.Qh3 Qe1+ 60.Bf2 Qe7#.
57...h6! The only move to win, relieving the back rank and threatening mate in one. 57...Rh2+?? would even lose after 58.Kg5 Rg2+ 59.Kxf5.
58.Kxh5 Kh7! Another only move, preventing the king slipping away via g6.
0-1
It is mate in three more moves.