Sadler’s Treatment of Queen’s Gambit Accepted

Apparently Matthew Sadler really enjoyed to play against White’s far advanced pawn on e5 in Queen’s Gambit Accepted, to the point where he would tease his opponent into advancing the e pawn… Here are three examples:

Lukacs, Peter - Sadler, Matthew D
   1993 , D27

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 a6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 e6 6. O-O c5 7. Bd3 cxd4 8. exd4 Be7 9. Bg5 O-O 10. Nc3 b5 11. a4 b4 12. Ne4 Bb7 13. Nc5 Bd5 14. Ne5 Nc6 15. Rc1 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Nd7 17. Bxe7 Qxe7 18. Nxd7 Qxd7

Black is very solid here; e5 pawn is a liability as much as a strength.

19. Re1 Rfd8 20. Re3 Rac8 21. Rxc8 Qxc8 22. h3 g6 23. a5 Qc7 24. Qf1 Qxa5 25. Bxa6 Qa2 26. Qe2 Ra8 27. Bd3 Qa1+ 28. Kh2 Ra2 29. Be4 Rxb2 30. Qf3 Bxe4 31. Rxe4 Qa7 32. Kg3 Qc5 33. Qf6 Rd2 34. Qf4 Qc3+ 35. Kh2 Qc2 36. Rxb4 Rxf2 37. Qg5 Qe2 38. Rb3 Kg7 39. Qg3 h5 40. h4 Rf1 41. Rd3 Re1 0-1

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San Segundo Carrillo Pablo - Sadler, Matthew D
   1997 , D27

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. Bd3 b6 8. Qe2 Bb7 9. Rd1 Nbd7 10. Nbd2 Be7 11. b3 O-O 12. Bb2 Qb8 13. Rac1 Rc8 14. Bb1 cxd4 15. Rxc8+ Qxc8 16. Nxd4 b5 17. e4 Nf8 18. N4f3 Qc7 19. a3 Rd8 20. b4 Ng6 21. g3 Ba8 22. Rc1 Qb7 23. Re1 Ne8 24. Nb3 Nd6 25. Nfd2 Qb6 26. h4 h6 27. Bd4 Qb8 28. h5 Nf8 29. Qg4 Ne8

in search for imbalance Black has done all he could to lure White into playing e5 and he is unable to resist.

30. e5 Nh7 31. Ne4 Qb7 32. f3 Qd5 33. Nbd2 Ng5 34. Kg2

34. ... a5

Black is counterattacking on both flanks all of a sudden.

35. bxa5 Bxa3 36. Re3 Bb4 37. Rd3 Qc6 38. Bb6 Rxd3 39. Bxd3 Bxd2 0-1

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Khalifman, Alexander - Sadler, Matthew D
   1996 , D29

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 a6 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 e6 6. O-O c5 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. a4 b4 10. Rd1 Be7 11. Nbd2 O-O 12. Nc4 Nbd7 13. Nfe5 Qc7 14. e4 cxd4 15. Bf4 Qc5 16. Rac1

16. ... Qa7

The black queen is both escaping from lines of fire as well as keeping d4 guarded.

17. Na5 Bc5 18. Nxb7 Qxb7 19. Nd3 Rfc8 20. Rc4 Bb6 21. e5

( 21. Rxb4 Qxe4 )

21. ... Nd5 22. Qf3

22. ... a5 =+ 23. Rdc1 Rxc4 24. Bxc4 Rc8 25. Kf1 Rc6 26. Bd2 Bc7 27. Bxd5 Rxc1+ 28. Bxc1 exd5 29. Qe2 Qc6 30. f4 Qxa4 31. f5 Qc6 32. e6 fxe6 33. fxe6 Nf6 34. Bg5 Kf8 35. Bxf6 gxf6 36. e7+ Ke8 37. Qh5+ Kxe7 38. Qxh7+ Kd6 39. Qh8 Qc4 40. Qxf6+ Kd7 41. Qf5+ Kc6 42. Qg6+ Kb5 43. Ke2 Ka4 44. h4 Kb3 45. h5 a4 46. Qf5 a3 47. bxa3 bxa3 48. Qf1 Qc2+ 49. Kf3 a2 50. Nc1+ Kb2 51. Nd3+ Kc3 52. Nf2 Qf5+ 0-1