title: In SQL Server how can I fetch all rows with a date greater than some set date or at least 20 rows
body: <p>I'm looking for a way to fetch at least 20 rows, regardless of the date or all rows with a date greater than a set date (whichever of the 2 fetches the most rows).</p>
  
  <p>For example:</p>
  
  <pre><code>SELECT *
  FROM table1
  WHERE the_date &gt;= '2014-11-01'
  ORDER BY the_date DESC
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>will give me what I want, but if this returns less than 20 rows then I want to keep going before that date until I get 20 (or until there are no more rows - whichever comes first).</p>
  
  <p>I could just select all and take the ones I need programatically, but I'm trying to avoid that as that would be a major change to the actual code in many places.</p>
  
  <p>Can this be done?</p>
  
  <p><strong>Note:</strong> I am using SQL Server 2008.</p>