Hastings Congress

[Kevin Thurlow]

Another GM successfully fends off Richard!

[Nick Burrows]

Great game today:

[Event "Hastings Masters"] [Site ""] [Date "2020.01.03"] [Round "7"] [White "Burrows, Nick"] [Black "De Boer, Bas"] [Result "0-1"] [Board "30"] [ECO ""] [WhiteElo "1952"] [BlackElo "2138"] [PlyCount "0"] [EventDate "2019.12.28"] [EventRounds "9"] [EventCountry "ENG"] 1. d4 {[%emt 00:00:07]} 1... d5 {[%emt 00:00:05]} 2. c4 {[%emt 00:00:12]} 2... e6 {[%emt 00:00:05]} 3. cxd5 {[%emt 00:00:14]} 3... exd5 {[%emt 00:00:08]} 4. Nc3 {[%emt 00:00:12]} 4... c6 {[%emt 00:01:07]} 5. Qc2 {[%emt 00:00:30]} 5... Nf6 {[%emt 00:01:35]} 6. Bg5 {[%emt 00:00:24]} 6... Nbd7 {[%emt 00:01:34]} 7. e3 {[%emt 00:00:39]} 7... Qa5 {[%emt 00:02:29]} 8. Bd3 {[%emt 00:03:27]} 8... Bb4 {[%emt 00:02:22]} 9. Ne2 {[%emt 00:02:20]} 9... h6 {[%emt 00:02:08]} 10. Bh4 {[%emt 00:07:49]} 10... O-O {[%emt 00:00:17]} 11. O-O {[%emt 00:01:01]} 11... Re8 {[%emt 00:01:39]} 12. a3 {[%emt 00:00:59]} 12... Bf8 {[%emt 00:00:08]} 13. Rac1 {[%emt 00:09:18]} 13... g5 {[%emt 00:03:00]} 14. Bg3 {[%emt 00:00:47]} 14... Bg7 {[%emt 00:00:23]} 15. Na4 {[%emt 00:06:50]} 15... Qd8 {[%emt 00:10:49]} 16. b4 {[%emt 00:01:38]} 16... Qe7 {[%emt 00:02:20]} 17. Nc5 {[%emt 00:05:11]} 17... Ne4 {[%emt 00:02:02]} 18. Bxe4 {[%emt 00:07:42]} 18... dxe4 {[%emt 00:00:17]} 19. Nc3 {[%emt 00:01:06]} 19... f5 {[%emt 00:02:51]} 20. Rfd1 {[%emt 00:08:47]} 20... Qf7 {[%emt 00:07:40]} 21. Qd2 {[%emt 00:13:08]} 21... Nb6 {[%emt 00:02:14]} 22. b5 {[%emt 00:03:56]} 22... Nc4 {[%emt 00:02:52]} 23. Qa2 {[%emt 00:04:58]} 23... b6 {[%emt 00:03:58]} 24. bxc6 {[%emt 00:09:56]} 24... bxc5 {[%emt 00:01:25]} 25. Nb5 {[%emt 00:02:26]} 25... f4 {[%emt 00:12:21]} 26. exf4 {[%emt 00:04:37]} 26... gxf4 {[%emt 00:00:12]} 27. Bxf4 {[%emt 00:01:09]} 27... Qxf4 {[%emt 00:01:11]} 28. Qxc4+ {[%emt 00:00:29]} 28... Be6 {[%emt 00:01:19]} 29. d5 {[%emt 00:00:23]} 29... Bg4 {[%emt 00:04:58]} 30. d6+ {[%emt 00:00:50]} 30... Kh8 {[%emt 00:03:47]} 31. Nc7 {[%emt 00:02:08]} 31... Be5 {[%emt 00:02:44]} 32. g3 {[%emt 00:01:03]} 32... Qf3 {[%emt 00:00:12]} 33. Qf1 {[%emt 00:01:30]} 33... e3 {[%emt 00:00:30]} 34. fxe3 {[%emt 00:02:20]} 34... Qxe3+ {[%emt 00:00:08]} 35. Qf2 {[%emt 00:00:23]} 35... Qxf2+ {[%emt 00:00:47]} 36. Kxf2 {[%emt 00:00:01]} 36... Rf8+ {[%emt 00:02:03]} 37. Kg1 {[%emt 00:02:23]} 37... Rab8 {[%emt 00:00:52]} 38. Na6 {[%emt 00:02:54]} 38... Rbd8 {[%emt 00:11:38]} 39. d7 {[%emt 00:02:22]} 39... Bd4+ {[%emt 00:00:11]} 40. Rxd4 {[%emt 00:01:04]} 40... cxd4 {[%emt 00:00:06]} 41. Nc5 {[%emt 00:34:45]} 41... d3 {[%emt 00:02:21]} 42. Nxd3 {[%emt 00:00:21]} 42... Bxd7 {[%emt 00:00:05]} 43. cxd7 {[%emt 00:00:59]} 43... Rxd7 {[%emt 00:00:07]} 44. Nf4 {[%emt 00:02:57]} 44... Rd6 {[%emt 00:00:09]} 45. Rc7 {[%emt 00:01:04]} 45... Ra6 {[%emt 00:00:12]} 46. Kg2 {[%emt 00:01:34]} 46... Rf5 {[%emt 00:01:02]} 47. h4 {[%emt 00:01:03]} 47... Kg8 {[%emt 00:02:06]} 48. h5 {[%emt 00:01:40]} 48... Rxa3 {[%emt 00:05:42]} 49. Rc6 {[%emt 00:02:01]} 49... Rg5 {[%emt 00:01:10]} 50. Rc8+ {[%emt 00:00:51]} 50... Kh7 {[%emt 00:04:36]} 51. Kh2 {[%emt 00:02:35]} 51... Rgxg3 {[%emt 00:00:51]} 52. Rc7+ {[%emt 00:02:38]} 52... Rg7 {[%emt 00:00:21]} 53. Rc6 {[%emt 00:00:50]} 53... Rb7 {[%emt 00:01:14]} 54. Rc2 {[%emt 00:00:36]} 54... Rab3 {[%emt 00:00:55]} 0-1

[James Pratt]

Can somebody please talk me through the opening in Matthew Wadsworth-v-Roman Edouard from Rd. 7 (yesterday). It looks like white was quickly on the back foot if not quite 'an early bath'.

[Roger de Coverly]

the opening in Matthew Wadsworth-v-Roman Edouard from Rd. 7 (yesterday).

1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 f6 4. c4 d4 5. b4 e5 6. bxc5 Bxc5 7. d3 Nc6 8. g3

Benko Gambit reversed. Compare to 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. f3

White lost a tempo, so in effect took Black by playing b3 and b4, whilst an early development of the c1/c8 Bishop looks suspect as well.

Perhaps compare also game 6 of the 1971 Petrosian Fischer match. 3. Bb2 is considered a mistake by some commentators with 3. e3 recommended.

[Richard Bates]

the opening in Matthew Wadsworth-v-Roman Edouard from Rd. 7 (yesterday).

1. Nf3 c5 2. b3 d5 3. Bb2 f6 4. c4 d4 5. b4 e5 6. bxc5 Bxc5 7. d3 Nc6 8. g3

Benko Gambit reversed. Compare to 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. f3

White lost a tempo, so in effect took Black by playing b3 and b4, whilst an early development of the c1/c8 Bishop looks suspect as well.

Although in the game it looks as if Black got way too ambitious (with f5, e4 etc) and should have been in a fair bit of trouble.

[Nick Ivell]

Is Bb2 really a mistake? Or have our opinions merely been coloured by Fischer's great performance in game 6 of the Petrosian match?

I don't know enough about these positions to comment.

[Nick Grey]

it was a rather bad Benko reversed even as far as this 1700 player is concerned. I think 2. e4 is a massive improvement.

I agree that f5, e4 etc were ambitious but the type of aggressive moves I play with either colour.

Anyway time to log-in for todays chess and seeing if Richard, Roger and both Nicks and Matthew all win.

[John Upham]

What move did Mark Lyell miss in his game with Thomas Thorpe after Whites routine but flawed 11.Sbd2? on board 21, round 8 today ?

It is the kind of move that might be the cause of a hangover.

[Nick Grey]

… Nb4 ?

[John Upham]

… Nb4 ?

Correct.


Black chose Rab8 instead.

[IM Jack Rudd]

Mate Bagi crushes Hebden, and now a win in his last game (barring an unlikely downfloat to Balaji) would get him a GM norm. (He would only need a draw if he played Howell, but he's not going to play Howell.)

[John Moore]

That's about the worst game I can remember seeing Mark play for a long time. Panchanathan beats Sengupta in a game where Sengupta used a lot of time in the late middle game and then allowed an attractive but rather obvious finish.

[Richard Bates]

Mate Bagi crushes Hebden, and now a win in his last game (barring an unlikely downfloat to Balaji) would get him a GM norm. (He would only need a draw if he played Howell, but he's not going to play Howell.)

Whereas I just need to be paired against Howell and win! Maybe if I’d managed to win one of the six winning positions that ended in draws along the way...

[Nick Burrows]

Nonetheless extremely impressive tournament from you Richard - well done!

[NickFaulks]

… Nb4 ?

Correct.

It doesn't actually seem to win anything.