Giddins on Hastings 2010

(1) Howell,David (2616) - Swapnil,S Dhopade (2426) [B22] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (2.3), 29.12.2010 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.c4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Bd3 Nc6 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 Nf6 11.a3 b6 12.Be3 Bb7 13.Qe2 Nd5 14.Rad1 Bf6 15.Ne4 Nce7 16.Ne5 Ng6 17.Qh5 Bxe5 18.dxe5 Nxe3 Now instead of the obvious recapture, Howell played 19.Ng5!? h6 20.Nxf7 Qh4? [Fritz offers as the best defence 20...Nf4 21.Nxh6+ gxh6 22.Qxh6 Nf5 23.Bxf5 Rxf5 24.Rxd8+ Rxd8 when White ahs Q+3Ps v R+N+B, whilst the exposed position of the black king gives White some advantage.] 21.Qxg6 Rxf7 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.Qxg5 hxg5 and White went on to win. 24.Bg6 Re7 25.Rd6 Rf8 26.Red1 Bd5 27.Rd4 Rc7 28.h3 Rc1+ 29.Kh2 Rc5 30.Rg4 Rb5 31.b4 Bb3 32.Rxg5 a5 33.bxa5 Rxa5 34.Rd7 Rxa3 35.Rh5 Rc8 36.Bf7+ 1-0

(2) Prasanna,Rao (2400) - Kotronias,Vasilios (2582) [B43] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (2.4), 29.12.2010 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be2 b5 7.0-0 Bb7 8.Re1 Nc6 9.Nxc6 dxc6 10.e5 Rd8 11.Bd3 c5 12.Qe2 Ne7 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 g5 15.Bg3 h5 16.h3 c4 17.Be4 Nc6 18.Rad1 Bc5 19.Qf3 Rh6 20.h4 g4 21.Qf4 Rh8 22.Rd6! Rf8 23.Qh6 b4 24.Rxe6+! Ne7 [Or 24...fxe6 25.Qxe6+ Qe7 26.Bg6+ Rf7 27.Bxf7+ Kf8 28.Ne4 winning.] 25.Rxe7+! Qxe7 [25...Bxe7 No better is 26.e6 Qc8 27.exf7+ Rxf7 28.Qh8+ Kd7 29.Rd1+ and mate will soon be forced.] 26.Bxb7 Qxb7 27.Ne4 Qb6 28.e6 Bd4 29.Nf6+ Ke7 30.exf7+ Kxf7 31.Qxh5+ 1-0

(3) Bates,Richard (2382) - Sengupta,Deep (2527) [E10] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (2.5), 29.12.2010 1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 c5 4.d5 b5 5.Bf4 exd5 6.cxd5 d6 7.e4 a6 8.Nbd2 Nbd7 9.a4 Rb8 10.axb5 axb5 11.Bd3 Ng4 12.0-0 Nge5 13.Qe2 Qb6 14.b4 Nxd3 15.Qxd3 Be7 16.e5 0-0 17.Ne4 c4 18.Qc3 dxe5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 20.Qxe5 Rb7 21.d6 Bd8 22.Ra8 Rb8 23.Be3 Qb7 24.Ra7 Qc6 25.d7 Bb6 26.dxc8Q Rfxc8 27.Bxb6 Rxb6 28.Re7 h6 29.Nc3 Qa8 30.Re1 Rg6 31.g3 Qa3 32.Nxb5 Qxb4 33.Nc3 Qb2 34.Re8+ Rxe8 35.Qxe8+ Kh7 36.Qe3 Rf6 37.Re2 Qb3 38.Qe4+ g6 39.Qd4 Rf5 40.Re8 1-0

(4) Pert,Richard G (2460) - Ledger,David (2233) [A45] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (2.9), 29.12.2010 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 Ne4 3.Bf4 c5 4.f3 Qa5+ 5.c3 Nf6 6.d5 Qb6 7.e4 Qxb2 8.Nd2 Qxc3 9.Bc7 b6 10.Rc1 Qe3+ 11.Ne2 d6 12.Nc4 Qh6 13.Qa4+ Bd7 14.Qa3 a6 15.Nxb6 Ra7 16.Bxb8 Rb7 17.Na8 e6 18.Nc7+ Kd8 19.Nxa6 exd5 20.e5 dxe5 21.Qa5+ Kc8 22.Bxe5 Ra7 23.Nf4 Qg5 24.Qc3 Bc6 25.Nb4 d4 26.Bxd4 Qxf4 27.Nxc6 Rxa2 28.Be5 Qa4 29.Nb4 Ra3 30.Ba6+ Kd7 31.Qd2+ Ke6 32.Bc8+ Kxe5 33.f4+ Ke4 34.Rc4# 1-0