Giddins on Hastings 2010

(1) Rendle,Thomas (2391) - Howell,David (2616) [B13] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (5.1), 01.01.2011 [Friedel,Frederic] 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.Bd3 Nc6 5.c3 Nf6 6.Bf4 Bg4 7.Qb3 Qc8 8.Nd2 e6 9.Ngf3 Be7 10.0-0 0-0 11.Ne5 Nxe5 [11...Bh5 is more usual.] 12.dxe5 Nd7 13.Qc2 g6 14.h3 Bf5 15.Bxf5 gxf5 16.Nf3 Kh8 17.Ng5 [A slower build-up with 17.Rad1 may be stronger, as it allows less counterplay.] 17...Qc4 18.Qd2 Nc5 19.Rad1 Rac8 20.b3 Qa6 21.c4 Commencing a very interesting and dangerous-looking idea, although the computer is not convinced. 21...dxc4 22.Qe2 The point. The white queen joins the attack on the kingside. 22...Bxg5 23.Bxg5 Ne4 24.Qh5 Rg8 25.Bh4 Rg6 26.f3 Qxa2 Objectively, it seems that Blck is winning, but both players were short of time by now, and the position is still very complicated. 27.g4 Nc3 28.Rf2 Qxb3 29.Rd7 Rf8 30.Be7 Qb5 31.Rfd2 fxg4 32.Bxf8 gxf3+? [This actually allows an amazing draw, but one can hardly expect the players to see the variations involved. Instead, 32...Qb6+ 33.Kh2 Ne2! is winning, eg. 34.Rxe2 gxf3 etc.] 33.Kh2 Qb6 34.R7d4? [here, the computer points out the incredible drawing line, starting 34.Bg7+!! Now both captures fail to win: The correct move, which Howell had intended, is 34...Kg8 when White has the remarkable follow-up (34...Kxg7 35.Rxf7+ Kxf7 36.Qxh7+ is perpetual; whilst 34...Rxg7? actually loses after 35.Rd8+ Rg8 36.Rxg8+ Kxg8 37.Qg5+ ) 35.Qxg6! hxg6 36.Bf6 threatening mate. Howell had even seen this, and thought he could escape the perpetual with 36...g5 but it turns out that he cannot, since after 37.Rd8+ Kh7 38.Rh8+ Kg6 39.Rg8+ Kf5 40.Rxg5+ Kf4 41.Rg4+ he has to acquiesce in the draw, in view of 41...Ke3?? 42.Bg5# ] 34...Ne2 Now Black is winning once again. 35.Qxf3 Nxd4 36.Qe3 Nf3+ 0-1

(2) Gormally,Daniel (2480) - Ramondino,Renzo (2289) [D03] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (5.7), 01.01.2011 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Bg5 Bg7 4.Nbd2 0-0 5.c3 d5 6.Bxf6 exf6 7.g3 Re8 8.Bg2 Be6 9.0-0 f5 10.e3 Nd7 11.Ne1 c6 12.Nd3 f6 13.Rc1 Bf7 14.b3 Bf8 15.c4 Nb6 16.c5 Nd7 17.b4 Qc7 18.b5 a6 19.a4 Bh6 20.b6 Qd8 21.Nb3 Nf8 22.Na5 Qd7 23.Nb4 Ne6 24.f4 Nd8 25.Qd3 Bf8 26.Rfe1 Kg7 27.Bf1 Re7 28.Ra1 Qe8 29.Kf2 Be6 Having established a crushing space advantage, Gormally now broke through with 30.Nxb7! Nxb7 31.a5! White will pick up the a6-pawn next move,a nd then push his queenside passed pawns. 31...Bc8 32.Nxa6 This is one of those positions where the computer takes a little time to appreciate the strength of White's position. Against quiet moves by Black, such as 32...Rxa6? [32...Qd8 White continues 33.Qc3 followed by Nb4 and a6. Instead, Ramondino panics and returns some matreial, but this does not solve the problems of the passed a- and b-pawns, and Gormally duly mops up.] 33.Qxa6 Nxc5 34.Qa8 Ne4+ 35.Kg2 Nd2 36.a6 Rxe3 37.Rxe3 Qxe3 38.b7 Qe4+ [38...Qf3+ 39.Kg1 Qe3+ 40.Kh1 evades the checks.] 39.Kh3 Nf3 40.Bd3 Ng5+ 41.fxg5 Qe3 42.Bf1 Qe4 1-0

(3) Eames,Robert (2287) - Chkartina,Gerhana (2014) [B09] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (5.18), 01.01.2011 1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.Bd3 Na6 7.0-0 c5 8.d5 Nc7 9.Qe1 e6 10.dxe6 Bxe6 11.f5 Bd7 12.Qh4 Nh5 13.Bg5 Bf6 14.fxg6 fxg6 15.g4 Nf4 16.Kh1 Nxd3 17.cxd3 Ne6 18.Bxf6 Qxf6 19.g5 Qf4 20.Nd5 Qxh4 21.Nxh4 Kg7 22.Nf3 Nf4 23.Nf6 Bh3 24.Rf2 h6 25.e5 Nxd3 26.gxh6+ Kxh6 27.Rd2 Nxe5 28.Nxe5 dxe5 29.Ne4 b6 30.Nf2 Bf5 31.Re1 Rfe8 32.Kg2 Re7 33.Kg3 Rae8 34.Nd1 c4 35.Ne3 Bd3 36.Rf2 Kg7 37.Ng4 e4 38.Re3 Rf7 39.Rxf7+ Kxf7 40.Kf4 Ke6 41.Kg5 Rf8 42.h4 b5 43.a3 a5 44.Re1 b4 45.axb4 axb4 46.Ne3 c3 47.bxc3 b3 48.Nd1 Kd5 49.Kxg6 Kc4 50.h5 Rb8 51.Kg7 Bc2 52.Nf2 Rb7+ 53.Kg8 e3 54.Rxe3 b2 55.Ne4 Rd7 56.Re1 b1Q 57.Rxb1 Bxb1 58.Nf6 Ra7 59.h6 Kxc3 60.h7 Bxh7+ 61.Nxh7 Kd4 62.Nf6 Ke5 63.Ng4+ Ke6 64.Ne3 Rf7 65.Nd5 Rd7 66.Nf4+ Kf6 67.Nh5+ Kg5 68.Ng3 Re7 0-1