Hastings Round 8 Igor Kurnosov against Emanuel Berg. Photo © Dave Clayton.

ITMA - or is it?

FM Steve Giddins reports on round 8 of the Hastings Masters

It was very much a case of Grinders' Day in round 8 of the Hastings Masters, as the top boards battled out a series of long endgames. After almost six hours' play, three of the top four boards were still playing. This, of course, is what serious tournament chess is all about. We all love to see spectacular sacrifices and slashing attacks, but the real bread and butter of the average professional grandmaster is squeezing out those vital extra half points, in long technical endgames. The only exception amongst the top games was the board one encounter between Kurnosov and Berg. Even that lasted 45 moves, but the position was always balanced and a draw always the likeliest result. 

The biggest beneficiary of the day was defending champion Valeriy Neverov. As mentioned earlier in the week, the Ukrainian GM is chasing a record fourth consecutive first place here at Hastings, and in each of the last three years, he has ground out a long win in the final round. Yesterday, he started a point behind leader Kurnosov, but after an 81-move win against Gawain Jones, Neverov has closed the gap to within half a point, and he has the white pieces against Kurnosov in today's final round.

Neverov,Valerij (2571) - Jones,Gawain C (2548) [E70]

Hastings Masters 2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Nge2 c5!?

I have to say that this looks a trifle suspicious to me, but it has been played more than once by American GM, John Fedorowicz. In addition, the immortal Bobby Fischer was fond of playing the move against 5.f3 (instead of Neverov's 5.Nge2), evidently believing that the displacement of the black king was not serious for Black.

6.dxc5 dxc5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8 8.Be3 b6 9.0-0-0+ Bd7 10.f4

This is the main difference from the Fischer games. White can take extra space in the centre by having his pawn on f4, rather than f3, although he would prefer to have his knight on the more active square f3.

10...e5 11.g3 Kc8 12.Nb5 Ne8

12...Nxe4 looks dangerous, but it is not clear whether White has anything concrete after 13.Bg2 f5.

13.h4 h5 14.Nec3 Nc6 15.Nd5 Rb8 16.Bh3 Bxh3 17.Rxh3 Kb7 18.Rh2 Rd8 19.Rhd2 a6 20.Nbc3 Nd4

Black has contained his opponent's early initiative, and now seems to have no problems.

21.fxe5 Bxe5 22.Bg5 f6 23.Bf4

23...Bxf4?

This looks like the turning point. Jones over-estimates his tactical possibilities, connected with Nf3. The exchange on f4 relieves White of his isolated e4-pawn and opens the g-file against the backward pawn on g6. Instead, after a move such as 23...Nd6 Black looks at least equal.

24.gxf4 Rg8 25.Rg2 Nf3 26.Rh1 Rd7 27.Ne2

Suddenly the black knight on f3 finds itself cut off in enemy territory, and an unfavourable exchange on d4 will be forced.

27...Rf7 28.Rh3 Nd4 29.Nxd4 cxd4 30.Rb3

Now Black's position crumbles.

30...b5 31.cxb5 a5 32.b6 Nd6 33.Rc2 Rc8 34.Rc7+ Rfxc7+ 35.bxc7+ Ka7 36.e5 fxe5 37.fxe5 Nf5 38.Kd2 Nxh4 39.e6 Nf5 40.e7 Nxe7 41.Nxe7 Rxc7 42.Nxg6 Rg7

Black is now clearly lost, and although Jones defends tenaciously, in an attempt to exploit the paucity of white pawns, Neverov patiently converts his advantage.

43.Nf4 h4 44.Kd3 Rg4 45.Ke4 Ka6 46.Rd3 Rg1 47.Kxd4 Rf1 48.Nd5 Rh1 49.a4 h3 50.Nc3 Rh2 51.Kc5 Rxb2 52.Rxh3 Rc2 53.Kc4 Kb6 54.Rh6+ Kb7 55.Kb3 Rc1 56.Nd5 Ka7 57.Rh4 Ka6 58.Rc4 Rd1 59.Ne3 Rd3+ 60.Rc3 Rd8 61.Kc4 Rh8 62.Kc5 Rc8+ 63.Kd4 Rh8 64.Rc6+ Kb7 65.Re6 Rh4+ 66.Re4 Rh5 67.Nc4 Rg5 68.Re5 Rg4+ 69.Kc5 Ka6 70.Re6+ Ka7 71.Kb5 Rg7 72.Kxa5 Rg1 73.Re7+ Kb8 74.Kb5 Rh1 75.a5 Rh6 76.Ne5 Rh1 77.Nd7+ Kc7 78.Nb6+ Kb8 79.Ka6 Rh7 80.Nd7+ Ka8 81.Re8#

David Howell moved into a share of third place, after winning another long ending, against Jovanka Houska. But the longest game of the day came on board 4, where Conquest and Ansell battled out a long ending of rook versus two minor pieces.

For a long time, the position had looked dead drawn, and had Ansell now continued 70...Kc7 71.Rb5 Kd6 this would still have been the case. Instead, he chose 70...Nf6, allowing the b-pawn to advance.  71.b5+ Kc7 72.Rh8 Bb1 73.Rh1 Be4 74.Rh6 Ng4 75.Rg6 Bb1?! A further inaccuracy. He should prefer 75...Nf2 so as to be able to answer 76.Kc5 with 76...Nd3+. 76.Kc5 Ne5 77.b6+ Kd8? This loses immediately, but the position was now gone anyway. 78.Rg8+ Ke7 79.b7 Nd7+ 80.Kd4 Ba2 81.Rc8 1-0 There is no defence to Rc7, when the pawn will queen.

Others who moved up to within a further half point of the lead included Williams, Hebden and Gordon. The latter won one of the shorter games on the top boards of this round:

Gordon,Stephen J (2521) - Leroy,Didier (2286) [D31]

Hastings Masters 2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 a6

The French IM seems fond of this unusual move, and repeats it here, despite a heavy defeat two rounds earlier against Neverov.

4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nc3 c6 6.Qc2

In the above-mentioned game, Neverov preferred 6.Bf4 Bd6 7.Bg3 Ne7 8.e3 0-0 9.Qb3 Qc7 10.Bd3 Nd7 11.Qc2 g6 12.0-0-0 and won in short order, after his opponent got his queen trapped on the white kingside - hard to imagine, at present, I agree, but it happened: 12...Nf6 13.Bh4 Ne8 14.Bg5 Ng7 15.e4 Bf4+ 16.Kb1 dxe4 17.Bxe4 Bxg5 18.Nxg5 Bf5 19.h4 Qf4 20.g3 Bxe4 21.Ngxe4 Qf3 22.Rhe1 Nef5 23.Rd3 Qg2 24.g4 1-0 Neverov,V (2571)-Leroy,D (2286)/Hastings 2009.

 6...Bd6 7.e4

 Initiating a more aggressive plan. White opens the position, seeking to show that 3...a6 is a loss of time.

7...dxe4 8.Nxe4 Nf6 9.Nxd6+ Qxd6 10.Bd3 0-0 11.0-0 Bg4 12.Ne5

12.Ng5 was the alternative, but White does not seem to have a lot after 12...h6 13.Nh7 Nxh7 14.Bxh7+ Kh8 Gordon prefers to sacrifice a pawn, whilst still ahead in development.

12...Qxd4 13.Nxg4 Qxg4 14.Rd1

White has the bishop pair by way of compensation, and will gain time on the exposed enemy queen. Even so, Black does not have any real weaknesses, so White's compensation should not be more than merely adequate.

14...Nbd7 15.Bf5 Qb4 16.Bd2 Qb6 17.Bc3 Qc7 18.Rd3 Ne5 19.Rh3

19...Ng6?

The computer's preference is for 19...g6 with approximate equality. To a human player, the desire to avoid weakening the long dark-squared diagonal is clear, but it seems that this what Black had to do. After the text, his kingside is weakened too seriously.

20.Bxf6 gxf6 21.Qe2 Kg7 22.Qh5 Rh8 23.Qh6+ Kg8

Now Black is effectively playing a rook down, quite apart from the direct threats to his king.

24.Rg3 Qe7?

Once again, the computer indicates a much tougher defence - 24...Qe5 The text loses simply.

25.h4 Qf8 26.Qf4 Qg7 27.Qc4 Qh6 28.Rd1 Qh5 29.Rd7 Rf8 30.Be6! 1-0

So, the final round pairings see Neverov-Kurnosov, Howell-Conquest, Berg-Greet and Williams-Gordon. For the first time in three years, we are guaranteed an outright winner. If Neverov beats Kurnosov, he will establish a new record for the 113-year history of the Hastings Congress. To borrow the title of the late and great Tommy Handley's radio show, "ITMA" - "It's That Man Again". Or will it be?