Hastings International Chess Congress 2010-11

[LozCooper]

I guess one advantage of playing out a sharp line like this is to give future oppenents an extra opening to think about. I agree with Simon that it's up to the organisers if they are happy to invite players back or want to give other players a chance, preferably English

[Alex McFarlane]

Loz,

I have nothing to do with the invitations - but foreign players are needed to ensure title norms. 10 titled (W)GM or (W)IM plus another 10 FIDE rated so that individual fields don't have to be looked at. With these requirements met an individuals opponents do not have to meet foreign player needs.

[LozCooper]

Hi Alex,

Yes, it's important to have the right mix. From a selfish point of view I'd like to see more English GMs and GM norm seekers playing and challenging for prizes without reducing norm opportunities. Maybe inviting more foreign women with WGM and WIM titles leaving more in the budget for English GMs and GM norm seekers is an option for the future.

We were obviously spoilt at the London Chess Classic with Gawain Jones, Simon Williams, Mark Hebden etc fighting in all their games especially in the closing rounds which made for great entertainment.

[Ian Kingston]

I don't think we should get too concerned about short draws at this year's Hastings. Of the 352 games played in Rounds 1-7, 26 have been drawn in 25 moves or below. Only seven of these draws occurred on the top 10 boards.

Quick draws to secure prize money, norms or an early departure are likely in Round 9, but is anyone really worried about that?

[John Moore]

In view of your stats, Ian, I doubt that it's an issue.

Simon, I know what you are saying about preferring them to bash out an Exchange Slav and depart the scene but the line they played is interesting and would have provided some spectator interest and some fun in the analysis room. Is it Chris Ward this year - I bet he loved it!

[LozCooper]

I think the last round is quite different but in any case I think the only grumbles are concerning players who have been paid to play, especially when there are lots of English GMs who would gladly have taken their place. I'm sure I would do the same (or similar) in their place though so it's really upto individual organisers how they view quick and pre-arranged draws and they have the power to invite different players in the future if they so wish.

[Simon Ansell]

Yes, it's an interesting line (I know nothing about it...) but I took very little interest in the game because of the rate at which they were playing - it was obvious something like that would happen.

Personally I think players receiving appearance fees have some obligation to actually play chess, but I'm not too bothered about it - after all I am sat at home paying nothing to watch it and I do understand how difficult it is to be a professional chess player! As I said before, it's up to the organisers to decide who they want to invite.

[Mick Norris]

Anyway care to explain the game on board 7, which has the greatest interest up here in the north Manchester snow?

[Simon Ansell]

Anyway care to explain the game on board 7, which has the greatest interest up here in the north Manchester snow?

If I had to guess, I would say there's probably some way for White to sac a piece for the a-pawn when it's most likely a draw, but I really have no idea what's happening in that position!

[Mick Norris]

Glad it is not just me!

[LozCooper]

Hastings Masters 2010 Round: 8 results

Table White Score Fed. Rating Black Score Fed. Rating Result
1 GM EDOUARD, Romain 6.0 FRA 2636 GM ISTRATESCU, Andrei 5.5 ROU 2616 ½-½
2 GM HOWELL, David W L 5.5 ENG 2611 GM GORMALLY, Daniel W 5.5 ENG 2470 ½-½
3 ANWESH, Upadhyaya 5.0 IND 2426 IM SHYAM, Sundar M 5.5 IND 2439 ½-½
4 GRIFFITHS, Ryan Rhys 5.0 IRL 2267 GM SENGUPTA, Deep 5.0 IND 2558 0-1
5 IM DAS Arghyadip 5.0 IND 2476 IM BATES, Richard A 5.0 ENG 2370 1-0
6 IM PRASANNA, Rao 5.0 IND 2400 IM RENDLE, Thomas E 4.5 ENG 2400 1-0
7 GM KOTRONIAS, Vasilios 4.5 GRE 2591 FM ASHTON, Adam G 4.5 ENG 2330 ½-½
8 GM HEBDEN, Mark L 4.5 ENG 2560 FM RADOVANOVIC, Jovica 4.5 SRB 2276 ½-½
9 FM DRUCKENTHANER, Andreas 4.5 AUT 2306 GM NEVEROV, Valeriy 4.5 UKR 2522 0-1
10 JACKSON, James P 4.5 ENG 2146 IM SWAPNIL, S Dhopade 4.5 IND 2409 0-1
11 FRANKLIN, Samuel G A 4.0 ENG 2185 IM RAMNATH, Bhuvanesh R 4.0 IND 2427 0-1
12 GRANT, Alan G 4.0 SCO 2219 IM WOHL, Aleksandar H 4.0 AUS 2424 0-1
13 FM BRITTON, Richard L 4.0 ENG 2229 IM KNOTT, Simon J B 4.0 ENG 2333 0-1
14 FM ZHOU, Yang-Fan 4.0 ENG 2326 SPENCE, David J 4.0 ENG 2237 1-0
15 ROLVAG, Mikael 4.0 NOR 2179 FM EGGLESTON, David J 4.0 ENG 2307 ½-½
16 ANDERSON, John 4.0 ENG 2195 IM SALOV, Sergej 4.0 GER 2294 ½-½
17 KULKARNI, Chinmay 4.0 IND 2275 HANSSEN, Gunnar Berg 4.0 NOR 2218 ½-½
18 SERGIENKO, Vladislav 4.0 UKR 2133 FM KAUFELD, Juergen 4.0 GER 2270 ½-½
19 IM RUDD, Jack 4.0 ENG 2253 SREEVES, Clement 4.0 SCO 2104 1-0
20 FM FURMAN, Boris 4.0 RUS 2253 IM MARUSENKO, Petr 4.0 UKR 2206 ½-½
21 CHKARTINA, Gerhana 4.0 INA 2014 FM WHITE, Michael J R 4.0 ENG 2247 0-1
22 LOCK, Gavin R 3.5 ENG 2182 CM KWIATKOWSKI, Feliks J 4.0 ENG 2246 ½-½
23 WILLIAMS, Peter A 3.5 ENG 2179 IM PROSVIRIAKOV, Vladimir 3.5 USA 2280 ½-½
24 RAYNER, Francis 3.5 WLS 2141 FM EAMES, Robert S 3.5 ENG 2275 0-1
25 GREEN, Andrew D 3.5 SCO 2141 FM LEDGER, Dave J 3.5 ENG 2261 0-1
26 FM RAMONDINO, Renzo 3.5 ITA 2257 ATAKO, Chino 3.5 ENG 2039 0-1
27 FM CAFFERTY, Bernard 3.5 ENG 2133 SNAPE, Ian L 3.5 ENG 2228 ½-½
28 BREMNER, Adam 3.5 SCO 1912 * SUGDEN, John N 3.5 ENG 2193 1-0
29 COATES, David H 3.0 ENG 2067 KURKA, Dieter 3.5 GER 2040 1-0
30 GIBSON, Christopher A 3.0 ENG 1984 ROYSET, Paal 3.0 NOR 2171 0-1
31 MARZANO, Carlo 3.0 ITA 2160 ZHU, Yao Yao 3.0 CHN 1994 * ½-½
32 SIMON, Thomas 3.0 GER 1971 ALMOND, Richard J 3.0 ENG 2145 ½-½
33 HELBIG, Paul D 3.0 ENG 2115 HARIA, Ravi 3.0 ENG 1952 1-0
34 MESSAM-SPARKS, Lateefah 3.0 ENG 1917 BARTON, R Alan 3.0 ENG 2103 ½-½
35 ROLVAAG, Birk Anders 3.0 NOR 1917 WFM HEGARTY, Sarah N 3.0 ENG 2080 0-1
36 MALHOTRA, Tarun 3.0 ENG 1913 SPANTON, Tim R 3.0 ENG 2030 ½-½
37 JAUNOOBY, Ali R 2.5 ENG 2207 CALVERT, D Ian 2.5 ENG 1981 ½-½
38 ARMSTRONG, Malcolm J 2.5 ENG 1957 CM RICH, Mark C 2.5 ENG 2145 1-0
39 DE COVERLY, Roger D 2.5 ENG 2091 QUINN, Joseph R 2.5 ENG 1815 1-0
40 STEWART, Ashley 2.5 ENG 1980 FLYNN, David 2.5 ENG 2061 0-1
41 WFM NORINKEVICIUTE, Rasa 2.5 LTU 2028 HOARE, Amy 2.5 ENG 1921 1-0
42 PICKERSGILL, Adrian O 2.5 ENG 2026 DALE, Hannah 2.5 ENG 1790 ½-½
43 CAMPBELL, Eoin 2.5 SCO 1950 LENIER, Jude 2.5 ENG 2006 0-1
44 PLEININGER, Rudolf 2.0 SUI 1998 CLAYTON, Tristan 2.0 ENG 1791 0-1
45 WEBSTER, Richard J 2.0 ENG 1986 YOUNG, Mel J 2.0 ENG 1938 ½-½
46 DUNLOP, Neil J 2.0 ENG 1923 JELSEN, Yemi 2.0 INA 1967 0-1
47 TORGERSEN, Markus 1.0 NOR 1741 KELLY, Paul J 3.0 WLS 1946 * 1-0
48 POOLEY, Mark 1.0 ENG 1778 * MACRAE, James S 1.5 SCO 1763 ½-½

[Mick Norris]

Anyway care to explain the game on board 7, which has the greatest interest up here in the north Manchester snow?

If I had to guess, I would say there's probably some way for White to sac a piece for the a-pawn when it's most likely a draw, but I really have no idea what's happening in that position!

And you were right!

Next question, why didn't Gormally play 67 Bc7 and then K x d7?

[LozCooper]

Anyway care to explain the game on board 7, which has the greatest interest up here in the north Manchester snow?

If I had to guess, I would say there's probably some way for White to sac a piece for the a-pawn when it's most likely a draw, but I really have no idea what's happening in that position!

And you were right!

Next question, why didn't Gormally play 67 Bc7 and then K x d7?

I assume he wanted to avoid 68 d8 Bxd8 69 Rxf7 having evaluated what he played as a fortress or he may have been worried about Ra8-h8xh6 if he tried it a move later

[Mick Norris]

I assumed he was trying to win with f5

[LozCooper]

I assumed he was trying to win with f5

Playing the way he did certainly gave white a chance to overpress if he let the central pawns get to far advanced