Hastings Round 5 Emmanuel Berg vs Luc Bergez. Photo © Dave Clayton.

...and in with the new

FM Steve Giddins reports on round 5 of the Hastings Masters

After the New Year's Eve binge comes the New Year's Day hangover...Despite the 2.15pm start time, the 1 January round always sees plenty of players who are looking the worse for wear, after the previous night's exertions. You know the giveaway signs - bloodshot eyes, coffee consumption at an all-time high, and players walking round very gingerly, as if making an exceptional effort not to allow their heads to move even the tiniest bit. As always on such occasions, those of us who did not indulge to excess (or even at all) the previous evening feel particularly smug, and struggle to resist the temptation to put on an exaggerated attitude of bonhomie...

The standard of play often suffers in consequence of all this. Indeed, for some of the worst affected souls, the need to play a game of chess at all is deeply resented, as being a gross intrusion on a shattered sleep pattern. Even defeat can be welcome, providing it occurs quickly, since it at least provides the opportunity of a rapid return to bed. Perhaps the wisest players are those who take a half point bye on January 1st.

One player who seems not to have over-indulged on 31 December is Igor  Kurnosov. Round five of this year's Hastings Masters saw the Russian GM move into the sole lead, after winning as Black against Gawain Jones. The latter, on the other hand, may have enjoyed his New Year's Eve; I hope he did, because he had a very poor start to 2009:

Jones,Gawain C (2548) - Kurnosov,Igor (2606) [B23]

Hastings Masters 2009

1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 e6 3.f4 d5 4.Nf3 d4 5.Bb5+ Bd7 6.Bxd7+ Qxd7 7.Ne2 d3 8.cxd3 Qxd3 9.Qa4+ b5 10.Qb3 Qxe4 11.Qxb5+ Qc6 12.Nc3 Nf6 13.0-0 Bd6 14.Ne5 Bxe5 15.fxe5 Nd5 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Qe2 0-0

Gawain's Grand Prix Attack has yielded no advantage, but he would not be worse after a move such as 18.b3 Instead, he had what looks like a rush of blood.

18.b4?

Gawain must have had something in mind, but I am not sure what. As far as I can see, this move simply loses a pawn.

18...cxb4 19.Bb2 Qe6 20.Qh5 Nc6 21.Rae1 d4

I fear that round about here, Gawain must have had the immortal words of Private Frazer ringing in his ears: "We're doomed, Cap'n Mainwaring,  quite dooooooomed, I tell ye!"

22.d3 Qxa2 23.Bc1 Rae8 Black is just two pawns up, for nothing at all. 24.Re4 Re6 25.Rh4 h6 26.Bf4 Rg6 27.Bg3 b3 28.e6 b2 29.Qb5 Rxe6 30.Rh5 a6 31.Qb7 Na5 32.Rxa5 Qxa5 33.Qxb2 Qc3 34.Qb1 Re2 35.Qb7 Qxd3 36.Bd6 Qe3+ 37.Kh1 Re1 0-1

While this was happening, top seed Emanuel Berg was winning in crushing style, after his IM opponent chose a dubious opening variation:

Berg,Emanuel (2623) - Bergez,Luc (2356) [B01]

Hastings Masters 2009

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Bd7 4.Bc4 Bg4 5.f3 Bf5 6.Nc3 a6

This line does not really have a great reputation at GM level as it is, but if it is to be playable at all, I suspect the more usual 6...Nbd7 should be preferred. The text has been played before, but not at a high level, and Berg gives a fairly good clue as to why this is.

7.g4! Bc8 8.g5 Nh5 9.d4 b5 10.Bb3 g6 11.Nge2 Bg7 12.Nf4 Nxf4 13.Bxf4 Nd7 14.Qd2

As Yasser Seirawan is fond of saying in such positions, "White has the extra pawn and the compensation"

14...Nb6 15.Be5 0-0 16.Qf4 Ra7 17.a3 Qd7 18.h4

Having led the black king up the steps of the scaffold, Berg picks up his axe, to administer the coup de grace.

18...Bb7 19.Bxg7 Kxg7 20.h5 Raa8 21.0-0-0 Rad8 22.hxg6 fxg6 23.Qe5+ Kg8

24.Rxh7!

"Off with his head!"

1-0

Amongst the other top games, David Howell proved too strong for the rapid-fire Jack Rudd, but defending champion Neverov had a very narrow escape against Dutch IM, Willy Hendricks. Stephen Gordon's second straight win saw him move within half a point of the lead, as did Didier Leroy and Simon Ansell, both of whom had good wins. Simon Williams bounced back in typically ebullient style, after his defeat in the previous round :

Williams,Simon Kim (2494) - Lock,Gavin R (2252) [D15]

Hastings Masters 2009

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.h4

To the best of my database's knowledge, this is a novelty. Indeed, after his 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4!? of two rounds ago, it is the second h2-h4 novelty that Simon has played in this tournament.

5...h6

This does not appear strictly necessary. The immediate 5...dxc4 was a natural alternative.

6.g3 dxc4 7.Ne5 b5 8.Bg2 Bb7 9.a4 e6 10.0-0 Nd5 11.e4 Nxc3

12.Qf3!?

12.bxc3 Nd7 leads to a normal Catalan-style position, with about equal chances. With the text, White tries to provoke a weakness on the kingside, before recapturing the knight.

12...Ne2+ 13.Kh2

Consistent.

13...Qf6

13...Qc7 looks a trifle more natural, but Lock has the idea of taking the initiative on the kingside himself.

14.Qxe2 g5?!

Black allows himself to be provoked into "punishing" the move 5.h4, but with so little development, the idea is optimistic, to say the least.

15.Ng4 Qxd4?

And this is taking the optimism altogether too far. Black should try 15...Qd8 although I would still rather be White.

16.Rd1 Qg7 17.Bd2 Be7 18.axb5

Suddenly, Black's position is falling apart.

18...0-0 19.Bc3 f6 20.Qxc4 Kh8 21.hxg5 hxg5 22.Rh1 Qf7 23.Kg1+ Kg7 24.bxc6 Nxc6 25.Nh6 1-0

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