Hastings Round 9 Valeriy Neverov and Igor Kurnosov. Photo © Dave Clayton.

Lieutenant Scott's lament

FM Steve Giddins reports on the 9th and final round of the Hastings Masters

As Engineer Scotty was fond of reminding Captain Kirk on the Starship Enterprise, "I cannae change the laws of physics"!" It would appear that what is good for Starship engineers is also good for chess grandmasters. Going into today's final round of the 2008/9 Hastings Masters, Valery Neverov had won the tournament a record-equalling three times, and a win over tournament  leader Igor Kurnosov would have given him a new record fourth successive title. But it was not to be. The Ukrainian GM sacrificed a pawn, obtained some pressure and was able to regain the pawn, but no more. The resulting rook ending was as drawn as drawn could be, and the point was split on move 28. I suppose we should have guessed, really; after all, every chessplayer knows that threefold repetition always spells a draw...

So it is 22-year old Russian GM Igor Kurnosov, who becomes the outright winner of the latest edition of the Hastings Masters. The young Russian, who is certainly not widely known in the West, played outstanding chess over the 9 days of the event, never looking close to losing a game, and conceding only three draws, to record what is probably the best result of his career.

Mr Entertainment, aka Simon Williams, won a typically sharp game against Stephen Gordon, to lift himself into the prize list, and also to win the £ 100 Horntye Park Brilliancy Prize for the second time in three years:

Williams,Simon (2494) - Gordon,Stephen (2521)

Hastings Masters .2009

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4 7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 b5 9.Be2 Bb7 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nd2 Nd7 12.Nde4 Qb6 13.a4 a5 14.Rc1 Nxc3 15.Nxc3 b4 16.Ne4 c5 17.dxc5 Bxc5 18.Rxc4 Bd5

19.0-0 0-0 20.Rxc5 Bxe4 21.Rb5 Qc6 22.f3 Bc2 23.Qd2 Bxa4 24.Rc1 Bxb5 25.Rxc6 Bxc6 26.h4 Rfd8 27.hxg5 Nf8 28.Qc1 Be8 29.gxh6 f5 30.Qg5+ Bg6 31.Bc4 Rd1+ 32.Kh2 Re8 33.Bb5 Rb8 34.Qe7 Bf7 35.Qf6 1-0

Howell and Conquest fought out a hard draw, but Emanuel Berg ground down Greet, whilst Hebden killed off his opponent's other norm chance, by defeating Iceland's Gudmundur Hjartansson.

Bulletin editors are always grateful for short last round games, which do not end in boring draws, so Stewart Haslinger's smart finish against John Anderson is guaranteed an appearance. Sadly for John, he also needed a draw to clinch an IM norm, but despite missing out, he can look back on an outstanding tournament.

Anderson,John (2213) - Haslinger,Stewart (2506)

Hastings Masters 2009

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.f3 0-0 8.Qd2 Re8 9.0-0-0 d5 10.Nxc6 bxc6 11.Bh6 Bh8 12.Bg5 Qd6 13.h4 Rb8 14.a3 Nd7 15.h5 Nc5 16.hxg6 fxg6 17.exd5

17...Rxb2! 18.Bc4 Nb3+! 19.Bxb3 Qxa3 0-1

So, the result of the 2008-9 Hastings Masters is 1st Kurnosov, 7.5, 2nd-3rd. Neverov and Berg 7, and 4-5th Hebden and Williams. Another great episode of the Hastings story is over, and all that remains is for me to thanks all the players, officials, arbiters, spectators, and everyone else connected with the congress. I look forward to renewing acquaintance with you all next year.

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