[Event "Hastings 00/01"] [Site "?"] [Date "2000.12.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Waddington"] [Black "Parr, Frank"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "A00"] [Annotator "Mike Waddington"] [PlyCount "67"] [EventDate "2000.??.??"] {[%evp 0,67,16,18,21,-31,-35,-30,46,16,32,19,19,6,33,24,89,74,82,40,100,100,68, 92,92,105,107,107,111,37,4,-4,8,16,7,-6,32,36,39,41,50,39,58,36,46,53,53,34,89, 92,173,173,175,175,202,168,292,147,232,283,283,195,197,223,456,374,405,415,518, 512] The very first round and I was paired with the veteran Frank Parr. Forget Alekhine, Capablanca, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Karpov and others, one of the least well known winners of Hastings was Frank in 1939/40. I had previously played his son David who was another strong player especially in the 1970s and felt very privileged. The Hastings tournament has moved over the years and was for many years on the pier. Those fans as you opened the doors. Due to a fire it had moved to the YMCA which was a poky space and not an ideal playing venue. This was the first year that the newly built Horntye Leisure Centre hosted. It had been opened by a hero of mine, Trevor Brooking, and was light, airy and spacious. It is a pity that it looks so shabby today but back then it was magnificent. Leisure centres are my favourite venue for playing chess and many of my best results have occurred there. My hierarchy of venues is leisure centres, other halls, schools and then hotels. I had won the Dorset Open in my last tournament before this so was feeling good...} 1. Nc3 d5 2. e4 d4 3. Nce2 g6 4. Ng3 Bg7 5. Bc4 h5 6. h3 $1 {Stops h4-h3 weakening g4.} h4 7. N3e2 e5 8. d3 Qe7 9. f4 Be6 10. Bxe6 Qxe6 11. Nf3 Nc6 12. O-O O-O-O {I think this is a very balanced position and it is not easy to come up with a plan on either side.} 13. fxe5 Nxe5 14. Nf4 {Keeping it simple especially in round one and not entering the murky world of Nxd4s and Qb6.} Qd6 15. Nd5 c6 16. Nf4 Ne7 17. Bd2 f5 $6 {I am not sure what this thrust achieves as it creates holes in the position. Both sides are finding a plan difficult.} 18. Ng5 Bf6 19. Nfe6 $1 {Forward! Knights are at their best on the 6th rank if you can keep them there! } Rde8 {Preparing to sabotage the beastie. I need accurate moves to keep the balance.} 20. Qe1 $1 {Black does not need Bb4. But shutting down this option creates a hook.} c5 21. b4 $1 c4 22. dxc4 Nxc4 23. Bf4 Ne5 {and suddenly the d pawn would be a worry as Qb6 ef5 puts the e5 knight en prise.} (23... Be5 24. Rd1) 24. Rd1 $1 N7c6 25. b5 {Just in the nick of time as the e6 knight is exposed. Whose strategy has succeeded? The next few moves will decide.} Bxg5 $2 {It is difficult to criticise this move as the position is so complicated.} 26. Nxg5 $1 {I nearly played bc6? as I was seduced by cb+ when I realised Ng5 - f7 was a threat.} (26. bxc6 $2 Bxf4 27. cxb7+ Kxb7 28. Nxf4 Nc6 {and the e4 pawn disappears.}) 26... Nd8 27. Qd2 $1 {The d-pawn is doomed.} fxe4 28. Qxd4 { The best thing about this move was I had calculated Nf3+ and losing spectacularly for black.} Qxd4+ (28... Nf3+ $4 29. Rxf3 Qxd4+ 30. Rxd4 exf3 31. Rc4+ Kd7 32. Rc7#) 29. Rxd4 {The queens are off but he cannot move the e5 knight owing to the murderous Rc4+. This decides the game.} Rhf8 30. Rxe4 Rf5 31. Rfe1 Ref8 {White to play and win.} 32. Nh7 $1 R8f7 33. Bxe5 Rxh7 34. Rc4+ 1-0