1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 bxc6 5. d3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. Nc3 d6 8. O-O Nf6 9. e5 Ng4 10. exd6 exd6

10...Nxe3 looked unplayable because of 11.dxe7 but that is refuted by 11...Qb6 so better 11.d7+ Qxd7 12.fxe3

11. Bg5 Qc7 12. Re1+ Be6 13. Nd2 O-O 14. h3

I saw 14.Rxe6 Nxf2! but didn't realise White still has 15.Re7 Qxe7 16.Bxe7 Nxd1 17.Rxd1

14... Nf6 15. Qf3 Nd5 16. Nde4 f5 17. Nxc5 dxc5

17...Bf7! 18.Ne6 Bxe6 19.Rxe6 Nxc3 20.bxc3 Bxc3 21.Rd1! intending d4 is still very good for White.

18. Rxe6 Nxc3 19. bxc3 Bxc3 20. Rb1 Rab8 21. Rxb8 Rxb8 22. Bf4 Rb1+ 23. Kh2 Qd7 24. Rxc6 Qe8 25. Qd5+ Kh8 26. Re6 Qf8 27. Be5+ 1-0 [Bonham, Kevin]

A must-win game for the FIDE champion, who was half a point behind coming into the final round - and badly needed a good result in this event after some recent embarrassments.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. c3 Nf6 4. Be2

A system used by Svidler in early days. The e4 pawn's immune because of Qa4+

4... Bd7 5. Qc2 Bc6 6. d3 Nbd7 7. Nbd2 Rc8 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 g6 10. O-O Bg7 11. Nxc6 bxc6

Now white has the two bishops

12. Nb3 O-O 13. Be3 c5 14. Rad1 Qc7 15. f4 Qc6 16. Nd2

16. Bf3 Qa4!?

16... Rb8 17. Bf3 Qa6 18. b3 Ne8 19. Nc4 Nb6 20. Be2 Nxc4 21. Bxc4 Qa5 22. e5!

The beginning of a very interesting attack, exploiting the fact that black's big hitters are on the queenside

22... dxe5 23. f5! Nd6

23... gxf5 24. Qxf5 e6 25. Bxe6 fxe6 26. Qxe6+ Kh8 27. Rxf8+ Bxf8 28. Qxe5+ Kg8 29. Qxb8 illustrates the dangers

24. fxg6 hxg6 25. Rxd6!! exd6 26. Qxg6

Threatening Bh6

26... Qxc3 27. Bh6 Qd4+ 28. Kh1 e4 29. Bxf7+ Rxf7

29... Kh8 30. Qh5! seems to clinch it - a nice quiet move. Eg 30... Qe5 31. Bxg7+ Kxg7 32. Qg6+ Kh8 33. Qh6#

30. Qxf7+ Kh8 31. Qh5 Bxh6 32. Qxh6+ Kg8 33. h3 Qg7 34. Qe6+ Kh8 35. Rf5 1-0

1. e4 d6 2. Nc3 e5 3. f4 exf4 4. Bc4 Qh4+ 5. Kf1 Be6 6. Qe2 Nc6 7. Nf3 Qh5 8. Nd5 O-O-O 9. Nxf4 Bxc4! 10. Qxc4 Qg4 11. Qxf7 Nh6 12. Qe6+ Qxe6 13. Nxe6 Re8

Black has given up a pawn for rapid development

14. Neg5 Ng4 15. d3 h6 16. Nh3 d5! 17. Nf2 Nxf2 18. Kxf2 dxe4 19. dxe4 Rxe4 20. Be3 Bd6 21. Rae1 Rf8 22. Bd2 Bc5+ 23. Kg3 Rc4!

Black maintains quite an attack

24. c3 Bd6+ 25. Kf2 Ne5 26. Ke2 Re4+ 27. Kd1 Rxe1+ 28. Nxe1 Rf2 29. b3 Ng4 30. h4 Nh2! 31. c4 Nf1!

A nice manoeuvre!

32. Bc3 Ng3 33. Rh3 Ne4 34. Bxg7!?

Loses a piece, but the alternative was utter passivity

34... Rd2+ 35. Kc1 Ba3+ 36. Kb1 Rd1+ 37. Kc2 Rd2+ 38. Kb1 Rd1+ 39. Kc2 Rxe1 40. Bxh6 Rg1 41. Be3 Rxg2+ 42. Kd3 Nf2+ 43. Bxf2 Rxf2 44. h5 Rf7 45. Ke4 Bf8 46. Rd3 Rf6 47. Ke5 Bg7 48. Ke4 Bh6 49. Rg3 Kd7 50. Rd3+ Ke7 51. Rd5 b6 52. Rd3 c6 53. Rg3 Rf4+ 54. Kd3 c5 55. Rg6 Rd4+ 56. Ke2 Rd6 57. Rg8 Kf6 58. Kf3 Ke5 59. Kg4 Rf6 60. Rd8 a5 61. a4 Ke4 62. Rd7 Rf4+ 63. Kg3 Rf3+ 64. Kg4 Rxb3 65. Rd6 Rg3+! 66. Kh4 Bg5+!

66... Bg5+ 67. Kxg3 Bf4+ 68. Kg4 Bxd6 69. h6 Be5

0-1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Qxc3 d6 7. f3 c5 8. dxc5 dxc5 9. Nh3 Nc6 10. Nf2 e5 11. e3 e4 12. f4 Ng4 13. h3 Nh6 14. g4 Qh4 15. Rg1 Rd8 16. b4 Rd1+!?

Flashy, but it doesn't seem to achieve much

17. Ke2!

17. Kxd1 Qxf2 18. Rh1 Qf3+

17... Rd8 18. Bb2 f6 19. b5 Ne7 20. Nxe4 Nxg4!?

Again, this looks worse than it is

21. Bg2! Nh6 22. Nxf6+! gxf6 23. Bxb7+

It's now clear that black's in more dager than white

23... Kf7 24. Bxa8 Bxh3 25. Bf3 Bg4 26. Rg2 Nef5 27. Rag1 Bxf3+ 28. Kxf3 Re8 29. Rh2!! Rxe3+

29... Qxh2? 30. Qxf6#

30. Qxe3 Qxh2 31. Qxc5 Nh4+ 32. Ke4! Qe2+ 33. Kd5

The king joins the attack!

33... N6f5 34. Kc6 Qxb2 35. Qd5+

35. Qd5+ Ke7 36. Qd7+ Kf8 37. Qd8+ Kf7 38. Qg8+ Ke7 39. Re1+

1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. e5 Ne4 5. Qxd4 d5 6. exd6 Nxd6 7. Nc3 Nf5 8. Qxd8+ Kxd8 9. Ng5 Nd6 10. Nb5!?

Cheeky devil

10... Be6 11. Nxe6+ fxe6 12. Bg5+ Kd7 13. O-O-O a6 14. Nd4 Nc6 15. Nxc6 Kxc6 16. g3

Black's in an awful lot of bother

16... Re8 17. Bg2+ Kd7 18. Bxb7 h6 19. Bf4 e5 20. Be3 g5 21. Bxa6 Ke6 22. Be2 Ra8 23. a3 Be7 24. Rhe1 Kf6 25. f4! Nf5 26. fxe5+ Kxe5 27. Bf3! 1-0

White should have taken the triple rep draw at move 41 and counted himself lucky after being worse for most of the game. He didn't want the draw ... and didn't get it.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Be2 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. Be3 O-O 9. h3 Bd7 10. Qd2 Qc8 11. Kh2 Rb8 12. a4 Re8 13. Rab1 a6 14. Bf3 Ne5 15. Bh6 b5 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. axb5 axb5 18. b4 Nc4 19. Qe2 e5 20. Nb3 Na3 21. Ra1 Qxc3 22. Rxa3 Qxb4 23. Ra7 Be6 24. Rd1 Ra8 25. Rb7 Reb8 26. Rxb8 Rxb8 27. Qd3 Rd8 28. Rb1 Bc4 29. Qe3 Ra8 30. Bd1 Be6 31. Nd2 Qa5 32. Nb3 Qc7 33. f3 Ra3 34. Qc1 b4 35. Qb2 Qa7 36. Nd2 Ba2 37. Ra1 Nh5 38. Qxb4 Qe3 39. Qxd6 Qf4+ 40. Kg1 Qe3+ 41. Kh2 Qf4+ 42. Kh1 Re3 43. Be2 Rxe2 44. Nf1 Be6 45. Kg1 Bxh3 0-1

1. d4 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c5 4. c3 cxd4 5. cxd4 Qa5+ 6. Bd2 Qb6 7. Bc3 Nc6 8. e3 d5 9. Ne2 Bd6 10. Nd2 Bd7 11. O-O O-O 12. Nc1 Rfc8 13. Nd3 Nb4 14. Bxb4 Bxb4 15. a3 Bd6 16. a4 a5 17. Qb1 Rc7 18. Qa2 Qa6 19. Ne5 Be8 20. Rfc1 Rxc1+ 21. Rxc1 Qe2 22. Ndf3 Ne4 23. Rf1 f6 24. Bh3

24. Ng4 h5!

24... fxe5 25. Bxe6+ Kh8 26. Nxe5 Bxe5 27. dxe5 Bc6 28. Bxd5 Nd2! 29. Ra1 Rf8 30. f4 Bxd5

30... Bxd5 31. Qxd5 Nf3+

0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nc6 7. Bc4 Nb6 8. Bd3 Be7 9. O-O d5 10. Nc3 Bd7 11. Be3 h6 12. Nd2 Rc8 13. f4 g6 14. g4 a6 15. Qe2 Nb4 16. Bb1 Na4 17. Nxa4 Bxa4 18. f5 Bb5 19. Qf3 gxf5 20. Rf2 Rg8 21. Rg2 Rc1+ 22. Kf2 Bh4+ 23. Rg3 Bxg3+ 24. hxg3 fxg4 25. Qg2 Qc7 26. a4 Bd3 27. Qh2 Bxb1 28. Rxb1 Rxb1 29. Nxb1 Qc2+ 30. Nd2 Qf5+ 31. Ke2 h5 32. Qh1 Kd7 33. a5 Rc8 34. Qa1 Qd3+ 35. Kf2 Qxe3+!! 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. d3 d6 6. f4 e6 7. Nf3 Nge7 8. Be3 Nd4 9. O-O O-O 10. Bf2 Nec6 11. e5 dxe5 12. Nxe5 Nxe5 13. fxe5 Bxe5 14. Ne4 f5

14... Qc7 15. c3

15. Nxc5 Qc7 16. b4 Nc6 17. d4 Bg7 18. c3 Rb8 19. Qb3 Nd8 20. Be3 Kh8 21. Rae1 e5 22. dxe5 b6 23. Nd3 Be6 24. Bd5 Bxd5 25. Qxd5 Nc6 26. Bf4 Rbd8 27. Qc4 Qb7 28. e6 h6 29. Ne5 Nxe5 30. Bxe5 Bxe5 31. Rxe5 Rd2 32. Re2 Rxe2 33. Qxe2 Re8 34. Re1 Qd5 35. c4 Qd4+ 36. Kg2 Kg7 37. a3 Qd6 38. Qb2+ Kh7 39. Qf6 Qd2+ 40. Kf1 Qd3+ 41. Kg1 Qd8 42. Qxd8 Rxd8 43. e7 Re8 44. c5 bxc5 45. bxc5 Kg7 46. c6 Kf7 47. c7 g5 48. Rd1 Kxe7 49. Re1+ 1-0

1. c4 g6 2. g3 Bg7 3. Bg2 c5 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. e4 e6 6. Nge2 Nge7 7. d3 d6 8. Be3 Nd4 9. Qd2 Nec6 10. O-O O-O 11. f4 f5 12. h3

with dreams of an attack on the kingside to counter the oncoming queenside attack from black

12... Rb8 13. Rac1

I wasn't sure quite where this rook belonged, although I think c1 was probably the right square.

13... a6 14. g4 Bd7 15. Kh2 Qa5 16. Ng3 b5 17. b3

This was my defensive idea for the queenside - sit and hold and hope that something would happen on the kingside.

17... b4

I don't think this is a bad move as such, but it does clarify the situation on the queenside a bit sooner than I think it needs to be. Now black is planning to eventually play a5-a4xb3 and attack the weaknesses on the queenside, however it does greatly reduce white's defensive task on that side at the same time.

18. Nd1 Qd8 19. Bxd4 Nxd4 20. Ne3 Qh4??

A horrible blunder which loses almost immediately!

21. exf5 exf5

Now black loses a piece at least!

22. Bd5+ Be6 23. g5! Bxd5 24. cxd5 Rfe8

24... Be5 was the only way I could see to try to hold the position, although it is still hopeless. 25. Ng2 Bxf4 26. Qxf4

25. Ng2

Goodbye queen!

25... Qxg3+ 26. Kxg3 Re2

26... Ne2+ 27. Kf3 Nxc1 28. Rxc1 really isn't good enough either. White simply takes the e-file with his rook and should have a comfortable win.

27. Qd1 Rbe8

At this point I was a little worried that I might just end up being squeezed by the rooks on the e-file. I couldn't see any easy way to challenge the e-file without something catastrophic happening, although of course I did think that the queen for bishop advantage should eventually tell!

28. Rf2 R2e7 29. Kh2 Ne2 30. Rc2 Nc3 31. Qf3 Nb5 32. Qg3

This was my first idea ... with the queen on g3, put the rooks on the first rank and play for Re1 to exchange ... although easier said than done!

32... Nd4 33. Rcd2 Kf7 34. Nh4

This was my next better idea ... getting rid of the knight from d4 and trying to challenge the file via e2.

34... Re3 35. Qg2 Nb5 36. Rde2 Bc3 37. Nf3

I was in no hurry to swap rooks and thought control of d4 was more important.

37... Bd4 38. Nxd4 Nxd4 39. Rxe3 Rxe3

Now it was just a matter of preventing the tricks, while trying to continue with the plan of swapping off. I did also have the other idea of attacking on the kingside with and eventual Qh4 - its something that is tough to stop.

40. Qf1

covering both d3 and f3. I was looking to get the queen on f2 to go to h4 and to move the rook from e3, but had to be careful about how it was done.

40... Kg7 41. Kg2 h5

This was something that surprised me a little, but I suppose black has to do something, otherwise he is simply sitting there waiting for the inevitable.

42. gxh6+ Kxh6 43. Rd2 Kh5 44. Qf2 Re8 45. Qg3 Kh6 46. Kf1 Kg7

The final blunder ...

47. Rg2 1-0 [Kerry Stead]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 b6 7. Nc3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 Qc7 9. Bd2 d6 10. Bd3 Nd7 11. O-O dxe5 12. Ng5 Bb7 13. Qh5 g6 14. Qh3 Be7 15. Rae1 Nf8?

Black is walking a tightrope in this gambit line, but he can survive and prosper with the unlikely defence

15... Qd8! 16. Qg4 f5 17. Qg3 f4 18. Nxh7! Nf8!! when the complications favour Black.

16. Rxe5 f6? 17. Bb5+ Bc6 18. Nxe6 Nxe6 19. Bxc6+ Qxc6 20. Rxe6 1-0

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. Bc4 Be7 6. Bxf7+?!

An attractive- looking sacrifice but one which turns out only to be playable after a preliminary exchange of pawns on e5.

6... Kxf7 7. Ng5+ Kg8 8. Ne6 Qe8 9. Nxc7 Qg6! 10. Nxa8 Qxg2 11. Rf1 exd4 12. Qxd4 Ne5 13. f4 Nfg4! 14. Ne2?!

Black's attack is already terribly strong but

14. Qd5+ Nf7 15. Qc4 keeps the fight going.

14... Bh4+ 15. Ng3 Nxh2 16. Qd5+ Nf7 17. Rf2 Bxg3 18. Be3 Bxf2+ 19. Bxf2 Qf1+ 0-1 [Rogers, Ian]

1. e4 c5 2. c3 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Na3!? Bg4 7. Be2 e6 8. h3 Bh5 9. g4?

9. O-O would be sensible, whereas now White discovers that as soon as the position opens up, his king cannot find a safe haven.

9... Bg6 10. g5 Ne4 11. c4 Qf5! 12. Qb3 O-O-O 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Be3 Bb4+ 15. Kf1 Bh5 16. Kg2 Nxg5 17. Nh4 Qe4+ 18. Kg3 Bd6+ 19. f4 Bxe2 0-1

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bc4 Qb6 7. Nb3 e6 8. Be3 Qc7 9. f4 a6 10. O-O b5 11. Be2 b4?!

The start of a plan based on greed which rebounds horribly.

12. Na4 Nxe4?! 13. Bf3 Nf6?! 14. Bb6! Qd7 15. Nbc5!! dxc5 16. Bxc6! 1-0 [Rogers, Ian]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 Bc5 3. Nf3 d6 4. c3 Nf6 5. Bc4 Nc6 6. d3 O-O 7. Qe2 Re8 8. f5 d5!

Breaking open the centre to exploit the flank loosening and white's underdevelopment

9. Bb3 Bxf5!! 10. Bg5

10. exf5 e4! Regains the piece because otherwise white loses the queen to a pin

10... dxe4 11. dxe4 Bxe4! 12. Qc4

12. Bxf6 Bxf3!

12... Qd5 13. Qa4 Qd3! 14. Nbd2 Bxf3 15. Nxf3 Ne4!

Threatening ...Bf2 mate

16. Bh4 b5! 17. Qa6 Nd4!! 18. Bd1

18. cxd4 Bb4+

18... Nxf3+

18... Nxf3+ 19. Bxf3 Bf2+!! 20. Bxf2 Qd2+ 21. Kf1 Qxf2#

0-1

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. d5 a5 8. O-O Na6 9. Be3 Nh5 10. Re1 Nf4 11. Bf1 Nc5 12. Qc2 Bd7 13. b3 c6 14. g3 Nh5 15. a3 cxd5 16. Nxd5 Rc8 17. b4 Ne6 18. Bb6 Qe8 19. Bxa5

White has won a pawn, but an important defender is offside

19... f5 20. Nb6 fxe4! 21. Nxc8

21. Qxe4 Bc6

21... Qxc8! 22. Nd2 Nd4 23. Qxe4 Bc6

Black has a very strong attack for the exchange

24. Qd3 Rf3!! 25. Re3

25. Nxf3 Nxf3+ 26. Kg2 Nxe1+

25... Nf4!! 26. Nxf3

26. gxf4 Qg4+ 27. Bg2 Rxe3

26. Qb1 Rxe3 27. fxe3 Nfe2+ 28. Bxe2 Nxe2+ 29. Kf2 Nc3 30. Qd3 e4 31. Qxd6 Qh3 is one possibility

26... Nxf3+ 27. Rxf3 Nxd3 28. Rxd3 Qg4 29. b5 Be4 30. Re3 d5 31. cxd5 Bxd5 32. Bc3 Bh6 33. Rd3 Qe4 34. f3 Be3+ 0-1