(1) Hebden,M - Surtees,M [A00]
26th Blackpool Chess Conference (Open), 03.2002
[Chris Rice]

The organisers have a policy that all players pay for their entries, including Grand Masters. As a result, only one GM turned up! Given that the GM was Mark Hebden, one would think that the result was a foregone conclusion. Amazing then that Mark only made 3.5 and didn't figure in the prizes at all! The following game was primarily responsible for this.

1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 c5 3.e4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Be2 Nf6 7.0-0 d6 8.f4 Nbd7 9.Bf3 Be7 10.g4 h6 11.Qe2 g6 12.Be3 e5 13.g5
Well I guess it would be a shock if Mark had not tried to mix it up rather than play the natural 13 Nb3. However this move seems to loose a clear pawn without any form of real compensation. But as the sun comes up every day and sets every evening we have all got used to Mark winning regardless of material considerations.

13...hxg5 14.fxg5 Nh7 15.Nd5 Qd8 16.Nb3 Bxg5 17.Bg2 b6 18.Nd2 b5?!
I am not sure why Black gives White a target for some queenside counter play. 18...Bb7 seems more solid with an undisputed advantage.

19.a4 Bb7 20.Bxg5 Nxg5 21.axb5 Bxd5 22.exd5 axb5 23.Rxa8 Qxa8 24.Qe3
I can't fathom out why White didn't play 24 Qxb5 here. Perhaps Mark was concerned about 24...Qa7+ 25 Kh1 Qd4 but the simple 26 Qc4 equalises.

24...Rh5 25.c4 b4 26.h4 Rxh4?
Definitely temping but certainly incorrect. 26...Nh7 was the right move and Black is still better.

27.Qxg5 Qa7+ 28.Rf2 Rf4 29.Qg3
Presumably Mark was trying to swap all he pieces off into a winning endgame otherwise he would have played the superior 29 Ne4.

29...Nf6 30.Bf3 Qd4 31.Kh1 Qxb2 32.Re2 Kf8 33.Kg2 Qd4 34.Qf2 Qc3 35.Qb6 Ne8 36.Qa7 Nf6 37.c5?? g5??
37...e4! wins but doubtless both flags were hanging here.

38.Kg1 g4 39.Bg2 Qxc5+?
39...Qd4+ 40 Kh1 Qd3 wins immediately.

40.Qxc5 dxc5
Reaching the time control. Despite the errors Black still is close to winning.

41.Rxe5 c4 42.Ne4 c3 43.Nc5 c2 44.Nb3 Rd4! 45.Re1 Rd1 46.Kf2 Rb1 47.Rc1 Rxb3 48.Rxc2 Ne8 49.Rc6 Ke7 50.Be4 Nd6 51.Bh7 f5 52.Rc7+ Kf6 53.Rd7 Ke5 54.Re7+ Kf4 55.Re6 Rb2+ 56.Ke1 Ne4 57.d6 g3 58.Rg6 g2 59.d7 Ng3 0-1