Chess

Andrew Green was on the losing side of the Best Game prize awarded at the recent Hastings Masters. In their last-round game, English GM Simon Williams conjured up a "stunningly imaginative" queen sacrifice to win the award, judged by Steve Giddins, who provided daily online commentary. The sacrifice initially netted just one piece but required accurate defence.

Hastings Masters round nine, White: S Williams (England, 2550), Black: A Green (Scotland, 2151) 1 f4 g6 2 Nf3 Bg7 3 c4 d6 4 d4 Nf6 5 Nc3 0-0 6 e4 c5 7 d5 e6 8 e5 dxe5 9 fxe5 Ng4 10 Bg5 Qa5 11 Be2 Nxe5 12 Nxe5 Bxe5 13 0-0 f6 14 Bh6 Rf7 15 Ne4 Bd4+ 16 Qxd4! (See diagram.) Wow, can that work? It's worth an exclamation mark that a GM would even contemplate such a move. 16...cxd4 17 Nxf6+ Kh8 18 Ne8 Rf5! 19 g4 exd5 20 gxf5 Bxf5 Maybe 20...gxf5, White seems to have full compensation now. 21 Bf3 dxc4 22 Bxb7 Qb5 23 Nd6 Qb6 24 Rae1 d3+ 25 Kh1 Nd7 26 Bxa8 Nf6 27 Nxf5 gxf5 28 Rxf5 1-0.

Scot Martin Mitchell, now resident in Blackpool, also endured a tough final round. Mitchell had relied on earlier information that he could afford a loss to IM Andrew Martin and still record his first ever master norm. However, unknown to Mitchell, the organisers had changed their calculations and a draw was now required. Mitchell learned of the new requirement after a dozen moves. The unwelcome added tension as he was on the brink of a lifetime-best performance provoked a collapse to loss. Mitchell had earlier recorded his easiest IM scalp.

Hastings Masters round two, White: M Mitchell (Scotland, 2195), Black: S Collins (Ireland, 2431)

1 d4 e6 2 c4 b6 3 Nc3 Bb7 4 a3 f5 5 d5 Nf6 6 g3 Be7 7 Bg2 0-0 8 Nh3 a5 9 0-0 Na6?? Overlooking that White's 9 0-0 (to protect g2) had introduced a big threat. 10 d6! Winning a piece. Mitchell mentions that Collins put his head in his hands for a full five minutes, no doubt annoyed at himself for making such a low-level mistake. 10...Bxg2 11 dxe7 Wins by the intermediate attack on the queen. 11...Qxe7 12 Kxg2 1-0 at move 30.

The Perth Congress, to be held at the airport in Scone from 29 to 31 January, has an international field to celebrate the town's 800th anniversary. Download an entry form at www.chessscotland.com.

• This article was first published in Scotland on Sunday, January 17, 2010