[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2001.02.25"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Henderson,John"]
[BlackElo "2849"]
[ECO "B84"]
[EventDate "2001.??.??"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[WhiteElo "2718"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e6 { A blast from
the past - You need to go as far back as the Yerevan Olympiad 1996 for Garry's
last Scheveningen, when he faced Topalov. Kasparov has never really been one
to play the Najdorf with ..e5, and usually always falls back on ..e6. } 7. f4 Be7 8. Be3 O-O 9. g4 d5 $1 { The recommended remedy. } 10. e5 Ne4 11. Nxe4 dxe4 12. g5 Qb6 $146 ( { Putting the queen on the same diagonal as the bishop does
look odd, but there's method in Kasparov's madness. Developing the queen on c7
has been more usual - until now that is!: } 12... Qc7 13. Qd2 Rd8 14. O-O-O Nc6 15. Kb1 b5 16. Qc3 Bb7 17. Nxc6 Bxc6 { 1/2-1/2 Lanka,Z-Van Wely,L/Pula 1997/CBM 57 ext (17). } ) 13. Nf5 { If Rb1 or Qc1,
..Bc5 is awkward. As for 0-0?  It looks as if Black can simply take on b2
safely as there's no real attack or threat from White. } 13... Qa5+ 14. Bd2 Qc5 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. c3 b5 17. Be3 Rd8 18. Qc2 Bb7 { Black's easily equalised -
And, as they say in the Sicilian: If Black has equalised, he's winning! } 19. Kf2 Nd7 20. b4 { Shirov had to stop ..Nc5. } 20... Nf8 21. h4 Qc7 ( 21... Rac8 $5 22. a4 $1 { Probably the best. } 22... Qxb4 23. cxb4 Rxc2 24. axb5 axb5 25. Rhc1 Rb2 26. Rab1 Ra2 ( 26... Rxb1 27. Rxb1 Bc6 28. Rc1 Be8 29. h5 $1 ) 27. h5 { And, if anything, despite being a pawn down, White is better. } ) 22. h5 Nd7 23. h6 g6 24. a4 Nb6 25. axb5 axb5 26. Kg3 $5 ( { Puzzling, bit I think Alexei was worried about something like this: } 26. Bxb5 Nd5 27. Rxa8 Rxa8 28. Qd2 Nxf4 29. Rd1 ( 29. Bxf4 $2 e3+ 30. Qxe3 Bxh1 ) 29... Nd5 30. c4 Nxe3 31. Kxe3 Ra3+ 32. Ke2 Rd3 33. Qb2 Qd8 $1 ) 26... Nc4 27. Rxa8 Rxa8 28. Bxc4 Qxc4 29. Rd1 Bd5 30. Rd4 Qf1 31. Qd1 $1 { The only move.  If
Black gets to keep the queen's on, he stands much better.  Now, due to the
opposite coloured bishops and the formation of both sets of pawns, White can
realistically look for the draw. } 31... Ra1 32. Qxf1 Rxf1 33. Kg4 Rf3 ( { If there's a win, it has to be around here somewhere - but with the opposite
coloured bishops and all the pawns on the same coloured squares as the bishops,
It's not going to be all that easy: } 33... Re1 $1 34. Bf2 $1 ( 34. Bd2 $6 Re2 ( 34... Rg1+ $2 35. Kh3 Rh1+ 36. Kg2 e3+ 37. Rxd5 $1 exd5 38. Bxe3 { and Black will never be able to stage a breakthrough. } ) 35. Bc1 e3 36. Rd1 ( 36. Rd3 Rg2+ 37. Kh3 e2 38. Bd2 Rg1 ) 36... Rg2+ 37. Kh3 e2 38. Re1 Rf2 39. Bd2 Bf3 40. Kg3 Rf1 { White's helpless now - Black simply marches the king up the board:
Kf8-e7-d7-c6-d5-e4-d3. } ) 34... Re2 ( { To show you how difficult it is to win,
White - as in the game - can even give up a pawn and still draw easily enough: } 34... Rc1 35. Rd2 Rxc3 36. Bd4 Rc1 37. Bc5 Re1 38. Rc2 $1 Bc4 39. Rc3 { and again White blockades the crucial e3-square. } ) 35. Bg3 Re3 36. Rd2 Rxc3 37. Re2 e3 38. Be1 Rb3 39. Rc2 { Black has at least made some progress as White's
bishop can't get to c5.  However, now a new problem: White can generate his
own threats: } 39... Bc4 ( 39... Kf8 40. Rc3 $1 $11 ) 40. Ra2 Bd5 ( 40... Kf8 41. Ra8+ Ke7 42. Ra7+ Ke8 43. Ra8+ $11 ) 41. Rc2 Bc4 $11 ) 34. Bg1 Rxc3 35. Rd2 Kf8 36. Bc5+ Ke8 ( { The exchange sacrifice doesn't work here - though again it comes close: } 36... Rxc5 37. bxc5 b4 38. c6 $1 Ke7 ( 38... Bxc6 39. Rb2 e3 40. Kg3 $1 ) 39. Rd4 b3 40. Rb4 e3 41. Rb7+ Kd8 42. Kg3 Kc8 43. Rb5 Kc7 44. Rc5 Be4 ( 44... Kb6 45. c7 $1 Bb7 46. c8=Q Bxc8 47. Rxc8 ) 45. Rb5 Bd5 46. Rc5 $11 ) 37. Re2 Rc1 $2 ( { But it does here! } 37... Kd7 $1 38. Re3 Rxc5 39. bxc5 b4 40. Re1 Kc6 { White's in serious trouble: the active Black king, bishop and pawns will
secure the victory. } ) 38. Kg3 Kd7 39. Kf2 Kc6 40. Be3 Rb1 41. Bc5 { There's just no way through for Kasparov now. } 41... Rc1 42. Bd6 Rh1 43. Re3 Rh2+ 44. Kg3 Rc2 45. Bf8 Ra2 46. Bc5 Ra1 47. Kf2 Rc1 48. Bd6 1/2-1/2