[Event "SuperGM"]
[Site "Linares ESP"]
[Date "2002.03.04"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Hathaway, Mark"]
[BlackElo "2717"]
[ECO "C88"]
[WhiteElo "2715"]

1. e4 { Shirov almost exclusively plays 1. e4, but he played 1. d4 quite a lot in his youth. His book, Fire On Board actually has very few games with 1. e4. This game is very important to both players. Ivanchuk needs to win to keep a share of the lead and Shirov needs the win to get back in the race. He could climb out of the cellar and back to second place with a win. } 1... e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 { Ivanchuk will, and does, play just about any opening as White or Black. He's a pure player who chooses openings to match a particular opponent. I wonder what he has in mind for Shirov. } 3... a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O { threatening (!) a Marshall Gambit } 8. a4 { trying to avoid it } 8... Bb7 9. d3 Re8 10. Nbd2 { Shirov chooses a less confusing course, but does leave open a possibility for Black to play ...d7-d5. } ( 10. Na3 { was played by ... Ivanchuk! in his round seven game against Adams } ) ( 10. Nc3 { is probably safest } ) 10... Bf8 11. c3 { This is a useful move for several purposes: one is to prevent ...Nc6-d4; another is to allow Qd1 to defend Pa4, so that after ...Nc6-a5 White can retreat Bb3-a2 (on the better diagonal) without losing Pa4. He may have some idea of playing d3-d4, but at the moment that would probably help Black more than White. White would rather maneuver Nd2-f1-g3 (defending Pe4 again) before committing to d3-d4 (which would weaken Pe4) . } 11... Na5 ( 11... d5 ) 12. Ba2 c5 { Apparently Ivanchuk feels he's put enough pressure on White's central pawns to keep them in place (as targets I suppose) and he secures that with Pc5. His next step would be to play more actively on the light squares. White is secure on the light squares, but might not have time to transition from that (a defensive duty) to something more aggressive. } 13. d4 { The glass shatters and White simply steps over it. He says there never was a "bind" or pressure. } 13... d6 14. b4 exd4 { Leave it to Ivanchuk to break all the rules and create something amazing like this. Is it good or just silly horrible? Nobody can know without playing it out. } ( 14... Nc6 15. bxc5 ( 15. d5 ) 15... dxc5 16. d5 ) 15. bxa5 dxc3 { I suppose one of the key ideas is that Nd2 will now have to move and that gives Pe4 to Black. Pa5 might or might not be gathered-in as the game progresses. Anyway, the central Pe4 is much more important as it blocked Black's pieces. } 16. Nf1 Nxe4 { I'd generally want to put the "biggest, most dangerous" piece in front. In this case he may have felt it was simply unsafe to capture with the rook or bishop. But, if safe, either would be preferable to the knight. } ( 16... Rxe4 $2 17. Ng5 Re7 18. Rxe7 Qxe7 19. Bxf7+ Kh8 ) ( { Perhaps better is to immediately control the square in front of Pc3, threatening ...b5-b4 with a terrific permanent threat to advance those pawns. } 16... Bxe4 17. Ng5 Bg6 ) 17. axb5 axb5 18. a6 Bc6 ( 18... Rxa6 19. Bxf7+ Kxf7 20. Rxa6 Bxa6 21. Qd5+ { when Ne4 falls and Black's king will be in need of safe cover for some time } ) 19. Rxe4 $1 { White might have to do this to avoid having Ba2 shut out of play. } 19... Bxe4 ( 19... Rxe4 20. Bxf7+ Kh8 21. Bd5 Bxd5 22. Qxd5 Re8 23. Ng5 { and White's pieces are ruling the day } ) 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Ng5+ Kg8 22. Nxe4 { How does one judge such a position? It's probably easier to not make judgments, since it's already a fact that these imbalances exist. It's easier to just figure out what to do next and do it. Clearly Black needs to get rid of Pa6, but not to allow his Kg8 to become mincemeat. It would be nice to play ...d6-d5, but Ne4xc3 just hops around knocking off one pawn after another. } 22... Qc8 23. Nxc3 Rxa6 24. Rb1 $1 { It's better to leave Pb5 than to give up on an attack against Kg8. So, he leaves Rb1 on the back rank to slow Black's pawns and perhaps to help protect Kg1. } ( 24. Rxa6 Qxa6 25. Qd5+ ( 25. Qb3+ $2 c4 26. Qxb5 Qxb5 27. Nxb5 d5 { solves Black's king safety problems and would probably lead to victory } ) 25... Kh8 26. Qf7 Rb8 { and it's not completely clear how White should continue the offensive; but Black's plan IS completely clear -- advance a pawn to make a queen } ) 24... b4 25. Nd5 Ra7 26. Rb3 $1 { Now this is interesting. I'd thought the rook was to serve defensively and already he's moving it to an offensive placement. } 26... Ra1 { If both sides throw everything they've got into their offensives it's going to be difficult for either side to defend. } 27. h3 { The position has a lot in common with some of the Spanish, Zaitsev Variation games. } 27... Re5 { Qd1 is overworked defending both Bc1 and Nd5, so something's got to give. } 28. Nf4 Qe8 { threatening ...Re5-e1 to win Bc1 and probably the game. } 29. Rf3 $5 { a tricky defense which continues the effort to generate some king-side offense } ( 29. Ne3 $2 { blocks the e-file, but also Rb3. Square e3 is a crossroad which Nf1, Bc1 and Rb3 might need to go through. } ) 29... c4 ( 29... Re1 $2 30. Qd5+ Kh8 31. Re3 Rxe3 32. Bxe3 $16 ) 30. Kh2 b3 $2 ( 30... c3 { gets in the way of Bc1, but opens the b3-g8 diagonal } ) ( 30... Qa4 $5 { Trying to exchange queens might be good. Even though White has the extra minor piece Black has to remember his pawns could still be strong. } ) 31. Qd2 d5 32. Ne3 $1 { Shirov courageously takes on the Black pawns, rather than trade minor pieces for a rook & pawns, as in the note. } ( 32. Nxd5 Rxc1 ( 32... Bd6 $6 33. Ng3 Re1 $4 { aiming for ...Ra1xc1, ...Re1-h1# } 34. Re3 Raxc1 35. Rxe8+ Kf7 36. Rxe1 $18 ) 33. Qxc1 Rxd5 34. Qxc4 Qb5 35. Qxb3 $14 ) 32... Bd6 { This is based on the "trick" that Bd6 is aligned with Kh2. } ( 32... Bb4 33. Qxb4 Rxc1 34. Nfxd5 ) 33. g3 $6 ( 33. Bb2 { Getting this one last important piece into play might nullify Black's pawns and turn the tide decisively in White's favor. } ) 33... Qc6 { Black spots that Rf3 is undefended and immobile. As Lasker said, that which is immobile may be uprooted and destroyed by the winds. } 34. Ng4 ( 34. Bb2 Ra2 { keeps the pressure on, but pretty much gives upon ...d5-d4 to discover an attack on Rf3 } ( 34... d4 35. Bxd4 Qxf3 36. Bxa1 ( 36. Bxe5 $4 Rh1# ) ) ) 34... d4 $1 { This is a major crisis because Black's pawns will either smother White or White will fight through them, one way or another, and finally get to Kg8. } ( { Another interesting possibility is } 34... Rf5 $13 ) ( 34... Ra2 $6 { doesn't seem to work quite as well } 35. Nxe5 Rxd2 ( 35... Bxe5 36. Qxd5+ Qxd5 37. Nxd5 { threatening Nd5-e7+ to checkmate } ) 36. Nxc6 b2 37. Bxb2 Rxb2 38. Nxd5 $16 ) 35. Qxd4 $1 { Courageous! } 35... Re4 $4 { a slight misstep, perhaps in time pressure } ( 35... Qxf3 $1 { consistent with previous play } 36. Qxa1 $4 { This misplaces the queen. } ( 36. Nxe5 { continuing to head toward Kg8 } 36... Rxc1 ( 36... Bxe5 $4 37. Qd8+ { and suddenly Kg8 is defenseless! } ( 37. Qxe5 $4 Qxf2+ 38. Ng2 Rxc1 $19 ) 37... Kf7 38. Qd7+ Kf6 39. Qe6+ Kg5 40. h4# ) 37. Ng2 Bxe5 38. Qxe5 $19 ) 36... Re1 37. Ng2 Re2 { threatening ...Bxg3+ } ( 37... Bxg3+ $4 38. fxg3 Re2 39. Ne3 ) ) 36. Qxa1 { Wow! What a dramatic way for the game to end. This is one of the more interesting games so far in the tournament. I don't know if Ivanchuk lost by time forfeit, but the loss of Ra1 was probably enough to cause his capitulation. As a last-gasp effort I'd think 36...Re1 should be tried. If White responds with 37. Rc3 to remove the rook from danger and to over-protect Bc1 then he leaves himself open to 37...Qh1#. And, if Shirov played 37. Kg2 (leaving Rf3 pinned) Black could go ahead with a pawn push, hoping for a miracle comback. So, Ivanchuk climbs toward the top, now tied with Ponomariov and Anand, only one-half point behind Kasparov (though Ponomariov has already had his odd-man-out day off) . } 1-0