The Same Today

Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez – Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov

3rd Salamanca Chess Festival; time control: 40 minutes plus 5 seconds per move; Salamanca, February 6, 2021

Sicilian Defence B23

1. e4 c5 2. Nc3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 Nc6 5. Qd2 g6 6. b3 Bh6 7. f4 f5 8. Bb2 Nf6 9. Nh3?! An unimpressive novelty. A recent game went 9. 0-0-0 fxe4 10. Kb1 Qa5 11. Nge2 Rf8 12. h3 g5 13. Nd4? gxf4 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. Qe2 e3 16. Nd5 Nxd4 17. Bxd7+ Kxd7 18. Nxf6+ Rxf6 19. Rxd4 Rg6 20. Rhd1 Rc8 21. Rd5 Rc5 22. c4 Rxd5 23. Rxd5 Qb4 24. Kc2 a6 25. Bc3 Qb6 26. Bd4 Qc6−+ Jones – Donchenko, ACP-ChessBase Knockout 2020, playchess.com, July 28, 2020, final match game 3 (time control: 10 minutes plus 5 seconds per move). 9. ... fxe4 10. Ng5 Rf8 11. Bc4 Qb6

12. Rf1?? A catastrophic mistake, which precipitates Black into an early surrender. Castling (Queenside only) was playable, with good or better prospects of equality. 12. ... e3−+ 13. Qd1 Bg4 14. Be2 Bf5 15. Bd3 Qa5 16. Bxf5 Qxf5 17. Qd3 Bxg5 18. fxg5 Qxg5 19. Qb5 (19. Qe2 Nd4−+) 19. ... Qxg2 20. 0-0-0

20. ... 0-0-0. Symmetrical castles — but what a difference! 21. Rfe1 Qxh2 22. Kb1 d5 23. Nxd5 e2 24. Rxe2 Rxd5 25. Qxd5 Qxe2 26. Bxf6 Rd8! 0 : 1.

For Shirov’s sake, first Sabrina Vega Gutiérrez, and then Elisabeth Pähtz did not object to his final victory in the 3rd Salamanca Chess Festival. Photo: Ajedrez Salamanca.