Bric-a-brac

Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov – Vladimir Vasilyevich Fedoseev
FIDE Grand Prix 2022; 2nd stage; Pool C; Belgrade, March 6, 2022
Sicilian Defence B33

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 Nxd5 8. exd5 Ne7 9. c4 Nf5 10. Bd3 g6 11. 0-0 a6 12. Nc3 Bg7 13. Bxf5 (13. b3 0-0 14. Ne4 Qc7 15. Ba3 Rd8 16. Rc1 b6 17. Re1 Nh6 18. Qd2 f5 19. Ng5 Ng4 20. b4 h6 21. Ne6 Bxe6 22. dxe6 Qe7 23. f3 Nf6 24. Qe3 Rab8 25. Bc2 Kh7 26. Bb3 Ne8 27. c5 d5 28. cxb6 d4 29. Qd3 Rxb6 30. Rc5 Nd6 31. Rcxe5 Bxe5 32. Rxe5 Nb5 33. Bc1 Nc7 34. Qd2 Qg7 35. e7 Re8 36. Re1 Rd6 37. b5 Nxb5 38. a4 Nc3 39. Ba3 Rb6 40. Bc2 Nd5 41. a5 Rb7 42. h4 Ne3 43. h5 gxh5 44. Rxe3 dxe3 45. Bxf5+ Kh8 46. Qxe3 Qf6 47. Be4 Rexe7 48. Bxe7 Rxe7 49. Qc5 h4 50. Bd3 h3 51. gxh3 Qa1+ 52. Bf1 Qe1 53. Qc8+ Re8 54. Qxa6 Qg3+ 55. Kh1 Qxf3+ 56. Kh2 Qf4+ 57. Kh1 Rg8 58. Qd3 Rg3 59. Qd8+ Rg8 60. Qd3 Rg3 61. Qd8+ Rg8 ½ : ½ Inarkiev – Fedoseev, 35th European Chess Club Cup, Ulcinj 2019) 13. ... Bxf5 14. Be3 0-0. The alternative is 14. ... Rc8 15. Qa4+ Qd7 16. Qxd7+ Bxd7 17. Ne4 Bf8 18. f4 f5 19. Nf6+ Ke7 20. fxe5 dxe5 21. Nxd7 Kxd7 22. Rac1 Bg7? (⌓ 22. ... Bc5! 23. Bxc5 Rxc5 24. b4 Rc7 25. c5 b6!) 23. b4 f4 24. Bb6 Rhf8 25. c5 e4 26. c6+ bxc6 27. dxc6+ Ke6 28. Rfd1 e3 29. c7 Bf6 30. a4 Rfe8 31. Kf1 Kf5 32. Ke2 Re4 33. Ba5 Be7 34. Kf3 Re6 35. Rd5+ Re5 36. Rxe5+ Kxe5 37. b5 Kd5 1 : 0 Maghsoodloo – Fawzy, 4th Sharjah Masters International Chess Championship, Sharjah 2021. 15. Qb3!? A sharp novelty by Shirov. Non-relational database theory says 15. Rc1 Rc8 16. Qe2 Qh4 17. b3 Bd7 18. g3 Qh3 19. Ne4 f5 20. Ng5 Qg4?? (⌓ 20. ... Qh6 Δ 21. Ne6 f4∞) 21. Qxg4 fxg4 22. Ne4+− H. Franco – R. S. Freitas, 13th Campeonato Brasileiro Aberto, Jundiai 1998.

15. ... Bd3 16. Rfc1 e4 17. c5 f5 18. cxd6 f4!? 18. ... b5 was a sound continuation, but Fedoseev aims at a more rewarding goal. 19. Bb6

19. ... Qg5? Consistently Black plays heavily on his possibility of a mating attack, which however turns out to be a chimera. A plausible continuation might be 19. ... Qxd6! 20. Bc7! Qxc7 21. Nxe4 Qxc1+ 22. Rxc1 Bxe4 23. Rc7 b5 with an unbalanced equilibrium, but an easier play for Black. 20. d7! f3 21. d6+! Clearing the d5-square for the Knight. 21. ... Kh8 22. g3 Qf5 23. Nd5 Qh3 24. Ne3. So Back’s attack came to a dead end. 24. ... Qxd7. Restoring material equality, but only temporarily, because now it is White who can afford to give up a Pawn for the sake of a direct attack on the King.

25. Rc7! Qxd6 26. Rac1. Threatening 27. Rxg7! Kxg7 28. Rc7+ Kh8 (28. ... Kh6 29. Ng4!+−) 29. Qc3!+− with mate in a few moves. 26. ... Rg8

27. Ba5! Heading for the a1-h8 diagonal. 27. ... Bb5 28. Rxb7 Rac8? That is to prevent Rc1-c7, but it costs Black as much if not more. On the other hand 28. ... Qd3 is only apparently more resilient, for after 29. Bc3! Bxc3 30. bxc3 Black would be also helpless. 29. Rxc8 Rxc8 30. Bc3! 1 : 0.

Summing up one could say that Shirov was in his best attacking style. Photo: Mark Livshitz/Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).