Things Usually Left Unsaid

Vladimir Vasilyevich Fedoseev – Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov
FIDE Grand Prix 2022; 2nd stage; Pool C; Belgrade, March 3, 2022
Semi-Slav Defence D43

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Qd3 b6 6. cxd5 Ba6!?TN (6. ... cxd5 7. Bg5 Be7 8. Rc1 0-0 9. Qb1 Ba6 10. e3 Bxf1 11. Kxf1 Nc6 12. Ke2 Qd7 13. Rhd1 Qb7 14. Kf1 Rac8= Speelman – Wells, 14th “Lloyds Bank Masters” International Open Tournament, London 1990) 7. Qc2 cxd5 8. Bf4 Nbd7 9. Qa4 Qc8 10. Ne5

10. ... b5?! A Pawn pseudo-sac whose only effect is to weaken dangerously Black’s position. Black’s best seems to be 10. ... Qb7 actually threatening ... b6-b5. 11. Qa5! b4 12. Nb5 Bxb5 13. Qxb5 Qc2

14. Nd3! Qc4 15. Qa4! Alea iacta est: White will win the Exchange — at the cost of a Pawn. 15. ... Qxd4 16. Qc6 Rd8 17. Bc7 Rc8 18. Qb7 Rxc7 19. Qxc7 Be7 20. e3 Qe4

21. Qxa7. Another line of play was 21. Qc8+ Bd8 22. Nc5 Qc2 (if 22. ... Nxc5? then 23. Qxc5+− Nd7 24. Bb5 Qxg2?? 25. Qd6! Qxh1+ 26. Ke2 Qxa1 27. Bxd7#) 23. Nb7! forcing the exchange of Queens and remaining the Exchange ahead. 21. ... 0-0 22. Rc1 b3?! Seeking counterplay along the b-file. But... 23. axb3 Rb8? But this move is weak for at least two reasons: first, on b8 the Rook is half hanging; and second, the Rook cannot leave the back rank. After the comparatively better 23. ... e5 24. f3 Qg6 25. g3 h5 26. Be2± it is considerably more difficult for White to cash in on his material advantage. 24. f3! Qh4+ 25. g3 Qh6 26. Be2 g6. This allows a forced win, but 26. ... Bd6 27. 0-0 leaves Black with insufficient compensation anyway.

27. Ne5+− Rxb3 28. Nxd7 Nxd7 29. Qxd7 Bb4+ 30. Kf1 Qxe3 31. Rc7 1 : 0.

Fedoseev and Shirov sitting in the blue, both lost in their own thoughts. Photo: Mark Livshitz/Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE).