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).

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).

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.

Hours of Prague

Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov – 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn)

1st Prague International Chess Festival; Challengers Tournament; Prague, March 12, 2019

Catalan Opening E00

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bd6 6. Nc3 c6 7. Qc2 0-0 8. e4 dxe4. Worth of further study is 8. ... e5!? 9. dxe5 Bg4 10. Be2 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. exd6 Re8 13. 0-0 Qxd6 14. Bf4 Qf6 15. Rfe1 Nd7 16. Ng5 Bf5∞ Vidit – Praggnanandhaa, 1st Tata Steel Chess India Blitz, Kolkata 2018. 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Nd7 11. Bd3 Nf6. Black’s last two moves are only good for avoiding immediate mate, but very ineffective in all other ways. On the other hand, 11. ... g6!? 12. 0-0-0!↑ doesn’t seem too pleasant either, Erdos – Abramović, 32nd European Chess Club Cup, Novi Sad 2016. 12. Qh4. Black is doomed already! 12. ... Re8. There are at least two earlier games which tellingly show the irresistibility of White’s attack: a) 12. ... b5 13. Bg5 h5 14. c5 Bxc5 15. 0-0-0 Be7 16. g4 Bb7 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. g5 c5 19. gxf6 Bxf3 20. Rhg1 g6 21. Qg5 1 : 0 Ragger – Braun, 30th SchachBundesliga, Baden-Baden 2010; b) 12. ... Be7 13. 0-0-0 b5 14. c5 Bb7 15. g4 g6 16. Qg3 Nd5 17. g5 Qc7 18. Ne5 f6 19. gxf6 Bxf6 20. h4 Kh8 21. h5 g5 22. Bxg5 Bxg5+ 23. Qxg5 Qe7 24. Qh6 1 : 0 Ponfilenok – Puraev, 24th Chigorin Memorial, Saint Petersburg 2016. 13. 0-0-0 b5 14. c5 Bxc5 15. g4 Bxd4!? A tricky “last-ditch” novelty. If 15. ... Qd5 (Sorokin – Sousa, 27th European Youth Championship BU18, Mamaia 2017) then 16. Bg5! and White’s attack continues vehemently to hit. 16. g5! Shirov brings his attack to a very brilliant conclusion. 16. ... Bxb2+ 17. Kc2 Qd5. No better is 17. ... g6 18. gxf6 Qxf6 19. Ng5 h5 20. Qe4 threatening Rh1-g1 followed by Ng5xf7. 18. gxf6 Bxf6 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20. Bb4+ c5 21. Qh8+ Ke7 22. Qxe8+! Kxe8 23. Bxb5+ Kd8

24. Bc6! 1 : 0.

Czechoslovakia’s legendary Grandmaster Vlastimil Hort making the first move in the game between Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov and 居文君 (Jū Wénjūn). Photo: Vladimír Jagr.

The Heart of Youth

Congratulations to Hikaru Nakamura on his victory – the second in a row – in the 5th Zürich Chess Challenge because of his superior Sonneborn-Berger score. Photo: David Llada.

Congratulations to the youngest participant, Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand, on his first place ex aequo – indeed, the second place only because of his inferior Sonneborn-Berger score. The Tiger of Madras still roars like thunder! Photo: Zürich Chess 2016 (‏@zurichchess).

Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen)

House numbering

Chess-News.ru (‏@Chess__News)

Photoreportage from Zürich in four parts: Evgeny Surov, Дым над водой (Smoke on the Water), chess-news.ru, February 15, 2016.

The Luck You Got

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky – Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov
16th Poikovsky Karpov Chess Tournament; Poikovsky, September 29, 2015
Sicilian Defence B90

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 a6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. h3 e5 7. Nb3 Be6 8. f4 Nbd7 9. f5 Bxb3 10. axb3 d5 11. exd5 Bb4 12. Bd2 0-0 13. Qe2 Bxc3. Aiming to improve on 13. ... Rc8 14. 0-0-0 Qa5 15. Kb1 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Qxd5 17. c4 Qc6 18. Qf3 Ne4 19. Bb4 Ndc5 20. Bd3 Qb6 21. Bxe4 Qxb4 22. f6 Nxe4 23. Qxe4 gxf6 24. Rd7 b5 25. Qg4+ Kh8 26. Qf3 Rxc4 27. Qxf6+ Kg8 28. Qg5+ Kh8 29. Qxe5+ Kg8 30. Qg5+ Kh8 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Rd5 Rfc8 33. Rhd1 1 : 0 Sutovsky – Das, 13rd Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival, Catalan Bay 2015. 14. bxc3 e4 15. 0-0-0 a5 16. Be3 a4 17. b4 Nb6 18. Qb5. This seems rather committal, even if it turns out to be a... real stroke of luck! Objectively speaking, 18. Qf2 looks much stronger, e.g. 18. ... Nfxd5!? 19. c4 a3! 20. cxd5 a2 21. Kb2 Qxd5! 22. Bd4 a1=Q+ 23. Rxa1 Na4+ 24. Kc1! Rfd8 25. Be2! Qxd4 26. Qxd4 Rxd4 27. c4 and White stands better. 18. ... Nbxd5 19. Bc4. Now 19. c4?? is refuted by 19. ... a3! 20. cxd5 a2 21. Kb2 Nxd5! and wins. 19. ... Nxe3. Shirov sacrifices his Queen for White’s Rook and Bishop – nothing but a forced brilliancy. 20. Rxd8 Rfxd8 21. Ba2 a3 22. g4

22. ... Ned5? “In Sutovsky – Shirov, the line 22. ... Nfd5 23. Qxb7 Rdb8 24. Bxd5 Rxb7 25. Bxb7 Rd8! 26. Bxe4 Nd1!! is fantastic”, Grandmaster Jon Ludvig Nilssen Hammer said. 23. g5 Nxc3 24. Bxf7+. White turned the tables. It was a lucky day for the ACP President! 24. ... Kxf7 25. Qxb7+ Nd7 26. Qc6 a2 27. Kb2 Na4+ 28. Ka1 Kg8 29. f6 Ne5 30. Qxe4 Re8 31. Re1 Nc3 32. Qd4 Rac8 33. h4 g6 34. b5 1 : 0.

Emil Davidovich Sutovsky
Photo: ruchess.ru

God is a girl

Alexei Dmitrievich Shirov – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
10th Tradewise Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, February 1, 2012
Sicilian Defence B97

Comments in quotation marks by Grandmaster Simon Williams, ChessBase.com, February 2, 2012.

“The two played the most uncompromising of openings, the Poison Pawn Variation in the Siciian Najdorf. One might think that, after all theee years, everything is understood about this ferociously complex tactical variation. With the growth of computer chess that is far from true. Using computers has changed people’s conception of what positions are defensible. Thus players are stronger. That is one reason so many people are rated over 2700, not inflation in the numbers”.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6!? 8. Qd2 Qxb2 9. Rb1 Qa3 10. e5 h6 11. Bh4 dxe5 12. fxe5 Nd5!? 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán’s speciality. 12. ... Nfd7 13. Ne4 Qxa2 is a tabiya.
13. Nxd5 exd5 14. e6 Bxe6 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Be2. “One would think 16. Bd3 is more natural, so that Bd3-g6+ would tie the g7 Pawn down. Another alternative is 16. Rxb7”.
16. Bd3 Be7 17. Bg6+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7! is fine for Black, Motylev – Sutovsky, 39th Chess Olympiad, Khanty-Mansiysk 2010.
16. ... Be7. “16. ... b5 prevents Rb1xb7, but neglects Black’s development”.
17. Bh5+ Kd8 18. Bxe7+ Qxe7 19. 0-0 Nd7. “19. ... b5 is possible. 19. ... Nc6 probably runs afoul of 20. c4”.
20. Rxb7. If 20. Rf7 then Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rf8 22. Rxg7 Rc8 23. h3 Rc6 24. Qxh6 Kc8 25. Bg4 Qxc2 26. Re1 Qc3 27. Rxe6 Rxe6 28. Bxe6 Rf1+ 29. Kh2 Qe5+ 30. Rg3 Qe1 31. Qh8+ Kc7 32. Qc3+ Qxc3 33. Rxc3+ Kd6 34. Bxd7 Kxd7 35. h4 Ke6 36. h5 Kf6 37. Rc7 Kg5 38. Rxb7 Kxh5 39. Rb6 d4 40. Rxa6 d3 41. Rd6 Ra1 42. Kg3 Rxa2 43. Rd5+ Kg6 44. Rxd3 Ra6 45. Rd4 Rb6 46. Kf4 Ra6 47. Kg3 Rb6 48. Rg4+ Kh6 49. Kh4 Ra6 50. Rg8 Kh7 51. Rg5 Kh6 52. g4 Rb6 53. Rc5 Kg6 54. Rg5+ Kh6 55. Rh5+ Kg6 56. Rg5+ Kh6 ½ : ½ N. A. Kosintseva – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), FIDE Women’s Grand Prix 2011–12, Rostov-on-Don 2011. 20. c4!? also comes into consideration.
20. ... Qc5+ 21. Kh1 Rb8 22. Rxb8+ Nxb8. “That Black’s King is in the centre is adequate compensation for the Pawn”.
23. Qe2. “23. Qe1 Rf8 is an alternative”.
23. ... Qb5 24. Qxb5 axb5 25. Rf7 Nc6 26. Rxg7 Rf8 27. Kg1 Nb4 28. Rb7 Nxc2. 28. ... Nxa2 is also possible, but then Black won’t have two connected passed Pawns”.
29. Rxb5 Ke7 30. a4 Ra8 31. Rb2 Ne3 32. Kf2 Nc4 33. Rb7+ Kd6 34. Bd1 e5 35. Rh7 Nb2! 36. Rxh6+ Kc5 37. Bc2 Nxa4. “It is true a Bishop is better than a Knight in the endgame. But Black’s Pawns are further advanced and she exerts greater control of the centre”.
38. h4 Nc3! 39. Bf5 (39. g4?? Ra2)
39. ... Ra2+ 40. Kf1 Ra1+ 41. Kf2 Ra2+ 42. Kf1 Nd1 43. g4 Ne3+ 44. Ke1 Kd4 45. Bc8 Ng2+ 46. Kd1 e4 47. h5 e3 48. Ba6 Nf4 49. Rb6 Nd3 50. Bxd3 Kxd3 51. Rb3+ Ke4 52. h6 d4 53. h7 Rh2. “White’s position is hopeless”. 0 : 1.