% BOOKTITLE = Fire on Board
[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "About this Publication"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{In this collection of his best games, Grandmaster Alexei Shirov shows why he
is widely regarded as one of the most aggressive and inventive players of the
modern era. It contains a delightful selection of his favourite games, each of
which is explained in detail, together with sections on tactical highlights
and endgames. Special attention is devoted to the super-sharp Botvinnik
variation, which Shirov has used to remarkable effect against the world's
leading players.} 1. -- {Since becoming a grandmaster in 1990, Alexei Shirov
has firmly established himself amongst the world's leading players. His many
tournament successes include first place at Munich in 1993 and equal second
with Kasparov behind Karpov at Linares in 1994. His penchant for wild
attacking games has made him a great favourite with the chess public, who see
him as the natural heir to another Latvian, the former world champion Mikhail
Tal.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Foreword"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Jonathan Speelman"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{In the early decades of this century the Old Masters frequently bemoaned the
"impending Draw Death" of chess, as more and more games, impeccably played but
stiflingly orthodox, ended with Black completely neutralising the small
advantage of the first move. Many generations of chess players later - our
turnover is much faster than the biological one, a distinct new wave every
decade, say - chess strategy has developed to an unimaginable degree, and this
dire prediction is still far from taking effect. --- Despite an exponential
explosion in the sheer quantity of theoretical knowledge and a generally very
high level of technique, the best players continue to produce totally original
games, none more so than Alexei Shirov. Meticulous opening preparation and
intense concentration at the board are common currency among the very top
Grandmasters. Alexei, however, possesses a quite extraordinary imagination
which regularly alchemises positions, the like of which the rest of us only
get to enjoy under the bluest of moons. --- It is therefore not only a
pleasure but also a great compliment to be asked by Alexei to write the
foreword to his very first book of games. Nowadays, I often find it expedient
to bury my own brand of "chess madness" under a technical exterior: the
sympathetic link to an earlier, more chaotic type of chess is very pleasing.} 
1. -- {Shirov has arranged Fire on Board into a long chronological section,
followed by a theoretical chapter on that most terrifying of systems, the
Botvinnik variation of the Anti-Meran Gambit, followed by a further section
containing various endgames. --- The chronological part starts with games when
Shirov was as young as eleven in 1983. It was intended to end in 1994, when
the book was supposed to be handed in. But with Shirov, a huge chap markedly
taller than me and chaotic not only at the chess board, things are seldom
totally straightforward. So it is that, as he explains in the introduction, a
great deal of work was lost when his notebook computer was stolen in January
1995. Thus this is not really his first book but a somewhat larger ordinal (no
doubt connected by the robbery to an extremely vulgar fraction). But his
grievous loss has to some extent been our gain; for the book now contains
games right through to the Olympiad in Erevan last September.} (1. -- {Every
chess player has his own favourite players, games and styles. On a
professional level, I am often most impressed by dry strategic games, in which
one very strong player manages to keep control against an equally strong
opponent. But these require a perhaps excessively delicate palate. And along
with the general reader, I find most enjoyable those games in which there is a
maximum of violence. --- These the reader will find in abundance. As early as
the very first game in the book, we discover eleven-year-old Alexei bashing
away with three of his attacking pieces en prise. As Misha Tal said: "...they
can only take one at time". And of course as a Russian born in Latvia, Alexei
was not only greatly influenced by that magician, but even got to analyse with
him in his mid-teens. Indeed, in his combinational ferocity, one could see
Shirov as one of Tal's direct lineal descendants: except that he has a
quirkiness, a liking for king walks in the middlegame, for example, which owes
much more to a player like David Bronstein or Bent Larsen. One can see both
these characteristics, the ferocity and the eccentricity in one of the most
marvellous games in the collection, the slugfest against Eingorn in Stockholm
1989: in which Shirov, with his (white) king on d3 as early as move 19,
paradoxically exposes it further by sacrificing the e-pawn to prosecute his
attack against the enemy king.}) (1. -- {One of Shirov's strongest
characteristics is his liking for strange material balances. One can see this,
for example in his lovely win against Joel Lautier in which queen and two
bishops trounce queen and two rooks; the splendid double piece sacrifice
against Judit Polgar, albeit as the result of opening analysis; or his win
against Yudasin; which finishes with a rook, knight and two connected passed
pawns on the seventh routing a queen, rook and bishop. --- Shirov has also
been generous enough to give some draws and even some losses. It's ironic that
one of these (against Vassily Ivanchuk at Wijk aan Zee 1996, which is in the
chapter on the Anti-Meran) contains one of the best moves of the book:
Ivanchuk's extraordinary 21 Qg7!!. --- I may have given the impression that
Fire on Board contains unremitting violence from cover to cover. This of
course is quite untrue. In the introduction, Shirov makes it clear that he
considers himself to be, above all, a calculator. This skill is particularly
useful in the endgame in which the simplified material often gives rise to
long forced lines. And while technical games are heavily outnumbered, they do
arise outside the endgame chapter at the end of the book: particularly in the
more recent games, for example the powerful double rook ending against Michael
Adams; or the positional win against Jan Timman. Though as Alexei himself
writes: "It is not every day that I win a positional game like this".}) (1. --
{Fire on Board is an extraordinarily rich book. And I can only hope that the
reader will get as much pleasure out of it as me. There was just one slight
disappointment; and really it only illustrates the immense quantity of games
at Shirov's disposal. Here is a game (see the following game) from the Moscow
Olympiad which his opponent, Bogdan Lalic, showed me at the time. True, Shirov
didn't win this game. But you need an incredible oeuvre to overlook it in your
collection of best games!}) *

[Event "Moscow Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lalic, B."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A21"]
[PlyCount "127"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 Be7 4. d4 d6 5. e4 Nf6 6. Nxe7 Qxe7 7. f3 exd4 8.
Qxd4 Nc6 9. Qc3 O-O 10. Ne2 Nh5 11. g4 Qh4+ 12. Kd1 Nf6 13. Ng3 Be6 14. Be3 Nd7
15. Be2 a5 16. Kd2 Nc5 17. b3 Rfe8 18. Rag1 f6 19. Kc1 Ra6 20. Kd1 Rb6 21. g5
a4 22. gxf6 g6 23. Bg5 Qxg5 24. Nf5 Qxf5 25. exf5 Bxf5 26. Rg5 Kf7 27. Rxf5
axb3 28. Rh5 gxh5 29. axb3 Rxb3 30. Qc2 Kxf6 31. Qxh7 Ra3 32. Qh6+ Ke7 33. Qg7+
Kd8 34. Rg1 Na4 35. Qf6+ Kc8 36. Rg8 Rxg8 37. Qe6+ Kb8 38. Qxg8+ Ka7 39. Qg7
Kb6 40. h4 Nc5 41. f4 Rh3 42. Bxh5 Rxh4 43. Bg4 Na5 44. Qc3 Nab3 45. Qf3 Nd4
46. Qg2 Rh8 47. f5 Rf8 48. Qf2 Nc6 49. f6 Ne5 50. Bh5 Nxc4 51. f7 c6 52. Qf4
Ne5 53. Qh6 Rxf7 54. Bxf7 Nxf7 55. Qf6 Ne5 56. Qxd6 Ncd3 57. Qe7 c5 58. Kd2 Nc6
59. Qg7 Nde5 60. Kc3 Ka6 61. Qf8 b6 62. Qa8+ Kb5 63. Qe8 c4 64. Qg8 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Introduction"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{The idea of writing a chess book occurred to me a long time ago, but it had
always seemed very difficult to realize it. So in December 1993 when Andrew
Kinsman, who was then the commissioning chess editor at Cadogan Books, asked
me whether I was planning to write a book, I started thinking more seriously
about it. In March 1994 I accepted his official proposal and promised to
complete this work by the end of 1994. --- Easier said than done! I had of
course realized that other chessplayers slowed down their chess activities
while they were writing a book, but this was a real problem for me, as my
chess calendar was always so full of tournaments. Besides, on the 27th of
November my daughter was born, so I had to adapt to a new lifestyle. To add to
the problems, my notebook was stolen in January 1995 so, with no backup, a
good deal of my work was lost forever. --- Slowly, step by step, I had to
restart my work on the book. First I collected some of my relatively old
annotations from various magazines and tried to make complimentary comments
and corrections to them (these are marked in the text with the initials AS,
which should be taken to mean 'addition') as Kasparov did in his 'The Test of
Time'. But then I noticed that some of the most important games had only been
annotated in Informator-style, which in no sense made my task any easier.
Other games that I wanted very much to include had not been annotated at all,
so I had to make completely new notes, and of course I also wanted to include
games from my most recent tournaments. Fortunately, in the second half of 1995
I started working with the ChessBase for Windows program and my work became
much easier.} 1. -- {When annotating the games I have attempted to explain
their principal strategic themes, but my favourite subject has always been
tactical complexity. The search for the truth in sharp and concrete games with
a lot of tactics has always fascinated me, although my busy schedule didn't
permit me to go deep inside every game in the book. Therefore they are
annotated differently - some have relatively brief explanations, others very
extensive analysis. Sometimes I have checked variations with Fritz4 in an
attempt to make my analysis as precise as possible. However, I have found it
useless to point out which moves were suggested by Fritz, because when a
grandmaster works with a chessplaying program, he has to extract its variation
tree from a lot of rubbish and ultimately his work becomes highly individual
anyway. I believe that in the end I have found a reasonable combination of the
human and electronic brains and that the computer has not influenced my
annotations in the wrong way. But that is really for the reader to judge for
himself. --- Now I would like to say a few words about my chess style. When I
was just a boy, I was fascinated by Mikhail Tal's games and Alexander
Koblents's books, both of which were full of tactics. These two maestros have
had a great influence on the Latvian school of chess, of which probably
Alexander Shabalov and myself are the 'purest' products since we both show a
lot of creativity in our games. However, I have always tried to be not just a
tactician - working with a positional player such as Bagirov and studying hard
has helped me to develop my own strategic understanding, though chess is
nowadays so concrete that pure strategy practically doesn't exist for me. I
just try to know typical middlegame ideas that might always be useful, and I
am quite confident in my endgame ability, even against the world's leading
endgame experts, such as Karpov and Salov. I more often gain than lose points
at that stage of the game (taking into account the positions that have arisen
at the start of the ending, of course!). In fact I believe that the endgame is
my strongest area, perhaps because I am a player with a very concrete style.} (
1. -- {In my selection of games for this book I have chosen first of all the
most memorable, and only then the best games. I think that the games which
hold the most pleasant memories are the ones that best demonstrate my approach
to chess, and I hope that the reader will also enjoy them. If you want to
become involved in a world of unusual ideas, sacrifices, sharp moves and
sometimes strange errors, then I believe that this is the book for you.}) (1.
-- {Alexei Shirov, Tarragona, October 1996}) *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "1: Growing Up (1979-1987)"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{I was born into a Russian family on 4 July 1972 in Riga, the capital of
Latvia. At that time Latvia was still a Soviet Republic, so Russian-speaking
children grew up not really having to speak Latvian, which was in any case
badly taught in school. The fact that I never learned Latvian properly might
easily have affected my public relations in the country but fortunately it
never caused me any problems with Latvian chessplayers. Anyway, now that I
live in, am a citizen of and represent Spain, I can send that problem to the
past. --- When I was between four and five my elder brother tried to teach me
the rules of chess. I learned, tried to play and then forgot the rules
completely. It was hard to predict that one day I would become a professional
player. Some time afterwards I learned to play draughts and began to beat my
friends regularly. My brother then made another attempt with chess and I
suddenly realized that it was more fun when the pieces could move differently.
Draughts was soon abandoned and in March 1979 my chess 'career' started.} 1. --
{First my brother and then my father (a player with a Latvian rating of around
2000) grew tired of playing with me and in May 1979 I was taken to the chess
school. There I received tuition from Latvian woman master Viya Rozhlapa, who
was quite good at teaching children to play. (She is still encouraging new
talent and every year I examine the best of them in a clock simultaneous.) ---
I cannot say that I made incredibly rapid progress at this time, but in my
opinion the most important thing was that chess had captured my imagination
and my childhood in chess was no less fascinating than that of any other child.
My other hobby at that time was reading about all the countries of the world
and when, for example, I heard on the radio news that Karpov was playing in
Mar del Plata, my sense of fantasy was evoked. I dare say that in those early
years my prime motivation to improve my chess was to have the opportunity to
travel all over the world rather than just to achieve success in tournaments.
--- I am unable to offer any reasonable games that I played between 1979 and
1982, but the following game (see the following game), played in October 1983,
is probably a deserving one to start this book with.} *

[Event "Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1983.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Zhuravliov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "49"]
[EventDate "1983.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- This was
the first game of a mini-training match organized by Alexander Koblents. The
late trainer was famous for his work with Mikhail Tal leading up to the
latter's World Championship title victory. But very few people appreciated how
much of his life he devoted to helping young players to develop. I should
mention that Koblents's books were my favourite chess books in those years.
--- My opponent in this game, Valery Zhuravlev, is an experienced
international master who was Latvian Champion several times and played for
Latvia in the 1994 Olympiad in Moscow. He made one grandmaster norm in the
1970s but had very few opportunities to score another. His current rating is
around 2460.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 {Zhuravlev obviously
believed that the easiest way to play against a boy is to keep things simple,
but in fact this strategy just gives me fewer chances to go wrong. In the
second game Zhuravlev played a more complicated opening and you could say that
I lost without a fight.} 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Bd3 Nxe4 7. Bxe4 Nf6 8. Bd3 ({Anand
played} 8. Bg5 {against Vaganian (Riga 1995) and won convincingly after} Be7 9.
Bxf6 gxf6 (9... Bxf6 {looks more natural but the bishop on c8 is still not
active enough}) 10. Qe2 {etc. The idea of 8 Bg5 followed by exchanging a
bishop for a knight looks very logical from a strategic point of view.}) 8...
c5 9. O-O ({Nowadays I would probably prefer} 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Bg5 {, with a
mind to castling queenside.}) 9... cxd4 10. Nxd4 Be7 {Why play so passively?} (
{It looks more natural to play} 10... Bc5 11. Nb3 Bb6) ({or} 10... Bc5 11. Be3
Bb6 {.}) 11. Bf4 O-O 12. Re1 (12. c4 {was interesting.}) 12... Qb6 ({Obviously,
the knight has been taboo for a long time (} 12... Qxd4 13. Bxh7+ {)}) ({but} 
12... Nd5 {deserved consideration.}) 13. Be5 Bd7 14. Re3 {Being 11 years old I
liked, of course, to play directly against the enemy king. In this position it
is also quite logical.} Rfd8 15. Rh3 g6 $6 ({I expected} 15... h6 {, after
which I intended} 16. Rg3 {. However, it does not appear that White stands
better after} Be8 {since Black has good counterplay in the centre and there is
no danger of a quick mate yet.}) 16. Qf3 Be8 17. Nb3 ({It's clear that nothing
good would come from} 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Qxf6 Qxd4 {. Still, at this point I
had not foreseen the forthcoming variations.}) 17... Nd7 18. Bd4 Qc7 19. Rxh7 {
The logical continuation, else Black can play 19...h5.} e5 20. Bxg6 $5 {How
could I resist sacrificing a second piece in a row?} ({Nowadays I would
probably prefer} 20. Qh3 Bf6 (20... exd4 {loses to} 21. Rh8+ Kg7 22. Qh6+ Kf6
23. Re1 Ne5 24. Rg8 Nxd3 25. Qh4+ Kf5 26. g4+ Kf4 27. Qg3+ {winning}) 21. Be3
Nf8 22. Rh6 {with a slight advantage.}) 20... Nf6 ({Zhuravlev obviously
doesn't believe in White's attack, otherwise he would have chosen} 20... fxg6
21. Rxe7 -- ({, and not now} 21... exd4 22. Qd5+ Kf8 23. Qxd4 Kxe7 24. Qg7+ Ke6
(24... Kd6 25. Rd1+ Kc6 26. Qc3+ Kb6 27. Qa5+ Kc6 28. Nd4+) ({and} 24... Bf7
25. Re1+ Kd6 26. Qxf7 Qxc2 27. Qe7+ Kc7 28. Nd4 {both win for White}) 25. Nd4+
Kd5 26. Rd1 $1 {and White's attack seems decisive}) ({, but} 21... Qd6 $1 22.
Rxe8+ {(there is nothing better)} Rxe8 23. Be3 e4 24. Qe2 {with only an edge
for White.})) ({But now it seems that all White's pieces are hanging. After} 
20... Nf6 {The natural} 21. Qg3 $2 {fails to} fxg6 22. Bxe5 Qd7 $1 {,
threatening 23...Qd1+, when Black turns the tables. I must admit that I did
not see this during the game, but fate saved me from this variation. White
does have a move, however, and it works!}) 21. Re1 $1 {All three pieces are
still hanging but the threat of 22 Bxe5 makes White's attack decisive.} Rxd4 ({
Clearly lines such as} 21... fxg6 22. Bxe5 Qd7 23. Bxf6) ({and} 21... Nxh7 22.
Bxh7+ Kxh7 23. Qh5+ Kg8 24. Bxe5 {lose quickly.}) ({What I had to calculate was
} 21... exd4 22. Qh3 Qf4 (22... fxg6 23. Rexe7 {wins}) 23. Rxe7 Nxh7 24. Qxh7+
Kf8 25. Rxb7 Qf6 (25... Bd7 26. g3 Qf6 27. Nc5) ({or} 25... Bd7 26. g3 Qf3 27.
Be4 {win for White}) 26. Nc5 Rd6 (26... Qxg6 27. Qh8+ Qg8 28. Ne6+ fxe6 29.
Qh6+ {also wins}) 27. Ne4 Qxg6 28. Qh8+ Qg8 29. Qxg8+ Kxg8 30. Nxd6 {and White
wins.}) 22. Nxd4 Nxh7 ({The best practical try would have been} 22... exd4 23.
Qh3 Qf4 {, although after} 24. Bxf7+ Bxf7 25. Rh8+ Kg7 26. Rxa8 {White has a
clear edge.}) 23. Bxh7+ Kxh7 24. Qh5+ Kg8 25. Nf5 {Here my opponent
overstepped the time limit.} ({In any case Black has no defence; for example} 
25. Nf5 f6 ({or} 25... Bf6 26. Re3) 26. Qg4+ Kf7 27. Nh6+ {, winning. ---
Mikhail Tal was impressed with this game and a few weeks later I got to know
him personally. I was still too weak to understand his chess ideas at that
time but I remember being covered in smoke (approximately ten cigarettes an
hour).}) 1-0

[Event "Latvian Championship, Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1986.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Zhuravliov, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A80"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1986.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{My first real success at master level was sharing third and fourth places in
the Latvian Championship which was held in Riga in March 1986 (first place was
taken by Yanis Klovans, while second was Alvis Vitolins. However, my result 
(7½/13) was insufficient for the Soviet master title. I had an up and down
tournament, beginning with two draws, then winning three in a row, losing four
and winning three in a row again. My most memorable game from that event was
again against Zhuravlev. --- These annotations were made during the
preparation of this book.} 1. d4 d5 2. Nc3 $5 f5 3. g4 $5 {This was not
improvisation, as I knew some games in which White had played this gambit. It
suited my style at that time (I liked sharp stuff) but in fact it is not a
great opening. Later I had an unfortunate experience with it and stopped
playing g2-g4 at such an early stage.} fxg4 4. Bf4 ({After} 4. h3 {,} g3 5.
fxg3 Nf6 {gives Black a good game.}) 4... Nf6 5. h3 c6 ({There is nothing
wrong with} 5... Bf5 {.}) 6. Qd3 $5 Na6 7. O-O-O Qa5 8. Qe3 $1 ({The only move
as} 8. a3 $2 b5) ({and} 8. Kb1 $6 b5 {are unsatisfactory.}) 8... b5 $6 {Very
optimistic.} ({I prefer} 8... Bf5 9. hxg4 Nxg4 10. Qg3 Nf6 {(with the idea of}
11. Bh3 Ne4 {) when Black has nothing to fear.}) 9. hxg4 b4 10. Nb1 Qxa2 $2 (
10... Nxg4 11. Qg3 Nf6 12. Bh3 {looks quite unclear.}) 11. Bh3 $1 (11. g5 {
could be answered by} b3 $1 {; for example} 12. Nc3 (12. c3 Bf5 13. Rd3 Ne4 $1
{with the idea of ...Nxc3 is very complicated}) 12... Qa1+ (12... Ng4 {allows
White a good ending after} 13. Nxa2 Nxe3 14. fxe3 $1 bxa2 15. Kd2) 13. Kd2 Qxb2
14. gxf6 gxf6 15. Bh3 $1 {with chances for both sides.}) 11... b3 12. c3 Nxg4 (
{If} 12... Bxg4 {then} 13. Nf3 {with good attacking prospects.}) 13. Qg3 Bf5
14. Rd3 h5 (14... Bxd3 15. exd3 Nf6 16. Be6 {with the idea of 17 Nf3 also
looks terrible for Black.}) 15. f3 $4 {Hasty and weak.} ({After} 15. Nf3 {it
is hard to offer good advice to Black as his pieces are completely out of play.
Now the battle rages into life once again.}) 15... h4 $1 16. Qg2 Bxd3 17. exd3
Nf6 18. Be6 Kd8 $1 {This is what I had missed. Black manages to exchange one
of his bad pieces for an attacking one.} 19. Nh3 ({If} 19. Qh2 {then} Qa5 {
holds.}) 19... Nc7 20. Ng5 Nxe6 21. Nxe6+ Kc8 22. Qh3 Kb7 23. Nc5+ Kb6 24. Nd7+
Nxd7 ({After} 24... Ka6 25. Nc5+ Kb6 26. -- ({White has a choice between} 26.
Nd7+ {, repeating the position}) ({or} 26. Qe6 {with unclear chances. The
text is better.})) 25. Qxd7 e5 $1 26. Bxe5 Qa4 27. c4 $5 Bb4 $2 {This natural
move leads to serious problems for Black;} ({when} 27... Rh6 $1 {would have
promised him excellent prospects. I cannot see anything better for White than}
28. Nc3 Qa1+ 29. Nb1 Bb4 $1 30. Qxg7 Re6 31. f4 $5 {with dubious compensation
for the exchange.}) 28. Rg1 Rag8 $2 {The fatal error.} ({Although} 28... Rhg8
$2 29. Bc7+ Ka6 30. Rg6 {would have been no improvement}) (28... g5 $1 29. Bxh8
(29. Rxg5 $2 Rhg8) 29... Rxh8 30. Rxg5 Bf8 $1 {would have retained drawing
chances} 31. -- ({for example} 31. Rxd5 Rg8 $1) ({or} 31. Rg6 dxc4 $1 32. d5
Rh6 $1 {and White has nothing better than perpetual.})) 29. Bc7+ Ka6 30. Rg6
Rh6 31. Bb8 $1 {The point.} Rxb8 32. Rxg7 {. Black lost on time, but there is
no defence against mate in a few moves. Not a perfect game, but still one that
gave me a lot of aesthetic pleasure. 'Congratulations on your nice play,' said
Alvis Vitolins, who is himself another Latvian master of sacrifice. --- For a
long time I had no regular coach, although I analysed a great deal with
different Latvian players, and in particular I should mention Igor Rausis, who
is now a grandmaster. With his help I studied the Arkhangelsk Variation of the
Spanish Opening, with which I later played many interesting games. At the end
of 1986 I began working with grandmaster Vladimir Bagirov, who has trained
many leading Latvian players including Mikhail Tal. I believe that this was a
turning point in my chess career and I soon began to make much faster progress.
} 1-0

[Event "Latvian Championship, Riga"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Klovans, J."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "C78"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In January 1987 I came third in the Soviet Under-18 Championship in Kapsukas 
(nowadays called Mariampole) with 8 out of 11 in a Swiss system tournament.
First on tie-break was 12-year-old(!) Gata Kamsky (long before he moved to the
USA) ahead of Boris Alterman (who now represents Israel), both of whom scored
9 points. The reader will find some of my games from Kapsukas elsewhere in
this book. --- One month later I lost a match against Kamsky to decide who
would participate in the World Under-16, which was a disappointing setback.
However, in March I again came third in the Latvian Championship with 8 out of
13 (first was Edvins Kengis, second Alexander Shabalov). --- Here is one of my
games from that event. --- These annotations were made in March 1987 and first
appeared in 'Shakhmaty Riga'.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O
b5 6. Bb3 Bb7 7. Re1 Bc5 8. c3 d6 9. d4 Bb6 10. Bg5 {A plan that Janis Klovans
had successfully employed previously.} h6 11. Bh4 Qd7 12. a4 O-O-O 13. axb5
axb5 14. Bxf6 gxf6 15. Bd5 Rhg8 16. Kh1 Qg4 $5 ({Klovans-Malaniuk, Lvov 1984,
continued} 16... Ne7 $6 {, and after} 17. Bxb7+ Kxb7 18. Nbd2 {White achieved
the better game. The immediate attack on the white centre looks more promising.
}) 17. Rg1 ({Not} 17. g3 $6 f5 {.}) ({[AS - A few months after this game
Klovans demonstrated to me that} 17. g3 f5 $6 {.} 18. Nbd2 $1 exd4 19. Qb3 $1
dxc3 20. bxc3 {is nearly winning for White. His recommendation was tried in
the correspondence game Vitomskis-Stashans (Latvia 1987-88) which White won.
All this forced me to look for another line and later on I played some games
with 12...Qe7 (instead of 12...Qd7).]}) 17... exd4 18. cxd4 f5 $1 19. Nc3 fxe4
20. Nxe4 ({The game Ulybin-Shirov, played two months earlier (USSR Junior
Championship, Kapsukas 1987), went} 20. Bxe4 Rde8 21. Bd5 Kb8 $6 22. Nxb5 Qf5
23. Nc3 Nb4 24. Bxb7 Kxb7 25. Qa4 Nd3 26. Qa6+ Kc6 {Here White was unable to
exploit the position of the enemy king, and after} 27. Rgf1 Ra8 28. Qc4+ Kb7 {
the position became equal.}) ({After} 20. Bxe4 Rde8 21. Bd5 {, instead of 21...
Kb8?!, it would have been sounder to play} Nb4 {, for example,} 22. Bxb7+ Kxb7
23. Nxb5 Qf5 24. Qa4 Nd3 25. -- ({. Compared with the position after 26...Kc6
in the variation above, the white knight is less well placed at b5. Now} 25.
Qa6+ Kc6 26. Na7+ Kd7 {is dangerous for White}) ({, while the variation} 25.
Nxd6+ cxd6 26. Qa6+ Kc7 27. Rgc1+ Bc5 $1 28. dxc5 Nxf2+ 29. Kg1 Nh3+ 30. Kh1 (
30. Kf1 $2 Qxf3+ 31. gxf3 Rg1#) 30... Nf2+ {leads to a draw by perpetual check.
})) 20... Qf5 21. Nc3 Nb4 22. Bxb7+ Kxb7 {By now Black has solved all his
problems.} 23. Ra3 Rde8 24. Rb3 Nd3 25. Ne4 Qxe4 26. Rxd3 Qd5 27. Re1 Rxe1+ ({
Black could have consolidated his slight advantage by} 27... Re6 $5 {.}) 28.
Qxe1 Rg4 29. Qd2 h5 30. h3 Re4 31. Kg1 {The position is level. But Black's
subsequent play in his opponent's time-trouble is anything but successful.} Qa2
32. Qc2 Qd5 33. Qd2 f5 34. Qd1 f4 35. Qd2 Qf5 36. Qd1 Re8 37. Kf1 Ra8 38. Rd2
Rg8 39. Qb3 Re8 40. Kg1 Ra8 41. Rd1 Re8 {Here the time-trouble came to an end.
White's position is now slightly better, but it is doubtful whether he can
extract any real gains from this.} ({For example:} 41... Re8 42. d5 Rg8 43. Kf1
Qg6 44. Ne1 Qe8 45. Rc1 Rg5 $1 {with equal chances. Therefore a draw was
agreed.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "2: World Cadet (1988)"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{My aim for 1988 was to qualify for the World Cadet (Under-16) Championship,
following my disappointment the year before. At that time I had the best
possible opportunities to improve that Latvia could offer. I continued working
with Bagirov, analysed with Tal, Shabalov, Kengis, Klovans and others, and
also began working with Zigurds Lanka (who is now a grandmaster). Having
obtained the Soviet master title in 1987 I was full of confidence but was not
yet able to study chess full-time as I was still attending secondary school.
--- In January 1988 I again finished third in the Soviet Junior Championship
in Ivano-Frankovski with the same score of 8 out of 11. (First was Mikhail
Ulybin and second Gata Kamsky, both with 8½ out of 11.) I again lost to
Gata and although the tournament was not a direct qualifier for the World
Cadet, my ambitions were dented.} 1. -- {My next major event was a qualifier
for the World Junior (Under-20) Championship, held at Borzhomi in April.
Kamsky was there as well, so I knew I had to finish at least half a point in
front of him to get into the World Under-16. If I failed, my chances of making
a real chess career in the Soviet Union would have been seriously damaged (for
example, Kamsky's father decided to defect with his son to the USA in 1989 in
search of a better destiny). --- No wonder I made a nervous start to the
Borzhomi event, making two draws from completely winning positions against
Ulybin and Kamsky. However, I then managed to calm down and win four games
against Dreyev, Akopian, Komarov and Smirin. Before the last round Dreyev and
I both had 6½ out of 9, but I lost in the last round to Dzandzghava and
Dreyev came first. Still, second place, two and a half points ahead of Kamsky
in a tournament in which all 11 participants have since become grandmasters
was a great achievement. Now I was free to prepare for the World Cadet
Championship which was to be held in July-August 1988 in Timisoara, Romania.} *

[Event "Borzhomi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khenkin, I."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E92"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 45'.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6.
Be2 e5 7. d5 {This move marks the venerable Petrosian system, which still has
its followers today, such as Vladimir Kramnik and Miguel Illescas. Yours truly
tried it once in 1994 but without success.} a5 8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 Na6 10. Nd2 Qe8
11. O-O Nh7 12. a3 Bd7 13. b3 ({Illescas and Kramnik prefer} 13. Kh1 {, after
which the best move is probably} h5 {.}) 13... f5 ({Of course} 13... h5 {is
also possible here, but I wanted to demonstrate a clear path to equality that
I had prepared at home.}) 14. exf5 (14. f3 Nf6 {is fine for Black.}) 14... Bxf5
(14... gxf5 {, which leads to a very unclear position after} 15. Bh5 Qc8 16.
Be7 Re8 17. Bxe8 Qxe8 18. Bh4 {, was introduced by Kasparov against Yusupov in
the Barcelona World Cup in 1989.}) 15. g4 e4 16. Rc1 e3 17. fxe3 (17. gxf5 exd2
18. Qxd2 Nc5 19. Qd1 Rxf5 20. Bg4 Rf4 21. Re1 $6 Qxe1+ 22. Qxe1 Rxg4+ 23. Bg3
Ng5 24. Qe2 h5 {proved to be very dangerous for White in the games Naumkin-I.Belov (Moscow 1984) and Av.Bykhovsky-I.Belov (Pula 1988).}) 17... Qxe3+ ({
Also interesting is} 17... Bd7 $5 18. Rxf8+ Kxf8 $1 {.}) 18. Bf2 Qg5 19. Kh1 ({
My idea was to answer} 19. h4 {with} Qf4 20. gxf5 Be5 21. Nf3 Qg4+ 22. Kh1 Qh3+
{leading to a draw by perpetual. Khenkin decides to go for more.}) 19... Bd7
20. Nde4 Qe7 {The position is equal.} 21. Qd3 Rae8 22. Ng3 (22. Kg2 $5 {was
worth consideration.}) 22... Rf6 23. Kg2 Ng5 24. Bd4 Nc5 $1 25. Bxf6 {
Otherwise White stands worse.} Nxd3 26. Bxe7 Nxc1 27. Bxg5 Nxe2 28. Ngxe2 hxg5
29. h3 {The position has simplified by force and I thought that I now held the
advantage due to the bishop pair. But in fact Black's light-squared bishop is
not sufficiently active and it is practically impossible to generate any
winning chances.} c6 {Threatening 30...b5.} 30. a4 cxd5 31. cxd5 Be5 (31... Rc8
32. Rf3 Rc5 33. Rd3 {does not promise Black anything.}) 32. Rf3 Kg7 33. Kf2 b5
34. axb5 Rb8 35. Ne4 $1 Kh6 36. Rf7 Bxb5 37. Nf6 $1 {Now White starts to play
for a win, but there are no real chances.} Bxf6 38. Rxf6 Bxe2 39. Kxe2 Rxb3 40.
Rxd6 a4 $6 ({Of course} 40... Rxh3 41. Ra6 Kg7 {was simpler.}) 41. Ra6 Kg7 ({
A more complicated way to draw was} 41... Rb5 42. d6 Rd5 43. Ke3 a3 44. Ke4 Rd2
45. Ke5 a2 46. Ke6 Re2+ 47. Kf7 Rd2 $1 ({not} 47... Rf2+ $2 48. Kg8 Rd2 49. Ra7
a1=Q 50. Rh7#) 48. Ke7 Re2+ 49. Kd8 Kg7 50. d7 Kf7 {.}) 42. Rxa4 Rxh3 43. Re4 {
It seems that White has achieved a great deal by cutting off the black king,
but Black can still draw.} Ra3 44. d6 Kf7 45. Rd4 Ra8 46. Rd5 Ke6 47. Rxg5 Kxd6
48. Rxg6+ Ke5 49. Kf3 Ra3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Cadet Championship, Timisoara"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Lautier, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E48"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{I was fortunate enough to be able to prepare for Timisoara with Mikhail Tal
who was at the same time preparing for the Soviet Championship (from which he
later withdrew due to health problems). Several leading Latvian players and
the Russian grandmaster Evgeny Sveshnikov also participated in that training
session and when I left for Romania (with Vladimir Bagirov as my trainer) I
was confident that I would win. I started relatively poorly with 3 out of 4,
but then won the last seven games in a row and finished clear first. Second
was the American Ilya Gurevich with 8½ out of 11 and the Frenchman Joel
Lautier was third with 7½. --- My victory over Lautier in round nine from a
precarious position practically decided the tournament. --- These annotations
were made during the preparation of this book, based on my notes in 'New in
Chess Yearbook 11'.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Bd3 Nc6 6. Nge2
{A line which was successfully practised by Kasparov around that time. Later
its popularity began to drop off and I was surprised that it reappeared in the
Candidates' matches Salov-Timman (Sanghi Nagar 1994) and Kamsky-Short (Linares
1994).} cxd4 7. exd4 d5 8. cxd5 Nxd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Bc2 Bd6 {Probably best.} (
10... Re8 11. Qd3 g6 12. Rd1 Bf8 13. Qf3 {is less convincing}) ({but} 10... Qh4
$5 {also deserves attention.}) 11. Ne4 (11. Qd3 $6 {is met by} Qh4 {.}) 11...
Be7 12. a3 b6 ({This looks more accurate than either} 12... Qb6 $6 {
(Salov-Timman, Sanghi Nagar 1994)}) ({or} 12... Re8 {(Kamsky-Short, Linares
1994).}) ({However,} 12... e5 $5 {seems completely equal to me.}) 13. Qd3 g6
14. Bh6 Re8 15. Rfe1 $5 {This move was a novelty though I was under the
misapprehension that 10...Bd6 was already a new move.} (15. Rac1 Bb7 16. Rfd1
Rc8 {had occurred in the game Semkov-Psakhis, Erevan 1988.}) 15... Bb7 16. Rad1
Rc8 17. N2c3 a6 $6 ({Psakhis played} 17... Na5 $1 {against me two months later
at Klaipeda and gained an advantage after} 18. Qg3 Nc4 19. Ba4 Bc6 20. Bb3 Nxc3
$1 21. bxc3 $2 ({correct was} 21. Nxc3 -- ({when Black could choose between} 
21... Bd6 22. Bf4 Bxf4 23. Qxf4 Qd6 $1 24. Qxd6 Nxd6 25. d5 exd5 {with equality
}) ({and} 21... Bd5 $5 {with unclear complications})) 21... Bxe4 $1 22. Rxe4
Nd6 {.}) 18. Qg3 $1 Bh4 (18... Nf6 {could have been met by} 19. Ng5 -- (19...
-- {(threatening} 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Bxg6 {winning)}) (19... Nh5 20. Qg4 f5 $6
21. Bb3 $1 Bxg5 ({not} 21... fxg4 $2 22. Bxe6+ Kh8 23. Nf7+) 22. Qxg5 {with a
clear advantage}) (19... Bd6 20. Qf3 Rc7 21. Nce4 Nxe4 22. Bxe4 {with the
advantage.})) 19. Qh3 Be7 20. Rd3 $2 {A serious mistake after which Black is
able to seize the initiative.} ({I should have played} 20. Nxd5 Qxd5 ({perhaps
} 20... exd5 {is better, but after} 21. Nc3 {, with the idea of} -- 22. Bf5 $1
{, White retains an edge}) 21. Nc3 Qd6 22. d5 exd5 23. Rxd5 Bf8 24. Re4 Rxe4
25. Nxe4 Qe6 26. Qxe6 fxe6 27. Nf6+ Kf7 28. Rd7+ Ne7 (28... Kxf6 29. Bxf8 Rxf8
30. Rxb7 {is also in White's favour}) 29. Bxf8 Rxc2 30. h4 {and White is on
top.}) 20... f5 $1 21. Ng3 Bf6 22. Nge2 Qd7 (22... Qd6 {was also possible,
when Black stands slightly better.}) 23. Red1 $1 Na5 24. Nf4 {If White does
not do anything he is strategically lost because of the isolated pawn and weak
queenside. An attack on the enemy king is his only chance.} Nc4 (24... Nxf4 25.
Bxf4 Nc4 26. Bc1 b5 {would also have given Black a small advantage.}) 25. Ncxd5
Bxd5 26. Rg3 Re7 27. Rdd3 {White consistently carries out his plan but it
still doesn't seem convincing. Possibly Lautier thought that his task (he
needed to win) was already rather easy. If so, this probably cost him the game.
} Nd6 {The first inaccuracy.} (27... Nxb2 $1 {would have left Black with the
better prospects after} 28. Nxg6 hxg6 29. Rxg6+ Bg7 30. Bxg7 Rxg7 31. Rdg3 Rxc2
32. Qh6 Rc7 33. h4 Qe7 34. Rxg7+ Qxg7 {.}) 28. Bd1 Ne4 29. Nxg6 {The only move.
} hxg6 30. Rxg6+ Bg7 $2 {A very bad mistake.} ({After} 30... Rg7 $1 {I would
have been in severe difficulties in time-trouble (something like five minutes
for ten moves). Only after long post-game analysis did I find} 31. Rxf6 $1 Nxf6
32. Bxg7 Qxg7 33. Rg3 Ng4 34. Qh5 Rc1 (34... Kf8 35. Bxg4 fxg4 36. h3 {gives
White sufficient compensation for the piece}) 35. Qe8+ Kh7 36. Qh5+ Qh6 37.
Qf7+ Kh8 38. Qe8+ Kg7 39. Qe7+ Kg6 40. Qe8+ Kg5 (40... Kf6 41. Qd8+ {is equal})
41. Qg8+ Qg6 (41... Kf4 $4 42. Rxg4+ fxg4 43. Qxg4#) 42. Qd8+ Kf4 43. Qd6+ Kg5
(43... e5 $2 44. Rxg4+ Qxg4 45. Qh6+ Qg5 46. g3+ Ke4 47. Qxg5 Rxd1+ 48. Kg2
Kxd4+ 49. Kh3 {wins}) ({, and} 43... Ke4 $2 44. f3+ Kd3 (44... Kxd4 45. Qf4+)
45. fxg4+ Kd2 46. Qf4+ Kxd1 47. Qf2 Rc2 48. Qf1+ Kd2 49. Rd3#) 44. Qd8+ {with
a draw by perpetual check.}) 31. Qh4 $1 {Now White is winning.} Bc4 {This
loses by force;} ({but} 31... Qe8 32. Qh5 Nf6 33. Qg5 Qf8 34. Rg3 Ng4 35. f3 $1
Nxh6 36. Rxh6 f4 37. Rg4 Rc1 38. Qh5 $1 Rxd1+ 39. Kf2 {also wins for White.})
32. Bxg7 Rxg7 33. Rh3 Qxd4 ({Of course} 33... Rxg6 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. Rh7+ {also
loses.}) 34. Qh8+ Kf7 35. Rxg7+ Qxg7 36. Qxc8 {Both flags were hanging and we
had stopped writing down the moves. The rest requires no comment.} Bd5 37. Qd7+
Kf6 38. Qxg7+ Kxg7 39. Bb3 Ng5 40. Rg3 Kf6 41. Bxd5 exd5 42. Rc3 Ke5 43. Rc6 d4
44. Rxb6 d3 45. Kf1 Ne4 46. h4 Kd4 47. h5 {. As World Cadet Champion I of
course received certain privileges from the Soviet Sports Committee. The most
important of these was an invitation to the play in the Semi-Final of the
Soviet Championship, to be held in Klaipeda in November 1988, where I had the
opportunity to play against such established grandmasters as Gelfand, Dolmatov
and Psakhis, etc. --- In the first half of the tournament I won three games
and was close to the lead, but then I collapsed to finish with 7 points out of
16. Still, it was excellent experience.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "3: Professional Life 1989-1996"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.01"]

{Since 1989 I have played in so many tournaments that it is impossible to
describe all of them. Probably the games I played in these years will tell the
reader more. Here I offer a brief account of my career during this period. ---
In March and April 1989 I received another privilege from Goskomsport - a
chance to play in the Budapest open (in which I made my first international
master norm), followed by a closed category 9 event in Torcy, France, where I
shared first and second place with grandmaster Kupreichik and achieved my
first GM norm. --- The following month I received another chance to go for a
GM norm in the GMA open in Moscow. However, I started badly and finished half
a point short with 5½ out of 9. Compensation was received in the form of $1,
000 prize-money (which was a lot of money in the USSR in those days) which
gave me some security and enabled me to make plans for my career. I had just
finished school and had decided that I would play chess full-time for a while.
(In fact, after a year of chess I went to university because there was no
other legal way to avoid military service. I completely quit my studies in the
beginning of 1993 but even before that I never spent too much time studying.)} 
1. -- {In the summer of 1989 I took part in the Soviet Youth Games (a kind of
youth team championship), where I scored 6 out of 8 on first board to share
first place with Boris Gelfand from Byelorussia and the Moldavian Victor
Bologan (who is now a grandmaster). In this event I scored a remarkable
victory over Vasily Ivanchuk (world no. 3 at that time) after he had declined
a draw in an equal endgame. --- The Soviet system started to change
dramatically in 1989 and chessplayers were able to travel abroad a lot more
using our own personal contacts and financial resources. Thanks to the Swedish
IM Richard Wessman and Norwegian IM Rune Djurhuus (whom I had met at the World
Junior Championship in Colombia, where, by the way, I played poorly) I
received invitations to play in open tournaments in Stockholm at the end of
the year and Gausdal in January 1990. When, after a two-week nightmare of
arranging documentation, I finally arrived in Stockholm I already felt that I
had done the hard part and the chess would be much easier. In fact I scored
grandmaster norms in both tournaments and was awarded the title in May 1990.
--- The following month I was invited to what turned out to be the last Soviet
Zonal tournament and surprised even myself by finishing in a tie for the first
four places (with Leonid Yudasin, Smbat Lputian and Alexei Dreev), which was
sufficient for a berth in the Interzonal, a 13-round Swiss tournament held in
Manila in June and July of 1990. Of course I had hopes of qualifying for the
Candidates' stage but unfortunately I made a slow start and had only scored 3½ after the first 8 rounds. With a last ditch attempt I won three games in a
row but could only manage two draws at the end, which was not enough. Still, 7½ out of 13 was a good result for me.} (1. -- {In August I then went to
Santiago for another attempt on the World Junior Championship. Although I
scored 10½ out of 13 the American Ilya Gurevich (whom I had lost to in
round 7) made the same score and was awarded the title on some strange
tie-break system. --- This tournament was also remarkable because it was there
that I encountered the Argentinean Veronica Alvarez, who was participating in
the World Girls (Under-20) Championship, for the first time. We were married
in January 1994. --- After the World Junior I more or less completely broke
away from the Sports Committee and was now dependent solely on tournament
organizers. In order to obtain good invitations I needed to improve my rating
as much as possible so I started trying to beat every weaker opponent I played
in every competition. Sometimes I took many risks, sometimes I had
insufficient energy, but in general my plan worked and in the summer of 1991 I
was invited to my first category 15 tournament in Biel, where I took first
place with 9½ out of 14, a point clear of Evgeny Bareev. Later that year I
began playing for Hamburg in the German Bundesliga, for whom I made 9½ out
of 10 on second board in my first season, which ended in May 1992. --- As a
result my rating began to improve. I was 2655 in January 1992 and this went up
to 2710 in July. I won several tournaments in this period, but my first
category 17 event, in Dortmund in April, was almost a disaster - 3½ points
out of 9.}) (1. -- {In June the Latvian team (Shirov, Kengis, Shabalov, Lanka,
Bagirov and Klovans) went to the Olympiad in Manila. We were naturally very
excited about this as it was the first time a Latvian team had participated
since the Buenos Aires event in 1939. Our final result, fifth place out of
more than a hundred teams, was quite an achievement in my opinion (but one,
alas, which we couldn't repeat in Moscow in 1994, where we finished 19th). I
scored 9 out of 13 on top board, but I was disappointed to lose to Garry
Kasparov after missing a simple two-move win. --- Before the Olympiad in 1992
my progress had been quite smooth, but then things started to get a little
shaky. Returning to Biel in July/August 1992 for a category 16, 8-player
tournament I could only manage 5½ out of 14 to finish last but one. In
Moscow in November it was the same story and other results such as 50% at Wijk
aan Zee in January 1993 were equally unimpressive. --- My chance to
re-establish myself among the world elite came with the 1993 category 18
tournament in Linares, Spain in February/March 1993. Here I started well,
winning the first two games but then slipped back to 50% with losses in rounds
3 and 5. Having won from a dubious position against Gelfand in round 8, I
regained some confidence and won two more games. My final result (8/13) was
enough to compensate for my earlier disasters.}) (1. -- {After Linares I
played either good or average tournaments for the rest of the year. The
highlights were first place at Munich in May (category 16) and reaching the
semi-final of the Tilburg tournament, where I was narrowly defeated by
Ivanchuk in a rapid chess tie-break. Although I didn't qualify for either the
FIDE or PCA Candidates' cycles, my results in both Interzonals were acceptable.
--- Returning again to Linares in February/March 1994 I reached the peak of my
career so far. It was the first time that I had been accompanied to a
tournament by my wife and the start, ½ out of 3, was discouraging. However,
in round 4 I beat the Spanish grandmaster Miguel Illescas and I was then
joined by my friend, grandmaster Victor Bologan (who was my second at Tilburg
1993, and with whom I have had several training sessions) who had come to
assist me. After victories against the Bulgarian Veselin Topalov, Vasily
Ivanchuk and Judit Polgar, I made three draws with Kasparov, Karpov and
Gelfand. The quality of all these games was quite good, but then Bologan left 
(he is a professional player too) and I again started playing badly. However,
lady luck shone down on me and I won two further games (against Kamsky and
Kramnik), to finish with 8½ out of 13, sharing second and third places with
Kasparov (Karpov was first with 11). --- After Linares my rating was the third
highest in the world and I managed to improve it further with victories in
three Bundesliga and three French League games in March and April. But in May
another crisis began and I had several bitter results, sweetened only by
sharing second and third places in Horgen, Switzerland in September behind
Kasparov. My last event of 1994 was the Moscow Olympiad where my performance
on top board (8/13) was nothing special.}) (1. -- {In February 1995 I won the
training (for my opponent) match against Jeroen Piket: 5½-2½. An
excellent result but not in terms of the quality of the games. Then I, as
usual, did well in Linares - this time scoring 8 out of 13 to share 3rd-4th
places with Topalov behind Ivanchuk and Karpov. But in April I played so
horribly in a category 18 tournament in Dos Hermanas (a suburb of Seville)
that I finished last - for the first time in my life. I still don't really
know what happened because I often stood well after the opening. Immediately
after Dos Hermanas I went to Leon where I shared 1st-2nd places with Bareev in
a category 14 tournament (6½ out of 9). --- After the Leon tournament I had
two months' rest and this was especially good for me since apart from physical
preparation I needed to think what to do about my chess. I think I did the
right thing. I was able to start hard work on chess again and I believe that
one day it will pay off. This also gave me more confidence and made me willing
to play and fight. I started playing more creative chess again, working hard
during every game as in my best times. --- However it also had one drawback.
It turned out that at the age of twenty-three I was not so full of energy as
when I was a teenager. Although I had a solid performance at Biel in July 1995
(a single round-robin category 15 tournament), recovering well from a slow
start, my next tournaments in Amsterdam and Belgrade (category 16 and 17
respectively) were anything but smooth. A sharp start (3½ out of 4 in both!)
, interesting games with plenty of creative ideas but a lack of energy at the
end and finally respectable but not especially satisfactory scores. My next
tournament, Wijk aan Zee in January 1996, was even worse - just fifty percent.
Actually 1996 is not going as well as I had hoped. I had just one really
strong tournament in Madrid in May and I also again made the best performance
in the Bundesliga, but didn't score so many points as four years ago. --- Now
that this book is finally finished (it really took too long!) my real comeback
will start! I have nothing else to add and it is time to let the moves speak
for themselves. I would only like to express the wish that one day I will have
some games worthy of another edition.}) *

[Event "USSR Young Masters, Tbilisi"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Akopian, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in February 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga' under the title 'Without any prepared analysis'. --- The 1989 USSR Young
Masters Championship went badly for me. Right from the start I got stuck in a
drawing rut, then in the middle I gained two wins and reached 'plus one', but
I could not maintain this and finished with a fifty per cent score. Many of my
drawn games were interesting, but my only notable win was the one over Akopian.
In describing this encounter, I cannot avoid mentioning its thematic
predecessor - the game Epishin-Khenkin (56th USSR Championship Semi-Final,
Barnaul 1988). On certain key questions my opinions differed from those of
Epishin, but here I will concentrate on my own.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5
4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 {I used to
employ the variation with 7 Bc4 and 8 Ne2, but games such as Yusupov-Kasparov
and Belyavsky-Kasparov from the 55th USSR Championship (Moscow 1988) showed
that Black has good play, and the number of its supporters fell rapidly.
Instead I chose a variation that once experienced a boom, and has now been
revived. It is constantly employed by Gelfand, Khalifman and Epishin, and of
those who have recently begun playing it, I should mention Dokhoyan. --- [AS -
The line 8 Rb1 0-0 9 Be2 is extremely popular nowadays. I notice that Kramnik,
for example, has employed it very successfully recently. And I have also
experienced the line with the black pieces against another faithful '8 Rb1
club member', namely Joel Lautier, in Belgrade 1995.]} Qa5 ({Nowadays most
players elect for} 9... b6) ({or} 9... cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ {. In the latter
case White has the very interesting continuation} 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O {with
enough compensation for the pawn, e.g.} b6 13. Qc1 Qe6 14. Bc4 Qxe4 15. Re1 Qb7
16. Bb4 Be6 17. Rxe6 fxe6 18. Ng5 {with a very strong attack (Vaiser-Andrianov,
Naberezhnye Chelny 1988)}) ({or} 9... cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O
b6 13. Qc1 {, and now} Bb7 14. Bc4 Qa4 15. Bb5 Qa2 16. Re1 Rc8 17. Qd1 e6 18.
Qe2 Nc6 19. Qe3 {(Khalifman-Epishin, Vilnius 1988). [AS - Of course, there
are now a lot of new games to study in the line 9...cxd4 10 cxd4 Qa5+ 11 Bd2,
etc. (such as Kramnik-Anand, Riga 1995, and Kramnik-Timman, Novgorod 1995).
The already mentioned game Lautier-Shirov might shed some light on my own
feelings about it, but of course it's too early for me to reveal all my
thoughts.]}) 10. O-O Qxa2 11. Bg5 Qe6 {All this has occurred many times before,
without White achieving any particular gains.} 12. Qd3 {Epishin's idea, which
he first employed in the aforementioned game with Khenkin. It is interesting
that, according to Epishin, this move was devised during the game. At that
time both Akopian and I knew of that game only by hearsay, as indicated by our
great expenditure of time. Thus in neither case was there any prepared
analysis, but for all that, this game is of no less interest to theory.} b6 ({
Analysts may be interested in} 12... Nd7 {.}) 13. d5 Qd6 14. e5 $1 {The point
of my idea. White gains the two bishops, and a great advantage in space and
development. Nevertheless, Black has two extra pawns ...} Bxe5 15. Nxe5 Qxe5
16. Qd2 Qd6 (16... Nd7 {would have restricted White's possibilities to a
greater extent. Then almost forced is} 17. Bf3 Qd6 18. Rfe1 f6 (18... Ne5 $2
19. Rxe5 $1 Qxe5 20. Re1 Qf5 21. d6 Bd7 22. dxe7 Rfe8 23. Bxa8 Rxa8 24. h3 {is
better for White}) ({or} 18... Ne5 $2 19. Rxe5 $1 f6 20. Re6 $1 Bxe6 21. Bf4
Qd7 22. dxe6 Qxd2 23. Bxd2 {is better for White}) 19. Re6 fxg5 20. Rxd6 exd6
21. Re1 $1 a5 $1 {, when the position is unclear.}) 17. Qe3 ({For the moment,
all is as in the aforementioned game, whereas} 17. Bf3 Nd7 {would have led to
the previous variation.}) 17... Re8 18. Bf3 Nd7 19. Bf4 $5 {But here is the
divergence.} ({Epishin played} 19. Rfe1 Nf6 (19... f6 20. Qe6+ $1 {is better
for White}) 20. c4 Bf5 21. Ra1 -- ({and after} 21... a6 $6 22. h3 h5 $2 23. Bf4
Qd7 24. Be5 Kh7 25. Qf4 Rg8 26. Qg5 {he won quickly.}) ({But instead of 21...
a6 there was} 21... e5 $1 {, when White does not appear to have sufficient
compensation for the two pawns.})) ({After} 19. Rfe1 Nf6 20. c4 Bf5 {, instead
of 21 Ra1, in Epishin's opinion, it was stronger to play} 21. Rbd1 Bg4 {
(otherwise 22 h3)} 22. Bxf6 Bxf3 23. Be5 Bxd1 24. Bxd6 exd6 25. Qc3 {, but
after} Be2 {I think that Black has good play. However, the move in the game
should also not have achieved anything concrete.}) 19... Qf6 20. d6 Rb8 21.
Rbd1 ({Bad was} 21. dxe7 Rxe7 22. Qd2 Ne5 23. Bg5 Nxf3+ 24. gxf3 Rd7 $1 25.
Qxd7 Qxg5+ {and Black wins.}) 21... e5 $2 {A serious mistake.} ({Black would
not have solved his problems by} 21... Bb7 22. dxe7 Rxe7 (22... Bxf3 23. Rxd7
Bg4 24. Rxa7 Rbc8 25. Re1 {is better for White}) 23. Rxd7 $1 Rxe3 24. fxe3 Bxf3
25. Bxb8 Qxc3 26. Rxf3 Qe1+ 27. Rf1 Qxe3+ 28. Kh1 Qe8 29. Rfd1 $1 {when White
has a won position}) ({but} 21... e6 $1 {was essential. During the game I did
not consider this move seriously (seemingly neither did my opponent), but now
it is not easy to find compensation for the material. White should probably
play} 22. Bc6 Qd8 23. Rfe1 b5 $5 {, when it is he who has to seek a way of
equalizing.}) 22. Bg5 Qg7 ({If} 22... Qf5 23. Be4 Qe6 24. Bd5 Qf5 25. f4 $1) ({
while} 22... Qh8 {is well met by} 23. Bc6 {.}) 23. Bh6 Qf6 24. Bc6 $1 ({I
first thought of chickening out (I was, after all, two pawns down!) by playing
} 24. Bg5 {, but this desire soon passed. Akopian had about 15 minutes left on
his clock, while I had about half an hour.}) 24... Re6 {Now I was in no doubt
that I was going to win.} ({The only chance was} 24... Qd8 25. f4 Bb7 26. Bxd7
Qxd7 27. fxe5 f5 $1 {, although after} 28. Bg5 Be4 29. Bf6 {, with h4-h5 to
follow, White has the advantage.}) 25. Bg5 Qg7 26. f4 h6 ({If} 26... f6 {then}
27. f5 $1 gxf5 28. Bh6 Qg6 29. Bd5 Nf8 30. Rf3 f4 31. Bxf4 $1 exf4 32. Qxf4 Qf7
33. d7 $1 {wins for White.}) 27. Be7 exf4 28. Qxf4 g5 {A last few nervous
moves during time-trouble.} 29. Qa4 Ne5 30. Bd5 Bb7 31. Qxa7 Nd7 32. Bxb7 1-0

[Event "Budapest"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Forintos, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga'. --- I remarked earlier that it wasn't my intention to include only
games of the highest quality, but also some particularly memorable games. Here
is such a game which marked another little step in my biography. I also like
the way I played it.} 1. Nf3 c5 2. g3 g6 3. c3 $6 {After suffering a defeat in
round 4 at the hands of the Yugoslav player Gosic (in a popular variation of
the Queen's Indian Defence), I decided in my next 'White' game to transfer the
weight of the struggle to the middlegame.} (3. c4 {is more critical.}) 3... Bg7
4. d4 Qa5 $5 {Forintos strives to emphasize the weakness of White's third move.
} ({After} 4... Qa5 {,} 5. -- ({unusual play now arises, since} 5. Bg2 cxd4 6.
Nxd4 Nc6) ({or} 5. Nbd2 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nc6 {is good for Black.})) 5. d5 d6 6. e4
Nf6 7. Nbd2 Nbd7 8. Bg2 Qa6 $1 9. c4 {White has played c2-c4 in two moves, but
the black queen is not well placed, and this balances the chances.} b5 10. O-O
Rb8 ({Black could have taken the pawn -} 10... bxc4 11. Qc2 Nb6 {, but after}
12. a4 Bd7 13. a5 Bb5 14. Re1 {White would have had sufficient compensation.})
11. Qc2 O-O 12. Re1 Ng4 $6 {An inaccuracy.} ({After} 12... Ne8 {Black has
everything in order.}) 13. Bf1 $1 {By blocking the position, White gains the
initiative.} b4 14. h3 Ngf6 (14... Nge5 {is well answered by} 15. Nh2 Nb6 16.
f4 Ned7 17. Nb3 {, when White enjoys a slight advantage.}) 15. a3 Ne8 {The
Hungarian grandmaster criticised this move, but offered no alternative.} 16.
Nb3 Qb6 17. axb4 Qxb4 18. Na5 Bb7 (18... Ne5 {would have lost to} 19. Re3 {,
but now I realized that, even though I had a certain advantage, it would be
difficult to breach Black's defences. --- There was little time (the control
was two and a half hours for 50 moves), and so I decided to improve the
placing of my pieces while maintaining the tension.}) 19. Re3 Qb6 20. Rea3 ({If
} 20. Rb3 Qc7 21. Nxb7 Rxb7 22. Rxb7 Qxb7 23. Qa4 Nef6 24. Qxa7 Qb3 {with
compensation.}) 20... Nef6 21. Nb3 ({Nothing would have been achieved by} 21.
Nc6 Bxc6 22. Ra6 Qc7 {.}) 21... Ra8 ({Not} 21... a6 $6 22. Na5 {with a clear
advantage.}) 22. Bd2 a6 23. Bd3 Rfb8 24. Ba5 Qa7 25. Qe2 Ne8 26. R1a2 Bc8 27.
Kg2 Rb7 28. Bd2 Rb6 29. Na5 ({White has made some headway, although after} 29.
Na5 Bb7 {Black's position would still have been solid. I could have continued}
30. Bc1 {with the idea of Bc2-a4. With time-trouble imminent, this would have
been the best decision for Black.}) 29... Nb8 30. e5 $1 {After this advance
Black's position collapses.} Qd7 31. e6 $1 fxe6 32. dxe6 Qxe6 $6 ({More
tenacious was} 32... Qc7 33. Be4 Ra7 34. Bd5 {, when White has 'only' a big
advantage.}) 33. Be4 $1 Qxh3+ $2 {The third mistake in a row.} ({However, after
} 33... Nc7 34. Ng5 Qd7 35. Qf3 d5 (35... Ra7 $2 36. Bxg6 $1 hxg6 37. Qf7+ Kh8
38. Qxg6 Qf5 39. Nf7+ Kg8 40. Nh6+) 36. cxd5 Rf6 37. Bf4 {Black could not have
held out for long.}) 34. Kg1 Ra7 35. Ng5 Bg4 36. Bd5+ Kh8 37. Rf3 $1 ({Also
good was} 37. Nf7+ Kg8 38. Nh6+ {, winning a piece.}) 37... Bxf3 38. Qxf3 ({
Black resigned in view of} 38. Qxf3 Qh5 39. Qf7 Nf6 40. Qg8+ $1 Nxg8 41. Nf7# {
. This finish would have been a worthy adornment to my first win over a
grandmaster! --- [AS - Were it not for that fact, I would probably not have
included this game here, although I do quite like it]}) 1-0

[Event "Val Maubuee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Boudre, JP."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B66"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "50"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in April 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga'. --- I have included this game in the book because the final combination
seems rather unusual to me. Otherwise it is, of course, nothing special.} 1. e4
c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O h6
9. Be3 Be7 10. f4 Bd7 11. Be2 b5 12. Bf3 Rc8 13. Kb1 ({In one of my games in
Budapest the same year, I won after} 13. g4 Nxd4 14. Bxd4 b4 $1 15. Ne2 Qa5 16.
Kb1 e5 17. Be3 Nxg4 {etc.}) ({Another possibility is} 13. Nb3 {(Dvoirys-Yermolinsky, Simferopol 1988), to which the best reply is} Na5 {. [AS
- Nowadays it is very well known that the plan of putting the bishop on f3 is
not good at all.]}) 13... Na5 14. Qd3 $1 ({The French international master
improves on Nigel Short's play in his game with Joel Benjamin (Hastings 1987/88), which continued} 14. g4 Nc4 15. Qf2 {, and now} Qc7 {, with the idea} 16.
-- Na3+ $5 {, would have given Black the advantage.}) 14... Qc7 15. Rhe1 $6 {
This is a poor move.} (15. Bc1 {would have led to complicated play.} -- ({.
During the game I did not like} 15... Nc4 16. b3 $1) ({, or} 15... b4 16. Nce2
e5 17. Nf5 Bb5 $6 18. Nxd6+ Bxd6 19. Qxd6 Qxc2+ 20. Ka1 {.}) ({. Black should
evidently play} 15... O-O 16. g4 Qc4 {, when the chances are roughly equal.} (
16... --))) 15... b4 16. e5 ({Bad was} 16. Nce2 e5 $1 17. Nf5 Bb5 18. Qd2 (18.
Nxd6+ Bxd6 19. Qxd6 Qxc2+ 20. Ka1 Nc4 21. Qxb4 Nxe3 22. Rc1 Qxc1+ $1 {and
Black wins}) 18... Nc4 19. Qxb4 Nxe3 20. Nxe3 d5 {, when Black enjoys a clear
plus.}) 16... bxc3 17. exf6 Bxf6 18. b3 d5 19. Bc1 $5 {At first I thought that
White had sufficient compensation for the pawn: he has excellent control of
the centre, apparently his king cannot be approached, and in addition he
himself is threatening g2-g4-g5 with a dangerous attack. After thinking for
about half an hour, an idea suddenly occurred to me...} O-O 20. g4 Bb5 $3 21.
Nxb5 $2 ({It was essential to play} 21. Qe3 Nc4 $1 22. bxc4 (22. Qf2 Nd2+ {and
Black is on top}) 22... Bxd4 23. Rxd4 Bxc4 24. Rxc4 {, even though after} Qxc4
25. Ba3 Rb8+ 26. Ka1 Rfc8 {Black has a clear advantage.}) 21... axb5 22. g5
Nxb3 $3 23. gxf6 ({If} 23. axb3 Qa5 {.}) 23... Nxc1 24. Qe3 ({Or} 24. Kxc1 Qa5
{, and White cannot vacate the d1 square without loss of material.}) 24... Qa5
25. Qxc1 Ra8 ({White resigned, in view of} 25... Ra8 26. a3 Qxa3 27. Qxa3 Rxa3
28. -- {and} Rfa8 {.}) 0-1

[Event "Moscow (World Cup qualifier)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gheorghiu, F."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E81"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in June 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga' under the title 'When one is not thinking about the result'. --- By the
time that this game was played, I was not in the best frame of mind - I had
only one and a half points out of four, which in a nine-round 'Swiss' leaves
virtually no chance of a top place. In addition, the quality of the games I
had played was extremely poor. Therefore I took the decision simply to try for
an interesting game, especially since my opponent was the highly experienced
Rumanian grandmaster (the people of Riga well remember him for his successful
performance there in the 1979 Interzonal).} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 {I
do not consider the King's Indian Defence to be completely correct, but I
still like this opening, and employ it when I am not overly concerned about
points. The possibilities for creative play are, after all, much greater than
in other openings. --- [AS - I still play the King's Indian occasionally, but
not too often ...]} 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 c5 $5 {The most critical
continuation,} ({along with} 6... Nc6 {.}) 7. Nge2 ({Numerous games have shown
that after} 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5 Nc6 {Black has sufficient
compensation for the pawn. For example,} 10. Ba3 b6 11. Nge2 e6 12. Rd1 Nd7 13.
b3 Bb7 14. g3 {(White has problems over his development)} Nde5 15. Bg2 Nd3+ 16.
Kf1 a6 $5 17. f4 b5 18. Bc1 bxc4 19. bxc4 {(Brenninkmeijer-Gelfand, Arnhem
1987/88), and here} Na5 {would have led to an equal game.}) ({There is no need
to comment on} 7. d5 {- after} e6 {a well known theoretical position is
reached. In making the comparatively rare move 7 Nge2 the grandmaster offered
a draw. I declined, not because I wanted to win, but for the reasons given
above. --- [AS - In fact I just wanted to try a new idea. For 7 dxc5, see the
game Kramnik-Shirov, Bundesliga 1992/93, later in this book.]}) 7... Nc6 8. Qd2
b6 {Black must be wary.} ({Thus} 8... a6 $2 {is bad on account of} 9. dxc5 $1
dxc5 10. Qxd8 Rxd8 11. Bxc5 {(Alterman-Shirov, training game in 1988), when
the weakness of the b6 square tells. For example,} Nd7 12. Be3 Na5 13. Nf4 {,
and} Ne5 $2 {fails to} 14. Bb6 {.}) ({[AS - Later on I decided that} 8... e6 {
is more precise and played it against Carsten Høi (Daugavpils 1990). After} 9.
O-O-O Nd7 $5 (9... b6 {is also possible}) 10. Bh6 Bxd4 $5 11. Nxd4 cxd4 12. Nb5
e5 $1 13. Nxd6 Nc5 $1 14. Bxf8 Qxf8 {I achieved excellent compensation for the
exchange.]}) 9. Rd1 ({In the game Timoshchenko-Lanka, Riga 1988, White
continued} 9. d5 Ne5 10. Ng3 (10. Nc1 $5) 10... h5 11. Be2 h4 12. Nf1 {, and
after} a6 {an extremely unclear situation arose.}) 9... e6 $5 ({I very much
wanted to avoid} 9... e5 {. After} 10. dxc5 dxc5 11. Nd5 Nd4 12. Nec3 {an
excessively dull position arises, where the most probable outcome is a draw.
--- [AS - 9...e6 is the idea I wanted to give life to. I found 8...b6 and 9...e6 almost one year before the actual game.]}) 10. g3 ({[AS - Probably} 10. d5 {
is critical.]}) 10... Ba6 $5 ({The immediate} 10... Re8 {did not appeal to me
on account of} 11. dxc5 dxc5 12. Qxd8 Rxd8 (12... Nxd8 $2 13. Nb5 Rf8 14. e5
Nd7 15. f4 {and White is better}) 13. Rxd8+ Nxd8 14. Bg2 {, and again the
position is close to a draw.}) 11. b3 Re8 12. Kf2 $6 {Gheorghiu obviously
underestimated my reply,} ({but} 12. Bg2 d5 $1 {was no better. Of the many
variations here, I will give just one:} 13. dxc5 dxc4 14. Qxd8 Rexd8 15. Rxd8+
Rxd8 16. cxb6 axb6 17. Bxb6 Rb8 {, with a very strong initiative for Black.
--- [AS - The position after 12 Bg2 d5! occurred in my original analysis back
in 1988.]}) (12. d5 exd5 {is also bad for White:} 13. -- (13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14.
Qxd5 Nb4 15. Qd2 (15. Qxd6 Nc2+ 16. Kf2 Bd4 $1 {wins for Black}) 15... d5 $1
16. a3 dxe4 $1 17. axb4 (17. Qxd8 Nc2+ $1 18. Kd2 Raxd8+ 19. Kxc2 Rxd1 20. Kxd1
exf3 {wins}) 17... Qxd2+ $1 {, and Black regains his piece, remaining with a
decisive advantage}) (13. cxd5 Ne5 14. Ng1 Bxf1 15. Kxf1 Qd7 {, with a great
advantage to Black.})) ({Correct was} 12. dxc5 dxc5 13. Bg2 {, when the
position is completely level.}) 12... d5 $1 {The pawns have come into contact,
and White's lack of development begins to tell. 12...d5 was an intuitive move;
I hardly calculated any variations, and even now I am unable to give an
accurate evaluation of the position. But my opponent was clearly not prepared
for the irrational situation that arises. --- [AS - Now I just think that
Black has a clear edge. Kramnik (who was just thirteen years old then) said,
having passed by - 'It's hard to believe that White will survive'.]} 13. e5 ({
During the game I was afraid of} 13. cxd5 exd5 14. e5 Bxe2 15. Bxe2 {, but
afterwards I discovered} cxd4 16. Bxd4 Nxd4 $1 17. Qxd4 Rxe5 $1 {with a
decisive advantage.}) ({Probably best was} 13. dxc5 dxe4 14. Qxd8 Raxd8 15.
Rxd8 Rxd8 16. Nxe4 Nxe4+ 17. fxe4 bxc5 18. Nc1 {, when White can still defend.
--- [AS - Not really, if Black plays well.]}) 13... cxd4 14. Bxd4 Nd7 15. cxd5
Ncxe5 16. Nf4 Bb7 $1 ({After} 16... Bxf1 17. Rhxf1 Nxf3 18. Kxf3 e5 19. Bxe5
Nxe5+ 20. Kg2 {White's position is comparatively well co-ordinated. Black does
better to retain his bishop.}) 17. Be2 ({If} 17. Bb5 {then} Nxf3 $1 18. Kxf3 e5
19. Bxe5 Bxe5 $1 {would now be strong -} 20. Bc6 {fails to} Rc8 {!}) 17... exd5
18. Nfxd5 $2 {The decisive mistake. Now the diagonal for the bishop at b7 is
opened and within a few moves the d-file passes into Black's possession, and
White's position becomes indefensible.} ({He should have played} 18. Rhe1 {,
although after} Nc5 19. Kg2 (19. Bb5 $2 Ned3+ $1) 19... Qd6 {Black has an
obvious advantage.}) 18... Nf6 $1 19. Nf4 ({If} 19. Nxf6+ Qxf6 20. Qf4 {,
Black wins by} Qxf4 21. gxf4 Ng4+ $1 22. Kg1 Ne3 {.}) 19... Qe7 20. Rhe1 Rad8
21. Qc1 {It is already difficult to suggest anything better for White. All
Black's pieces are participating in the attack, which means his queen, two
rooks, two bishops and two knights!} g5 $1 {For the clear-cut conclusion of
the attack, they are joined by a pawn!} 22. Bb5 ({White loses after} 22. Nh3 g4
$1 23. Bb5 gxf3 $1 24. Bxe8 Nfg4+ 25. Kf1 Nxh2+ 26. Kg1 f2+ $1 27. Kxh2 Ng4# {!
}) 22... Rxd4 $1 23. Rxd4 Nfg4+ $1 24. Kf1 ({Or} 24. fxg4 Nxg4+ 25. Kf1 Nxh2+
26. Kg1 Qxe1+ {and Black wins.}) 24... Nxh2+ 25. Kg2 Nhxf3 26. Nfd5 Nxd4 27.
Bxe8 Qe6 $5 (27... Qxe8 {was also sufficient to decide the game.}) 28. Qe3 Nc2
{. After this victory I decided to continue playing in a relaxed manner, and
with 5½ points out of 9 I even finished among the prize-winners, sharing
places 11-40.} 0-1

[Event "Moscow (GMA open)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Malaniuk, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A87"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- This was
the last-round encounter and both players needed to win, as a draw wouldn't be
worth peanuts.} 1. d4 f5 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d6 5. O-O Bg7 6. c4 (6. b3
O-O 7. Bb2 Qe8 8. c4 h6 9. Nc3 g5 10. e3 {was Shirov-Piskov, Moscow 1991.})
6... O-O 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. b3 {I had prepared this set-up before the tournament.
It looked very natural and had also been played by Karpov against Malaniuk in
the 1988 Soviet Championship (the most readily available information in those
days).} h6 {But this came as a surprise. Later I learned that two rounds
earlier in the same tournament Malaniuk had already employed this move against
Savon, who reacted in exactly the same bad way as I did!} 9. Nd5 $6 ({By
playing} 9. Bb2 g5 10. e3 {I could have obtained the same position as in
Shirov-Piskov, played two years later (Moscow 1991), which I duly won. The
opening moves of that game were 6 b3 0-0 7 Bb2 Qe8 8 c4 h6 9 Nc3 g5 10 e3 -
see above. --- The game continued} Kh8 $6 (10... a5 $5 {deserves attention})
11. d5 $1 a5 12. Nd4 Qg6 13. f4 $1 Ng4 (13... Na6 $2 14. e4 fxe4 15. f5 {is
overwhelming for White}) 14. Qd2 Qh5 15. h3 Nf6 16. e4 $1 fxe4 17. g4 $5 Bxg4
18. fxg5 $1 (18. hxg4 $6 Nxg4 19. Bxe4 Bxd4+ $1 20. Qxd4+ Rf6 {would have led
to unnecessary complications}) 18... Bxh3 19. Ne6 $1 ({and not} 19. gxf6 Bxf6 {
threatening 20...Rg8}) 19... e3 $5 (19... Bxe6 20. gxf6 Bxf6 21. Nxe4 {is
winning for White}) 20. Qxe3 Bxe6 21. gxf6 Bxf6 $6 (21... Rxf6 {is clearly
better for White but Black could still have put up some resistance}) 22. Ne4 $1
Bxb2 23. Rxf8+ Bg8 24. Raf1 Bg7 25. Ng3 $1 Qg4 26. R1f4 Qg5 27. Rxg8+ $1 Kxg8
28. Qe6+ {and Black resigned.}) 9... Nxd5 10. cxd5 Qf7 11. Bd2 ({Savon played} 
11. Ne1 {and lost a complicated game in which he could certainly have improved
at some point. But, as I have already said, I didn't know that game at the
time.}) 11... c6 $1 {Here I realized that not only was I not better, but also
that it was already difficult to achieve equality. After due consideration I
decided to sacrifice a pawn but I think that I overestimated my compensation
for it.} 12. Qc1 $5 g5 13. h4 g4 14. Ne1 h5 $5 ({I was more afraid of} 14...
Kh7 {since I didn't really like the position after} 15. dxc6 Nxc6 16. e3 Bd7 {
. After the text-move I could do the same thing but, as I have already said,
the pawn sacrifice attracted me.}) 15. Bh6 $5 cxd5 16. Bxg7 Kxg7 17. Nd3 {
White has much better control over the black squares and were it not for the
extra d6 pawn, Black could resign. But a pawn is a pawn ...} Kh7 18. Nf4 e6 19.
Qa3 Rd8 20. Rac1 Nc6 21. Rfd1 a5 $1 {Although I had played as dynamically as
possible, I couldn't see how to improve my position. Fortunately it isn't easy
for Black either and with the tournament situation as it was, one side had to
take a risk...} 22. Rd3 Ra6 23. e3 Kh6 24. Rdc3 Rb6 25. Bf1 (25. Bf1 {,
provoking} e5 26. Nd3 {with complications and 'arresting' the black rook in
any case.}) 25... Qe7 ({I would seriously consider} 25... e5 26. Nd3 Be6 {were
I Black.}) 26. Nd3 {Keeping 27 Nb2 in mind.} Ra6 {Playing safe!} 27. Nf4 {Draw?
} Ra7 {Now White can develop greater activity, which just compensates for the
sacrificed pawn.} 28. Qb2 Bd7 29. Qd2 Kh7 30. Bb5 Be8 31. a4 {Another series
of active moves is completed by White and now I even have the idea of playing
b3-b4 one day. The main problem was that by this point I already had less than
five minutes to reach move forty and I wisely decided just to keep the
position steady and start doing something only on the second time-control. My
opponent had a lot more time.} Raa8 32. Qb2 Rac8 33. Qd2 Rb8 34. R3c2 Rdc8 35.
Rc3 Kg7 36. R3c2 Kf6 $2 {A strange decision to 'activate' the king.} ({After} 
36... Kf6 $2 {, having between two and three minutes left I first wanted to
play the 'standard'} 37. Rc3 {, but then I saw a combination which I
immediately realized I would not have time to calculate properly.}) 37. e4 $3 {
Then I just had a flash in my mind that I might not get another chance for
prize money and quickly played this move. My opponent was visibly surprised
but then reacted quickly and ... badly.} dxe4 $2 (37... fxe4 38. Nxh5+ Kg6 39.
Nf4+ Kh7 40. Qd1 $1 {would have been the critical line, but I think that White
has good winning chances there.}) 38. d5 Ne5 $5 {This came as a shock but I
kept my cool and quickly saw that the queen 'sac' would probably bring me the
win.} 39. Rxc8 $1 Rxc8 (39... Nf3+ 40. Kg2 Nxd2 41. Rxb8 Bxb5 42. axb5 e5 (
42... Nxb3 43. Rcc8 {wins for White}) 43. Ne6 Nxb3 44. Rc7 {loses as well.})
40. Rxc8 Nf3+ 41. Kg2 Nxd2 42. Rxe8 Qc7 43. dxe6 $1 {The last finesse. Now
this pawn will be worth the queen.} Ke5 44. e7 Qc3 45. Be2 Nf3 46. Rg8 {The
simplest.} ({Now after} 46. Rg8 Nxh4+ 47. gxh4 Kxf4 48. e8=Q Qh3+ 49. Kg1 {
Black will not have} g3 {. Therefore he resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "USSR Youth Games, Kramatorsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E25"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 48'. --- When this game was played Ivanchuk already held
the third highest rating in the world (2660). At that time I was just an IM
with a rating of 2495, and I must admit that I felt rather timid, thinking
that a draw would be a very good result. Somehow I guessed that Vasily would
play the Nimzo-Indian against me and I especially prepared the 4 f3 system 
(which I had not played before) for the tournament. How many good and bad days
this opening has brought me in the course of my career!} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3.
Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 O-O $2 ({At that time theory hadn't
advanced to} 6... c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qd3 b6 {yet. The text move is a blunder
which, in my respect for my opponent, I missed.}) 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Qd3 $2 {
Playing according to my preparation.} ({I saw that} 8. c4 Nb6 9. c5 (9. e4 $6
c5 $1 10. d5 $2 f5 $1 {is clearly better for Black}) 9... N6d7 10. e4 b6 11.
cxb6 axb6 {would not be especially promising}) ({but what I didn't realize in
time was that} 8. e4 $1 {would have just secured a solid advantage as:} -- (
8... Nxc3 9. Qb3 Nxe4 (9... Qxd4 10. Bb2 Qe3+ 11. Be2 Nd5 12. Qxe3 Nxe3 13. Kf2
{is clearly better for White}) 10. fxe4 Qxd4 {fails to a move which I missed,
i.e.} 11. Qb1 $1 {with clearly better prospects for White}) ({, while after} 
8... Ne7 {(played by Dautov, as he realized too late that the pawn cannot be
taken, against Yurtayev in 1989) White does not need to put his queen on d3 at
all and thus can develop properly, maintaining the advantage of two bishops
and a strong centre.})) 8... c5 9. e4 Nb6 10. Be3 {Finally we reach the line
which I had prepared.} cxd4 11. cxd4 Nc6 12. Be2 Bd7 $5 {But here is another
surprise.} (12... f5 13. Rd1 Bd7 {had been the accepted line before the
present game.}) 13. Nh3 Na5 $1 14. Bd2 {Confronted by a novelty, I tried to
look for safe continuations.} (14. O-O $6 a6 $1 {, followed by ...Bb5, would
have been very good for Black}) ({but after the game Igor Rausis (who was
coach of the Latvian junior team) found the much stronger} 14. Bg5 $1 {, which
brought me a nice victory against Renet some eighteen months later (Correze
1991).}) 14... Nbc4 15. Bb4 Re8 16. O-O Bb5 $1 17. Qc3 ({White must be very
careful not to get a worse position, e.g.} 17. Rfc1 $6 Nd6 18. Bxa5 {(forced)}
Qxa5 19. Qe3 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 Rad8) (17. Rac1 $6 Nd6 18. Qe3 Bxe2 19. Qxe2 Nb3 20.
Rcd1 a5) ({or} 17. Nf4 Ba6 $1 {, intending ...Qf6 and ...Rad8.}) 17... Rc8 18.
Rfc1 {The only move to keep the balance.} ({The others are too bad, e.g.} 18.
Rac1 $6 Nb6 19. Bxb5 {(forced)} Rxc3 20. Bxc3 Nc6 21. Rfd1 Re7 {is clearly
better for Black}) ({or} 18. Rad1 $6 Nb6 19. Qe3 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 Nc6 21. Bc3 ({or
} 21. Bc5 Na4) 21... Qd6 22. Bb2 Na5 {and again Black is clearly better.})
18... Nd6 $5 {Black is forced to exchange some pieces and does so in the most
logical way.} ({Another possibility would have been} 18... Ba6 19. Bxa5 Nxa5
20. Qxc8 Qxc8 21. Rxc8 Rxc8 22. Bxa6 bxa6 23. Nf4 Kf8 {also with equality.})
19. Bxa5 ({White can't avoid simplification either, since the position after} 
19. Qe3 $2 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 (20. Rxc8 Nxc8 $1 21. Bxa5 Qxa5 22. Qxe2 Qc3 23. Qd1
Nb6 $1 {is winning for Black}) 20... Nc6 {favours Black.}) 19... Rxc3 20. Bxd8
Rxc1+ 21. Rxc1 Rxd8 ({More complicated but probably still about equal would
have been} 21... Bxe2 22. Ba5 Nb5 23. d5 {.}) 22. Nf4 {Somewhere here I
offered a draw but Ivanchuk refused. It is annoying feeling that you might be
just considered a patzer (although Ivanchuk could have had purely chess
reasons to decline) and this mobilized me to the maximum.} Kf8 (22... g5 23.
Nd3 {would have been fine for White, for example} Ne8 (23... Nc4 $2 24. a4) 24.
Rc5 Bxd3 25. Rxg5+ Kf8 26. Bxd3 Rxd4 27. Be2 Ra4 28. Rb5 {and Black doesn't
win a pawn.}) 23. Kf2 a6 $5 {Setting up a trap.} 24. Nd3 (24. Ke3 $2 g5 $1 {
would be falling into it, leaving Black clearly better. However, White was not
obliged to move his knight from a good square on f4.}) ({Now I would prefer} 
24. h4 $5 Bxe2 25. Nxe2 Nb5 26. Rb1 $1 {and Black doesn't have more than a
draw in the line} Rd7 27. Rb3 Nxd4 28. Nxd4 Rxd4 29. Rxb7 Rd3 30. Rb8+ Ke7 31.
Rb7+ Kf8 (31... Kf6 32. e5+ $1 Kg6 33. h5+ {is slightly better for White}) 32.
Rb8+ {.}) 24... Ke7 25. Ne5 Ne8 $1 (25... Bxe2 $6 {was not good due to the
intermediate} 26. Rc7+ $1 {and after} Ke8 27. Kxe2 {White is already slightly
better.}) 26. Bxb5 axb5 27. Ke3 Ra8 28. Rc3 Nd6 $5 {Black has managed to
create some pressure due to White's weakness on a3, but the position is still
equal as the b5 pawn is not so good either. Besides White's other pawns and
pieces are in the right places.} 29. Kd3 h5 {Still wanting to win.} ({A draw
would result after} 29... f6 30. Ng4 Nc4 31. Ne3 $1 {.}) 30. h4 Ke8 $5 31. Rb3
({Now ...f7-f6 was already a dangerous threat, as can be seen in the variation
} 31. g4 $2 f6 32. Ng6 hxg4 33. fxg4 Nc4 34. Nf4 Ke7 {and Black is on top. So
White has to remind Black about his b5-pawn.}) 31... Ra4 (31... Ra5 {is
worthless because of} 32. Kc3 {.}) 32. g4 {Hereabouts both players were
running rather short of time and stopped writing down the moves. Somehow I
managed to keep the situation under control while my opponent seemingly
stopped counting the number of moves made. At some point I realized that this
might be my chance to win the game and I eagerly continued blitzing after the
40th move.} hxg4 33. fxg4 f5 $6 {This gives White a dangerous passed pawn.} ({
There was still a simple way to draw with} 33... Nc4 34. Rxb5 Nxe5+ 35. dxe5
Rxa3+ {.}) 34. exf5 exf5 35. g5 Ke7 ({Moving the king towards the centre is
correct as the more concrete} 35... f4 $6 36. h5 Nf5 {would leave Black in
trouble after} 37. Nf3 Ke7 38. Ke4 Ke6 39. Kxf4 Nxd4 40. Re3+ $1 Kf7 41. Nxd4
Rxd4+ 42. Kf5 {.}) 36. h5 Ke6 37. h6 gxh6 38. gxh6 Ra8 ({Black could also have
made a draw had he been persistent with putting his king in the centre, e.g.} 
38... Kd5 39. Nf3 {and only then} Ra8 {. White has nothing better than} 40. h7
Rh8 41. Ng5 {, and with the precise} Kc6 $1 42. Rc3+ Kb6 43. Rc5 Ne4 {Black
equalizes completely.}) 39. h7 {After the post-mortem I thought I was already
winning by this point. Should I mention that at that time Fritz didn't exist?
Now, after seven years, I have had to reconsider my old judgements.} Kf6 {Now
it's absolutely clear to me that the exchange of knights is suicidal for Black,
although here he could have done it in a better way than in the game.} ({Still
after} 39... Nf7 40. Nxf7 Kxf7 41. Rxb5 Rxa3+ 42. Kc4 Rh3 43. Rxb7+ Ke6 44.
Rb6+ Kf7 45. d5 f4 46. d6 f3 47. Kd3 Ke6 48. d7+ $1 Kxd7 49. Rb8 $1 {White
wins.}) 40. Rc3 Nf7 $4 {The decisive error.} ({If Ivanchuk had noticed that
this was the last move of the time control he would probably have had time to
realize that after} 40... Ne4 41. Rc7 Rxa3+ 42. Kc2 Rh3 {he could reach an
easy draw.}) 41. Nxf7 Kxf7 42. Rc7+ Kg6 (42... Ke6 {would have been a better
try, but probably not enough to save the game, for example} 43. Ke2 Kd5 44. Rg7
Rh8 45. Kd3 {wins.}) 43. Ke2 {As I have already told the reader, I was
continuing to blitz, so when I saw the conclusion of this line, I immediately
went for it.} ({Another way to win would have been} 43. d5 Rxa3+ 44. Kc2 Ra8
45. d6 Rd8 $1 46. Re7 Kf6 47. Rd7 Rh8 48. Rc7 {.}) 43... Rh8 44. Rxb7 ({
Actually} 44. d5 {was even simpler.}) 44... Rxh7 45. Rxh7 Kxh7 46. Kf3 Kg7 47.
Kf4 Kg6 (47... Kf6 48. d5 {is still worse.}) 48. Ke5 {Ivanchuk resigned (as
quickly as he had been making his last moves!) and immediately left the
playing hall. I started filling in the score-sheet and was actually quite
surprised to see the number of moves that had been made.} ({After} 48. Ke5 Kg5
49. d5 f4 50. d6 f3 51. d7 f2 52. d8=Q+ {White queens with a check. --- I have
included this game in the book because it seemed to be a kind of turning point
of my ambitions in chess. Even though this win was not well deserved, it gave
me the idea that I could become more in chess than just an average grandmaster.
}) 1-0

[Event "Frunze"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Magomedov, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D31"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 48'. --- Somewhere around 1986 I started serious
analytical work on my own and since then I have often found new opening ideas.
It's funny to remember that many of them came to my mind just while walking on
Riga streets - even thinking about other things and enjoying myself I could
nevertheless deeply concentrate into some position at those times. Naturally
not all of such discoveries were of great value but somehow they often brought
me a success. Here is one of those little tales which are memorable.} 1. d4 d5
2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. Qc2 g6 7. f3 $5 {I discovered
this new idea about a couple of months before this game and was proud of it.
However, now I am not convinced of its value and the theory of this line
hasn't developed much since. 7 e3 is the normal continuation here.} Bg5 $5 {My
opponent, a talented Tadjikian (who is now an IM) answers with a move that I
hadn't analysed.} ({White's idea was to meet} 7... Nf6 {with} 8. Bh6 {but I
must admit that it was connected with a blunder, as after} Bf5 {my intended} 9.
e4 {would just lose to} dxe4 10. fxe4 Nxe4 $1 11. Nxe4 Bb4+ 12. Bd2 ({or} 12.
Ke2 Qh4) 12... Qh4+ 13. g3 Qxe4+ {.}) ({So after} 7... Nf6 8. Bh6 Bf5 {, the
critical move is} 9. Qd2 {, but it seems that after} Nbd7 {White doesn't
achieve anything special, according to some of Geller's games.}) ({The other
possible tries for Black are} 7... f5 $5 8. e4 Nf6) (7... Bd6) ({and} 7... Be6
{.}) 8. Be5 $6 ({Trying to avoid exchanging the bishops might have a point but
objectively speaking White should have opted for a quieter game with} 8. Bxg5
Qxg5 9. Qd2 $5 (9. e4 $5) 9... Qxd2+ 10. Kxd2) ({or} 8. Qd2 Bxf4 9. Qxf4 Qf6
10. Qxf6 (10. Qd2 $5 {, intending e2-e4}) 10... Nxf6 11. e4 {, with a slight
advantage in each instance.}) 8... f6 $1 {Despite a slight weakening of his
position Black achieves quick development.} ({Otherwise he would be playing
into White's hands, for example} 8... Bf6 9. Bxf6 Nxf6 10. O-O-O O-O 11. e4) ({
or} 8... Nf6 9. h4 $1 Be3 (9... Bh6 10. g4 {is clearly better for White}) 10.
Qd3 Bxg1 11. Rxg1 {, with a slight plus for White.}) 9. Bg3 Be3 $5 {Very
ambitious, trying to completely disrupt the co-ordination of White's pieces.} (
9... Ne7 {would have been okay as well, for instance} 10. e4 $5 O-O (10... dxe4
11. fxe4 Qxd4 12. Nf3 {gives White good compensation for the pawn}) 11. Rd1 {
with unclear chances.}) 10. Qd3 Qe7 11. Nd1 Bh6 12. e4 $5 {Following an
aggressive strategy at all costs.} ({It was still possible to turn into a slow
game by playing something like} 12. e3 Na6 13. Qc3 Nc7 14. Rc1 {, when matters
are far from clear.}) 12... Na6 {Probably the best reply.} ({For} 12... dxe4 $6
{, the reader should see the next game.}) 13. Qc3 $6 {This careless move
causes White a lot of trouble.} ({It was also bad to play} 13. a3 $6 {in view
of} Bf5 $1 14. Nc3 dxe4 15. fxe4 O-O-O {(intending ...Nc5)} 16. Qe2 (16. b4 Re8
{is clearly better for Black}) 16... Rxd4 $1 17. exf5 Bd2+ 18. Kf2 Qc5 $1 19.
Qe6+ Kd8 $1 20. Ke2 {(forced)} Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc3 22. Nf3 {(again forced)} Qxa1
23. Nxd4 Qxd4 {, when Black is clearly better}) ({but} 13. Nc3 Bf5 $5 14. Kf2 {
with a total mess was probably correct.}) 13... dxe4 $1 {I had just overlooked
that this natural move was so strong.} 14. Bxa6 {There is nothing else. The
next moves are also forced.} exf3+ 15. Kf2 fxg2 16. Kxg2 bxa6 17. Nf3 ({Since} 
17. Qxc6+ $2 {would lose to} Kf7 {, White's last chance is to attack. This
kind of game is certainly pleasant but objectively speaking... --- Fortunately
my opponent immediately started to err, after which I started to have positive
feelings about my position.}) 17... Kf7 $2 {This loss of tempo will be
decisive as Black will always be one move short of the perfect development!} ({
He should have played} 17... Qd7 $1 18. Re1+ (18. Nf2 Ne7 {followed by
castling is just curtains for White}) 18... Kf7 $1 ({but not here} 18... Ne7 {
, which yields White a strong initiative after} 19. Qc4 $1 Qd5 20. Qxd5 cxd5
21. Bd6 Bf8 22. Rc1 Kd7 23. Bf4 $1 g5 24. Bg3 Nf5 25. Rc7+ Kd8 26. Rf7 Nxg3 27.
hxg3) 19. Nf2 Ne7 20. -- ({, when it seems that White can only try something
desperate such as} 20. Ng4 -- ({, which works after} 20... Qxg4 $2 21. Rxe7+
Kxe7 22. Re1+ Be6 (22... Kf7 23. Qb3+ Be6 24. Qb7+ Bd7 25. Qb3+ {is slightly
better for White}) 23. Qb4+ {, reaching a draw by perpetual check}) ({, but is
completely useless if Black simply plays} 20... Bg7 {with a clearly better
position for Black.})) ({. Probably the only serious chance is to sacrifice
the exchange with} 20. Rxe7+ $5 Qxe7 21. Re1 {, but still after} Qd8 $1 {I
don't see anything good for White, as} ({not} 21... Be6 $2 22. d5 $1) ({or} 
21... Qd7 22. Ne4 $1 {, intending Nf6!}) 22. Qxc6 Rf8 23. Bc7 Qd7 24. Qxa8 Qxc7
{leaves Black with the upper hand.})) 18. Nf2 $3 ({By saving a tempo on} 18.
Re1 $2 {, White prevents Black's optimum set-up. The position is already
unclear.}) 18... Qd7 $2 ({It was time to change plans and try something like} 
18... Be6 {. White can then maintain his initiative by continuing} 19. Rae1 Qd7
20. Ne4 Kg7 $1 (20... Bh3+ 21. Kf2 Kg7 22. Re2) ({and} 20... Bd5 21. Nc5 Qg4
22. Rhf1 Kg7 23. h3 {are clearly better for White}) 21. Nc5 Bh3+ 22. Kf2 Qd5
23. Re2 $1 {, but the position is still full of fight.}) ({Another interesting
possibility would have been} 18... Bf5 $5 {.}) 19. Ne4 $1 {Now the position is
clearly better for White.} Bf8 $2 {Magomedov is apparently totally confused
and doesn't offer any resistance.} ({The same story would emerge after} 19...
Ne7 $2 20. Nxf6 $1) ({but Black could have played} 19... Qd5 {. Still his
position after} 20. Nd6+ Kf8 {(forced)} 21. Qb4 c5 ({again forced, as} 21...
Ne7 22. Nxc8 Rxc8 23. Bd6 {wins}) 22. dxc5 Bh3+ 23. Kxh3 Qxf3 24. Rhf1 Qh5+ 25.
Qh4 $1 {is extremely unattractive.}) 20. Nxf6 $1 Qh3+ 21. Kg1 ({Of course not} 
21. Kf2 $4 Nxf6 22. Ng5+ Kg7 23. Nxh3 Ne4+ {and Black is laughing. After the
text everything is clear and the rest requires little comment.}) 21... Bh6 ({If
} 21... Kxf6 {,} 22. d5+ {wins.}) 22. Ne4 Qh5 23. Ne5+ Kg7 24. d5 Bf5 25. Nxc6+
Kf7 26. Nd6+ Kf8 27. Qc5 $1 Kg7 28. Be5+ Nf6 29. Bxf6+ Kg8 30. Ne7+ Kf8 31.
Nexf5 gxf5 32. Kf2 $5 {. I had mixed feelings after this game since it was
clear that, had Magomedov changed the move order on move 17, the result could
easily have been different. The tournament was a qualifier for the semi-final
of the Soviet Championship and in the end both players did the job, taking
first and second place respectively. The next stage was to be played just two
or three weeks later and during that short time I couldn't make a clear
decision whether it was worth sticking with 7 f3!? Having deeply analysed the
game I decided that until White's 13th move things were not so bad and ...} 1-0

[Event "USSR Ch. semi-final, Daugavpils"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Magomedov, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D31"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- The
first round encounter! Would Magomedov adjust his preparation as well?} 1. d4
d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. Qc2 g6 7. f3 $5 {Of course!}
Bg5 {Accepting the challenge. Now the two players quickly followed the path
which just they knew. Some of the other participants were wondering what was
going on - they hadn't seen the bulletin of the Frunze tournament, and
databases were practically unheard of in the Soviet Union at that time.} 8. Be5
$5 {Bull's eye!} f6 9. Bg3 Be3 10. Qd3 Qe7 11. Nd1 Bh6 12. e4 dxe4 $6 {After
the game my opponent didn't give a clear explanation as to why he decided to
diverge from the previous game.} ({Probably in response to} 12... Na6 {, I
would also have played} 13. Nc3 {but in any case opening the centre seems a
little premature to me.}) 13. fxe4 Na6 14. Nc3 Nb4 ({I would have considered} 
14... Bf5 {.}) 15. Qe2 {Now White seems better to me. The rest of the game was
rather easy for me because I could more or less follow the ideas I had in mind
when analysing our previous battle.} b6 16. a3 Ba6 17. Qd1 {The queen has
completed a circle. Amusing, isn't it?} Bxf1 18. Kxf1 Na6 19. Nf3 {Both sides
have almost symmetrical (from left to right) pawn structures and even in the
position of some pieces. White's only problem is his king on f1, but that
isn't enough to compensate for Black's weaknesses and poor development.} O-O-O
20. d5 $1 {This time White's attack is for free; and also irresistible.} Nc5
21. Qc2 {Starting a second circle with the queen.} cxd5 22. exd5 Kb7 23. b4 Na6
24. Nd4 $1 Qd7 25. d6 $1 Re8 26. Qd3 {See the previous note.} Re3 27. Qc4 {
Unfortunately the queen has to change its route, but it still moves just one
point on the diagonal.} Nb8 28. Qd5+ Kc8 29. Ncb5 {The game is over.} Ne7 30.
Rc1+ Nbc6 31. Rxc6+ Qxc6 32. d7+ Kb7 33. Nd6+ Kc7 34. Ne8+ Kb7 35. Nxc6 {.
This was not a great game but its geometry still makes me laugh. Later on
Magaram 'promised' to somebody that he would kill my 7 f3 next time, but we
haven't met over the board since then. To those readers who know nothing about
this player I should mention that later in the same tournament he had some
qualifying chances for the final of the Soviet Championship and these days he
plays mostly in Asian events. Magomedov played reasonable chess on top board
at the 1994 Moscow Olympiad, so perhaps in future Olympiads the 7 f3 story
will be continued.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Ch. semi-final, Daugavpils"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Dautov, R."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E20"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in December 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga'. --- Both this game and the next are in fact just miniatures. But it's
funny to remember that one day I used to win games like this.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 dxe4 7. fxe4 e5 8. d5 Bc5 9. Nf3 Ng4 10.
Na4 $5 {Following the latest fashion.} ({The year before Malaniuk had played} 
10. b4 {against Ivanchuk (Moscow 1988), but now this seemingly illogical
knight move was the centre of attention.}) 10... Bf2+ 11. Ke2 Bd4 $6 ({
'Theory' recommends} 11... b5 $5 12. h3 (12. cxb5 Bb7 13. Qb3 a6 $1 {is unclear
}) 12... bxa4 13. hxg4 Bg3 $1 14. Rh3 (14. Qxa4+ Bd7 {and 15...Bxg4}) 14... Bf4
15. Bxf4 exf4 16. Qd4 O-O {with an unclear position (V. Raicevic-Ruban, Pula
1989).}) ({[AS - In fact my intention on} 11... b5 {was to continue} 12. cxb5
Bd7 13. h3 $5 Bxb5+ 14. Kd2 Be3+ 15. Kc3 Bxf1 16. hxg4 Bxc1 {(all forced)} 17.
Qxf1 Bf4 18. Qb5+ Nd7 19. Nc5 Rb8 20. Qxd7+ Qxd7 21. Nxd7 Kxd7 22. Rad1 $1 {
with a slightly better endgame. Now, more than six years after this game, I
can reveal this, as I don't play 4 f3 anymore.]}) 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Qxd4 O-O ({
All this had already occurred in the game Malaniuk-Dautov, Kecskemet 1989,
which ended in a draw after} 13... O-O 14. Kd3 $6 Nc6 $1 15. dxc6 Nf2+ 16. Kc3
Nd1+ {.}) 14. h3 $1 ({This move is significantly stronger than} 14. Kd3 {.})
14... Qh4 $2 {A poor decision, which immediately leads to a hopeless position.}
({After the game Dautov tried to demonstrate that} 14... Nc6 15. Qc3 Nf6 16.
dxc6 Nxe4 17. Qf3 Re8 {would have been strong, but I think that after} 18. Be3
$1 {, with the idea of 19 Nc3, Black has insufficient compensation for the
piece.}) ({White also has the advantage after} 14... Nf6 15. Bg5 $1 Nc6 16. Qf2
$1 Nxe4 17. Bxd8 Nxf2 18. Bxc7 Nxh1 19. dxc6 {, when things are not too
comfortable for the knight at h1.}) 15. g3 $1 Qh5 ({If} 15... Qxg3 {White
simply wins a piece -} 16. hxg4 Bxg4+ 17. Kd2 Qf3 18. Rg1 Nc6 19. Qe3 Qd1+ 20.
Kc3 Ne5 21. b3 {.}) 16. Bg2 Ne5+ ({Little better was} 16... Nf6+ 17. g4 Qg6 18.
Nc3 {, when White is a pawn up with an overwhelming position.}) 17. g4 Bxg4+
18. hxg4 Qxg4+ 19. Kf2 Nbd7 ({The situation is not changed by} 19... f5 20.
Qxe5 fxe4+ 21. Kg1 {and White wins.}) 20. Qd1 $1 {The most clear-cut.} Qg6 21.
Qh5 Ng4+ 22. Ke2 Nde5 23. Bf4 {. Black resigned, as after the exchange of
queens White will be a clear piece up.} 1-0

[Event "USSR Ch. semi-final, Daugavpils"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Yuneev, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E94"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in November 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga' under the title 'The caged queen'. --- Is it advisable to keep queens on
the board in a slightly worse position? Sometimes yes, unless the board
appears to be too short of free space.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6
5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. O-O Qe8 $5 {This original move has been taken up by
grandmaster Viktor Kupreichik, who employed it for the first time in 1988 in
two games in Belgrade. However, in two games with Black against me, Kupreichik
had not ventured the King's Indian Defence. On the other hand, I was now
granted the opportunity of meeting the 'veteran' of this variation, the
Leningrad master Yuneyev, who, it transpired, has been employing 7...Qe8 since
1977. --- [Note by the Editor of Shakhmaty Riga - In the Encyclopaedia of
Chess Openings there is a reference to a game Quinteros-Bednarski, Wijk aan
Zee 1973.]} 8. dxe5 ({After} 8. d5 a5 $1 9. Ne1 Na6 10. Nd3 b6 {Black has no
problems (Ambartsumian-Yuneyev, Frunze 1989).}) 8... dxe5 9. Be3 Na6 ({In a
game with Vucicevic (Belgrade 1988), Kupreichik played} 9... b6 10. Nd5 Na6 11.
Bg5 Nxe4 $1 12. Be7 c6 13. Bxf8 Qxf8 {, and obtained excellent play for the
exchange.}) ({After} 9... b6 {, I think that the alternative} 10. Nd2 {is
stronger.}) 10. c5 $5 {An innovation.} ({D. Gurevich-Mark Tseitlin, Moscow
1989, went} 10. Nd2 c6 11. a3 h5 12. f3 h4 {with unclear chances.}) 10... b6 ({
The position after} 10... Ng4 11. Bxa6 Nxe3 12. fxe3 bxa6 13. Nd5 {is worth
studying. --- [AS - According to the game Ulybin-Ankerst, Munich 1992, White
is better after} Qd8 14. Qa4 Rb8 15. Rad1 Bd7 16. c6 Be6 17. b3 $5 {, as Black
has difficulties to find a good move.]}) 11. Nd2 Nxc5 ({After the game my
opponent and I came to the conclusion that} 11... Bb7 {is stronger.}) 12. Bxc5
bxc5 13. Na4 {Black's extra pawn falls within a few moves, and his weakness at
c7 remains. It is true that the bishop pair might give fair counterplay, but
during the game my opponent was unable to demonstrate this.} Qe7 14. Qc2 Nd7
15. Nb3 Qg5 ({It was better to play} 15... Qh4 16. Naxc5 Nf6 {, although here
too White's position is the more promising.}) 16. Naxc5 Nf6 17. Rad1 h5 ({
White has the advantage after both} 17... Nh5 18. Bxh5 Qxh5 19. Nd7 $1) ({and} 
17... Bh3 18. Bf3 Nh5 19. Kh1 Bg4 20. Bxg4 Qxg4 21. f3 Qh4 22. Qf2 $1 {.}) 18.
Qd2 $1 Qh4 $2 {This move loses unexpectedly.} ({Neither does the exchange of
queens give Black any joy, for example} 18... Qxd2 19. Rxd2 Rb8 20. Na5 Rb6 21.
a3) ({or} 18... Bh6 19. Qxg5 Bxg5 20. Na5 Bg4 21. Bxg4 Nxg4 22. Nc6 {, with
better chances for White in both variations.} {[Translator's note - Does White
have such a clear advantage after} Ne3 $5 23. fxe3 Bxe3+ 24. Kh1 Bxc5 25. Nxe5
Bd6 {?}) ({AS - It is true that after 22...Ne3! White has nothing. After} 18...
Bh6 19. Qxg5 Bxg5 20. Na5 Bg4 21. Bxg4 Nxg4 {, correct is} 22. Na6 $1 {with
advantage to White.]}) 19. g3 $1 Qh3 20. f3 $1 ({After} 20. f3 {, he black
queen is trapped, and the threat of 21 Rf2 and 22 Bf1 cannot be parried by
normal means.} h4 {is met simply by} 21. g4 {.}) 20... Be6 21. Na5 ({After} 21.
Na5 {, the black bishop is unable to vacate the h3-c8 diagonal for the queen,
except, of course, by} Bxa2 22. b3 {.}) 21... Nh7 ({Black could have given up
his queen with} 21... Rfb8 22. Rf2 Bf8 23. Bf1 Bxc5 24. Bxh3 Bxh3 {, but after}
25. Qc3 Nd7 26. Nc6 {his position is hopeless.}) (21... Rfd8 $2 22. Qxd8+ Rxd8
23. Rxd8+ {and 24 Rf2 wins for White.}) 22. Rfe1 Bh6 23. Qc3 ({Black resigned,
in view of} 23. Qc3 Bxa2 24. Bf1 Qc8 25. b3 Rd8 26. Nc6 $1 Rd6 27. Nb4 {
winning.}) 1-0

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Eingorn, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E20"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 49'. --- The Rilton cup in Stockholm was the first of two
Scandinavian events where I came to make my final GM norms. I remember having
a strict routine in both tournaments with total concentration towards
achieving the goal - something which I now lack sometimes.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 d5 5. a3 Be7 6. e4 c5 7. cxd5 ({A few months later I tried} 7.
dxc5 Bxc5 8. b4 {against Yudasin (Lvov 1990) but my position after} Bxg1 9.
Rxg1 Qc7 {was just worse.}) 7... exd5 8. dxc5 {This idea came to me in the
second half of 1989 and in this game I had an opportunity to test it.} (8. e5 {
had been the main line before.}) 8... Bxc5 (8... d4 {is also possible but I
think that Black's compensation for the pawn is insufficient if White continues
} 9. Na4 b6 10. cxb6 axb6 11. b4 {.}) 9. e5 $5 Nfd7 (9... Nh5 10. Qxd5 {is
clearly better for White.}) 10. Qxd5 O-O $5 ({Black had an interesting
possibility: to sacrifice a bishop without committing himself to castling with
} 10... Nc6 $5 11. f4 Qb6 12. Nf3 Bf2+ 13. Ke2 Nc5 $5 14. b4 Be6 15. bxc5 Bxc5
$1 {But I am not sure whether this works, because of} 16. Qd3 $1 ({not} 16. Qe4
O-O-O $1 {with attacking chances}) 16... Rd8 17. Qc2 {.}) 11. f4 Qb6 {Probably
best.} ({One month later the Latvian IM (now GM) Igor Rausis played} 11... Bxg1
$5 12. Rxg1 Qb6 13. Rh1 Nc6 $1 {against me (Daugavpils 1990)} 14. -- ({, and
after} 14. Bc4 $2 Ndxe5 $1 15. fxe5 Be6 16. Qe4 (16. Qb5 Bxc4 17. Qxb6 axb6 {
is terrible for White}) 16... Bxc4 17. Qxc4 Nxe5 {he had a strong attack,
although the game was drawn in the end.}) ({. Instead of 14 Bc4?, however, I
could have obtained a certain advantage with} 14. Qb5 Qd4 (14... Nd4 15. Qxb6
axb6 16. Kf2 $1 {is clearly better for White}) 15. Qc4 $1 Nb6 (15... Nc5 16.
Nb5 $1 Qxc4 17. Bxc4 {is also better for White}) 16. Qxd4 Nxd4 17. Bd3 {.}))
12. Nf3 Bf2+ 13. Ke2 Nc5 $1 14. b4 (14. Kxf2 $2 {is bad due to} Rd8 {.}) 14...
Rd8 ({Black must finally sacrifice a piece since after} 14... Ne6 15. Ne4 {he
would have had nothing for the pawn.}) 15. bxc5 Bxc5 16. Qe4 $5 {With this
move White gives back the material and creates a totally irrational game.} ({
In any case passive defence such as} 16. Qa2 $6 Nc6 17. Rb1 Qa5 18. Bd2 Bg4 $1
19. Ke1 Bxf3 20. gxf3 Nd4 21. Be2 (21. Bg2 Qa6 $1) 21... Nxe2 22. Kxe2 (22.
Nxe2 $2 Rxd2 23. Qxd2 Bf2+ 24. Kd1 Rd8 {is clearly better for Black}) 22...
Qa6+ {, when Black's attack can be sustained, would not be my style.}) 16...
Qb3 $1 {Obviously the right continuation.} ({Trying to keep the flames of the
attack burning with} 16... Nc6 $6 {would be tempting but probably incorrect in
view of} 17. Na4 $1 Qa6+ 18. Ke1 Qa5+ 19. Bd2 Rxd2 {(forced)} 20. Nxd2 Bd4 $1
21. Rb1 $1 g6 ({also forced, as} 21... Qxa4 22. Bb5 {wins}) 22. Qc2 $1 Bf5 23.
Bd3 Bxd3 24. Qxd3 Qxa4 25. Rxb7 Rd8 26. Qb3 $1 Bf2+ 27. Kxf2 Qxf4+ (27... Rxd2+
28. Kg3 $1 {wins}) 28. Nf3 Rd2+ 29. Kf1 Nd4 30. Qb4 Rd1+ 31. Kf2 {and it's
Black who gets mated.}) 17. Bd2 {Forced.} Rxd2+ $1 18. Kxd2 (18. Nxd2 $2 Qxc3 {
is clearly better for Black.}) 18... Qb2+ 19. Kd3 ({Not} 19. Qc2 $6 Be3+ $1 {.}
) 19... Qxa1 20. e6 $3 {Although this move doesn't win the game by itself,
it's so astonishing that I have to give it two exclamation marks.} ({Besides
there were no other practical winning tries, for example} 20. Ng5 Nc6 $1 ({not
} 20... g6 $2 21. Qd5 $1 Bf5+ 22. Kc4 b5+ 23. Kxb5 {and White wins}) 21. Qxh7+
(21. e6 $2 {is bad because of} g6 $1 22. Qd5 (22. exf7+ Kg7 {is the same})
22... Qxa3 $1 23. exf7+ Kf8 24. Nxh7+ Kg7 {and it is Black who wins, hence
e5-e6 has to be played on move 20!}) 21... Kf8 22. Qh8+ (22. Be2 $2 Qxa3 23.
Ra1 Nb4+ 24. Kc4 Qxa1 25. Qh8+ Ke7 26. Qxg7 Be6+ 27. Nxe6 {and Black wins} Qa6+
) 22... Ke7 {and I don't think that White has anything more than} 23. Nd5+ Kd7
24. Qh3+ Ke8 25. Qh8+ {leading to perpetual check.}) 20... fxe6 (20... Bxe6 $5
{would have been extremely complicated but probably not better for White at
the end. He should now play} 21. Ng5 $1 (21. Qxb7 Bf5+ 22. Kd2 Be3+ $1 23. Kxe3
Qxc3+ 24. Kf2 Qc5+ 25. Kg3 Qc6 {is equal}) 21... Qxa3 {(necessary)} 22. Qxh7+ (
22. Nxe6 $2 Bb4 {is clearly better for Black}) 22... Kf8 23. Qh8+ Ke7 24. Nxe6
{leaving Black with a choice between:} -- (24... Bb4 $5 {The most natural but
probably not the strongest move since if White now plays not} 25. -- (25. Qd8+
$2 Kxe6 26. Qd5+ Ke7 $1 27. Qxb7+ Kd6 $1 (27... Nd7 $2 28. Qxb4+ $1 {wins}) 28.
Qxa8 Qxc3+ 29. Ke2 (29. Ke4 Nc6 {with a strong attack}) 29... Nc6 {and Black's
attack is very strong}) ({, but} 25. Ke4 $3 Nd7 $1 (25... Qxc3 $2 26. Qd8+ Kxe6
27. f5#) ({while} 25... f5+ 26. Kxf5 {wins}) 26. Qxa8 {, it seems that Black
cannot create enough threats after either:} -- (26... Nf6+ 27. Kf5 $1 fxe6+ {
(forced)} 28. Kg5 Qxc3 29. Qxb7+ Nd7 30. Kg4 $1 (30. Bb5 $2 Qf6+ 31. Kg4 Qg6+
32. Kf3 Qh5+ {is only slightly better for White}) 30... Kd6 31. g3 $1 (31. Bb5
$6 Nf6+ 32. Kh4 g5+ $3 33. Kxg5 Qc5+ 34. Kxf6 Bc3+ 35. Kg6 Qf5+ 36. Kh6 Qxf4+)
({and} 31. Qf3 Nf6+ 32. Kh3 Qxf3+ 33. gxf3 Nd5 $1 {are again only slightly
better for White}) 31... Qc5 32. Bd3 $1 {when White is clearly on top; even
with the tougher}) (26... Qxc3 $1 {, as brute force should finally have the
last word in the line} 27. Qxb7 Kxe6 28. Qd5+ Ke7 29. Qc4 $1 Nc5+ 30. Kf5 $1 (
30. Kd5 $2 Qd2+ 31. Qd4 Qa2+ 32. Kc6 Qe6+ 33. Kb5 Qb6+ 34. Kc4 a5 $1 {with an
attack}) 30... Qf6+ 31. Kg4 Qg6+ 32. Kf3 Qc6+ 33. Ke3 a5 $1 34. h4 $1))) ({.
However, Black does have a way to draw:} 24... Qa6+ $1 25. Kc2 Qxe6 26. Bb5 $3
{(strong but still insufficient)} Qg6+ 27. Kb3 Qe6+ 28. Bc4 Qb6+ 29. Nb5 Qa5 (
29... a6 30. Re1+ Be3 {[forced]} 31. Qh3 $1 axb5 32. Rxe3+ Kd8 33. Bxf7 {wins})
30. Qh4+ Kf8 31. Qh8+ Ke7 {and I don't see how White can improve his position.}
)) 21. Ng5 g6 22. Qe5 $1 ({Another interesting attempt would have been} 22. f5
$5 {, but it seems that Black can hold his own in the line} Be7 $1 23. fxg6
Bxg5 24. gxh7+ Kg7 25. Qe5+ Kxh7 26. Qxg5 Nc6 {.}) 22... Be7 23. Nxe6 Kf7 $2 {
The only mistake of the game but one that loses immediately!} ({There would
have been nothing wrong with Black's position after} 23... Bf8 $1 24. Nxf8 Nc6
25. Qf6 Qxa3 $3 (25... Bf5+ $2 26. Ke3 Re8+ 27. Kf3 {and White wins}) 26. Kd2
$1 {forced,} ({as} 26. Nxg6 $2 Bf5+ $1 27. Qxf5 Rd8+ 28. Ke4 Qb4+ {wins for
Black}) 26... Qb2+ 27. Ke1 Qc1+ {, and the ending after} 28. Kf2 Qd2+ 29. Ne2 (
29. Be2 Qd4+) 29... Qd8 $1 30. Qxd8 Nxd8 31. Nxg6 $1 hxg6 32. Nd4 Kg7 {is
approximately equal.}) ({[AS - This statement was based on my old analysis and
after} 23... Bf8 24. Nxf8 Nc6 25. Qf6 Qxa3 26. Kd2 Qb2+ 27. Ke1 Qc1+ {, the
stronger alternative} 28. Ke2 $1 {was missed. In fact it yields White a huge
advantage, since Black cannot regain the piece immediately. --- His best
chance is} Qb2+ ({White wins after} 28... Bg4+ 29. Kf2 Qd2+ 30. Kg3) 29. Kf3
Qb4 $1 {, but even then White has practically a forced win with} 30. Nxg6 $1 (
30. Ne6 Bxe6 31. Qxe6+ Kg7 {might give Black some counter-chances}) 30... Nd4+
(30... hxg6 31. Qxg6+ Kf8 32. Nb5 $1 Nd4+ 33. Nxd4 Qxd4 34. Be2 {is clearly
better for White}) 31. Kf2 hxg6 32. Qxg6+ Kf8 33. Qf6+ Kg8 34. Nd5 $1 Qd2+ 35.
Kg1 Nf3+ 36. gxf3 Qxd5 37. Kf2 $1 Qc5+ 38. Kg3 Bf5 39. Qg5+ Kh8 40. Qh5+ $1 Kg7
41. Bd3 Rf8 42. Re1 $1 Rf6 43. Bxf5 Rxf5 44. Qg4+ Kh7 45. Qh4+ Kg6 46. Re6+ Kf7
47. Rh6 {and the attack should soon finish the game. Thus I must conclude that
the main (and not the only!) Black mistake was 20...fxe6, since 20...Bxe6
would probably have ensured the draw.]}) 24. Qg7+ $1 {Now it's all over.} Ke8 (
24... Kxe6 {loses to} 25. Kc2 $1 Qxa3 26. Bb5 $1 (26. Bc4+ $2 Kd7 27. Rd1+ Kc6
{is not so clear}) 26... Nc6 27. Bc4+ Kd7 (27... Kf5 28. Qf7+ Bf6 29. Qd5+ Be5
{[forced]} 30. Qd3+ Kf6 31. Nd5+ {also wins for White}) 28. Rd1+ Qd6 29. Rxd6+
Kxd6 30. Ne4+ Kc7 31. Bb5 {.}) 25. Nc7+ Kd8 26. Qh8+ $1 {Preventing Black's
development.} Kd7 ({Or} 26... Kxc7 27. Nd5+ {.}) 27. Nxa8 Qxa3 28. Kc2 {. 
This game gave me one of the best feelings I have ever had from chess.} 1-0

[Event "Gausdal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "King, D."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E20"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'New In Chess Yearbook 1990'. --- The Gausdal tournament was one of
few ones in my career when I had to play two games per day. The present game
was an evening one and I felt rather tired after a complex encounter against
Thomas Ernst. I am not especially proud of this game but the final combination
isn't one to forget.} 1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ 3. Nc3 {At that time I was so happy
with the 4 f3 line in the Nimzo-Indian that I even provoked my opponents into
it from other openings.} c5 4. d5 Nf6 5. f3 {So I had achieved what I wanted.
Nowadays everybody knows that 4...c5 is not so strong as 4...d5 in the 4 f3
variation.} exd5 {This gives White a clear positional advantage.} ({The
critical lines are} 5... O-O 6. e4 d6 7. Nge2 b5 8. Nf4 $5 e5 9. Nfe2 bxc4 10.
Ng3 {, Shirov-Savon, USSR Championship 1991}) ({and} 5... b5 6. e4 bxc4 7. Bxc4
exd5 8. Bxd5 Nxd5 9. Qxd5 Nc6 {, with unclear prospects in both cases.}) 6.
cxd5 d6 7. e4 O-O 8. Nge2 a6 9. Ng3 b5 10. a4 bxa4 11. Qxa4 Nbd7 12. Be2 Nb6
13. Qc2 a5 14. O-O c4 15. Nd1 ({Probably both} 15. Be3) ({and} 15. Bg5 h6 16.
Be3 {would have been better than the text-move, but it is always tempting to
try to create a direct attack against the enemy king.}) 15... Nfd7 16. Ne3 Ba6
17. Nef5 g6 18. Nh6+ Kh8 ({Perhaps} 18... Kg7 {was better, as later in the
game Black puts his king on g7 anyway.}) 19. Be3 a4 20. f4 f6 21. Rad1 Qc7 ({
White's idea was to meet} 21... Bc5 {with} 22. Bxc5 Nxc5 23. e5 {.}) 22. Kh1 ({
Now after} 22. Kh1 {,} Bc5 {can be met by} 23. Bc1 {.}) 22... Kg7 23. f5 Ne5
24. fxg6 hxg6 25. Ng4 Nxg4 26. Bxg4 c3 27. Rf3 {Just bringing the pieces into
the danger area and hoping that there will be a mate somewhere.} Nc4 28. Be6
Nxe3 29. Rxe3 Rh8 30. Rf3 Qc4 $6 31. bxc3 Bc5 {Here I found one of the nicest
combinations in my career. I was pleased that I saw everything through to the
end.} 32. e5 $1 dxe5 ({If} 32... fxe5 {,} 33. Rf7+ Kh6 34. Qc1+ g5 35. Rf6+ {
wins.}) 33. Nf5+ $1 gxf5 (33... Kf8 34. Nd6 $1 Qh4 ({or} 34... Bxd6 35. Qxg6)
35. Rh3 {also wins for White.}) 34. Rg3+ Kf8 35. Qxf5 Qf4 (35... Qh4 {would
have put up more resistance but after} 36. Rh3 Kg7 ({if} 36... Qxh3 37. gxh3
Ke7 {,} 38. Qg6 {wins}) 37. Rxh4 Rxh4 38. Qf3 Rah8 39. h3 {Black has no
chances to save the game.}) 36. Qg6 Ra7 37. Rh3 $1 {The point.} Rxh3 38. Qg8+
Ke7 39. d6+ ({Black gets mated after} 39. d6+ Bxd6 40. Qf7+ Kd8 41. Rxd6+ {.
Interestingly enough several good players to whom I showed the position after
31...Bc5 took some time before finding the winning combination. But when I
tested the old Latvian maestro Alexander Koblents, he gave all White's moves
instantly! Perhaps chess in Latvia was full of tactics from its origin ...})
1-0

[Event "Lvov Zonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Bareev, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A87"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in February 1990 and first appeared in 'Chess in
the USSR'. --- [AS - This game was the played in the last round. The winner
would qualify for the Interzonal, while a draw would mean a play-off between
the two players.]} 1. Nf3 f5 {Bareyev advanced his f-pawn very confidently and
I was pleased with this, since now a complicated game arises without any
special efforts from me.} 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 g6 4. O-O Bg7 5. d4 O-O 6. b3 {I
made this move 'armed' with Dreyev's recent games.} ({In Shirov-Malaniuk,
Moscow 1989,} 6. c4 d6 7. Nc3 Qe8 8. b3 {was tried, but after} h6 $1 9. Nd5
Nxd5 10. cxd5 Qf7 {Black achieved an excellent game. --- [AS - The reader has
seen that game already (Shirov-Malaniuk).]}) 6... d6 7. Bb2 c6 ({The
alternative is} 7... Qe8 {. Tukmakov-Malaniuk, Lvov 1990, continued} 8. c4 Na6
({clearly inferior is} 8... e5 9. dxe5 Ng4 10. Nc3 dxe5 11. h3 Nh6 12. e4 Nc6
13. Nd5 Qd8 14. Re1 {, Bewersdorff-Tisdall, Gausdal 1990}) 9. d5 c5 10. Nc3 h6
11. Ne1 g5 12. Nd3 Qg6 13. Qd2 Bd7 14. f4 $6 Ng4 $1 {with a promising position
for Black. But I think that White's play can be improved.}) ({[AS - The
following year I won a game against Piskov (Moscow 1991) after} 7... Qe8 8. Nc3
{, etc. See the aforementioned game Shirov-Malaniuk.]}) 8. Nbd2 Na6 9. c4 e5 $6
{In the light of what follows, not the best continuation.} (9... Qe8 {comes
into consideration.}) 10. dxe5 Nd7 11. Ba3 $3 ({I have attached two
exclamation marks to this move for the following reasons: a) there is nothing
better, since if} 11. e4 {simply} f4) ({the tempting} 11. b4 {does not work on
account of} Nxb4 12. Qb3 a5 $1 {, and otherwise White 'simply' has nothing;
--- b) for the exchange White will have sufficient positional compensation and
excellent attacking chances; --- c) in a decisive game it is especially
unpleasant to have to defend, and seizing the initiative has double
psychological strength.}) 11... Nxe5 12. Nxe5 Bxe5 13. Nf3 Bxa1 14. Qxa1 Nc5 {
The knight is aiming for e4, from where it will defend the d6 pawn and control
f6. But its position in the centre will always be insecure.} 15. Rd1 Qf6 ({On} 
15... Ne4 {White has the unpleasant} 16. Nd2 Nf6 17. c5 $1) ({while if} 15...
Qe7 {then} 16. Qd4 {is strong.}) 16. Qc1 Qe7 17. Bb2 Ne4 18. Qe3 $1 {Now 19
Nd2 is threatened.} Be6 (18... Re8 {fails to} 19. Qd4 {.}) 19. Qd4 Kf7 {The
only move, although at f7 the king is not especially comfortable.} ({Totally
bad was} 19... Nf6 20. Qxd6) ({or} 19... Rf6 20. Nd2 c5 21. Qe3 Nxd2 22. Qxd2 {
.}) 20. h4 $1 (20. Nd2 {would also have led to the exchange of knights, since}
Nxd2 21. Rxd2 {with the threat of 22 f4! is bad for Black.}) ({But after} 20.
Nd2 {,} d5 $1 21. cxd5 Bxd5 {is much stronger, when Black wrests control of
the d-file, and White has nothing better than} 22. Qg7+ Ke8 23. Qxe7+ Kxe7 24.
Nxe4 fxe4 {with a drawn ending. With 20 h4 White ensures the exchange of
knights at g5, and Black is unable to win the pawn advantageously.}) 20... Rad8
({Against} 20... c5 {I was intending the simple} 21. Qe3 {and 22 Ng5.}) ({I
had spent most of my time calculating the line} 20... Ke8 21. Ng5 Nxg5 22. hxg5
Qxg5 {.} 23. -- ({Now nothing is achieved by} 23. Qxd6 Qe7 24. Qe5 Bg8 $1 25.
Qxe7+ Kxe7 26. Ba3+ Kf6 27. Bxf8 Rxf8 28. Rd7 Rf7 29. Rd8 Rg7) ({but with the
accurate} 23. Ba3 $1 {White retains the advantage.})) 21. Ng5+ Nxg5 22. hxg5
Rd7 (22... Qxg5 23. Qg7+ Ke8 24. Qxb7 Qe7 25. Qxc6+ Kf7 26. Qf3 {clearly
favours White.}) 23. f4 Qd8 24. Kf1 $6 ({After} 24. Qxa7 c5 {White cannot
avoid the exchange of queens, but in the variation} 25. Bf6 Qa8 26. Qb6 $1 Qa6
27. Qxa6 bxa6 28. Bc6 {he wins quickly. --- [AS - Therefore 24 Qxa7 would
simply win a pawn compared to the game. The text is clearly weaker.]}) 24... c5
({On} 24... d5 {White would have replied} 25. c5 {and then 26 Rd3, when
Black's position is extremely difficult - although this would have been a
slightly better choice for him.}) 25. Qc3 Re7 $2 {A blunder,} ({although it is
practically impossible to oppose the two rampant bishops, for example} 25...
Ke8 26. Rd3 {.}) 26. Bxb7 $1 Qb6 27. Bf3 {Here I no longer had any doubts that
I was going to win.} a5 28. Rd3 (28. a4 {is also good.}) 28... a4 29. bxa4 Qa6
30. Re3 $1 Ke8 (30... Qxc4 {fails to} 31. Qf6+ Ke8 32. Bc6+ {.}) 31. Qb3 $1 Kf7
(31... Qxc4 {loses immediately to} 32. Bc6+ Kf7 33. Rxe6 $1 Qxe6 34. Bd5) ({
while the game continuation is equivalent to the variation} 31... Bxc4 32. Qb8+
Kf7 33. Rxe7+ Kxe7 34. Qc7+ Ke6 35. Qxh7 Qxa4 36. Qxg6+ Kd7 37. Qh7+ Rf7 38. g6
$1 Rxh7 39. gxh7 {, and White wins.}) 32. Bf6 Ree8 33. Rxe6 $1 {The decisive
second exchange sacrifice.} Rxe6 ({If} 33... Kxe6 {I was intending} 34. Bb7 $1
Qa7 35. Bd5+ ({[AS - Simpler is} 35. Qb5 {winning immediately, but I missed it
both during the game and in my original annotations]}) 35... Kd7 36. Qb5+ Kc8
37. a5 $1 {, and Black is completely helpless.}) 34. Bd5 Rfe8 35. a5 $1 {
Complete zugzwang.} Kf8 ({If} 35... h6 36. Qb6 $1 Qxb6 37. axb6 {with an easy
win.}) 36. Bxe6 Rxe6 37. Qb8+ Kf7 38. Qc7+ 1-0

[Event "Paris"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Hauchard, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A57"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in May 1990 and first appeared in 'Chess in the
USSR'. --- This game is clearly not impressive in its quality but the
sacrifices and pawn promotion seem so amusing to me that I couldn't help
including it in the book.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 b5 4. cxb5 a6 5. b6 $1 {On
this occasion too my 'trade-mark' move brings success. --- [AS - I won many
games with this system over several years but then stopped playing it since I
was sometimes not very happy with the positions I was getting from the opening.
When I started playing other variations against the Benko Gambit I also got
good practical results.]} d6 6. Nc3 Nbd7 7. a4 $1 Qxb6 $2 {A positional
blunder.} (7... a5 {is the only move.}) 8. a5 Qc7 9. e4 g6 10. f4 $1 Bg7 $6 {
Now Black ends up in a strategically lost position.} ({But equally after} 10...
c4 11. Qa4 $1 Bg7 12. Nf3 O-O 13. Qxc4 {he has no compensation for the pawn.})
11. Bc4 O-O 12. Nf3 Re8 13. O-O e5 $5 14. dxe6 fxe6 15. Ng5 {In the end this
move leads to victory and to the prize 'for brilliancy'.} ({But I also had
available another continuation -} 15. f5 $5 {Black is obliged to play} gxf5 16.
exf5 d5 {, to which White replies} 17. Nxd5 $1 exd5 18. Bxd5+ Kh8 $1 {the only
move} ({bad is} 18... Nxd5 19. Qxd5+ Kh8 20. Qxa8) ({or} 18... Nxd5 19. Qxd5+
Kf8 20. Ng5 $1 Nf6 21. Qxa8) 19. Bxa8 c4 $1 {, when Black has some counterplay,
although it is hard to believe that White's material advantage will not tell.
--- [AS - In fact it will tell very easily; I just wanted to justify my silly
search for sacrifices.]}) 15... Nf8 16. f5 h6 {The only move.} ({If} 16... gxf5
{then} 17. Bf4 $1 {is quickly decisive.}) 17. e5 $1 {Already at this point I
sensed that I was battling not only for a win, but also for the brilliancy
prize. At the same time, 17 e5 is the best continuation of the attack.} (17.
Nxe6 Nxe6 18. fxe6 Bxe6 {is less clear.}) 17... dxe5 18. fxg6 $1 hxg5 ({I was
expecting} 18... Nxg6 {, against which I had prepared} 19. Rxf6 $1 Bxf6 20. Qh5
Qg7 21. Nge4 Bg5 {(there is nothing else)} 22. Nxg5 $1 hxg5 23. Bd3 $1 {, and
White wins. However, this is not especially pretty.}) 19. Bxg5 N8d7 20. Qf3 $1
Ra7 {The rook may come in useful on the seventh rank.} 21. Rad1 Qb7 22. Qh3 Qc6
{The critical position.} ({After} 22... Qc6 {, I worked out the lengthy
variation} 23. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 24. Rxf6 $1 Bxf6 25. Bxf6 Qd4+ 26. Kh1 Rg7 27. Bxg7
Kxg7 28. Qh7+ Kf6 29. Qf7+ Kg5 30. Qxe8 Qxc4 {, but I overlooked the simple
move} 31. Qf7 $1 {The continuation chosen is rather more complicated, but also
prettier.}) 23. Nd5 $1 exd5 24. Rxd5 $1 ({Of course not} 24. Bxd5+ $2 Qxd5 25.
Rxd5 Nf8 $1 {, when there is nothing clear.}) 24... Kf8 $1 ({My entire
calculation was based on} 24... Nb6 $5 25. Rd7+ $1 Nxc4 26. Rxf6 $1 Qxf6 $1 27.
Qh7+ Kf8 28. Rxa7 $1 {, and this would have been quite sufficient to realize
my hopes, as there is no defence against mate.}) 25. Qh7 {At this point I
somehow did not believe that my opponent would be able to come up with
something. After all, both 26 Bh6 and 26 Rxd7! are threatened.} Re6 $1 26. Bh6
Ke8 $1 {My initial feeling was one of horror, since I am also obliged to give
up a rook.} 27. Qxg7 Nxd5 ({Fortunately at this point I saw that} 27... Nxd5
28. Bg5 $5 N7f6 29. Qxa7 Re7 30. Qb8 $1 {would lead to a win, and I was able
to look for a prettier alternative. And I found one.}) 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. g7 Rxh6
({On} 29... Rg6 {I had planned} 30. Qf8+ $1 Nxf8 31. gxf8=Q+ Ke6 32. Bg5 $1 {
, when White wins.}) 30. Rf7+ $3 Kxf7 {Note that Black now has a great
material advantage - two rooks and two knights. But the new queen appears with
check, and this proves decisive.} 31. g8=Q+ Ke7 32. Qd8+ ({Black resigned,
since he is mated after either} 32. Qd8+ Kf7 33. Qhg8#) ({or} 32. Qd8+ Ke6 (
32... Kd6) 33. Qxh6+ {. I might add that the alternative winning continuation
on move 23 (23 Rxd7!), although simpler, is of more or less equal length, so I
do not see any aesthetic violation here. --- [AS - This game was awarded the
brilliancy prize, although I must admit that it was kind of a one-sided
struggle.]}) 1-0

[Event "Manila Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lautier, J."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E63"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in July 1990 and have been published in 'Chess in
the USSR' and other magazines. --- This game was my second encounter against
Joel Lautier and I was in quite a competitive mood for two reasons. First,
because we were both in a must-win situation fighting for qualification to the
Candidates', and second because a few months before this game I had been
called 'a second Lautier' in the magazine Europe Echecs and I wanted to make
it the other way around.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O d6 6.
c4 Nc6 7. Nc3 a6 8. h3 Bd7 9. Bg5 $5 {A new move.} ({However, I doubt whether
it is any better than the usual} 9. Be3) ({or} 9. e4 {, since the reply it
provokes, ...h7-h6, may prove useful to Black.}) 9... h6 10. Be3 Rb8 11. Nd5 $5
{Perhaps the most logical development of the 9 Bg5 idea.} ({In the event of} 
11. Qd2 Kh7 12. Nd5 {Black can play} Ne4 13. Qc2 f5 {with a good game -
complications such as} 14. Nh4 e6 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. Nf4 g5 $1 17. Qxe4+ Kg8 {
are in his favour.}) ({[AS - The variation given is wrong because after} 11.
Qd2 Kh7 12. Nd5 Ne4 13. Qc2 f5 14. Nh4 e6 15. Bxe4 fxe4 16. Nf4 g5 {White has}
17. Nxe6 $1 {, winning.}) ({Probably after} 11. Qd2 Kh7 12. Nd5 {Black should
try} b5 {instead of my previous suggestion.]}) 11... b5 $5 {The first risky
decision.} ({The 'normal' continuation was} 11... e6 12. Nxf6+ Qxf6 13. Qd2 g5
$5 {with an unclear position, which nevertheless did not altogether appeal to
me after} 14. Rac1 $1 {With the move in the game Black wishes immediately to
seize the initiative - I was aiming only for a win...}) ({[AS - It is curious
that five years later Timman played the same line against me in the Donner
Memorial (Amsterdam 1995) and I repeated the same moves since I realized
during the game that my old play was entirely correct while} 11... e6 $6 {,
for example, would probably have yielded me a worse position in the variation
indicated above.]}) 12. Nxf6+ exf6 13. cxb5 ({[AS - Here Timman diverged with} 
13. Qd2 {. After} bxc4 14. Bxh6 Bxh6 15. Qxh6 Rxb2 {an extremely unclear
position arose. White obviously has some compensation for the sacrificed pawn,
but since he was in a good tournament situation Timman went for a forced draw
which was agreed after} 16. Nh4 Ne7 17. Bd5 Nxd5 18. Nxg6 fxg6 19. Qxg6+ Kh8 {
. But then in the Manila Interzonal both youngsters (Lautier and I) would
probably not even have considered variations that might end up with perpetual
check - as I have already said, for both of us a win would mean the last
chance to qualify for the Candidates'.]}) 13... Rxb5 $1 {The second risky
decision. Now Black's queenside pawns are irreparably weakened, but on the
other hand his pieces coordinate splendidly.} ({The alternative move} 13...
axb5 {did not appeal to me on account of} 14. d5 $1 Ne7 15. Nd4 {, with
advantage to White}) ({or} 13... axb5 14. d5 Ne5 15. Nd2 $1 {, when the black
knight remains out of play.}) 14. Qd2 g5 $1 {The third and final risky
decision, after which there will only be sacrifices.} (14... Kh7 {was also
possible, but it is 14...g5! that fits in best with the preceding play. The
white pieces are now restricted, especially the bishop at e3, which has no
move. --- [AS - During my game with Timman I was planning to play 14...Kh7
this time.]}) 15. d5 $1 {Lautier is also very consistent. He could not allow
the manoeuvre ...Nc6-e7-d5, since then he might even have been in difficulties.
} ({However, there was also another critical continuation -} 15. a4 $5 {. In
this case Black should play} Rb3 $1 (15... Rb8 {is weaker on account of} 16. d5
$1 Ne7 17. Nd4) ({or} 15... Rb8 16. d5 Ne5 17. Rfe1 $1) 16. d5 Ne5 17. Nd4 (17.
Rfe1 Qb8 $1) 17... Nc4 18. Qc2 Nxe3 19. Qxb3 Nxf1 20. Rxf1 {(or any other
capture)} f5 $1 {, when he has everything in order.}) 15... Ne7 16. Nd4 Rxd5 $1
{The first sacrifice, although one that is forced. Retreating the rook would
have been an admission of impotence.} 17. Bxd5 Nxd5 18. Nf5 $1 {For the moment
Lautier clearly wishes to act no less actively than his opponent.} ({On} 18. g4
{I was intending to play} Qc8 $1 {(with the possible idea of 19...Bxg4), and
Black is not running any risks, since after} 19. f3 $5 Nxe3 20. Qxe3 f5 $1 {
his position is better.}) 18... Bxf5 19. Qxd5 Bxh3 20. Rfd1 $6 (20. Rfc1 $1 {
looks more logical, when after} Be6 $1 21. Qb7 f5 $1 22. Rxc7 Bd5 23. Qxd5 ({
but not} 23. Qa7 f4 $1 24. Bb6 Qf6 $1 {with a very strong attack}) 23... Qxc7 {
the position is roughly equal, although it is nevertheless White who has to
demonstrate this.}) 20... Re8 21. Rac1 f5 $1 22. Rd2 (22. Bd4 Bxd4 23. Qxd4
Rxe2 {would appear to favour Black. --- It seems that White has defended
everything, and that sooner or later Black's weaknesses on the queenside will
tell. So that this should not happen, I decided on my next move.}) 22... Rxe3
$3 {The second and principal sacrifice. Once and for all Black seizes the
initiative, and Lautier, who is much happier when he is doing the attacking,
is forced to defend. Psychologically he was clearly unprepared for this.} 23.
fxe3 Qe7 24. Kf2 ({On} 24. Qf3 {I was intending} Bg4 25. Qf2 c5 $1 {,
switching to positional play. Indeed, Black's queen is much more active than
White's, his two bishops are effectively not inferior to the two rooks, and
his two extra pawns and the weakness of the white king are also important
factors.}) 24... Be5 $1 25. Rh1 $2 {White is rattled.} ({However, the position
after} 25. Rd3 c5 $1 26. Rh1 g4 $1) ({or} 25. Qd3 h5 $1 26. Rh1 Bg4 {also
favours Black.}) ({I should mention that after} 25. Rd3 {the tempting} h5 26.
Qb7 h4 27. Rxc7 Bxg3+ 28. Kg1 Qe5 {is not so strong in view of} 29. Rxf7 $1 ({
but not} 29. Qd5 $2 Bf2+ $3 30. Kh1 Qxd5+ 31. Rxd5 g4 32. Rxf5 g3 33. Rg5+ Kf8
{, when Black must win, because there is no defence against 34...Be6 and 35...
h3}) 29... d5 $1 30. Rg7+ $1 {again the only move} (30. Re7 {fails to} Bf2+ $1
31. Kh1 Bg2+ $1 32. Kxg2 Qg3+ 33. Kh1 Qh3#) 30... Qxg7 31. Qxd5+ Kh7 32. Qe6 $1
Qg6 33. -- (33. Qe7+ {, and Black must agree to a repetition of moves by} Qg7
34. Qe6 Qg6 {.}) ({. After} 33. Qe7+ {, it is dangerous to play} Kh6 34. Rd8 $1
Qg7 35. Qe6+ Kh5 36. Rg8 Qh7 37. Qe8+ Kg4 38. Rh8 {, although even here there
is a pretty draw:} Bh2+ $1 39. Kf2 ({or} 39. Kxh2 Qc7+) 39... Bg3+ 40. Kg1 Bh2+
{with a repetition of moves. These variations were discovered later, thanks to
a joint analysis with IM Yanis Klovans.})) 25... Bxg3+ $3 {The third and
decisive sacrifice.} 26. Kxg3 Qxe3+ 27. Qf3 Qxd2 28. Qa8+ ({If White takes the
bishop with his rook -} 28. Rxh3 {, after} g4 29. Qa8+ Kg7 30. Rh1 Qe3+ 31. Kh2
Qxe2+ 32. Qg2 Qe5+ 33. Kg1 Kg6 $1 {he has no defence against the advance of
the pawns (34...h5!, 35...f4, etc.).}) 28... Kg7 29. Kxh3 Qxe2 30. Qd5 $6 ({
The last chance was} 30. Qg2 {, when I was intending to transpose into the
previous variation by} g4+ 31. Kh2 Qe5+ {etc.}) 30... Kg6 (30... Qf2 $1 {was
slightly more accurate, but it no longer makes any real difference.}) 31. Qd4
f4 32. Rg1 f5 ({After} 32... f5 {, White resigned. On} 33. Qxf4 {there follows}
Qh5+ {winning the queen, and there is no other defence against the mate. (This
game was awarded the second brilliancy prize by H. Hasan.)}) 0-1

[Event "World Junior Championship, Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Hauchard, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E32"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "76"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in September 1990 and first appeared in
'Shakhmaty Riga'. --- My previous game against the same opponent (covered
earlier in the book) was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to sacrifice more
pieces against him. Finally the bishop came as a nice addition to the rooks
and knights of that game but the queen was only in the mind's eye this time ...} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 {It is a long time since I played the
Nimzo-Indian Defence. The choice of opening is explained by the fact that the
French player was seconded by the Soviet grandmaster Iosif Dorfman, and,
knowing his experience (four Kasparov-Karpov matches!), I did not want to use
my main repertoire. --- [AS - I still don't really play the Nimzo, so I can't
really say much about the opening of this game.]} 4. Qc2 O-O 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6.
Qxc3 b6 7. Bg5 Bb7 8. Nh3 ({As yet this move has not become as popular as} 8.
f3 {. In my opinion, it deserves closer consideration.}) 8... h6 9. Bh4 c5 ({
The alternative is} 9... d5 {. But after} 10. cxd5 exd5 11. e3 Nbd7 12. Bd3 {
it transpires that, having avoided 8 f3, White should gain the advantage.}) 10.
dxc5 bxc5 11. f3 ({Not} 11. e3 g5 12. Bg3 Ne4 13. Qc2 Qa5+ {when Black is
better.}) 11... Nc6 12. Bf2 $6 {This seems to be a mistake.} ({The correct} 12.
e3 g5 $1 (12... d5 $2 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. Qxf6 gxf6 15. cxd5 exd5 16. Nf4 {is
favourable for White}) 13. Bg3 d5 $1 {leads to terribly complicated play.})
12... d5 (12... Qa5) ({or} 12... d6 {also came into consideration, but the
move played enables Black to seize the initiative.}) 13. Bxc5 (13. cxd5 Nxd5
14. Qxc5 Rc8 $1 {is totally bad.}) 13... d4 14. Qd2 Re8 ({I spent a lot of
time calculating the rook sacrifice} 14... Na5 $5 15. Bxf8 Nxc4 16. Qd3 Rc8 {.}
17. -- ({. If now} 17. Bb4 {then after} Ne3 18. Kf2 e5 $1 {Black's attack is
indeed dangerous.}) ({. Unfortunately, Black's idea is destroyed by} 17. Rc1 $1
Ne5 18. Qd2 Kxf8 (18... Rxc1+ 19. Qxc1 Qxf8 20. Qc7 $1 {wins for White}) 19.
Rxc8 Bxc8 20. e3 {it only remains for him to resign. But after 14...Re8 I no
longer see a way to equality for White.})) 15. e4 (15. e3 {was no less
dangerous for White -} e5 16. Be2 e4 $1 17. O-O (17. exd4 exf3 18. gxf3 Nxd4 $1
19. Qxd4 Bxf3) 17... d3 18. Bd1 Ne5 19. Qc3 exf3 20. gxf3 Qd7 21. Nf4 g5 22.
Nd5 Nxd5 23. cxd5 Qxd5 24. e4 Qe6 {and Black is clearly on top.}) 15... e5 16.
Nf2 Qc7 $1 {It is surprising that, when making this move, I had already seen
the possibility of a queen sacrifice on move 28.} 17. b4 (17. Nd3 Nd8 {would
have been no better for White.}) 17... Nd8 $1 18. Nd3 Ne6 19. Be2 Bxe4 $1 {
This piece sacrifice is undoubtedly the most energetic continuation,} ({
although the quiet} 19... Nd7 {was also possible.}) 20. fxe4 Nxe4 21. Qc2 N4xc5
22. Nxc5 Nxc5 23. bxc5 e4 24. O-O Rad8 $1 25. Rad1 $2 {The decisive mistake.} (
{The only chance was} 25. Rfd1 Qxc5 26. Kh1 d3 27. Bxd3 exd3 28. Rxd3 {,
although after} Rxd3 29. Qxd3 Re3 $1 30. Qd8+ Kh7 {Black should nevertheless
win.}) 25... Qxc5 26. Kh1 d3 27. Bxd3 exd3 ({After making the move} 27... exd3
{, I stood up too abruptly, and my opponent saw that on} 28. Rxd3 {I had
prepared} Qf5 $3 {, immediately concluding the game. Of course, it was a pity
that this did not happen on the board, but it has to be admitted that heavy
sacrifices occur most often in variations. --- [AS - Probably Hauchard would
have seen 28...Qf5 even without my hint.]}) 28. Qc3 Re3 {In the rest of the
game I did not realize my advantage in the best way possible, but at the same
time White did not gain any chances of saving the game.} 29. h3 Qc6 30. Kg1 Re2
31. Rf3 Rc2 32. Qa5 Rd6 33. Qf5 ({On} 33. Qb5 {Black was intending to reply}
Qa8 {.}) 33... Rg6 34. g4 Rf6 35. Qxd3 Qxf3 36. Qxc2 Qg3+ 37. Qg2 Qe3+ 38. Kh1
Rf2 0-1

[Event "World Junior Championship, Santiago"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lutz, C."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E99"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in September 1990 and first appeared in
'Shakhmaty Riga'. --- This game was played in the penultimate round and by
that time it was almost clear that my chance to become World Junior Champion
was gone. To fight for second or third place was not interesting for me but I
still wished to play good chess. This ambition helped me to be relaxed and
confident in my last games.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O
6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Nd3 f5 11. Bd2 Kh8 12. b4 Nf6 13.
f3 h5 $1 ({Recently Black has been experiencing considerable difficulties in
the variation} 13... f4 14. g4 $1) ({and so the Riga IM (now GM) Zigurds Lanka
has suggested the new move} 13... h5 {. If now} 14. c5 {, then Black can reply}
f4 {, transposing into well-known positions that are acceptable for him.}) 14.
exf5 Nxf5 $1 {An important improvement.} ({In the game Gouret-Lanka, Torcy
1990, Black continued} 14... gxf5 15. f4 e4 16. Nf2 Ng4 $5 {, and now White
could have gained an advantage by} 17. Nxg4 hxg4 18. Re1 $1 {, with the idea
of 19 Be3 and 20 Bd4. --- [AS - Still, White's advantage in that line is not
so big.]}) 15. Nf2 c6 $5 {An important move. After the exchange on d5, White's
queenside pawns will be more of a weakness than a strength.} 16. Bd3 cxd5 17.
Nxd5 ({The position arising after} 17. cxd5 Bd7 18. a4 $5 {is also worth
studying.}) 17... Nxd5 18. cxd5 Bd7 {It is clear that once Black has placed
his queen at b6 and his rook at c8, he will have everything in order.} 19. Rc1
Qb6 20. Kh1 Rac8 21. Rxc8 $6 {White shouldn't have simply conceded the c-file.}
(21. Nh3 {was preferable, and if, as in the game,} Qd4 22. Be4 Kg8 23. Qe1 $1 (
{weaker is} 23. Re1 Rxc1 24. Qxc1 Rc8 25. Qd1 {, leading to a position from
the game}) {he has reasonable play in view of the threat of 24 g4.} 23... --)
21... Rxc8 22. Nh3 Qd4 23. Be4 Kg8 $1 {An essential move, otherwise 24 Ng5
with the idea of 25 g4 would have been very unpleasant.} 24. Re1 (24. Qe1 $5 {
was interesting.}) 24... Ne7 $5 25. Ng1 $2 {Up till now Lutz had played quite
well.} ({But now he should have continued} 25. Bg5 $1 Qxd1 26. Rxd1 Kf7 27. Rc1
$1 {, and although after} Rxc1+ 28. Bxc1 Nf5 $1 {Black has good prospects,
White's position is by no means hopeless.}) ({I should mention that after} 25.
Bg5 Qxd1 26. Rxd1 Kf7 {, instead of 27 Rc1,} 27. Bxe7 $2 Kxe7 28. Bxg6 {is bad
on account of} Bxh3 29. gxh3 Bh6 $1 {, when Black, in my opinion, should win.})
25... Qb2 $1 {Black at last reminds White of his main weaknesses - his
queenside pawns.} 26. Bg5 $5 {White launches a desperate attack, but this
proves unsuccessful, since the black pieces are excellently co-ordinated.
However, I no longer know what to suggest instead.} (26. a4 {is rather
strongly met by} Rc4) ({while if} 26. Re2 {, then} Bb5 $1 27. Rf2 Qxa2 {and
Black is simply a pawn up.}) ({Finally, after} 26. f4 exf4 27. Bxf4 Qxb4 {
White again has no play.}) 26... Nf5 27. g4 hxg4 28. fxg4 Nd4 29. Bxg6 Qxa2 30.
Be4 Rf8 $1 31. Qd3 ({Other moves would also have lost:} 31. Re3 Rf2 32. Rh3 Ba4
33. Qc1 Bc2 $1) ({or} 31. Nh3 Ba4 32. Qd2 Qxd2 33. Bxd2 Bd7 $1 34. Rg1 Ne2 {
and Black wins in both cases.}) 31... Bxg4 32. Qg3 Bf5 33. Bg2 Rf7 34. Bh6 Bd7
35. Qg5 Nf5 36. Qd8+ Kh7 37. Bc1 $2 ({White could have set his opponent much
more difficult problems by} 37. Bxg7 Rxg7 38. Be4 Qf2 39. Rd1 {. At any event,
it was only with difficulty that in analysis I found a way to win:} Qe3 40.
Qh4+ Kg6 41. Nf3 ({or} 41. Re1 Qg5 {and wins}) 41... Rh7 ({in fact} 41... Qxf3+
{is a lot simpler than 41...Rh7}) 42. Qg4+ Kf6 43. Re1 Qh6 {, intending to
play ...Rg7!}) ({After} 37. Bxg7 Rxg7 38. Be4 Qf2 39. Rd1 Qe3 40. Qh4+ Kg6 {,
White may try} 41. Rd3 {instead of 41 Nf3 but the endgame after} Qxg1+ 42. Kxg1
Kf7+ 43. Qg3 Nxg3 44. hxg3 {is, of course, winning for Black}) 37... Bf6 {Now
it is all very simple. There followed:} 38. Qb8 Rg7 39. Be4 Qf2 40. Rd1 Qh4 {
. With the time-trouble over, White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Stockholm"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Wedberg, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D36"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 51'. --- After my successful performance in the Rilton
Cup (1989-1990) I got another invitation to Stockholm, this time to a
round-robin category 11 event in September 1990. The tournament was played in
the same building and the familiar atmosphere helped my mental attitude and
tournament routine. --- I even felt a bit unhappy about my seven out of nine
because some draws were made from promising positions. Neither was I satisfied
with the quality of my games as I felt that I was playing in a slightly boring
style. However this game I like. The way an opening advantage was transformed
into victory was a bit unusual, given my style.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5
4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Bd3 O-O 8. Nge2 Re8 9. Qc2 c6 10. O-O-O
$5 {This long castling was introduced into serious tournament practice by
Kasparov in his game against Campora at the Dubai Olympiad in 1986 and I
myself had a lot of success with it before I got a lost position against Milos
in Buenos Aires 1993. Although I won that game too, I still undertook not to
play 10 0-0-0 anymore.} Qa5 {Probably not best.} ({Black should either
immediately start the pawn assault with} 10... b5 $5) ({or} 10... a5 $5) ({or
go for a theoretical line with} 10... Nf8 {. Here I have some experience of}
11. Kb1 a5 12. f3 {.} -- ({. In one game I managed to get a clear advantage
after} 12... Ne4 13. Bxe7 Nxc3+ 14. Nxc3 Qxe7 15. Rhe1 Be6 (15... b5 16. e4 {
is even worse for Black}) 16. Qf2 $1 Rad8 17. g4 Nd7 18. h4 Nb6 19. g5 c5 20.
f4 $1 {(Shirov-Schüssler, Gausdal 1990).}) ({. However much stronger than 12...
Ne4 is} 12... b5 13. Bxf6 $6 (13. Ng3 a4 14. Nce2 {, which occurred in the
game Greenfeld-King, Budapest Perenyi 1989, is to be preferred}) 13... Bxf6 14.
e4 a4 $1 15. exd5 b4 16. Nxa4 (16. Ne4 cxd5 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 {is clearly better
for Black}) 16... cxd5 {and Black had a very strong initiative for just a pawn,
in the game Shirov-Milos, Buenos Aires Najdorf 1993.})) 11. Kb1 ({The immediate
} 11. Ng3 $6 {doesn't seem good in view of} h6 $1 {with the idea} 12. h4 $6 Bb4
$1 {leading to a slight advantage for Black.}) 11... b5 12. Ng3 $1 {But now
it's time to improve the knight's position.} Nf8 $6 {Now White can immediately
start attacking Black's weakness on c6.} ({Sharper would have been} 12... h6 {
, although after} 13. Bf4 ({not} 13. h4 Nb6 $1 {, intending ...Nc4}) 13... Nb6
(13... g5 {allows a strong attack after} 14. Be5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Ng4 16. h4 $1
gxh4 17. Bh7+ $1 Kh8 18. Bf5 $1 Nxe5 19. Bxc8 Raxc8 20. Nf5 {; the two extra
pawns do not really help Black}) 14. Nge2 Nc4 15. Ka1 {I still like White.})
13. Nce2 Qb6 {The only move.} (13... Bd7 $2 {loses to} 14. Nf5 Bxf5 15. Bxf5
Qb6 16. Rc1 g6 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Bh3 {.}) 14. Rc1 Bd7 15. Nf5 $1 Bd8 16. Neg3
$5 {Trying to press Black on both sides of the board.} ({Simplification with} 
16. Nf4 $6 Ne4 $1 17. Bxd8 Raxd8 {would reduce White's advantage.}) 16... a5 (
16... g6 {would have been very dangerous in view of} 17. Nh6+ Kg7 18. h4 $1 Ng8
{(forced)} 19. Bxd8 Raxd8 20. Nxg8 Kxg8 21. h5 {, when White can combine
attack with strategic pressure.}) 17. Bxf6 $5 {Going for a forced line which
makes White's edge even more durable.} ({I didn't like} 17. h4 {in view of} Ra7
$5 {, protecting the b7 square and depriving White of his intended knight
manoeuvre.}) 17... Bxf6 18. Nh5 Qd8 {Again this looks like the only move.} ({If
} 18... Re6 $6 19. g4 $1 {, intending 20 g5, is very strong.}) 19. Nd6 Re6 20.
Nb7 $1 Qc7 21. Nc5 Rd6 22. Nxf6+ $1 Rxf6 23. f3 {This is the position I had
been aiming for. A powerful knight on c5, a stronger bishop, standard play in
the centre - what can be done against that? Wedberg doesn't make it easy,
however.} Be8 ({I was planning to answer} 23... Rd6 {with} 24. Qf2 $1 {, and if
} Ne6 $6 {then} 25. Bxb5 $1 {is clearly better for White.}) 24. e4 Rf4 $5 {A
good try.} (24... dxe4 25. Nxe4 $1 Rf5 ({or} 25... Rh6 26. Bxb5) 26. Nc3 $1 Rh5
(26... Rf4 $2 27. Nd5 {wins}) 27. Nxb5 Qb6 28. Nd6 {is curtains.}) 25. Qd2 dxe4
26. fxe4 Rh4 $1 {Black sets up some play against the h2 and d4 pawns and White
needs to play accurately.} 27. g3 Rh6 28. e5 $1 Rd8 29. Qe3 ({Threatening} 29.
Ne4 {.}) 29... Ne6 (29... Qb6 {would not be a great improvement due to} 30.
Rhf1 $1 Ne6 (30... Rxh2 31. e6 {wins}) 31. Nxe6 fxe6 (31... Rxe6 32. Rf4 $1 {
wins}) 32. Qf3 Bg6 33. Bxg6 hxg6 34. h4 $1 {with a huge advantage for White.})
30. Bxb5 $1 Nxd4 31. Bc4 {White's advantage in pawn structure is smoothly
transformed into piece superiority. Black does his utmost to co-ordinate his
position but his task proves to be impossible.} Bd7 $1 (31... Nf5 {can be
answered by} 32. Qe4 Ne7 33. h4 $1 {'arresting' the rook on h6.}) 32. a3 $1 {
White is in no hurry, as he only needs to improve the position of his pieces.}
Bf5+ 33. Ka2 Be6 (33... Ne6 {would also have been strategically dead after} 34.
Rhf1 $1 Nxc5 35. Rxf5 Ne6 36. h4 {.}) 34. Nxe6 fxe6 (34... Nxe6 35. h4 $1 {,
planning Rhf1-f2 and Rdf1, is more or less the same as in the previous note.})
35. Rhf1 c5 36. Rf2 $1 {White has achieved his best possible set-up and has
various winning ideas such as 37 Rcf1 and 38 g4!? In time-trouble Black throws
in the towel after just one move.} Rh5 $2 37. Qxd4 $1 1-0

[Event "Groningen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Piket, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E97"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in January 1991 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga'. --- This game is memorable for me because it was very much liked by
Alexander Koblents, who called me soon after he saw it published. That
telephone conversation was one of my last contacts with the old maestro as he
soon moved to Berlin where he lived his last years. He passed away in 1993.} 1.
d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7
9. Nd2 a5 10. a3 Nd7 11. Rb1 f5 12. b4 axb4 13. axb4 Kh8 14. Qc2 Nf6 15. f3 c6
{According to Piket, this was a new move, which he had prepared specifically
for this game. But I think that 15...c6 had already occurred somewhere before,
with White replying 16 Kh1.} 16. dxc6 $1 {I believe this continuation to be
the strongest.} (16. Nb3 $2 cxd5 17. cxd5 Qb6+ {is bad for White}) ({while I
rejected} 16. Kh1 {on account of} Nh5 17. g3 fxe4 18. fxe4 (18. Ndxe4 Nf5 {is
slightly better for Black}) 18... Bh3 19. Rxf8+ Qxf8 20. Nf3 Bh6 $1 {, with
excellent counterplay for Black.}) ({Also interesting after} 16. Kh1 {is} f4 $5
{, with the idea of 17...Nh5, and, if given the opportunity, 18...Ng3+ (in
fact this is what Piket had been intending to play).}) 16... bxc6 ({On} 16...
Nxc6 {I would have replied} 17. Nb5 $1 {, with the idea of 18 Qd3, when White
has the advantage.}) 17. b5 cxb5 ({The immediate} 17... d5 {doesn't work on
account of} 18. b6 $1 Rb8 19. Ba3 {, with a great advantage to White.}) 18.
Nxb5 $1 (18. cxb5 {could now have been answered by} d5 19. b6 Bb7 {, when all
Black's problems are solved. But now it will not be easy for him to defend his
d6 pawn.}) 18... Nh5 19. Nb3 $1 ({But not} 19. g3 Nc6 $1 20. Qd3 Nd4 {, when
the position becomes unclear.}) 19... fxe4 20. fxe4 Qb6+ 21. Kh1 Rxf1+ {The
only move.} ({Totally bad was} 21... Nf4 22. Bxf4 exf4 23. Rbd1 Be5 24. Nxd6 $1
Bxd6 25. Qc3+ $1 Kg8 26. c5 Bxc5 27. Bc4+ Be6 28. Nxc5 {, when White wins.})
22. Bxf1 Nf6 23. Ba3 Bb7 ({Understandably,} 23... Ng4 24. c5 dxc5 25. Bxc5 Qf6
26. h3 {did not appeal to Black at all.}) 24. c5 dxc5 ({On} 24... Qc6 {I was
intending to sacrifice a piece -} 25. Nxd6 $1 Rxa3 26. Nf7+ Kg8 27. Qc4 {and
White wins, since apart from other knight discoveries, he is threatening} --
28. Nh6+ Kh8 29. Qg8+ $1 {and 30 Nf7 mate.}) 25. Nxc5 $1 {White has to play
accurately.} ({After} 25. Bxc5 Rc8 $1 {his advantage would have disappeared.})
25... Qc6 26. Rd1 $5 ({I preferred this move to the tempting} 26. Qd3 $5 Ng4
27. Qf3 h5 28. Nxb7 Qxb7 {, and I did not want to have to be satisfied with a
slight advantage after} (28... Rf8 $2 29. Nd8 $1 Qb6 30. Nf7+ Rxf7 31. Qxf7
Nf2+ 32. Qxf2 Qxf2 33. Bxe7 {wins for White}) 29. Bc5 $1 {.}) 26... h6 27. Qb3
$1 Nfg8 ({Now} 27... Ng4 {is no longer so strong, since White replies} 28. Rd6
Qc8 29. Kg1 $1 {, when there is no way for Black to co-ordinate his forces,
whereas the white pieces are placed on dominant squares} -- (29... Bc6 30. Ne6
$1) ({or} 29... Qf8 30. Qf3 $1 Bc6 31. Rxc6 $1 {. [Translator's note - After
31 Rxc6! Black can play} Qxf3 32. gxf3 Nxc6 33. fxg4 Rxa3 34. Nxa3 Bf8 {with
equal chances.]})) 28. Bc4 $1 {At this point I could not believe that the
battle could drag on for long. All my pieces are on the attack, and are
operating so harmoniously. But...} Qb6 $1 {It turns out that Black's forces
are also well co-ordinated, and are ready to parry White's onslaught. Here I
was obliged to think. I failed to find a forced win, although I managed to
calculate some variations. As always, there was little time left, but I
realized that the preceding play had to be brought to a logical completion.
The remainder of the game resembles a genuine mêlée, but by no means a
finishing blow.} 29. Nd7 Qf2 30. Nd6 Bc6 $1 ({After} 30... Ba6 31. Nxe5 $1 Bxc4
32. Nexc4 {it would all have been immeasurably easier for White.}) 31. Bc5 Qh4
({In time-trouble I was afraid of the queen sacrifice} 31... Qf4 32. Rf1 Bxd7
33. Rxf4 exf4 {, but now I realize that after} 34. h3 {the absence of Black's
commander condemns him to a rapid demise.}) 32. Nxe5 $1 Ba4 $1 {... and a
feeling of horror, since I had overlooked this move. I had to respond likewise,
by also attacking a rook.} 33. Qb7 Bxd1 34. Qxa8 Kh7 {Piket played so quickly,
that he effectively gave me no respite at all, whereas my clock was inexorably
advancing.} ({After} 34... Kh7 {, at first I wanted, without thinking, to reply
} 35. Nd3 {, but I saw that after} Nf6 $1 {there would be new threats to parry.
I had to compose myself, quickly evaluate all the possibilities, and land a
decisive blow.}) 35. Nxg6 $1 {As soon as this move is made on the board, the
smoke disperses, and it becomes clear that the black king's defences have been
destroyed.} Qh5 {Forced.} ({Black loses after both} 35... Kxg6 36. Bxg8) ({and
} 35... Qe1+ 36. Bg1 Bd4 37. Nf8+ Kh8 38. Nf7+ Kg7 39. Ne6+ {.}) 36. Nxe7 Nxe7
37. Nf5 ({Had I had more time, I would have concluded the game differently, by
} 37. e5 $1 Bxe5 (37... Qxe5 38. Qg8+ $3 Nxg8 39. Bd3+ Kh8 40. Nf7#) 38. Bd3+
Kg7 (38... Ng6 39. Qb7+ Kh8 40. Nf7+ Kg8 41. Nxe5 Qxe5 42. Bxg6) ({and} 38...
Ng6 39. Qb7+ Bg7 40. Nf5 {are also winning for White}) 39. Ne8+ Kf7 40. Bc4+
Kg6 41. Qa6+ Kh7 42. Nf6+ Bxf6 43. Qxf6 Qxc5 44. Qf7+ Kh8 45. Qf8+ Kh7 46. Bd3+
{and White wins.}) 37... Be5 38. Bg1 Bf3 $1 {This is not yet the last gasp,
but a final trick with the opponent's flag about to fall.} 39. Qb7 $1 ({Of
course not} 39. Nxe7 Bxg2+ 40. Kxg2 Qg4+ 41. Kf1 Qd1+ {, with a draw by
perpetual check.}) 39... Bxg2+ {But this is desperation.} ({The only move was} 
39... Bf6 {, although after} 40. Ne3 Bg4 41. Nd5 {White nevertheless wins.})
40. Kxg2 Qg6+ 41. Kh1 1-0

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Adams, M."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B72"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, and based on
my notes in 'Informator 52'. --- In my first 15th category tournament I
managed to perform well. Not only the result (9½ out of 14 and a clear
first place) but also the games, full of fight, gave me a feeling of
satisfaction. One may say I was lucky in several cases and in a way it's true
because somehow the situations of mutual tension worked out well for me and
gave me some extra points. --- I put a lot of energy into the games and I
didn't get tired. One week later I went to the Lloyds Bank open in London and
won it as well. Unfortunately nowadays I am less consistent... --- My game
against Adams is a typical example of my play in Biel: aggressive play from
the opening, putting on the pressure, a little risk in complications and
getting the upper hand.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6.
Bc4 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. h3 Nc6 9. Be3 {I hadn't expected this system from
Michael but fortunately I had something in mind.} Nxe4 $1 10. Bxf7+ (10. Nxe4
d5 11. Nxc6 bxc6 12. Bd3 dxe4 13. Bxe4 {should be about equal but the text has
always had a good reputation. Can there be anything wrong with it?}) 10... Kxf7
$1 {As far as I know this novelty was found by the Polish (but born and raised
in Latvia) grandmaster Alexander Wojtkiewicz while he was spending time in a
Soviet prison (where he found himself after trying to avoid the army - many
ex-Soviet chessplayers might recall this problem with a feeling of horror) in
1986 or 1987. It was shown to me by Alexander Shabalov a few months before
this game.} (10... Rxf7 {had been automatic before.}) 11. Nxe4 (11. Nxc6 bxc6
12. Nxe4 Kg8 {is not what White normally wants.}) 11... Nxd4 12. Bxd4 e5 {Now
Black's idea is clear - he will have two powerful central pawns, since White
doesn't have 13 Bc5 (as would have been the case with 10...Rxf7).} 13. Be3 (13.
Qf3+ $2 Ke8 {is clearly better for Black.}) 13... d5 14. Ng3 (14. Bg5 Qd7 15.
Nc3 h6 16. Bh4 d4 17. Ne4 Qc6 18. Re1 Bf5 19. f3 Rac8 20. c3 Kg8 21. Qb3+ Kh7
22. Rad1 {led to the mess in Jansa-Hellers, Herning 1991, but Black seems to
have no problems whatsoever.}) 14... Kg8 ({I prefer this to} 14... d4 15. Bd2
Kg8 16. Ne4 (16. c3 $5 {is also interesting}) 16... Qb6 17. b3 Bf5 18. Re1 Rac8
19. Rc1 $1 {, intending} Qc6 20. f3 {, when the position seems unclear to me.})
15. c3 Be6 16. Ne2 $1 {Planning 17 f4 to block Black's centre.} ({The immediate
} 16. f4 $2 {would have failed to} d4 $1 ({also} 16... exf4 17. Rxf4 Rxf4 18.
Bxf4 Qb6+ 19. Kh2 Qxb2 {is clearly better for Black}) 17. cxd4 exf4 {.}) 16...
g5 $1 17. Qd2 (17. Ng3 h6 18. Nh5 Bh8 {, with the idea} 19. h4 Qd7 $1 {, seems
to favour Black slightly.}) 17... h6 18. h4 $1 {White finally manages to break
Black's pawn structure but considerably weakens his kingside in the process,
which Black will attack. Still, I think this is the best that White could do.}
gxh4 19. Bxh6 Qf6 $1 ({Black has always to be very careful about f2-f4, for
example lines like} 19... Rf7 20. Bg5 $1 Bf6 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. f4) ({or} 19...
Bxh6 20. Qxh6 Qf6 21. Qxf6 Rxf6 22. f4 $1 Bg4 23. fxe5 Rxf1+ 24. Kxf1 {yield
White some advantage.}) 20. Bg5 {Adams goes for a pawn but later on he clearly
underestimates my attack and doesn't cope with the complications. However,
from a chess point of view his decision is entirely correct!} ({The exchange
of bishops would also have had unclear consequences, for example} 20. Bxg7 $5
Qxg7 21. f4 h3 $1 {and now White has two options:} 22. -- (22. g3 {(a risky
one)} h2+ $1 23. Kxh2 d4 $1 24. cxd4 Bd5 25. dxe5 (25. Kg1 exf4) 25... Qh7+ 26.
Kg1 Rad8 {and I prefer Black despite the fact that he is three pawns down}) (
22. Rf2 {(intending 23 g3)} Rf6 $1 23. g3 exf4 24. Rxf4 (24. Nxf4 Qxg3+ 25. Kh1
Bf5 $1 26. Qxd5+ Be6 $1) 24... Rxf4 25. Qxf4 Bg4 $1 {and the chances are
roughly equal.})) 20... Qg6 21. Bxh4 Rf5 $1 {Threatening 22...Rh5. During and
after the game I thought that my attack by this point was already nearly
decisive. Closer analysis proves that this wasn't true, but it is certainly
psychologically unpleasant to be White in this position.} 22. f4 (22. Ng3 Rf4
23. Be7 Kf7 {, followed by 24...Rh8, looks extremely dangerous for White.})
22... Qg4 $1 ({Now} 22... Rh5 $2 {fails to} 23. Bg5 $1 {.}) 23. Bg5 $2 {But
here this move is a big mistake.} (23. Be7 {(which I thought was the White's
only move!) is also extremely dangerous due to} Re8 24. Bd6 d4 $1 {with the
idea of} 25. Bxe5 $2 Bd5 $1 {and Black wins after} 26. Nxd4 Rfxe5 $1 27. fxe5
Bh6 28. Qe2 Be3+ {.}) ({However, the modest retreat} 23. Bg3 {would have
suddenly posed Black severe problems in developing his attack. His best chance
is probably still} d4 (23... Bh6 24. Rae1 {is better for White since} d4 {
fails to} 25. Nxd4 $1) 24. fxe5 dxc3 25. bxc3 Rxf1+ 26. Rxf1 Bc4 27. Rf3 Rf8 {
and the two bishops offer Black reasonable compensation for the two pawns.
However, very accurate play is required since in fact White is still better
after} 28. Qe3 ({but not} 28. Qd4 Qxd4+ 29. Nxd4 Bxa2 {and the a-pawn is strong
}) 28... Rxf3 ({now} 28... Bxa2 $2 {is wrong due to} 29. Qxa7 {and the bishop
is hanging with check}) 29. gxf3 Qg6 30. Kf2 Qa6 31. f4 $1 Qxa2 32. f5 {
White's kingside pawns look terrific but probably Black is not lost because of
the pin and the aforementioned a-pawn. He should now continue} Qc2 $1 33. f6
Bf8 34. Qg5+ Kf7 35. Qh5+ Qg6 36. Qf3 Qc2 $1 {and since the line} 37. Qxb7+ Kg6
38. Qf3 Bc5+ 39. Kf1 Qf5 40. Kg2 Qxf3+ 41. Kxf3 a5 {leads to a draw, I don't
see any real winning chances for White. This proves that had Adams played 23
Bg3 he would have had a clear practical advantage, because the line indicated
above would have been very difficult to find over the board.}) 23... Raf8 $1 {
Now the threat of 24...d4! is lethal. I always enjoy it when all my pieces are
in the attack.} 24. Rf2 (24. Rf3 Rxg5 25. Rg3 {would not help because of} Qxg3)
({while} 24. Rae1 d4 {should be more or less the same story as in the game.})
24... d4 $1 25. cxd4 exf4 26. Bxf4 (26. Nxf4 Rxg5 27. Nxe6 Rxf2 28. Qxf2 Qxe6 {
also loses the house.}) 26... Bc4 {Now Black wins the piece. There followed}
27. Be3 Rxf2 28. Bxf2 Bxe2 0-1

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kozul, Z."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This game was annotated in August 1991 and has been published in various
magazines. --- I knew that Kozul played the Grünfeld regularly and I hoped to
get a chance to play a novelty which I had in mind. However, although he
diverged from my analysis earlier, I still managed to win a nice attacking
game. This had the added benefit that shortly afterwards I was able to use my
idea to make another point.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4
Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 O-O 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Rc1 $5 {In recent years
this continuation has become very popular.} cxd4 (10... Bd7) ({and} 10... Qc7 {
occur less frequently.}) 11. cxd4 Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Bd7 ({Weaker is} 12... Bg4 13.
f3 Bd7 14. h4 {, as occurred in the game Polugayevsky-I. Sokolov, Sarajevo
1987. White gained the advantage, since the advance of the pawn to f3 proved
to be in his favour.}) ({Interesting positions also arise after} 12... Rd8 13.
h4 h5 ({or} 13... h6 {.})) ({[AS - The last word in this variation is} 12...
Qa3 $5 {The games Ftacnik-I. Gurevich (Biel Interzonal 1993) and Kamsky-Anand 
(Las Palmas 1995) are good examples of this.]}) 13. h4 Rfc8 ({The game
develops to White's advantage after} 13... Rac8 14. h5 e5 15. hxg6 hxg6 16. d5
Nd4 17. Nxd4 exd4 18. Bd2 {, as in Shirov-Pieshina, Daugavpils 1990. --- [AS -
That game continued} Qb6 19. Kg1 Rfe8 20. Rb1 Ba4 $5 21. Qf1 Qc5 22. Bd3 {
(White stands slightly better here)} Qa3 $6 23. Rxb7 Rc3 $6 24. Bxc3 dxc3 25.
Qb1 Bd4 26. Rh3 Qc5 27. Qb4 Bxf2+ 28. Kf1 c2 29. Qxc5 Bxc5 30. Bxc2 Bxc2 31.
Rc3 {(now White is winning)} Bb6 32. Rxc2 Rxe4 33. d6 Rd4 34. d7 Kg7 {1-0 (}
35. Rc8 {and wins).]}) 14. h5 Nd8 {Theory considers that in this position
Black has good counter-chances.} ({After} 14... Nd8 {, White's usual
continuations are} 15. -- (15. Bd2) ({and} 15. Qd3 {, but I preferred another
move.})) 15. f3 {The idea of this move is relatively simple. Now the white
pieces are optimally placed for the coming attack on the kingside.} ({Also
possible is} 15. f4 {, see Shirov-Kamsky.}) 15... b5 $6 ({Preferable was} 15...
Bb5 16. Bxb5 Qxb5 17. Kf2 Rxc1 18. Qxc1 Nc6 19. Qb1 Qa6 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. e5
Rd8 22. Qe4 Qxa2 23. Qh4 Kf8 {, as in Shirov-I. Gurevich, World Junior
Championship, Santiago 1990). --- [AS - This note is just a trick. See the
next game, played a few weeks later in London.]}) 16. Bb3 Rxc1 17. Bxc1 Qb6 $6
{A mistake.} ({After} 17... Qb6 {, Kozul sees the threat of} 18. hxg6 hxg6 19.
Bh6 {, and is ready to neutralize it with} Bxh6 20. Rxh6 Qf6 {. But...}) 18.
hxg6 hxg6 19. Qe1 $1 {Very simple: 20 Qh4 is threatened.} Rc8 20. Bg5 $1 ({
Better than} 20. Qh4 Rxc1+ 21. Nxc1 Qxd4 22. Qxe7 Ne6 {, with fair
compensation for the exchange.}) 20... Ne6 21. Bxe7 g5 {The only move.} 22. d5
Nd4 23. Bxg5 b4 24. Be3 $1 Qa6 ({On} 24... Bb5 {there follows} 25. Kf2 {, and
White is close to a win.}) 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Qd2 Bg7 {Black appears to have
compensation for the pawn. What is to be done against 27...Bb5?} 27. d6 $1 Bb5
28. Bxf7+ $1 Kf8 ({Or} 28... Kxf7 29. Qd5+ Kf8 30. Qf5+ Kg8 31. Qe6+ Kf8 32.
Rh5 Bxe2+ 33. Kf2 Bd4+ 34. Kg3 {, and Black cannot save his king without great
losses, for example} Qb7 35. Rf5+ Kg7 36. Rg5+ Kh8 37. Qh3+ {.}) 29. Be6 Rc1+ (
29... Bxe2+ 30. Kf2 {is no better.}) 30. Qxc1 Bxe2+ 31. Kf2 Bd4+ 32. Kg3 Qxd6+
33. Qf4+ Ke7 34. Rh7+ 1-0

[Event "London Lloyds Bank"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Ernst, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "51"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 52'. --- Before starting to annotate this game, I would
like to delve a little into its history. In the 1990 World Junior Championship
in Santiago, I lost a decisive game against Ilya Gurevich in the same
variation of the Grünfeld Defence. After that game I tried to find an
improvement for White, but did not succeed for almost a year. In June 1991,
after a break of a couple of weeks from chess, I decided to undertake some
preparation for the Biel tournament. I set up the position after Black's 21st
move and in the same second the move a2-a4 occurred to me. Although it doesn't
win immediately, as I had originally thought, it certainly promises White the
better chances. The Polugayevsky variation (i.e. the variation characterized
by 10 Rc1) may already be part of chess history, but I still hope to have that
kind of inspiration over the chessboard sometimes.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3
d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9. Be3 O-O 10. Rc1
cxd4 11. cxd4 Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Bd7 13. h4 Rfc8 14. h5 Nd8 15. f3 {When I played
this move against Ilya Gurevich in the World Junior, it was a novelty.} Bb5 ({
In Moscow 1992, Gata Kamsky defeated me with} 15... Ba4 {, but as some recent
games have shown, I could have obtained a promising attack by sacrificing a
piece. In any case, this move does not seem to be of much interest for the
current theory of the Polugayevsky variation.}) 16. Bxb5 Qxb5 17. Kf2 Rxc1 ({
The endgame after} 17... Qb2 18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. axb3 Nc6 {is slightly in White's
favour, but perhaps Black should go in for this.}) 18. Qxc1 Nc6 19. Qb1 (19.
hxg6 hxg6 20. Qg1 $6 {fails to} Nb4 ({but not} 20... Qb2 $2 21. Qh2 Nxd4 22.
Qh7+ Kf8 23. Qxg7+ Kxg7 24. Bxd4+ {with a winning position}) 21. Qh2 Nd3+ 22.
Kg3 f5 $1 23. Qh7+ Kf7 24. Rh6 $2 f4+ $1 25. Bxf4 Nxf4 26. Kxf4 Qa6 $1 {and
Black wins.}) 19... Qa6 ({Now exchanging queens is very dangerous for Black,
for example} 19... Qxb1 20. Rxb1 b6 21. hxg6 hxg6 22. Rc1 Nb4 23. Rc4 $1 {with
a clear advantage for White.}) 20. hxg6 hxg6 21. e5 $1 Rd8 ({White also stands
better after} 21... Rc8 22. e6 $1 Nd8 (22... f5 23. g4 $1) 23. exf7+ Kxf7 ({
alternatively,} 23... Nxf7 24. Nf4 Rc6 25. d5) 24. Rh4 $1 {.}) 22. a4 $1 ({
This is my improvement over the Shirov-I. Gurevich game, which went} 22. Qe4 $2
Qxa2 23. Qh4 Kf8 24. Rd1 (24. Qh7 Nxd4 {wins for Black}) 24... Nxe5 25. Qh7 g5
$1 26. Rd2 (26. Bxg5 Ng6 {is also better for Black - I. Gurevich}) 26... Qa5
27. Ng3 Qb6 $1 28. Nf5 Qg6 $1 29. Qxg7+ Qxg7 30. Nxg7 Nc4 {and Black won the
endgame.}) 22... Na5 $2 {This loses immediately.} ({Both} 22... Qxa4 23. Qxb7
e6) ({and} 22... Kf8 {(Lobron-I. Gurevich, New York 1992) are quite acceptable
for Black, but I believe that White has the better chances in both cases.}) 23.
Qe4 Rc8 ({If} 23... Nc4 {then} 24. Bh6 {wins.}) 24. Bh6 $1 ({Not} 24. Qh4 $2
Rc2 {.}) 24... Bh8 (24... Qc6 {would have prolonged the game without changing
the result, because the ending after} 25. Qh4 g5 26. Qxg5 Qg6 27. Qxg6 fxg6 28.
Nf4 {is hopeless for Black.}) 25. Bg5 Qe6 ({If} 25... Bg7 {then} 26. Bxe7 {
with an inevitable 27 Qh4, winning.}) 26. Qh4 ({Black resigned because} 26. Qh4
Bg7 27. Qh7+ Kf8 28. Bh6 {is too obvious.}) 1-0

[Event "London Lloyds Bank"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Speelman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C50"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "119"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These notes were made in 1991, with the assistance of, and translated by, Jon
Levitt.} 1. d4 d6 2. e4 Nf6 3. Bd3 ({Normally I play} 3. Nc3 {, but the game
Anand-Timman, Linares 1991, had made a big impression on me.}) 3... e5 4. c3
Nc6 5. Nf3 Be7 ({In the aforementioned game Timman continued} 5... Bg4 {, but
after} 6. d5 Ne7 7. c4 Ng6 8. g3 Be7 9. Nc3 {White had an edge.}) 6. d5 Nb8 7.
c4 {Black has lost two tempi with his queen's knight, whereas White has lost
only one with the c-pawn, so White has a clear advantage.} O-O 8. Nc3 Nbd7 9.
Bc2 ({Usually such a move is only played after ...Nc5, but I was afraid that
after} 9. O-O {,} Nh5 {is possible (with the plan ...g7-g6, ...Ng7, ...f7-f5).}
) ({I thought that} 9. Bc2 {prevented} Nh5 {in view of} 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Qxh5
{(when White's bishop on d3 is no longer en prise). It was only after Black's
reply that I saw} Bg4 {. However, 9 Bc2 is quite a good move anyway, since it
improves the position of the bishop.}) 9... Nh5 ({Perhaps} 9... c6 {was better,
but after} 10. Rb1 a5 11. a3 {White has the more attractive prospects.}) 10. h3
{Threatening 11 Nxe5.} c6 ({Now 9 Bc2 is shown as more flexible than 9 0-0
after} 10... g6 11. Bh6 Ng7 12. g4 Kh8 13. Qe2 Nf6 14. O-O-O Ng8 15. Bd2 f5 16.
gxf5 gxf5 17. exf5 Bxf5 ({or} 17... Nxf5 18. Ne4) 18. Bxf5 Rxf5 19. Ne4 Qf8 20.
Nh2 {and White is better.}) 11. Nxe5 ({Another plan would have been} 11. Ne2 {
, with the idea of g2-g4 and Ng3.}) 11... Nxe5 12. Qxh5 Nxc4 13. O-O Re8 {
Probably this is the correct move, but only if played in conjunction with a
subsequent ...Bf8.} ({Speelman was worried about} 13... Bf6 14. f4 {, but after
} Bxc3 15. bxc3 g6 16. Qe2 cxd5 17. exd5 b5 {both sides have chances.}) ({After
} 13... Bf6 {, stronger is} 14. Qe2 Nb6 ({but not} 14... Bxc3 $2 15. Qxc4 Bf6
16. dxc6 Be6 17. Qd3 {and White wins since} bxc6 {is met by} 18. e5) 15. dxc6
bxc6 16. Qd3 g6 17. Bh6 Re8 18. Rad1 d5 19. Bb3 Be6 20. exd5 {.} -- ({. In
this variation neither} 20... Nxd5 21. Qf3 Bxc3 22. bxc3 Qh4 23. Bc1 ({or} 23.
Bd2)) ({, nor} 20... cxd5 21. Qf3 d4 22. Ne4 Bg7 23. Bg5 {offer Black much
hope.})) 14. Rd1 ({I also considered playing} 14. Bb3 {, but after} Na5 15.
dxc6 Nxb3 16. cxb7 Bxb7 17. axb3 Bf6 {Black is okay.}) 14... Bf6 ({As I have
already indicated,} 14... Bf8 $1 {was correct. Then} 15. Qe2 Nb6 16. Be3 cxd5
17. Bxb6 axb6 18. Nxd5 Be6 19. Bb3 Ra5 {is not so bad for Black}) ({but after} 
14... Bf8 15. Qe2 Nb6 16. Be3 cxd5 17. Bxb6 axb6 18. Nxd5 Be6 {,} 19. b4 $1 {
keeps White's advantage.}) 15. Qe2 Nb6 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qd3 {Winning the d6
pawn in view of the threat of 18 e5.} g6 (17... Bxc3 18. bxc3 {would not have
helped Black.}) 18. Qxd6 Qxd6 19. Rxd6 Be5 20. Rd1 (20. Rxc6 $6 {allows Black
great activity after} Bb7 21. Rc5 Bd4 22. Rg5 Rac8 {.}) ({[AS - Now I realize
that after} 20. Rxc6 Bb7 21. Rc5 Bd4 {, instead of 22 Rg5?,} 22. Rc7 {is
winning. I should have been greedy.]}) 20... f5 ({After} 20... Be6 {I would
have played} 21. Bb3 {, since if Black wins his pawn back with} Bxb3 22. axb3
Bxc3 23. bxc3 Rxe4 {, White would have a won endgame after} 24. c4 $1 {.}) 21.
Bb3+ Be6 (21... Kg7 22. exf5 Bxf5 23. Be3 {is hopeless for Black.}) 22. exf5
gxf5 23. Be3 Nc4 24. Bxc4 Bxc4 {Black has the two bishops, but no less than
four pawn islands as well! White should be able to win comfortably. However ...} 25. Bd4 Bc7 26. b3 Bf7 27. Kf1 {With time-trouble approaching, I wanted to
protect my back rank.} f4 28. f3 Bg6 29. Rac1 {Threatening 30 Nd5.} Re7 30. Bc5
Re6 31. Rd7 Be5 32. Re1 ({Now Black gets some counterplay, as would also have
been the case after} 32. Rxa7 Rd8 {.}) ({Much better was} 32. Ne4 {, which
could have been followed by Rc4, after which the black position is hopeless.})
32... Bf5 33. Na4 {When it rains, it pours!} ({I was worried by} 33. Ne4 Bc3 {
, but after} 34. Rc1 Rxe4 35. fxe4 Bxd7 36. Rxc3 {White should win.}) ({The
same is true after} 33. Ne4 Bc3 34. Rc1 {, and the interpolation} Bb2 35. Rc2 {
.}) 33... Ree8 34. Rxa7 Bd3+ ({White would be winning after} 34... Rad8 35. Re7
Bd3+ 36. Kg1) ({but now} 34... Rad8 35. Kg1 {fails to} Bd4+ {.}) 35. Kf2 Rad8
36. Nb6 Bf6 (36... Bf5 {might have caused me serious problems in time-trouble.
After} 37. Nc4 Bf6 38. Rxe8+ Rxe8 {White does not have 39 Ra8 (as in the game)}
) ({and} 36... Bf5 37. Re2 Bd3 38. Rd2 {is precarious:} Bf6 $1 39. Kg1 Re1+ 40.
Kh2 Bc3 $1) ({It was necessary after} 36... Bf5 {, to find} 37. Ra8 $1 {when
Black can choose between} Rxa8 38. Nxa8 Rxa8 39. Rxe5 Rxa2+ 40. Re2 Ra1 (40...
Rxe2+ 41. Kxe2 {and the f4 pawn will go}) 41. Rd2 Be6 42. Rd8+ Kf7 43. Rf8+ Kg6
44. b4 {, winning for White}) ({and} 36... Bf5 37. Ra8 Rd2+ $1 38. Kg1 Rxa8 39.
Nxa8 Bc3 $1 {with drawing chances.}) 37. Rxe8+ Rxe8 38. Ra8 Bd8 39. Kg1 ({Not} 
39. g3 $2 Kf7 {.}) 39... Kf7 40. Ra7+ Kg6 41. Bf2 {Eliminating any counterplay.
} Re1+ {The opposite-coloured bishops ending is lost but Black saw no
reasonable option.} 42. Bxe1 Bxb6+ 43. Bf2 Bxa7 44. Bxa7 Kf5 ({If} 44... Bb1 {
then} 45. a4 {wins:} Bc2 46. a5 Bxb3 47. Bb8 Kf5 48. a6 c5 49. a7 Bd5 50. Kf2 {
, and White puts his king on c3 and then plays Bd6, winning.}) 45. Bc5 Bb1 46.
a4 Bc2 47. a5 Bd3 48. Bd6 h5 49. h4 Ba6 50. Kf2 Bb5 51. b4 Ba6 52. g3 fxg3+ 53.
Bxg3 Ke6 54. Ke3 Kd5 55. Kf4 c5 ({Or} 55... Be2 56. Bf2 {, followed by 57 Bc5
and 58 Kg5.}) 56. bxc5 Kxc5 57. Kg5 Be2 58. f4 Kd6 59. f5+ Ke7 60. f6+ 1-0

[Event "Brno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Murshed, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D20"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 52'. --- Following the Biel and London tournaments, I was
less successful at Brno. I pressed too hard against Stohl and Mokry and lost
both games after having refused draws. --- As a good consolation, two of my
three won games were of a high quality.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nc6 4. Be3
e5 $6 {In this position this move looks somewhat suspicious.} ({More common is
} 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. d5 Ne7 {, although White has also been doing well here
recently.} ({[AS - I should add that the amazing} 6... Na5 $1 {with the idea}
7. Qa4+ Bd7 8. Qxa5 a6 $3 {has radically altered the assessment of this
variation. Theory changes quickly these days!]})) 5. d5 Nce7 6. Bxc4 Ng6 7.
Bb5+ $5 {Trying to refute Black's set-up out of hand.} ({Quieter and stronger
would have been} 7. Qb3 $1 Bd6 (7... Nf6 8. d6 $1 {is clearly better for White}
) 8. Bb5+ Kf8 9. Ne2 N8e7 10. Nbc3 {, when White is at least slightly better.})
7... Bd7 8. Qb3 Nf6 $5 {I wasn't really expecting this;} ({I had only counted
on} 8... b6 9. Bxd7+ Qxd7 10. Ne2 Bd6 11. Nbc3 N8e7 12. O-O O-O 13. Nb5 {with
a clear pull for White. It seems that Murshed had prepared the first twelve
moves at home, as he played very quickly in the opening.}) 9. Bxd7+ Nxd7 10.
Qxb7 Rb8 11. Qc6 Nh4 $1 {Another surprise.} ({After} 11... Rxb2 12. Nf3 Bb4+
13. Nbd2 {White would have been clearly better.}) 12. Kf1 ({After} 12. Kf1 {I
was feeling very optimistic.} Rxb2 13. g3 Ng6 14. Nd2 {is clearly in White's
favour, so what is the point of Black's play? But...}) 12... Bc5 $1 {The next
two moves took me nearly an hour, so that from now on I had barely more than
half an hour to reach the time control.} 13. Bxc5 $1 ({Otherwise White loses,
for example} 13. g3 $2 Rb6 14. Qa4 Bxe3 15. fxe3 Rxb2 $1 {and Black's attack
looks decisive.} ({But not} 15... Qf6+ $2 16. Ke2 Rxb2+ 17. Nd2 {with an
unclear position.})) 13... Qg5 14. Nd2 $1 {The only move.} (14. Nc3 $2 Qxg2+
15. Ke2 Qxh1 16. Qxc7 Qg2 $1 {is bad for White.}) 14... Qxd2 $1 ({Now} 14...
Qxg2+ {doesn't work in view of} 15. Ke2 Rxb2 (15... Qxh1 16. Ngf3 $1 Qxa1 17.
Nxe5 Rd8 18. Nxf7 $1 {wins for White}) 16. Kd3 $3 Qxh1 ({or} 16... Rxd2+ 17.
Kxd2 {winning}) 17. Nc4 {(the other knight heads for e5 this time!)} Rb8 18.
Nxe5 Rd8 19. Nxf7 {and White wins.}) 15. Ba3 Qd3+ 16. Ne2 Nxg2 $5 (16... Qxe4
17. Rg1 Nf5 18. Qxc7 Qxd5 19. Qc2 $1 {yields White the advantage. The text
looks logical.}) 17. Qc3 $1 Qxc3 {Probably Murshed thought that he would be
able to hold the endgame, but it is not so easy.} ({In any case he made the
correct decision because the position is very dangerous for Black, for example
} 17... Qxe4 18. f3 Qe3 19. Rc1 $1 Rb7 (19... Qxc3 20. Rxc3 Nh4 21. Rxc7 Nxf3
22. Kf2 $1 Nd2 23. Rd1 Ne4+ 24. Ke3 {is obviously better for White}) 20. Rg1
Qxc3 21. Rxc3 Nh4 22. Rxg7 Ng6 23. Ng3 $1 {with a clear advantage. Now} Nf6 $2
{is met by} 24. d6 cxd6 25. Rxg6 $1 {, winning.}) 18. Nxc3 Nf4 19. Rg1 g6 20.
Ne2 $1 Kd8 {For the time being Black defends well.} ({Much weaker would have
been} 20... Nd3 21. Rg3 $1 Nxb2 22. Rc1 Kd8 23. Rgc3 {with a won position.})
21. Rc1 Nf6 $2 {But this is a mistake.} ({After} 21... Nd3 22. Rc2 f5 $1 23.
exf5 gxf5 {White can only claim a slight advantage. Now Black gets into
trouble.}) 22. Nxf4 exf4 23. d6 $1 ({This is stronger than} 23. f3 Nd7 {, when
White only holds a slight edge.}) 23... Rc8 (23... cxd6 24. Bxd6 Rxb2 $2 25.
Be5 Rb6 26. Bc7+ {loses immediately}) ({but Black could have tried} 23... Rb7
24. f3 Re8 {, though} 25. Rg2 {still promises White an edge.}) 24. f3 Re8 25.
Rg5 $1 cxd6 ({After} 25... Re6 26. Rgc5 $1 ({not} 26. Ra5 $6 cxd6 27. Rxc8+
Kxc8 28. Rxa7 Nd7 $1 {when Black has some counterplay}) 26... Ne8 {(forced)}
27. dxc7+ Rxc7 28. Bb4 $1 {White has a clear advantage.}) 26. Rxc8+ Kxc8 27.
Bxd6 Nh5 28. Rc5+ Kd7 29. Be5 {With a strong bishop against a knight and a
queenside pawn majority, White should have enough to win.} Rc8 ({This looks
like resignation but the alternative} 29... f6 30. Bd4 {would also have been
hopeless.}) 30. Rxc8 Kxc8 31. Ke2 Kd7 32. Bd4 a6 33. Kd3 g5 34. b4 f6 35. a4
Kc6 (35... Ng7 36. Bxf6 Ne6 37. Kc4 {would also have been lost for Black, but
now White can cut off Black's poorly-placed knight completely.}) 36. e5 $1 fxe5
({After} 36... f5 37. e6 Kd6 38. b5 axb5 39. a5 {White queens one of his pawns.
}) 37. Bxe5 Kd5 38. Bd4 h6 39. b5 axb5 40. axb5 Ng3 {. Here Black lost on time.
} 1-0

[Event "Brno"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Polgar, Zsu"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D20"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on
notes by Epishin and myself that appeared in 'Informator 52'. --- Although it
doesn't make me feel especially proud to win using another player's idea, I
still decided to include this game in the book because some moves played after
the opening stage gave me pleasure.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bb4+
5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 exd4 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O Qf6 {So far the game has
followed Epishin-Zsu. Polgar from four rounds earlier, which Black won in
convincing style. Afterwards Epishin came up with the new idea of 9 b4 and
showed it to me. It didn't take long for his innovation to see the light of
day.} 9. b4 $1 {According to my database this move, although new at the time,
has since been played at least half a dozen times in master chess.} a6 {The
logical answer.} (9... Nge7 10. b5 Nd8 (10... Ne5 11. Nxe5 Qxe5 12. f4 Qd6 13.
Nb3 {gives White a slight edge}) 11. e5 Qg6 12. Nxd4 Ne6 13. Nxe6 Bxe6 14. Rc1
{led to a certain space advantage for White in the game M.Gurevich-Romanishin,
Barcelona 1992.}) 10. e5 ({White has also successfully employed} 10. a4 $5 {(M.Gurevich-Lane, Brussels 1995)}) ({and} 10. Re1 $5 {(B.Lalic-Howell, Isle of
Man 1995), but only time will show the objective valuation of those tries.})
10... Qg6 11. Nb3 Bg4 ({Probably} 11... Nge7 12. Nbxd4 Bh3 $1 {equalizes
rather easily, according to the game Kasparov-Short, Novgorod 1994. I noticed
with interest that Epishin avoided 9 b4 in his game against Short in Madrid
1995.}) 12. Bd3 Qh6 ({Another possibility is} 12... Qh5 13. Be4 $1 Nge7 ({or} 
13... Nxe5 14. Qe1 $1 Ne7 15. Nxe5 Qxe5 16. Bxb7 Qxe1 17. Rfxe1 Rb8 18. Nc5 {
with a clear advantage for White}) 14. h3 Bf5 ({after} 14... Bxf3 15. Bxf3 Qxe5
16. Bxc6+ bxc6 17. Re1 Qd6 18. Qe2 Kf8 19. Rad1 {White is also clearly better})
15. Bxc6+ Nxc6 16. Nfxd4 Qxd1 17. Rfxd1 Bd7 {with a slight edge to White in
the game Kumaran-Howell, Dublin 1993.}) 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Qxf3 Nge7 15. Qe4 {
Despite his pawn minus, White can quietly increase his initiative. His pieces
are much more active than Black's and he has an excellent pawn structure.} Rd8
(15... O-O {is no great improvement on the game due to} 16. a3 Qg6 17. f4 $1 {
, when White stands clearly better}) ({but} 15... O-O-O $5 {is interesting.
Still, it seems that White is better after} 16. Nc5 Rd5 17. Qg4+ Kb8 18. Be4 $1
Nxe5 ({or} 18... f5 19. exf6 Rg5 20. Qe6 $1 gxf6 21. f4) 19. Qg3 N5c6 ({not} 
19... Rhd8 $2 20. Nxb7 $1 Kxb7 21. Qxe5) 20. Bxd5 Nxd5 21. a3 {.}) 16. a3 $1 ({
But not} 16. Nc5 Rd5 $1 {, when the position is unclear.}) 16... Qe6 $6 {An
unfortunate decision in an already difficult position.} ({It would have been
better to play} 16... Qg6 {, although after} 17. Nc5 $1 ({not} 17. f4 $6 Qxe4
18. Bxe4 Kd7 19. Nc5+ Kc8 {when matters are not clear at all}) 17... Qxe4 18.
Bxe4 b6 19. Nxa6 Nxe5 20. Nxc7+ Kd7 21. Nb5 f5 22. Bc2 d3 23. Ba4 $1 {, with
the idea of} Ke6 24. f4 {, White holds the advantage.}) 17. Nc5 Qxe5 18. Nxb7 (
{Although White is clearly on top in this endgame, I would now prefer} 18. Qh4
$1 b6 ({or} 18... Qf6 19. Qxf6 gxf6 20. Nxb7 Rb8 21. Bxa6 {with a clear
advantage}) 19. Nxa6 Kf8 20. Rac1 $1 {with a strong attack.}) 18... Qxe4 19.
Bxe4 Rb8 20. Rfe1 $1 O-O (20... Kd7 21. Nc5+ Kd6 22. Nxa6 Rb6 23. Nc5 Nd5 24.
Nb3 $1 {is also bad for Black.}) 21. Nc5 Rfc8 ({The exchange sacrifice} 21...
a5 22. Nd7 axb4 {fails to} 23. Nxb8 Rxb8 (23... Nxb8 24. axb4 {also wins}) 24.
Bxc6 $1 Nxc6 25. Rac1 Na7 26. Rxc7 Nb5 27. Rb7 $1 {and White wins.}) 22. Rac1 {
Now White's advantage is decisive.} Na7 23. Nxa6 Rb6 24. Nxc7 g6 25. Bd3 {
Keeping things quiet.} ({Another way to win would have been} 25. Nd5 Nxd5 26.
Rxc8+ Nxc8 27. Bxd5 Nd6 28. Rd1 Nb5 29. Rd3 Nc3 30. Bf3 Rd6 31. Kf1 {.}) 25...
Rc6 26. Rxc6 Naxc6 27. Nb5 Nd5 $6 {Zsuzsa starts to err in time-trouble and
loses quickly, but objectively her position was hopeless in any case.} 28. Rc1
Nf4 $6 29. Nxd4 Rd8 30. Nxc6 Rxd3 31. Ra1 Ne2+ 32. Kh2 Nc3 33. a4 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Nunn, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E99"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 53'. --- This was my debut game in my first Bundesliga
season. The German Team Championship consists of seven weekends of two games
and one of one game every year. A tough routine (the games start at 2 p.m. on
Saturdays and 9 a.m. on Sundays) and the importance of the matches demands a
high level of concentration. --- In my first season (I am now nearly a veteran,
having competed for four years) I was especially successful, probably because
I felt very relaxed - such was the atmosphere in the Hamburg team.} 1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1
Nd7 ({At that time} 9... Ne8 $5 {was still not very well known. Today it seems
to be Black's main weapon (with it, John Nunn gained his revenge against me at
Amsterdam 1995).}) 10. Nd3 f5 11. Bd2 Nf6 ({When I played this variation as
Black, I used to employ} 11... Kh8 {and only after} 12. b4 {,} Nf6 13. f3 h5 {
(see Lutz-Shirov, Santiago 1990 - covered earlier in the book).}) 12. f3 h5 $5
({Avoiding the line} 12... f4 13. g4 {.}) 13. exf5 {A novelty.} ({After} 13. c5
{Black would play} f4 {, transposing to well-known variations.}) 13... gxf5 ({
During the game I expected} 13... Nxf5 {as the most logical choice. Compared
to the aforementioned Lutz-Shirov game, White hasn't yet played b2-b4 and I
hoped to exploit this somehow, but now I am not sure whether White has the
slightest advantage after} 14. Nf2 {.}) 14. f4 $1 e4 15. Nf2 Ng4 ({On} 15... h4
{I was planning} 16. Nh3 {with a possible Ng5 one day, and I quite like this
for White.}) ({On my database I found some games in which Black played} 15...
c6 {, but I presume that after} 16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Be3 {White stands
excellently.}) 16. Nxg4 fxg4 $2 {It seems to me that this is a serious mistake.
} ({After} 16... hxg4 17. Be3 {White has a pleasant game, but I don't believe
that his advantage is anything special, because Black is very solid.}) 17. Nxe4
Bxb2 18. Rb1 $1 Bd4+ 19. Kh1 Nf5 {Black's counterplay on the kingside is in
fact not dangerous at all.} ({However, he had little choice as opening the
centre would only favour White, for example} 19... c5 20. dxc6 bxc6 (20... Nxc6
21. Rb5 $1) 21. Ba5 $5 Qxa5 22. Qxd4 Nf5 23. Qd3 {with a clear plus.}) ({
Neither was} 19... Bf5 {advisable, in view of} 20. Bd3 b6 21. Qc2 {with the
idea of 22 Ng3 or 22 Ng5.}) 20. Bd3 b6 ({Exchanging knight for bishop in the
line} 20... Ne3 21. Bxe3 Bxe3 22. g3 {would not overcome Black's strategic
difficulties.}) ({Another idea for him would have been} 20... Bd7 {, but then
White simply answers with} 21. Re1 ({not} 21. Rxb7 $6 Bb6 {with unclear
chances.})) 21. Re1 $1 Bd7 22. Ng5 Rf6 {This allows White a very neat
opportunity, but what alternative is there?} ({For example,} 22... Qf6 23. Ne6
{wins for White}) ({or} 22... Re8 23. Ne6 Bxe6 24. Rxe6 $1 Rxe6 (24... Ng7 25.
Rh6 {also wins}) 25. dxe6 Qf6 26. Qe2 $1 {, intending 27 Qe4, when White is
clearly on top.}) 23. Bb4 $3 {White has discovered the most vulnerable point
in Black's position - the bishop on d4 (in the very centre!) which cannot be
protected and lacks useful squares. The rest of Black's play is agony, but
White had to play precisely to the end.} a5 {Forced.} 24. Ba3 Bc3 25. Re2 ({
After} 25. Re2 {, the threat is} -- 26. Rc2 Bb4 27. Bb2 {, occupying the long
diagonal and winning the game.}) 25... h4 {A desperate attempt to create
tactical counter-chances.} 26. Re6 $1 {The most powerful way.} ({I rejected
the obvious} 26. Rc1 Ng3+ {(the only chance)} 27. hxg3 hxg3 28. Rxc3 {because
the position after} Rxf4 $1 {seemed quite unclear to me. Now, after lengthy
analysis, I can state that White is still winning after} 29. Bh7+ Kh8 (29...
Kg7 30. Re6) ({or} 29... Kf8 30. Rxg3 Qxg5 31. Kg1 Qh4 32. Qd3) 30. Rxg3 Qxg5
31. Qb1 Qh4+ 32. Kg1 Qxh7 33. Bb2+ Kg8 34. Qxh7+ Kxh7 35. Re7+ Kg6 36. Rxd7
Rxc4 37. Rc3 Rxc3 38. Bxc3 {, but why bother with this during the game? 26 Re6
is more spectacular after all.}) 26... Nh6 (26... Bxe6 27. Nxe6 Rxe6 28. Qxg4+
Ng7 29. dxe6 {is absolutely hopeless.}) 27. Bh7+ Kg7 28. Qd3 $1 Bxe6 29. Qxc3
$1 ({Actually} 29. dxe6 Rxf4 $1 30. Qg6+ Kh8 ({or} 30... Kf8 31. Qxh6+ Ke7 32.
Nf7) 31. Bg8 $1 ({I had overlooked this during the game, seeing only} 31. Qxh6
$2 Qf8 $1 {, when everything is unclear due to the threat 32...Rf1+}) 31... Qe7
32. Bf7 $1 {would also win nicely but from an aesthetic point of view I still
like the text more.}) 29... Bg8 (29... Bd7 {is also met by} 30. Bb2 {with the
idea of 31 Ne4.}) 30. Bb2 $1 ({After} 30. Bb2 {, the threat of 31 Bxg8 is
irresistible (} Bxh7 {loses to} 31. Ne6+ {), so Nunn resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "USSR Championship, Moscow"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Nikolenko, O."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C11"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes from 'Informator 53'.} 1. e4 {Since 1987 I had played 1 d4 almost
exclusively and this game marked my return to 1 e4, which I started playing
more and more often from that moment. My opening choice in this game was
influenced by the fact that Nikolenko always used to play the same system with
Black and I decided to try a new idea of Lanka's.} e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5
Nfd7 5. Nce2 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. f4 b5 8. a3 $5 {At the time this was a novelty.} (
8. Nf3 {was more usual.}) 8... a5 $6 {Connected with a mistaken plan and
ultimately just losing a tempo.} (8... b4 9. axb4 cxb4 10. Nf3 {would also
slightly favour White}) ({but} 8... cxd4 {is stronger. I had a hard time as
White against Bareyev (Hastings 1991/92) after} 9. Nxd4 ({stronger is} 9. cxd4
{Shirov-Korchnoi, Lucerne 1993}) 9... Nxd4 10. Qxd4 $6 Bc5 11. Qd3 O-O 12. Nf3
f6 $1 {.}) 9. Nf3 b4 ({Also possible were} 9... c4 $5) ({and} 9... Rb8 $5 {.})
10. axb4 cxb4 11. f5 $5 {This direct attack looked very strong to me,} ({but
in retrospect I might prefer} 11. g4 {, not sacrificing anything.}) 11... exf5
12. Nf4 Nb6 13. Bb5 Bb7 $1 {A good defence.} (13... Qc7 $2 14. c4 {wins}) ({
whilst} 13... Bd7 14. e6 $1 fxe6 15. Nxe6 Qc8 16. Nxf8 Rxf8 17. Ng5 $1 {is
clearly better for White.}) 14. e6 $1 {As usual, having sacrificed a pawn one
must be very energetic.} (14. Qd3 g6 15. e6 f6 $1 {leads to nothing.}) 14...
Bd6 ({If now} 14... f6 $2 {, Black loses by force after} 15. Ne5 $1 fxe5 16.
Qh5+ Ke7 17. Qf7+ Kd6 18. Qxb7 Qc7 19. Bxc6 Qxc6 20. dxe5+ Kc5 21. Qf7 $1 {.})
15. exf7+ Kxf7 16. O-O Re8 $1 {Black has almost developed. What to do and
where to go?} 17. Nxd5 $1 {Into the line of fire! This was the title of
Mikhail Tal's old book which, indeed, influenced the title of this one. Later
I will explain more fully the connection between this game and Tal.} Bxh2+ $1 {
Nikolenko is also trying to be as active as possible and he doesn't mind
sacrificing back.} ({Besides,} 17... Nxd5 $2 {seems to lose by force to} 18.
Ng5+ Kg6 ({or} 18... Kg8 19. Qh5 h6 20. Qf7+ Kh8 21. Qxb7 hxg5 22. Bxc6 Rb8 23.
Qf7 Bxh2+ 24. Kh1) 19. Rxf5 $3 Kxf5 20. Bd3+ Kf6 21. Qf3+ Nf4 22. Bxf4 Ke7 23.
Bxd6+ Qxd6 24. Qf7+ Kd8 25. Qxb7 {, whereas the text keeps tension.}) 18. Kxh2
Qxd5 19. c4 $1 {Another pawn sac, this time to get Black's knight misplaced
and unprotected. This move demanded very precise calculation.} Nxc4 20. Ng5+
Kg6 {After the game I thought that this was best,} ({but now I see that there
would have been nothing wrong with} 20... Kg8 {and after} 21. Rxf5 $1 -- ({,
not} 21... N6e5 $2 22. Bxc4 Qxc4 23. dxe5 {and White just has an extra piece})
({, or} 21... Qxf5 22. Bxc4+ Kf8 23. Bd3 $1 Qd5 (23... Qd7 24. Qf1+ Ke7 25. Bf5
Qxd4 26. Bf4 $1 {is more or less the same}) 24. Qf1+ Ke7 25. Bc4 $1 Qd6+ 26.
Bf4 Qh6+ 27. Kg1 {, when Black can hardly protect his exposed king.}) ({.
However, Black can play} 21... N4e5 $1 {. Now White has to continue} 22. Qh5 $1
h6 23. dxe5 hxg5 $1 ({only so, both} 23... Nxe5 $2 24. Nf3 $1) ({and} 23...
Qxb5 24. Qf7+ Kh8 25. Qg6 hxg5 26. Qh5+ Kg8 27. Qf7+ Kh8 28. Rxg5 {just lose})
24. b3 $1 {. In my old analysis I considered this position to be winning for
White, but in fact Black can hold the draw with} Rxe5 (24... Qxb3 $2 {loses
after} 25. Rxg5 Qf7 ({or} 25... Re7 26. Qh4 $1) 26. Bc4 $1 Qxc4 27. Rxg7+ Kxg7
28. Bh6+ Kh7 29. Bg5+ Kg7 30. Qh6+ Kf7 31. Qf6+ Kg8 32. Qg6+ Kf8 33. Bh6+ Ke7
34. Qd6+) 25. Bc4 Qxc4 $1 ({not} 25... Rxf5 26. Bxd5+ Rxd5 27. Bb2 $1 {with a
clear advantage for White}) 26. Rxe5 $1 Qd4 $1 (26... Qxb3 $2 27. Rxg5 {is
clearly better for White}) 27. Re8+ (27. Rf5 {can be strongly answered by} Ne5
$1 {[which I missed in 1991] and again the best White can do is to go for a
draw after} 28. Rxa5 $1 Rxa5 29. Qe8+ Kh7 30. Qh5+) 27... Rxe8 28. Qxe8+ Kh7 {
, as White has nothing better than} 29. Qh5+ {with perpetual check.})) 21. Bxc4
Qxc4 22. Qf3 $1 Rf8 $2 {Finally Black makes a big mistake.} ({It was also bad
to play} 22... Nxd4 $2 23. Qxb7 Qxf1 24. Qf7+ Kh6 25. Ne6+ {with mate to follow
}) ({but the alternative knight move,} 22... Ne7 $1 {, would surprisingly
promise Black good chances of resistance:} 23. -- (23. Qxb7 $6 Qxf1 24. Qb6+
Kh5 25. Ne6 Ra6 $1 26. Nxg7+ Kg4 27. Qb7 ({or} 27. Qc7 Qf2 $1 28. Nxe8 Qh4+)
27... Qd3 $1 28. Nxe8 (28. Qf3+ $6 Qxf3 29. gxf3+ Kxf3 30. Nxe8 f4 {gives
Black excellent compensation for the piece}) 28... Qg3+ 29. Kg1 Qe1+) ({, so
Whites best try is} 23. Qg3 $1 Qxf1 24. Ne4+ Kf7 25. Bh6 $1 {White is rook a
down and all his pieces are hanging, but I still believed his chances were
better until Fritz4 found the really astonishing} Qf4 $3 (25... gxh6 $2 26.
Nd6+ Ke6 27. Rxf1) ({and} 25... Qxa1 $2 26. Qxg7+ Ke6 27. Qe5+ Kd7 28. Nf6+ Kc8
29. Bf4 $1 {lose}) ({whilst} 25... Bxe4 $1 26. Qxg7+ Ke6 27. Rxf1 Rg8 28. Qe5+
Kd7 29. Rc1 $1 {, with the idea of} Nc6 30. Qf6 $1 {, yields White a strong
initiative}) 26. Bxf4 Bxe4 27. Be5 Rg8 {, when the position is about equal.}))
23. Qg3 $1 {Now the game is practically over. White's attack crashes through.}
Qxf1 24. Ne6+ Kf7 25. d5 Rg8 ({By now there was no defence, for example} 25...
Ke8 26. Qxg7 Rf7 27. Qg8+ Ke7 28. Bg5+ Kd6 29. Qxf7 Qxa1 30. Qxb7 {is curtains.
}) 26. Qc7+ Kg6 27. dxc6 Bc8 28. Nf4+ Kf6 ({If} 28... Kg5 {then} 29. Qe7+ Kg4
30. Nd5 f4 31. Bxf4 {ends the game.}) 29. Qd6+ Kf7 30. Qd5+ Kf8 31. Be3 ({After
} 31. Be3 {, Black resigned as he is mated after} Qxa1 32. Bc5+ {. A very
complex game which actually coincided with Mikhail Tal's last birthday (he was
fifty-five) and he was also playing in the tournament. Shortly before
Nikolenko resigned I said to Tal that the game had been my modest present to
him. It seemed to me that he was happy with this.}) 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kovalev, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E94"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 53'. --- As I have mentioned, in my first season
everything went my way. From these games, I rate this one, with its mutual
tension, hard calculation and creativity, the highest.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3.
Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 O-O 5. Be2 d6 6. Nf3 e5 7. O-O Na6 8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bg5 Qe8 10. dxe5
dxe5 11. h3 h6 ({Nowadays} 11... Nf6 $5 {is often played, keeping the h6
square open for the bishop and not weakening the kingside pawns.}) 12. Bc1 Nf6
13. Be3 Nh5 14. c5 $5 Nf4 15. Bb5 $1 Qe6 16. Re1 $1 ({A few months before this
game I blundered horribly against Igor Glek (Moscow 1991) with} 16. Qa4 $4 {,
and after} Nxg2 {I could have resigned. In spite of a long fight I couldn't
save that game.}) 16... Nxg2 $5 {Now this is just a dubious though interesting
sacrifice.} (16... g5 {(recommended by Glek) doesn't seem to equalize either,
in view of} 17. Bxa6 bxa6 (17... Nxg2 $2 18. Kxg2 Qxh3+ 19. Kg1 bxa6 20. Nh2 {
wins}) (17... Qxa6 18. Bxf4 exf4 19. Nd5 Rb8 20. Nxc7 Qc6 21. Qd6 $1 Bxb2 22.
Rab1 Qxd6 {[forced]} 23. cxd6 Bg7 24. e5 $1 {wins for White}) 18. Bxf4 exf4 19.
Nd5 Be5 $1 20. Qa4 {(intending Rad1 and Qa5)} Rb8 21. Rad1 Rxb2 $6 22. Nd4 $1
Qe8 23. Qa3 {, when White is clearly better.}) ({After} 16... c6 17. Bxa6 bxa6
{, Kovalev's suggestion of} 18. Qd6 $5 {is interesting} ({since} 18. Bxf4 exf4
19. Nd4 Qc4 $1 {looks unclear.})) ({It is probably best for Black is to stick
with wait and see tactics such as} 16... Kh8) ({or} 16... Kh7 {, both of which
were tested in tournament practice after this game.}) 17. Kxg2 Qxh3+ 18. Kg1
Bg4 19. Bf1 $1 ({It is very important to force Black's queen back a little,
since after} 19. Be2 f5 {his initiative could have become very dangerous.})
19... Qh5 20. Be2 $1 {Just here!} ({After} 20. Bg2 $2 Kh8 {, intending ...f7-f5, Black would have a great game. Now White is aiming to exchange some
pieces.}) 20... Rad8 {Although objectively this might be the strongest move,
it allows White to get the better game without real effort.} ({From the
practical point of view} 20... f5 {was interesting:} 21. Nxe5 $1 (21. Nh2 $2 {
simply allows Black to get a third pawn for the piece after} Bxe2 22. Qxe2 Qxe2
23. Rxe2 f4) 21... Bxe2 22. Nxe2 f4 $1 {, and now White has to find the
precise variation} (22... Bxe5 23. Qd5+ Kh7 24. Qxe5 Rfe8 25. Qh2 {wins for
White}) 23. Nxf4 $1 (23. Bxf4 Rad8 $1 24. Qb3+ Kh7 {is unclear}) 23... Qxe5 (
23... Qg5+ 24. Qg4 $1 Bxe5 25. Qxg5 hxg5 26. Nxg6 Bxb2 27. Rab1 Bc3 28. Rec1 {
is winning for White}) 24. Nxg6 Qxe4 $1 25. Nxf8 Rxf8 26. Qh5 $1 {(intending
Bh6)} Rf6 (26... Rf5 27. Qh1 $1 {is clearly better for White}) 27. Rad1 $1 Rg6+
28. Kf1 {and Black's position is in disarray.}) 21. Nd2 f5 22. exf5 $1 {This
seems to open files for Black, but in fact White now gets control of the very
important e4 point.} (22. Bxg4 $2 fxg4 {, with the idea of 23...Rf3, is
perfectly acceptable for Black.}) 22... gxf5 {Forced.} 23. Bxg4 Qg6 $1 {After
long thought Kovalev finds a move which greatly complicates White's task.} (
23... fxg4 24. Nce4 {would have been a lot easier, for example} Rf3 25. Ng3 $1
Qh3 (25... Qh4 $2 26. Nxf3 {wins}) 26. Qb3+ Kh7 27. Nde4 $1 {(intending 28
Rad1, winning)} Nxc5 28. Bxc5 $1 Rxb3 29. axb3 b6 30. Be3 a5 31. Rad1 {and the
game is over because Black's queen is completely useless.}) 24. Nce4 $1 {White
has two extra pieces so he should aim to eliminate Black's counterplay.} ({
This could not be achieved by} 24. Qb3+ $2 Kh7 25. Qxb7 {owing to} e4 $1 {.})
24... h5 $1 {Kovalev does his utmost to keep the fires burning.} (24... fxe4
25. Kh1 $1 {would not have given him any serious chances, for example:} -- (
25... Rxd2 26. Bxd2 Nxc5 (26... Rxf2 27. Be3 {wins}) 27. Be3 Nd3 28. Rg1 $1
Nxf2+ 29. Bxf2 Rxf2 30. Qd7 $3 Kh8 (30... Kh7 31. Bf5 {wins}) 31. Raf1 {with a
won position}) ({, or} 25... Nxc5 26. Bxc5 Rxd2 27. Qxd2 Qxg4 28. Re3 $1 Rf3 (
28... Rf5 29. Qd8+ Kh7 30. Rg3 {wins}) 29. Qd5+ Kh8 30. Qxe4 $1 {and again
White is winning.})) 25. Bg5 $1 {The decisive move; the rest is a matter of
technique.} ({It was not too late to err, e.g.} 25. Ng5 $2 f4 $1) ({or} 25. Kf1
hxg4 {(forced)} 26. Qb3+ Qf7 27. Qxf7+ Rxf7 28. Ng5 Rf6 {(intending ...Rg6, ...f5-f4), when in both cases matters would have been far from clear.}) 25... fxe4
(25... Rxd2 {loses to} 26. Bxf5 $1 Qxf5 27. Qxd2 Qg4+ 28. Ng3 h4 29. Re4 {.})
26. Bxd8 Rxd8 ({Black cannot create any dangerous threats as he is too short
of material, for instance} 26... Rf4 27. Rxe4 $1) ({or} 26... Nxc5 27. Nxe4 $1
Rf4 28. Qd5+ $1 Kh8 29. Qxc5 Rxg4+ 30. Ng3 {and White wins.}) 27. Qb3+ Kh8 28.
Nxe4 $1 Qxg4+ ({Of course,} 28... hxg4 29. Kg2 {is even worse.}) 29. Qg3 Qf5
30. Qg5 $1 {Finally forcing Black to exchange the queens.} Qxg5+ 31. Nxg5 Rd4
$6 {In time-trouble Kovalev makes an active move which in fact makes White's
task easier.} ({His last chance was} 31... Rg8 {but I still believe that by
playing} 32. Kf1 $1 ({and not} 32. Ne4 $6 Nb4 $1 {with counter-chances}) 32...
Nxc5 33. Rad1 $1 {White should win, for example} Bf6 34. Nf7+ Kg7 35. Nxe5 {to
meet} Re8 {by} 36. Nd7 $1 {.}) 32. Ne6 Rg4+ 33. Kf1 Bf6 34. Rad1 $1 Kh7 ({If} 
34... Nb4 {,} 35. Rd7 {wins.}) 35. Re3 $1 Kg6 36. Rf3 $1 {The clearest way.} ({
Now} 36. Rd7 {is threatened.}) 36... e4 37. Nf8+ Kf7 38. Rd7+ Kxf8 39. Rxf6+
Ke8 40. Rh7 {The rooks just do their job.} Nxc5 41. Rxc7 Nd7 42. Rh6 {. A game
brimming with tension, hard calculation and creativity.} 1-0

[Event "Hastings"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Bareev, E."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D48"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in January 1992 and first appeared in 'Schach'.
--- Before the tournament I thought that the fight for first place would
mainly be between myself and Evgeny Bareyev, as happened at Biel 1991. However,
at the time of this game both Bareyev and Simen Agdestein were far ahead while
I was on fifty per cent and had lost all hope of first place. --- Having won
this game I made an attempt to catch the leaders but only finished in third
place.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4
b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 9. O-O a6 (9... b4 10. Ne4 Be7 {is currently more popular, but
the older text move still has some life left in it. --- [AS - Nowadays
everybody plays 9...a6 and one has to wonder why 9...b4 is almost forgotten.]})
10. e4 c5 11. d5 Qc7 12. dxe6 fxe6 13. Qe2 (13. Bc2 c4 14. Ng5 {is considered
later in Nikolic-Shirov.}) 13... c4 14. Bc2 Bd6 15. Ng5 Nc5 16. f4 h6 $1 ({
Weaker is} 16... e5 $2 17. a4 $1 {with a clear advantage for White. --- [AS -
The game Marin-Shirov, Manila Interzonal 1990, continued} Qb6 ({I didn't like} 
17... b4 18. Nd5 {but this might have been a better choice}) 18. axb5 axb5 19.
Rxa8+ Bxa8 20. Be3 $1 {(White is winning at this stage)} exf4 21. e5 $1 Bxe5
22. Bd4 $6 Nfe4 $1 23. Bf2 $1 f3 $1 24. Nxf3 Bxc3 25. Bxe4 Bxe4 26. bxc3 O-O
27. Qxe4 Nxe4 28. Bxb6 Nxc3 29. Ba5 $2 Ne2+ 30. Kf2 Nf4 $1 31. Rb1 b4 $1 32.
Bxb4 Nd3+ 33. Ke3 Rb8 34. Kd4 {½-½.]}) 17. Nf3 Nd3 $1 18. Bxd3 cxd3 19.
Qxd3 O-O {With the bishop pair, a lead in development and open central lines,
Black has more than adequate compensation for the pawn.} 20. Kh1 $2 {A serious
mistake.} ({After} 20. e5 Bc5+ 21. Kh1 {(Sherbakov-Kaidanov, USSR 1988)} Nd5
22. Nxd5 Bxd5 23. b3 Rad8 24. Qe2 Qf7 $1 {Black has an excellent position, but
White is by no means lost.}) 20... Rad8 $1 ({Stronger than} 20... Bxf4 21. Bxf4
Qxf4 22. Nd4 Qe5 23. Nf3) ({or} 20... Bxf4 21. Bxf4 Qxf4 22. Nd4 Qg4 23. Qf3 $1
{, when White has chances to save himself.}) 21. Nd4 (21. Qe2 Bxf4) ({or} 21.
e5 Bxe5 22. Qe2 Bxc3 23. bxc3 Bd5 $1 {gives Black a big advantage.}) 21... Bc5
22. Be3 ({White could go two pawns ahead with} 22. Nxe6 Rxd3 23. Nxc7 Nxe4 24.
Nxe4 Bxe4 25. Nxa6 {, but after} Rc8 $1 {he would face an irresistible attack.}
) 22... Ng4 23. Nce2 ({No better is} 23. Bg1 Bxd4 24. Bxd4 Rxf4) ({or} 23. Nd5
Bxd5 24. exd5 Rxd5 {.}) 23... Nxe3 24. Qxe3 Rxd4 $1 25. Nxd4 Qb6 26. Rad1 Rd8
27. f5 Rxd4 28. Rxd4 Bxd4 {With two bishops for rook and pawn it should be
easy for Black. Here, however, White manages to create a few counter-chances.}
29. Qb3 Bxe4 30. Qxe6+ ({On} 30. fxe6 {Black wins by} Qc6 $1 31. e7+ Kh7 32.
Qg3 Bf6 33. Re1 Bxe7 34. Qg4 Bg6 {, when} 35. Rxe7 {is impossible because of}
Qc1+ {.}) 30... Qxe6 31. fxe6 Bf6 $1 {The most accurate.} (31... Bc6 32. Rc1
Be8 33. b4 $1 {is not totally clear.}) 32. Re1 Bg6 33. Rc1 Kf8 34. b4 Be4 $1 {
Only after this move was I sure of winning.} 35. Rc8+ Ke7 36. Rc7+ Kxe6 37. Ra7
Bc2 {A last finesse.} 38. Rxa6+ Kd5 39. Ra7 Be5 40. Ra8 Bc3 41. Rc8 Kd4 42. Rc7
Kd3 43. h4 Ba4 44. g4 Bf6 $5 45. h5 (45. g5 hxg5 46. hxg5 Bxg5 47. Rxg7 Bd2 48.
Rg3+ Kc2 49. Rg2 Kc3 50. Rg4 Bc1 51. Kg2 Ba3 {change nothing.}) 45... Ke4 ({
After} 45... Ke4 {, further resistance is pointless as the g4 pawn is lost,
for example} 46. Kg2 Kf4 47. Kh3 Bd1 {. [AS - It was very unusual for me that
I spent just one hour and twenty-five minutes during this game.]}) 0-1

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Smejkal, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in May 1992 and first appeared in 'Schach'.} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bb5+ $5 {'I have
never even analysed this move,' was the first thing my opponent said after the
game. Over the board, it is difficult to find one's way through the subtleties
of what amounts to a whole new variation. --- [AS - The popularity of 7 Bb5+
began just around 1991-1992 and it was still relatively unknown at the time of
this game. Recently, when checking recent developments, I found five hundred
games on my database with it!]} c6 8. Ba4 O-O 9. Ne2 e5 $5 {An objectively
strong but committal continuation.} (9... c5 {leads to quieter play.}) 10. O-O
Nd7 {A new move.} (10... exd4 11. cxd4 c5 12. Ba3 b6 13. Rc1 {does not look
particularly good for Black. --- [AS - That sequence occurred in the game
Shirov-M. Rychagov, Tallinn (rapid) 1991.}) (10... Qe7 {deserved serious
attention, as Black was not prepared for the ensuing complications}) ({whilst} 
10... Re8 {is the latest fashion here.]}) 11. Ba3 $5 Re8 12. Bb3 {During the
game I assumed that I had set up the strong threat of 13 Bxf7+, but now, after
many days of analysis, I have to say that it was all bluff.} Nb6 $6 ({The
fearless} 12... exd4 $1 {should have been played. White's intended} 13. Bxf7+
$2 Kxf7 14. Qb3+ {is then refuted not by} Re6 $2 15. f4 Qb6 16. f5 dxc3+ 17.
Kh1 $1 Qxb3 18. fxe6+ Kxe6 19. axb3 {and White is better}) ({but after} 12...
exd4 13. Bxf7+ Kxf7 14. Qb3+ {by} Kf6 $1 15. cxd4 ({[AS - The move} 15. f4 {,
which I believed to be stronger in 1992, just fails to} Rxe4 16. Ng3 Re3 17.
Rad1 d3 18. f5 Ne5 {and White's attack is over as well as the game]}) 15... --
({. Now, after 15 cxd4, Black must not play} 15... Bf8 $2 {, because after} 16.
Qg8 Bxa3 17. e5+ {he loses after} Ke7 18. Qxh7+ Kf8 19. Nf4 Nxe5 20. dxe5 Bf5
21. Rad1 Qg5 22. Rd7 Be7 (22... Bxd7 23. Nxg6+ Qxg6 24. Qxg6) 23. g3 Qxf4 24.
Qh8+ Kf7 25. Qf6+ Kg8 26. Rxe7 Rxe7 27. gxf4) ({, and again after} 15... Bf8 $2
16. Qg8 Bxa3 17. e5+ {, after} Nxe5 18. dxe5+ Kxe5 (18... Kg5 19. Qxh7 Bc5 20.
h4+ Kf5 21. Ng3+ Kxe5 22. Qxg6) 19. Qg7+ Ke6 (19... Qf6 20. f4+ {wins}) 20.
Nd4+ Kd5 21. Rad1 {.}) ({. Therefore the right move is} 15... Bh6 $1 {, when
White's compensation for his material losses is clearly insufficient, for
example} 16. d5 Kg7 17. dxc6 bxc6 18. Rad1 Bg5 $1 {, with the idea of meeting}
19. f4 {with} Qb6+ 20. Qxb6 axb6 21. Bb2+ Bf6 {is clearly better for Black.}))
({The immediate sacrifice is therefore incorrect, and after} 12... exd4 {,} 13.
-- (13. cxd4 Rxe4 14. Bxf7+ Kxf7 15. Qb3+ Re6 16. Nf4 Nb6 17. Rfe1 Nd5 18. Nxe6
Bxe6 19. Qxb7+ (19. Rxe6 Kxe6 20. Qxb7 Kf6 $1 {is clearly better for Black})
19... Bd7 {likewise favours Black.}) ({. Although it is very likely that I
would have sacrificed the bishop, objectively White should prefer} 13. Nxd4 {
. However, even here Black's chances are no worse after} Nf6 14. f3 Qc7 {.}))
13. f4 $1 {The logical continuation.} ({On} 13. Qd3 {Smejkal was intending} a5
$1 {, which leads after} (13... Be6 14. f4 exd4 15. cxd4 Bxb3 16. axb3 {is
slightly better for White}) 14. Rad1 a4 15. Bc2 Be6 16. Bb1 Nc4 17. Bc1 {to an
unclear position.}) 13... exd4 14. f5 gxf5 15. Ng3 $1 dxc3 $2 {Now White's
attack crashes through.} (15... Be6 {also fails to solve the problems on
account of} 16. Nxf5 ({but not} 16. Bxe6 $2 Rxe6 17. exf5 Rh6 $1 18. Bc1 dxc3
$1 {When Black is clearly better}) 16... Bxf5 17. Rxf5 {White's attack is very
powerful, for example:} -- (17... Rxe4 18. Rxf7 Kh8 19. Qf3 $1 Qh4 20. Rf1 {
and either} -- (20... Re3 21. Qf5 Re5 22. Bf8 $3 Rxf5 23. Bxg7+ Kg8 24. R1xf5
Nd5 25. Bxd4 Qh6 (25... Qg4 26. Rxd5 $1 cxd5 27. Bxd5 {wins for White}) 26.
R7f6 Qc1+ 27. Rf1 {followed by R6f3-g3}) ({, or} 20... Re1 21. Rxg7 $1 Kxg7 22.
Qf7+ Kh8 23. Bc5 $3 dxc3 24. Bf2 Rxf1+ 25. Kxf1 Qg4 26. Qf6+ Qg7 27. Bd4 {is
just crushing.})) ({. The only chance for Black is} 17... Kh8 {, but still
after} 18. Qg4 $1 dxc3 19. Rd1 Qc8 20. Bxf7 Rd8 21. Rdf1 {he should feel sad.})
) ({However, Black had the strong move} 15... Qh4 $1 {at his disposal. During
the game I could not see a fully satisfactory reply to this, but later I found
that} 16. cxd4 (16. Nxf5 Bxf5 17. Rxf5 Qxe4 {is unclear}) 16... Be6 17. e5 $1 (
17. Nxf5 Bxf5 18. Rxf5 Qxe4 {is again not promising for White}) 17... f4 (17...
Rad8 18. Nxf5 Bxf5 19. Rxf5 Rxd4 20. Qf3 $1 {is clearly better for White}) ({
while after} 17... Nd5 18. Bxd5 cxd5 19. Nxf5 Bxf5 20. Rxf5 {White is only
slightly better}) 18. Nh5 Bxb3 19. axb3 Nd5 20. Bc1 $1 {maintains a small
advantage. Then} f3 $6 21. Qxf3 Qxd4+ 22. Rf2 $1 Bxe5 23. Bb2 Qxb2 24. Qxf7+
Kh8 25. Rxb2 Bxb2 26. Rf1 {is clearly unfavourable for Black.}) ({[AS - This
old analysis is definitely wrong. I missed a much stronger move after} 15...
Qh4 16. cxd4 {, instead of 16...Be6, i.e.} f4 $1 {and I don't see how White
can even equalize, since after} 17. Nh5 Rxe4 $1 (17... Bg4 18. Bxf7+ Kh8 19.
Nxg7 Bxd1 20. Nxe8 {is rather unclear according to the game Pribyl-Smejkal,
Pardubice open 1992}) 18. Nxg7 Kxg7 {White's compensation for the two
sacrificed pawns seems inadequate.}) ({However,} 15... Qh4 {can be strongly
answered by} 16. Rxf5 $1 Bxf5 17. Nxf5 {(Züger-Van Mil, Mitropa Cup 1993) and
White's attack is worth the exchange.]}) 16. Qh5 Nc4 $6 ({After using six of
his remaining ten minutes, Smejkal rejected the obvious} 16... Be6 {because of}
17. Nxf5 Bxb3 18. Qg4 Qf6 19. Ne7+ Qxe7 20. Bxe7 Rxe7 21. axb3 {. But it is
precisely here that} Rae8 $1 {gives Black good chances of saving himself.}) ({
However, after} 16... Be6 17. Nxf5 Bxb3 {,} 18. axb3 $1 {is stronger than 18
Qg4, for example} Re5 ({if} 18... Qf6 {then} 19. Rf4 $1 Qg6 20. Qh3 $1 h5 21.
Raf1 {with a decisive attack}) 19. Rad1 $1 Qe8 20. Qg4 Rxf5 21. Rxf5 {and
White has a clear advantage.}) ({I might also mention that} 16... Qf6 17. Nxf5
{yields White a strong attack as well.}) 17. Rad1 Qb6+ 18. Kh1 Qb5 ({The
alternatives} 18... Be6 19. exf5 Nxa3 ({or} 19... Bd5 20. Bxc4 Bxc4 21. f6 {
winning}) 20. fxe6 fxe6 21. Rd7 Rf8 22. Rxg7+ Kxg7 23. Qe5+) ({and} 18... Qa6
19. exf5 $1 Qxa3 20. Bxc4 Qe7 ({or} 20... Qf8 21. f6 Bh6 22. Rd4) 21. Rde1 $1
Qxe1 22. f6 $1 {do not alter the result.}) 19. Nxf5 Bxf5 ({On} 19... Be6 {the
simplest is} 20. Bxc4 $1 Qxc4 ({or} 20... Bxc4 21. Qg5 $1 Qe5 22. Bd6 Qf6 23.
Ne7+ Rxe7 24. Rxf6) 21. Nxg7 Kxg7 22. Qg5+ Kh8 23. Bd6 {and White wins.}) 20.
Rxf5 Ne5 21. Bxf7+ Nxf7 22. Qxf7+ {. Another memorable game from my first
Bundesliga season, although its quality is not especially high. Still, White's
attack flew like an arrow.} 1-0

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Thorhallsson, T."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D45"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1992 and first appeared in 'Schach'. ---
This game introduces a novelty which should probably be called the
'Shabalov-Shirov Gambit', as suggested once by Mikhail Krasenkov. As I
remember, 'Shaba' expressed the idea first, although it occurred to us almost
simultaneously while we were listening to pop music and lazily moving the
pieces around.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7.
g4 $1 {An idea of Alexander Shabalov's. Only time will give an objective
answer to the assessment of this move. It is clear, though, that the it leads
to completely different types of position to the traditional lines of the
Meran. --- [AS - The theory of 7 g4 has developed a great deal since 1992, but
there is still room for investigation.]} O-O {After this White obtains a
strong initiative without making any material concessions.} (7... Nxg4 8. Rg1 {
is critical}) ({and} 7... h6 {should also be considered.}) ({[AS - Two weeks
later, in Oakham, Akopian played 7...Nxg4 against me and lost. Then in
Dortmund (April 1992) Kasparov came up (after thinking for about twenty
minutes) with} 7... dxc4 $5 {against Adams and won quickly. Kasparov said that
chess is an interesting game if moves like 7 g4 are possible!]}) 8. g5 Nh5 9.
Bd2 f5 $5 ({On} 9... a6 {(intending ...b7-b5) White forces the play with} 10.
c5 Bc7 11. Ne2 $1 {followed by 12 Ng3.}) 10. gxf6 Nhxf6 11. Ng5 Qe8 12. O-O-O (
{On the alternative} 12. f4 $5 {I was afraid of} e5 $1 13. fxe5 Nxe5 14. dxe5
Qxe5 15. Nf3 Qh5 {with a strong attack for Black.}) ({After} 12. f4 e5 {,} 13.
O-O-O e4 {is better but I didn't like this either.}) 12... h6 13. h4 Bb4 $1 ({
As the immediate} 13... hxg5 14. hxg5 Ne4 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. Qxe4 Rf5 17. c5 {
followed by 18 Bc4 is fatal for Black, the knight on c3 must be eliminated
before capturing on g5. However, the strong text move cost my opponent too
much time on the clock. He now had only half an hour left for the remaining 27
moves to the time control.}) 14. Bd3 Bxc3 {Again the best decision.} ({During
the game I was afraid of} 14... b6 {, but White obtains a big advantage with}
15. cxd5 $1 -- ({, for example} 15... cxd5 16. Nb5 Bxd2+ 17. Rxd2) ({, or} 
15... exd5 16. Bh7+ Kh8 17. Ne2 $1 Bd6 ({or} 17... Bxd2+ 18. Rxd2 {and 19 Nf4})
18. Qxc6) ({, or finally} 15... Bxc3 16. Bxc3 exd5 17. Bh7+ Kh8 18. Bf5 {.}))
15. Bxc3 hxg5 16. hxg5 Ne4 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Qxe4 Rf5 {With two pawns for the
piece and good play against the black king, White holds all the trumps.} 19.
Qh4 ({After} 19. g6 Qxg6 20. Rdg1 Qf6 {Black holds on for the time being.})
19... Qg6 20. Qh8+ $1 {The point of this simple check becomes clear two moves
later.} ({The immediate} 20. f4 {is met by} Rf8 {.}) 20... Kf7 21. f4 Nf8 {
Otherwise White plays 22 Qd8 and 23 Rh8 with a decisive attack.} 22. Qh4 $1 {
Intending to trap the rook after 23 e4.} Ke8 23. e4 Rf7 24. Rhe1 $1 {Now Black
has problems with his queen. 25 f5 is threatened.} Kd8 25. d5 $1 {Unleashing
the second wave of the attack on the black king. Despite serious time-trouble
my opponent defends himself very ingeniously for a while.} cxd5 26. cxd5 Bd7 ({
If} 26... exd5 {then} 27. Rxd5+ Bd7 28. f5 {winning.}) 27. f5 $1 exf5 28. e5 f4
$5 ({This gives White more practical problems than} 28... Rc8 29. e6 Re7 30.
Qb4 $1 b6 31. Qd6 $1 Qxg5+ 32. Kb1 {, when the threat of} -- 33. Bb4 Ng6 34.
Rc1 {is irresistible.}) 29. e6 Ba4 $1 30. Rd2 Rf5 31. Qf2 $1 (31. e7+ $2 Kd7 {
is unclear.}) 31... f3 $5 32. Re4 $6 {Complicating matters.} ({Correct was} 32.
Qc5 $1 Ke8 (32... f2 33. e7+ Kd7 34. exf8=N+ $1 Raxf8 35. Re7+ Kd8 36. Qc7#)
33. Qb4 $1 b5 34. Qc5 {, winning.}) 32... Rxg5 33. Rxa4 Rg1+ 34. Rd1 Rg2 $2 {
Now White wins easily.} ({Black should have tried} 34... Qh6+ $1 35. Qd2 f2 {
, although White is still winning after} ({not} 35... Rxd1+ 36. Kxd1 Qh1+ 37.
Kc2) 36. Rf4 $1 Rxd1+ 37. Kxd1 Qh1+ 38. Ke2 Ng6 39. Rxf2 Qe4+ ({or} 39... Qh5+
40. Ke1 Qh1+ 41. Rf1 Qe4+ 42. Qe2 Qxd5 43. Qg4 $1) 40. Kd1 $1 (40. Qe3 $6 Qxd5)
40... Qb1+ 41. Qc1 Qd3+ 42. Rd2 Qf3+ 43. Kc2 Qe4+ 44. Kb3 {.}) 35. Qh4+ Ke8 36.
Re4 $1 {The clearest way. Now in a time-scramble Black gets checkmated.} Rc8
37. d6 Rd8 $2 38. Qe7# 1-0

[Event "Reykjavik"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Plaskett, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C18"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

1. d4 e6 2. e4 {It's strange that I chose this move since at that time I
didn't employ 1 e4 openings very much.} ({Perhaps the reason was that I was
not very familiar with Plaskett's pet line 1 d4 e6} 2. c4 b6 {.}) 2... d5 3.
Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 ({Normally} 6... Ne7 {is played here.}
) 7. Bd2 Ne7 8. Nf3 ({Possibly I should have tried} 8. Qg4 {in order to
exploit the early advance of the black queen.}) 8... Nbc6 9. h4 $5 f6 $1 {An
interesting reaction to White's pawn advance. Since he is well developed Black
immediately tries to open the centre. Afterwards I was so impressed by this
move that I thought that Black was already almost better. Of course, this is
an exaggeration.} (9... Qa4 10. Qb1 c4 11. h5 h6 {was what I had expected}) ({
and} 9... Bd7 {had been played before.}) 10. exf6 ({I didn't like the position
after} 10. c4 Qa4 11. cxd5 exd5 12. exf6 gxf6 {, with good reason.}) 10... gxf6
11. Nh2 $5 {Trying to refute Black's idea.} ({Another possibility was} 11. a4
Qc7 12. g3 {.}) 11... Qa4 $1 (11... e5 $2 12. c4 {is clearly better for White.}
) 12. Rb1 $2 {A very weak move which gets White into severe trouble.} ({
Instead he should have played} 12. Bd3 {with good attacking prospects.}) 12...
c4 $1 {Very strong.} ({I had only counted on} 12... a6 13. Bd3 $1 c4 (13...
cxd4 14. Qh5+ Kd8 15. Qf7) ({and} 13... h5 14. Qf3 {are clearly better for
White}) 14. Qh5+ Kd8 15. Bxh7 Qxc2 (15... Qxa3 16. Qf7 $1) 16. Bxc2 Rxh5 17.
Nf3 {with a clear advantage}) ({or} 12... cxd4 13. Bb5 Qxa3 14. cxd4 Qd6 15.
Qh5+ Kd8 16. Nf3 {with good compensation.}) 13. Qh5+ Kd8 14. Ng4 e5 $2 {I
don't really understand why Plaskett played this move.} ({The simple} 14...
Qxc2 $1 {was called for, when White must continue} 15. Rc1 Qe4+ 16. Be3 ({even
worse is} 16. Be2 $6 Qxg2 17. Rh2 Qe4 18. Nxf6 Qf5 {with an advantage for Black
}) 16... -- ({, and now Black should play not} 16... Ng8 $6 17. Qf7 $1 Qxg4 18.
Qf8+ Kd7 (18... Kc7 19. Be2 Qxg2 20. Kd2 $1 {is clearly better for White}) 19.
h5 $3 {, when the position is extremely unclear, for example} Nce7 ({or even} 
19... b6 20. h6 Bb7 21. Qg7+ Qxg7 22. hxg7 Nge7 23. gxh8=Q Rxh8) 20. Be2 Qxg2
21. Kd2) ({, but} 16... Qf5 $1 17. Qxf5 Nxf5 18. Nxf6 Nxe3 19. fxe3 Ke7 20. Ng4
b5 {with a slight endgame advantage} (20... h5 21. Nh2 e5 {is also a shade
better for Black}) {.} 21. --)) 15. Nxf6 exd4 ({Now} 15... Qxc2 {can be met by}
16. Rc1 Qf5 17. Qxf5 Bxf5 18. dxe5 Nxe5 19. Bh6 $1 {, when White is clearly
better.}) 16. Be2 Qxc2 (16... dxc3 $2 {is quite bad in view of} 17. Bg5 Qxc2
18. O-O {with a tremendous attack.}) 17. Rb5 dxc3 $2 {After this Black gets
mated virtually by force, but White's attack was already very strong.} ({Here
are some sample variations:} 17... Be6 18. Bg4 $1 dxc3 19. Bg5 $1 a6 ({or} 
19... Nd4 20. Bxe6 $1 Nxb5 21. O-O Qg6 22. Qxg6 Nxg6 23. Nxd5+ Ke8 24. Re1) 20.
Rxb7 $1 (20. Rxd5+ $5 Bxd5 21. O-O Qg6 22. Qxg6 hxg6 23. Nxd5 {is also
promising}) 20... Kc8 21. Rxe7 $1 Qb1+ 22. Bd1 Nxe7 23. O-O h6 24. Qe2 Qb6 25.
Be3 Qc6 26. Bd4 Nf5 (26... Ng6 27. Re1 {is clearly better for White}) 27. Bxc3
{and the threat of 28 Ba4 is very unpleasant. Of course this is just a brief
analysis of the position after 17 Rb5 but it illustrates Black's difficulties.
Still, there was no reason for 17...dxc3.}) 18. Rxd5+ Nxd5 19. Qxd5+ {The
queen is too strong for the exposed king.} Ke7 (19... Kc7 {would have come to
the same after} 20. Bf4+ Kb6 21. Be3+ Kc7 22. Qf7+ Kd8 ({or} 22... Kd6 23. Bf4+
Ne5 24. Qd5+) 23. Nd5 $1 Qb1+ 24. Bd1 Bd7 25. Qf6+ {.}) 20. Qc5+ Kxf6 21. Qg5+
$1 Kf7 22. Bh5+ Ke6 23. Bg4+ Kf7 ({Or} 23... Kd6 24. Bf4+ {.}) 24. Qd5+ Ke7 ({
Also fatal for Black are} 24... Kg7 25. Bh6+ $1 Kg6 26. Bh5+ Kf6 27. Bg5+ Kg7
28. Qf7#) ({and} 24... Kf8 25. Bh6+ Ke7 26. Bg5+ {.}) 25. Bg5+ Kf8 26. Qd6+ Kg8
(26... Kf7 27. Qf6+ {.}) 27. Be6+ Kg7 28. Qc7+ 1-0

[Event "Oakham"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Tiviakov, S."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 54'. --- Sergei Tiviakov is of the same generation of
ex-Soviet players as me, and it is no wonder that I have played so many games
against him. Interestingly enough we often employed the same openings against
each other with either colour (such as the Dragon or the Sveshnikov).} 1. e4 c5
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9.
Nd5 Be7 10. Bxf6 Bxf6 11. c3 O-O 12. Nc2 Bb7 13. Be2 Bg5 14. O-O {White goes
for a simple and unpretentious development.} ({The critical line was} 14. a4
bxa4 15. Rxa4 {, since in some variations White can save an important tempo on
castling.}) 14... Nb8 $1 15. Qd3 (15. a4 bxa4 16. Rxa4 Nd7 {yields Black very
comfortable development, for example} 17. b4 Nb6 {with a slight advantage for
Black.}) 15... Nd7 16. Rfd1 Nc5 17. Qf3 g6 18. Nce3 {For the moment White
prevents the advance 19...f5 but Black doesn't give up on this idea.} Kh8 ({I
had calculated the immediate} 18... f5 $2 {and soon concluded that after} 19.
exf5 gxf5 20. Nxf5 e4 $2 21. Nde7+ $1 ({but not} 21. Qg4 $2 Rxf5 $1 22. Qxf5
Bc8 23. Nf6+ Bxf6 24. Qd5+ Be6 25. Qxd6 Qxd6 26. Rxd6 Kf7 {, when Black is
clearly better}) 21... Bxe7 22. Qg4+ Kf7 (22... Bg5 23. Rxd6 {also wins for
White}) 23. Qg7+ Ke8 ({or} 23... Ke6 24. Nxe7 Qxe7 25. Bg4+) 24. Bh5+ Kd7 25.
Rxd6+ {White wins.}) 19. Bf1 Ra7 $5 (19... Ra7 $5 {is a funny move that
contains a clever trap. If White now makes a simple move like} 20. g3 {there
follows} f5 $3 21. exf5 gxf5 22. Nxf5 e4 23. Qg4 Rxf5 $1 24. Qxf5 Bc8 {and
Black wins the queen, since the rook on a7 controls the f7 square!}) (19... f5
{here was still not good because of} 20. exf5 gxf5 21. Nxf5 Bc8 22. g4 {with a
slight advantage for White.}) 20. b4 {White avoids the trap but it is amusing
that the rook on a7 will come to the fore one day.} Ne6 $6 ({After the game my
opponent was severely critical of this move, claiming that} 20... Na4 $1 {,
with the idea of} 21. c4 Nb2 {, would have been much stronger. Further
analysis has convinced me that from a practical point of view he was right, as
White has many options but none of them really work, for example:} 22. -- (22.
Rd2 Nxc4 23. Nxc4 bxc4 24. Rdd1 Bxd5 25. Rxd5 Rc7 {is clearly better for Black}
) (22. Rdc1 f5 $1 23. cxb5 fxe4 24. Qxe4 axb5 25. Bxb5 Bxd5 26. Qxd5 Raf7 {and
again Black is clearly on top}) (22. Rdb1 Nxc4 {and now:} 23. -- (23. Nxc4 Bxd5
24. Nxd6 $5 ({or} 24. exd5 bxc4 25. Bxc4 e4 $1) 24... Qxd6 25. Rd1 {is again
better for Black}) (23. Bxc4 bxc4 24. Nxc4 Bxd5 25. exd5 e4 $1 26. Qxe4 Bf6 27.
Nb2 Re8 {and again Black stands better.})) (22. Re1 $1 {and I don't see
anything better for Black than} Nxc4 23. Bxc4 bxc4 24. Nxc4 Bxd5 25. exd5 f5
26. Na5 e4 {with a very unclear game similar to the text.})) 21. a4 {Now White
easily develops his queenside play and Black can only rely on a counterattack.
The real war starts.} bxa4 22. Rxa4 f5 23. Ra5 $5 {Although Black has as yet
no direct threats, it is not easy to improve White's position.} ({The
straightforward} 23. Rda1 {would have been met by} Bf4 $1 24. exf5 gxf5 {,
with another devilish trap - if White now takes a pawn with} 25. Bxa6 $2 {
there follows} Rxa6 $1 26. Rxa6 Bxe3 27. fxe3 Ng5 28. Qd1 (28. Qe2 Bxd5 {is
also unattractive for White, for example} 29. Qd3 Nh3+ 30. gxh3 Rg8+ 31. Kf1
Be4 32. Qxd6 Bd3+ {and Black wins}) 28... -- (28... Nh3+ $3 {, leaving White
with an unpleasant choice between:} 29. gxh3 -- (29... Rg8+ {and now:} 30. Kh1
$2 Qg5 31. Qf3 ({or} 31. R6a2 Qxe3 32. Rg2 Qe4) 31... Qxe3 $3 {and Black wins})
(29... Rg8+ 30. Kf1 Qg5 {and Black's attack is decisive})) ({, or again after} 
28... Nh3+ {,} 29. Kf1 Qh4 30. gxh3 ({not} 30. R6a2 Ba6+ $1) ({or} 30. Qd2 Bxd5
) 30... Qc4+ ({but not} 30... Rg8 $2 {which was mentioned in my old
annotations but fails to} 31. Nf4 $1 {according to Fritz4}) 31. Qe2 Bxa6 32.
Rxa6 Qxd5 {and White's position seems to be in ruins.})) ({Another logical try
for White would have been} 23. Bc4 $5 {, when again nothing is clear.}) 23...
Bh4 $1 24. exf5 gxf5 25. Nxf5 Nf4 26. Nxh4 {Until I started working on this
game again I was sure that this was the decisive mistake, but now I see that
White is not lost even after this move.} ({His other option was} 26. Qe3 $5
Rxf5 27. Qxa7 Nh3+ $1 ({after} 27... Bxd5 $2 28. g3 $1 {Black's initiative
dies and his position becomes difficult}) 28. gxh3 Qg8+ $1 ({not} 28... Bxf2+
$2 29. Qxf2 Rxf2 30. Kxf2 {and White wins}) 29. Bg2 (29. Kh1 $2 Bxf2) 29... Rg5
30. Qxb7 Rxg2+ 31. Kh1 Bxf2 32. Qb8 $1 {(both sides are obliged to sacrifice!)}
Qxb8 33. Kxg2 Bh4 {and although I slightly prefer Black in this position, I
believe that White should be able to hold the draw.}) 26... Nxd5 $1 27. Qh5 $2
{This is the fatal error.} ({Both} 27. Qg3 Rg8) ({and} 27. Qh3 Nf4 {would have
led to the same thing, but there were two other tries that would have created
more complications:}) (27. Qg4 {is not good because of the very precise} Qf6 $1
{with similar ideas to the game, i.e.} (27... Nf4 28. Rxe5 Bxg2 {fails to} 29.
Rf5 $1 Rg7 30. Qxf4 Bf3+ 31. Bg2 {and White wins}) 28. Rd2 Nf4 29. g3 Rg8 30.
Qd7 {(all forced)} Qxh4 31. Qxd6 Bf3 32. Qxe5+ Rag7 {and Black's attack seems
terribly strong, for example} 33. Bxa6 Qh3 $1 34. Bf1 Qh6 $1 35. Qe1 Bb7 36. b5
Qb6 37. Ra4 Rxg3+ {and White gets mated.}) ({The correct continuation would
have been the paradoxical move} 27. Nf5 $1 {when Black is not better. Possibly
his best now is to go for a draw with} Nf4 (27... Qg5 28. Rdxd5 Rxf5 29. Qd1 {
yields White sufficient compensation for the exchange}) 28. Rxd6 Qg5 (28...
Qxd6 $2 {is just bad in view of} 29. Qxf4 $1) ({while} 28... Bxf3 29. Rxd8 Rxd8
30. gxf3 Rd5 $1 31. Rxa6 Rxa6 32. Bxa6 Rd1+ 33. Bf1 Ne2+ 34. Kg2 Nf4+ {ends up
with a repetition of moves}) 29. Qe3 Qxf5 30. f3 Nh3+ 31. Kh1 (31. gxh3 $2 Bxf3
32. Qxe5+ Qxe5 33. Rxe5 Rg7+ 34. Kf2 Bg2+ {is clearly better for Black}) 31...
Bxf3 32. Qxf3 Nf2+ 33. Kg1 Nh3+ {, etc.}) 27... Nf4 28. Qh6 Rf6 29. Qg5 Bxg2 $1
{Here it comes! See the note to White's 20th move.} 30. Bxg2 Rg7 31. Qxg7+ ({
White's position is already hopeless, for instance} 31. Qxe5 Nh3+ 32. Kf1 ({or
} 32. Kh1 Nxf2+ 33. Kg1 Nxd1) 32... Rxf2+ 33. Ke1 Qxh4) ({and} 31. Rxe5 Rxg5
32. Rxg5 Ne2+ 33. Kf1 Nxc3 34. Rd3 Rxf2+ {.}) 31... Kxg7 32. Rxe5 Qc8 $1 {A
very precise move. Soon White will have to drop another piece.} 33. Re7+ ({
Also losing are} 33. Rg5+ Kh6 34. Nf3 Qxc3) (33. Rxd6 Qg4 {.}) 33... Rf7 34.
Rxf7+ Kxf7 35. Bd5+ ({Neither} 35. Rxd6 Qg4 36. Rxa6 Nh3+) ({nor} 35. h3 Qxc3
36. Rxd6 Ne2+ 37. Kf1 Qa1+ 38. Kxe2 Qe5+ {can save White.}) 35... Kf8 36. Ng2
Qg4 37. Rd2 Qg5 {. White resigned as it's all over. From an artistic point of
view this is one of my favourite games. I really enjoy this sort of fight.} 0-1

[Event "Manila Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Zapata, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in June 1992 and first appeared in 'Schach'. ---
Although I played several interesting games in Manila, somehow this one was
the most memorable for me. I would also like to mention that this Olympiad was
one of the most pleasant events I have ever played in, since it was
excellently organized and there was very little dirty chess politics around -
in complete contrast to the 1994 Moscow Olympiad. If the Olympiad is well
organized it provides a unique opportunity to see the chess world as a whole
since you meet so many people there.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9. Na3 b5 10. Nd5 Be7 11. Bxf6 Bxf6
12. c3 Bb7 13. Nc2 Nb8 $5 ({Against Tiviakov at Oakham 1992 I played} 13... O-O
14. Be2 Nb8) ({but after} 13... O-O {, White could have exploited this delay
with} 14. a4 $1 bxa4 15. Rxa4 {.}) ({I was inspired to try the move in the
game by Krasenkov's idea of continuing, after} 13... Nb8 $5 14. Nce3 Nd7 15.
Nf5 {, with} O-O $1 16. -- ({which promises Black good play after both} 16.
Nxd6 Bxd5 17. exd5 Nb6 18. Ne4 Nxd5) ({and} 16. Nxd6 Bxd5 17. Qxd5 Nb6 18. Qd3
g6 $1 {But the Colombian's next moves cast doubt on the text.})) ({[AS - The
theory of} 13... Nb8 {is still developing.} 14. -- ({Nowadays} 14. c4) ({and} 
14. g3 {are critical and quite popular.]})) 14. a4 bxa4 15. Nce3 $1 {Very
strong! White plans the set-up Qa4 and Rd1, after which his pieces cooperate
harmoniously.} ({[AS - In a later game Kasparov played} 15. Rxa4 {against me 
(Horgen 1994) and although not everything was clear in that game, this does
look more promising than the text.]}) 15... Nd7 ({There is no time to defend
the a4 pawn. After} 15... Bc6 16. Nf5 O-O 17. Bc4 {Black lags too far behind
in development. --- [AS - In fact, after} Ra7 {with the idea of 18...g6, Black
is fine}) ({so} 15... Bc6 {is probably better than 15...Nd7.]}) 16. Qxa4 O-O
17. Rd1 Bg5 ({After} 17... Bg5 {Black is threatening} 18. -- Bxe3 19. Nxe3 Nc5
{.}) 18. Qc2 Nc5 {At this point I thought that I had successfully overcome the
problems of the opening.} ({After} 18... Nc5 {, 19...Bxe3 is again threatened}
19. -- ({and on} 19. Nc4) ({or} 19. Bd3 {Black obtains good play with} Bc6 {.
But Zapata cuts across my plans.})) 19. Nf5 $1 g6 20. b4 $1 {I had overlooked
this obvious possibility,} ({as well as first} 20. h4 $5 Bf4 {and then} 21. b4
$1 {, with a clear advantage.}) ({After} 20. h4 {, Black must avoid this line
and continue instead with} gxf5 21. hxg5 Bxd5 ({but not} 21... Nxe4 $2 22. Nf6+
Nxf6 23. Qxf5 $1 {winning}) 22. Rxd5 Nxe4 {, with about even chances.}) 20...
Bxd5 (20... gxf5 21. bxc5 Rc8 22. h4 Bh6 23. cxd6 {appealed to me even less.})
21. Rxd5 (21. bxc5 Be6 {is okay for Black.}) 21... Nb7 22. h4 Bf6 23. Nh6+ Kg7
24. Ng4 a5 $1 {Searching for counterplay.} 25. Be2 (25. b5 {was also possible,
for example} h5 26. Nxf6 Qxf6 27. Be2 {followed by 28 g3 and 29 0-0, with an
edge for White.}) 25... axb4 26. cxb4 Ra1+ ({Not} 26... Bxh4 27. O-O {, when
White has good compensation in return for the sacrificed pawn.}) 27. Bd1 $2 {
The turning point in the game.} ({It was necessary to play} 27. Rd1 Rxd1+ 28.
Qxd1 h5 29. Ne3 ({after} 29. Nxf6 Qxf6 30. g3 Nd8 $1 {, intending...Ne6-d4,
Black has nothing to fear}) 29... Qd7 30. Nd5 {, with a fine position for
White.}) 27... Qc8 $1 {Zapata was visibly surprised by this move.} ({After} 
27... Qc8 {, running short of time he misses the best reply,} 28. Qxc8 Rxc8 29.
Nxf6 Kxf6 30. O-O {, and gets into serious difficulties. --- [AS - The idea of
exchanging queens and the forthcoming manoeuvre (31...Rc4, 32...Rc7) gave me a
certain aesthetic pleasure and was the reason I have included this game in the
book.]}) 28. Ne3 Qxc2 29. Nxc2 Rb1 30. Kd2 Rc8 31. Rh3 Rc4 $1 32. Kd3 Rc7 $1
33. Kd2 Nd8 $1 {To make progress the minor pieces must be activated. Now White
dare not grab the d6 pawn, because after 34...Ne6 Black develops a strong
initiative.} 34. Be2 Ne6 35. Rc3 Rxc3 36. Kxc3 Nf4 37. Rd2 Nxg2 38. Bd1 $1 ({
Instead of the hopeless} 38. Rxd6 Bxh4 {, and despite his time-trouble, White
comes up with an ingenious idea.}) 38... Bxh4 39. Na3 Rc1+ 40. Nc2 {The black
rook may be trapped but it is not lost.} Bg5 41. Rxd6 h5 42. b5 $2 {The final
mistake! After the rebirth of the two queens the dangerous position of White's
king means he is lost.} ({During the game I thought that} 42. Kb2 h4 43. Bg4 $1
{was unclear, but after} Rf1 44. b5 Rxf2 45. b6 Ne3 46. b7 Rxc2+ 47. Kb1 Rc4
48. b8=Q Nxg4 {Black should win thanks to his strong h-pawn.}) 42... h4 43. b6
h3 44. b7 h2 45. b8=Q h1=Q 46. Qe8 Qe1+ 47. Kb2 Qxe4 0-1

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E81"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "35"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in December 1992 and first appeared in 'Schach'.
--- Although in 1992 Kramnik was just 17 years of age, his play, especially
with White, was already terrifying. No wonder that I was preparing for this
game for several days and fortunately it wasn't in vain. The novelty I
invented was recognized to be the best one in 'Informator 55'.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4
g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. f3 O-O 6. Be3 c5 7. dxc5 dxc5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bxc5
Nc6 10. Ba3 a5 11. Rd1 Be6 12. Nd5 (12. Nd5 {I was of course very familiar
with the game Kramnik-Nunn, Manila 1992. After all, following the further moves
} Bxd5 13. cxd5 Nb4 14. Bb5 Nc2+ 15. Kf2 Nxa3 16. bxa3 e6 17. d6 e5 18. Ne2 Bf8
19. d7 Bxa3 {, it was my own recommendation of} 20. g4 $1 {with which Vladimir
went on to achieve a brilliant victory.}) ({During my preparation I at first
thought that Black could improve adequately after} 12. Nd5 Bxd5 13. cxd5 Nb4
14. Bb5 Nc2+ 15. Kf2 Nxa3 16. bxa3 {, with} Rac8 17. Ne2 Rc2 {, but after} 18.
Rc1 Rxa2 19. a4 {White still has more of the play. In the course of further
investigation I at last found ...}) 12... Nb4 $1 {A new idea, whereby Black
sacrifices a second pawn in order to turn his lead in development to account.
I owe special thanks here to my team-mate Karsten Müller, with whom I made a
thorough check of the critical variations.} 13. Nxe7+ {The only plausible move.
} (13. Bxb4 axb4 14. Nxb4 Nd7 $1 {is not playable.}) 13... Kh8 14. Rxd8+ ({The
only viable alternative,} 14. Nd5 {, is of interest from the theoretical
standpoint. Black has two replies:} Nc2+ 15. Kf2 Nxa3 16. bxa3 b5 17. Nh3 bxc4
18. Bxc4 Rac8 19. -- ({and now neither} 19. Bb3 a4 20. Bxa4 Nxd5 21. exd5 Bxd5)
({nor} 19. Nb6 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 Rxc4 21. Rd8+ Ng8 22. Nxc4 Bxc4 {promises White
much, although the second of these two variations is fairly complicated and
needs further testing.})) ({Also interesting after} 14. Nd5 Nc2+ 15. Kf2 Nxa3
16. bxa3 {is Kramnik's suggestion of} Bf8 {; after} 17. Rb1 Nd7 {he considers
that Black has sufficient compensation for the two sacrificed pawns.}) (14. Nd5
b5 $5 {(this is what I intended to play)} 15. Bxb4 axb4 16. Nxb4 Rxd1+ 17. Kxd1
Bf8 18. Nd5 Rxa2 $1 19. Kc2 Bg7 (19... Ra1 $5) 20. Kb1 $1 -- ({and now Black
can, as he prefers, either play for a draw with} 20... Rxb2+ 21. Kxb2 Nxe4+ 22.
Kc2 Nf2) ({or maintain the tension by continuing} 20... Ra7 $5 {. [AS - There
is more theory on 14 Nd5 now, but I think it's all available on databases and
I suggest that the reader draws his own conclusions about recent developments.]
})) 14... Rxd8 15. Nd5 ({Analogous to 13 Bxb4 above,} 15. Bxb4 axb4 16. Nd5 Ra8
$1 17. Nxb4 Nd7 $1 {is also bad for White.}) 15... Nc2+ 16. Kd2 ({I had
expected} 16. Kf2 {, when I was also planning to continue} Nxa3 17. bxa3 b5 {
. Then after} 18. Nh3 -- ({, there is a choice between} 18... bxc4 19. Bxc4 Rc8
20. Bb3 a4 21. Bxa4 Nxd5 22. exd5 Bxd5 23. Bb3 Bxb3 24. axb3 Rc2+ 25. Kg3 Be5+
26. f4 Rc3+ 27. Kg4 h5+ 28. Kh4 Bf6+ 29. Ng5 Rxb3 {with equality}) ({, and} 
18... Rc8 $5 {, which, though complicated, should not change the assessment of
the position after} 19. Nhf4 (19. Nxf6 $2 Bxf6 20. cxb5 Bd4+ 21. Ke2 Rc1 $1)
19... bxc4 20. Nxe6 fxe6 21. Nb6 Nxe4+ 22. Ke3 Rc6 23. Kxe4 Rxb6 24. Bxc4 Rc6 {
.})) 16... Nxa3 17. bxa3 b5 18. Nh3 ({After} 18. Nh3 {, in view of the obvious
sequel} bxc4 19. Bxc4 Nxd5 20. exd5 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 Rxd5+ 22. Ke2 {, we agreed
peace terms.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Gelfand, B."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A13"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 57'. --- My first Linares tournament started successfully
enough, but then I lost two games and dropped to fifty per cent. I also drew a
completely winning game against Anand in round 6 and before the present game I
was no longer thinking about a good performance. The game appeared to be a
breakthrough. I won it (as the reader will see, not without luck), jumped to
plus one and then made 3½ points from my last five games. I was also
satisfied with the high quality of my play. --- At the end of the tournament I
realized that, when on form, I needn't be scared of anybody.} 1. c4 e6 2. Nf3
d5 3. g3 c6 4. b3 $5 a5 $5 {Formally a novelty but the idea of this pawn
advance is quite well known. However, my opponent's reply came as a surprise.}
5. Bb2 a4 6. Bg2 (6. bxa4 Nd7 {would have yielded Black good play for the pawn.
The text is rather provocative...}) 6... a3 $5 7. Bc3 b5 $2 {So many pawn
moves! However, Gelfand's reply immediately sobered me up.} ({Correct was} 7...
Nf6 {, with the idea of a later ...b7-b5.}) 8. c5 $1 {Now White has a clear
advantage as the a3 pawn should drop off one day. But accuracy is always
necessary ...} Nf6 9. b4 (9. d4 Ne4 10. Bb4 {would have been slightly more
precise, when White clearly stands better.}) 9... Ne4 $1 10. O-O $6 {Now Black
arranges strange but very strong counterplay.} (10. Qb3 $1 {was called for,
when again White is better.}) 10... Nxc3 {Three moves in a row with the knight:
a 'logical' sequel to the preceding pawn play!} 11. Nxc3 $2 {Now Black gets an
excellent game.} ({Even here, White could have obtained a slight edge by} 11.
dxc3 g5 $5 12. e4 $1 (12. Qb3 g4 13. Nfd2 h5 $1 {is unclear}) 12... Bg7 13.
exd5 exd5 {(forced)} 14. Re1+ Kf8 {, etc.}) 11... d4 $1 {More pawn play! Now
the position is very unclear.} 12. Ne4 (12. Nb1 $5 {, with the idea of
attacking the a3 pawn one day, was interesting.}) 12... f5 $1 13. Neg5 Be7 14.
h4 $1 Bf6 $1 {After fourteen moves Black has developed just one piece! However,
the position is completely unclear because that piece is excellently placed
and Black is ready to fight for control of the centre. He has to be careful,
though, about the weaknesses at b6 and d6 as well as his light-squared bishop.}
15. Qb3 $6 {Playing overambitiously, Gelfand soon gets into trouble.} ({He had
an interesting exchange sacrifice at his disposal, i.e.} 15. e3 $1 h6 16. Nh3
dxe3 17. dxe3 (17. fxe3 g5 $1 {is unclear}) 17... Bxa1 18. Qxa1 O-O 19. Nf4 {
and probably White's position is still preferable.}) 15... Qd5 16. Qb1 $6 {Now
White cannot get his pieces into play in time.} ({Also unsatisfactory was} 16.
Qd3 $6 h6 17. Nh7 ({both} 17. Nh3 e5) ({and} 17. Ne1 Qd7 18. Ngf3 Ra4 $1 19.
Nc2 e5 {are good for Black}) 17... Be7 $1 ({not} 17... Rxh7 $2 18. Ng5 hxg5 19.
Bxd5 exd5 20. hxg5 Bxg5 21. Kg2) 18. Nxd4 Qd7 {, when Black wins a piece}) ({
but} 16. Qc2 $1 h6 17. Nh3 e5 18. d3 {offered better chances of survival.})
16... h6 17. Nh3 e5 18. e3 ({Now} 18. d3 {yields Black a clear advantage after}
Ra4 $1 {.}) 18... dxe3 $1 {Only this way!} ({The tempting} 18... d3 $2 {fails
to} 19. Nd4 $1 e4 20. Nf4 Qf7 21. h5 $3 {, intending f2-f3, when White is back
on top.}) 19. dxe3 (19. fxe3 e4 20. Nf4 Qd7 21. Nd4 Bxd4 22. exd4 Qxd4+ {
leaves White without much compensation for the pawn, but was still a better
practical chance. Now Black can make easy moves.}) 19... Ra4 $1 {The knight on
h3 and the b4-pawn are Black's best trumps.} 20. Nd4 ({Or} 20. Rd1 Qc4 {.})
20... Qd7 21. Nc2 O-O 22. e4 $6 (22. Rd1 Qf7 23. f4 $5 {was the last chance
for White to do something about his position, though Black is still better.})
22... f4 23. Qb3+ Qf7 24. Qxf7+ Rxf7 25. Rfd1 f3 $1 26. Bf1 g5 {The knight has
to give up living.} 27. Rd3 (27. Kh2 g4 28. Ng1 h5 {makes no difference as the
king and knight are caged tight.}) 27... g4 28. Kh2 Rd7 $1 {The piece can
always be taken. Black prefers to deprive his opponent of any activity.} 29.
Rad1 (29. Rxa3 Rxa3 30. Nxa3 Rd2 {is also hopeless.}) 29... Rxd3 30. Rxd3 Be6 {
The a2 pawn goes, and with it the game. The rest is very easy.} 31. Rd6 Kf7 32.
Bxb5 cxb5 33. Rb6 Na6 34. c6 Bxa2 35. Rxb5 Bb1 36. Rb7+ Ke6 37. Nxa3 Rxa3 38.
b5 Bxe4 39. Ra7 gxh3 40. c7 ({After} 40. c7 {White lost on time, but after} Kd7
{he would have had to resign anyway. I hope that this game was fun for the
readers.}) 0-1

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kamsky, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D87"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1993 and first appeared in 'Schach'. ---
Gata Kamsky is one of the players against whom I normally have a hard time. I
had lost our previous game, in Moscow at the end of 1992, without making any
impression in the opening. This time, though, I was better prepared!} 1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bc4 c5 8. Ne2 Nc6 9.
Be3 O-O 10. Rc1 $5 {In my view this sharp move is the only way to fight for an
advantage.} ({The main variations after} 10. O-O {promise White no advantage.
--- [AS - Nowadays the Polugayevsky variation is not very popular. I think
Black has a couple of ways to reach comfortable equality.]}) 10... cxd4 11.
cxd4 Qa5+ 12. Kf1 Bd7 13. h4 Rfc8 14. h5 Nd8 15. f4 $5 ({This idea came to me
shortly after our game in Moscow, which I lost after} 15. f3 Ba4 $5 {, etc.
There I played f3-f4 on move 21, so of course it is obvious to try pushing the
f-pawn towards the opposing king in a single step.}) 15... Bb5 ({If Kamsky had
stuck to his idea of} 15... Ba4 {then after} 16. Qd3 b5 17. Bd5 Rxc1+ 18. Bxc1
Rc8 19. hxg6 hxg6 20. f5 {he would have run up against a distinctly stronger
attack than in the aforementioned game.}) ({An interesting try, though, is} 
15... e6 $5 16. Kf2 Rc7 {, with unclear consequences.}) 16. Bxb5 Qxb5 17. Kf2
e6 $1 {Probably the best defence.} ({The endgame after} 17... Rxc1 18. Qxc1 Nc6
19. Qb1 {is fairly unpleasant for Black.}) 18. g4 $1 {Maintaining the
offensive.} (18. Qb3 Qxb3 19. axb3 Nc6) ({and} 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Qd2 Rxc1 20.
Rxc1 Nc6 {lead only to equality.}) 18... Rxc1 19. Qxc1 Nc6 20. Qb1 $1 {With
this pawn structure the ending is not so easy for Black.} ({In contrast,} 20.
f5 $6 Nb4 {would have given him full counterplay.}) 20... Qxb1 21. Rxb1 b6 22.
f5 $1 {Even without the queens White continues his kingside play.} Ne7 $2 {
Perhaps Black's only mistake of the game.} ({It was also dangerous to accept
the pawn sacrifice with} 22... exf5 23. gxf5 gxf5 {, since after} 24. h6 Bf6 ({
or} 24... Bf8 25. Rc1 $1 Ne7 26. Rg1+ Kh8 27. d5 f6 28. Bd4 Ng8 29. e5 {is
better for White}) 25. e5 Bh4+ 26. Kf3 {Black has problems.}) ({However,} 22...
Rd8 23. e5 Bf8 {offered good defensive chances.}) 23. h6 $1 ({This is more
complicated but stronger than my original intention} 23. fxe6 fxe6 24. Bg5 Kf7
25. Ke3 {, which also makes life difficult for Black.}) 23... Bf8 24. fxe6 ({
With hindsight I prefer} 24. Rc1 $1 {, for example} exf5 (24... Rc8 $2 25. f6
Rxc1 26. fxe7) 25. gxf5 f6 26. fxg6 hxg6 27. Rc7 {with a clear advantage.})
24... fxe6 25. Nf4 Kf7 $1 ({I had only been looking at} 25... Bxh6 26. Nxe6) ({
and} 25... e5 26. dxe5 Bxh6 27. Nd5 $1 Bxe3+ 28. Kxe3 Nc6 29. e6 {, both of
which are hopeless for Black.}) 26. Nh3 Kg8 27. Nf4 Kf7 {At first I was unable
to find a clear win, so I decided to repeat moves in order to gain time.
Kamsky obviously misinterpreted this, since he offered me a draw here.} 28. Nh3
$1 Kg8 29. Ng5 e5 30. d5 Nc8 $5 ({On} 30... Bxh6 {I was planning} 31. Ne6 $1
Bxe3+ 32. Kxe3 Nc8 (32... Rc8 33. d6 Rc3+ 34. Kf2 $1 Rc2+ 35. Kg3 Nc6 36. d7
Rd2 37. Rc1 {wins for White}) 33. Rc1 $1 Nd6 34. Rc6 $1 Nf7 35. Kd3 $3 {with
the threat of} -- 36. d6 Nd8 37. Nxd8 Rxd8 38. Kc4 {.}) 31. Rc1 $1 Nd6 32. Rc7
$1 Rc8 ({Again Black could not capture on h6:} 32... Bxh6 33. Nxh7 Nxe4+ 34.
Kf3 Nd2+ 35. Bxd2 Bxd2 36. Ke4 Bb4 37. Nf6+ Kf8 38. Kxe5 Rd8 39. Rxa7 {and
wins.}) 33. Rd7 $1 Rc3 34. Nxh7 Nxe4+ 35. Ke2 Bb4 36. Rxa7 b5 37. g5 $1 {
Black's apparent activity is only short-term. The text move makes it clear
that sooner or later the hammer will fall with Nf6+.} Ng3+ 38. Kd1 Ne4 39. Ke2
Ng3+ 40. Kd1 Ne4 41. Bb6 Rf3 42. Bd8 $1 Rf1+ 43. Kc2 Rf2+ 44. Kb3 Bc5 45. Nf6+
Nxf6 46. Rg7+ Kf8 47. gxf6 Rf3+ 48. Kc2 Rf2+ 49. Kd1 Rf1+ 50. Ke2 Rf2+ 51. Ke1
Rxa2 52. Be7+ Bxe7 53. fxe7+ Ke8 54. d6 {[AS - This was one of the best
endings of my career so far.]} 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E69"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1993 and first appeared in the German
magazine 'Schach 64'. --- In Linares I played my third game against the World
Champion. Kasparov had won the first two, albeit with some luck in the second,
but this time I no longer felt as if I was squaring up for an unequal struggle.
--- [AS - Hopefully I will return to such confidence playing against people
like Kasparov as soon as possible...]} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 ({I normally
play} 3. Nc3 {, but it is usually advisable to side-step Kasparov's
preparation. I also wanted to try out a new idea.}) 3... Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. Nc3
d6 6. Nf3 Nbd7 7. O-O e5 8. h3 c6 9. e4 Qb6 10. c5 $5 dxc5 11. dxe5 Ne8 12. e6
$5 {This pawn sacrifice is not mentioned in current openings work, e.g. the
'Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'. The 'copyright' belongs to the Czech IM
Milos Mozny, and my preparation was based on three of his games. Before my
duel with Kasparov I had subjected the idea to long analysis with the Greek GM
Kotronias, and we came to the conclusion that it led to an advantage for White.
As so often, a fine nuance altered this assessment, but more of that later.}
fxe6 13. Ng5 Ne5 $1 {The strongest reply.} ({After} 13... Nc7 14. f4 Bd4+ 15.
Kh2 e5 16. f5 Nf6 17. g4 {White stands better.}) ({Worth considering is} 13...
e5 $5 14. Qe2 Qa6 $5 15. Qxa6 bxa6 {with unclear play, although deactivating
the g7 bishop like this would not suit everyone.}) 14. f4 Nf7 $1 {I had not
really examined this move with Kotronias. It was becoming clear that Kasparov
was on the right track, but as a result of my opening preparation he was using
up a lot of time searching for the best continuation at every move, and was
gradually getting into time-trouble.} ({Mozny's opponents chose alternative
possibilities:} 14... Nd3 {, and now after} 15. e5 ({not} 15. Qxd3 $2 c4+ 16.
Be3 cxd3 17. Bxb6 axb6 {with advantage to Black}) 15... c4+ 16. Kh2 Nc7 17.
Nce4 {White stands well}) (14... h6 15. fxe5 Rxf1+ 16. Qxf1 hxg5 17. Bxg5 Qxb2
18. Rd1 $1 {with a big advantage for White, Mozny-Ankerst, Munich 1992.}) 15.
Nxf7 Bd4+ {The point of Black's defence.} ({He avoids the incarceration of his
king's bishop, as would occur after} 15... Rxf7 $2 16. e5 {. [AS - This check
(i.e. 15...Bd4+) was missed during our analysis.]}) 16. Kh2 Rxf7 17. e5 Nc7 18.
Ne4 Nd5 {The opening is over, and I was gradually coming to the realization
that I had little concrete initiative in return for my pawn.} 19. a4 $1 ({After
} 19. a4 {, the positional threat of a4-a5 is unpleasant. If White was allowed
to play this he would be able to pick off the c5 pawn, for example} -- 20. a5
Qc7 21. Qc2 {, followed perhaps by Bd2 and Rfc1.}) 19... a5 20. Ra3 {
Interpolating the moves a4 and ...a5 has made it possible to activate the rook.
White now has some compensation - he has the plan of g3-g4 and Rg3 (or Raf3),
or even h3-h4, g3-g4, Rh3 and h4-h5.} ({In view of the latter idea, after} 20.
Ra3 {,} Qd8 {was now advisable.}) 20... Qc7 $6 21. Nd6 $1 Rf8 $6 {After this
Black's position becomes critical, although it is by no means lost.} ({Two
other rook moves were also no good (} 21... Rg7 $4 22. Ne8) (21... Re7 22. Qg4
{followed by h4-h5 with an attack)}) ({but} 21... Rd7 {was correct:} 22. Bxd5 {
(otherwise Black sacrifices the exchange on d6 and stands well)} cxd5 (22...
exd5 {potentially gives White two passed pawns}) 23. Nb5 ({better than winning
the exchange by} 23. Ne8 $6 Qd8 24. Nf6+ Kg7 25. Nxd7 Bxd7 {, when Black does
not stand worse}) 23... Qd8 $1 ({not} 23... Qb6 $6 24. Rd3 $1 Rf7 25. b3 Bd7
26. Nxd4 cxd4 27. Bb2 {, followed by Bxd4, which is better for White}) 24. Nxd4
cxd4 25. Qxd4 b6 {with only a minimal advantage for White.}) 22. h4 {Here I
began to play quickly, since the plan of attack on the kingside was clear.
Kasparov on the other hand was thinking a long time over every move.} b6 23. h5
Qg7 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. Be4 {I had underestimated Black's reply.} (25. Qg4 $5 {
came very much into consideration (by targeting the e6 pawn White prevents
Black from activating the bishop at a6):} Bd7 26. Bf3 {with the plan of Kg2
and Rh1.}) 25... Ba6 $1 (25... Ba6 {is a very disruptive move, since on the
obvious continuation} 26. Rh1 {Black has the strong counter} Bxe5 $1 {- see
the following note.}) 26. Re1 (26. Rh1 {fails to} Bxe5 $1 27. fxe5 Rf2+ 28. Bg2
(28. Kh3 {is no better of course because of} Qh8+ 29. Kg4 Qxe5) ({, or} 28. Kg1
Raf8 $1 29. Rf3 R8xf3 30. Bxf3 Rf1+ 31. Qxf1 Bxf1 32. Kxf1 Qxe5 {and Black is
winning}) 28... Qxe5 29. Qg4 Kg7 30. Ne4 Rh8+ 31. Kg1 Rc2 {and Black wins})
26... Ne7 $1 27. Kg2 Rad8 $1 {Black's last move was like lightning from a
clear sky.} ({I had only reckoned on} 27... Nf5 {(this was the obvious
intention of 26...Ne7), for example} 28. Bxf5 Rxf5 ({forced, since} 28... gxf5)
({or} 28... exf5 {is met by} 29. g4 $1 {followed by Rg3}) 29. Be3 $1 {, with
advantage to White in view of the many pawn weaknesses in Black's camp.
Kasparov's move threatens ...Bxe5. At this point Kasparov had only six minutes
left for the remaining thirteen moves, while I still had more than an hour.
Here, though, I lost half my lead on the clock searching in vain for a
continuation that would lead to my advantage. I suddenly realized that I do
not stand better.}) 28. Rb3 ({The position after} 28. Qb3 c4 $1 29. Nxc4 Bc5 {
is completely unclear}) ({and} 28. Qg4 Nf5 {might even favour Black.}) 28...
Bxe5 $1 (28... c4 $2 29. Qxd4 cxb3 30. Qxb6 {cannot possibly appeal to Black.})
29. fxe5 Qxe5 30. Qg4 ({The obvious} 30. Bf4 {leads after} Rxf4 31. gxf4 Qxf4 {
to a big disadvantage for White, whose once mighty knight on d6 is now lost.})
30... Rxd6 31. Bf4 {This move does not turn out well.} ({I should have gone in
for the complications after} 31. Bxg6 {:} -- (31... Qxe1 $2 32. Bd3+ $1 Kf7 33.
Qh5+ Kg7 ({or} 33... Kf6 34. Bg5+ Ke5 35. Bd2+ Kd4 36. Qh4+) 34. Bh6+ Kg8 35.
Qg5+ Kf7 36. Qg7+ Ke8 37. Qxf8+ Kd7 38. Bxa6 {, and Black has no compensation
for the piece}) (31... Qg7 32. Rxe6 {and now:} -- (32... Rd4 $2 {is bad
because of} 33. Qg5 $1 Bf1+ 34. Kh2 $1 {(Kasparov)}) ({, but other variations
lead to a draw:} 32... Nxg6 33. Rxd6 Nf4+ 34. Qxf4 Rxf4 35. Bxf4 Bc4 $1 36.
Rxb6 Bd5+ 37. Kf1 ({or} 37. Kh3 Qh7+ 38. Kg4 Qg7+) 37... Qg4 $1 38. Rb8+ Kf7
39. Rb7+ Ke8) (32... Rxe6 33. Qxe6+ Kh8 {and perpetual check with} 34. Qh3+ {
, etc. --- All in all, I would have risked nothing with the correct 31 Bxg6,
and would even have had winning chances in view of Kasparov's time-trouble.})))
({[AS - GM Tseshkovsky's suggestion,} 31. Rxb6 $5 {, is also interesting.]})
31... Rxf4 32. gxf4 Rd2+ $1 ({If} 32... Qd4 {(threatening...Qd2+) then} 33. Qh4
$1 {.}) 33. Kg3 Qf6 $6 ({In time-trouble Kasparov did not want to risk
anything and so rejected} 33... Qd4 34. Qxe6+ Kf8 35. Rbe3 (35. Rf3 $2 Qh8 $1)
35... Bc8 36. Qe5 Qxe5 37. fxe5 Rxb2 {. The next day he said that his position
in this variation (after 37...Rxb2) was winning, but he was unable to refute
the following idea:} 38. Rd3 $1 Bf5 39. e6 $1 Bxe6 ({not} 39... Rb4 $2 40. Rd8+
Kg7 41. Bxf5 Nxf5+ 42. Kg2 Ne7 43. Re8 $1 Kf6 44. Rf8+ Kg5 45. Rf7 $1 Rg4+ 46.
Kf3 Nf5 47. e7 Rf4+ 48. Ke2 Re4+ 49. Kd2) 40. Bxg6 Bd5 41. Be4 $1 Rb3 ({after} 
41... c4 42. Rf3+ Kg7 43. Bxd5 Nxd5 44. Re6 c5 45. Rd6 Rd2 46. Kh4 $1 {Black
cannot escape the perpetual check}) 42. Rxb3 Bxb3 43. Rb1 c4 ({or} 43... Bd5
44. Bc2 $1 Nc8 45. Kf4 {, followed by Bf5}) 44. Kf4 $1 b5 45. axb5 cxb5 46. Ke5
a4 47. Kd4 a3 48. Kc5 Ba4 49. Ra1 {draw.}) 34. Rxb6 Bd3 $1 35. Rb8+ Kf7 36. Qh3
({On} 36. Rh1 {Kasparov (with his flag hanging) intended} Bxe4 37. Rh7+ Qg7 38.
Rxg7+ Kxg7 39. Qxe6 Nf5+ 40. Kh3 Rd3+ 41. Kh2 Rd2+ {, when the white king
cannot escape perpetual check, since for example} 42. Kg1 $2 Rg2+ 43. Kf1 Ng3+
44. Ke1 Re2+ 45. Kd1 Bc2+ {loses the queen.}) ({I also looked at} 36. Rh1 {,
finally rejecting it because of} Qg7 $1 37. Bxd3 Rxd3+ 38. Kg2 Rd2+ 39. Kf1 ({
after} 39. Kf3 $2 Rxb2 40. Rxb2 Qc3+ $3 41. Ke4 Qxb2 {Black is probably winning
}) 39... Rd4 $1 {, when the only problems I can see are White's.}) 36... Bxe4
37. Qh7+ Qg7 38. Qxg7+ Kxg7 39. Rxe4 Nf5+ 40. Kf3 Kf6 {The time-trouble was
over and at first I thought I had some winning chances, but after a few moves
it became clear to me that the position is a draw.} 41. Rc4 Rd5 42. Rf8+ Ke7
43. Ra8 Nd6 44. Rc3 (44. Rc2 c4 45. Rh2 Nf5 46. Rh7+ Kd6 {doesn't lead
anywhere, since Black has the emergency exit on c5.}) 44... c4 45. Ra6 Rc5 46.
b3 Kf6 47. bxc4 ({After} 47. bxc4 {, in view of the variation} Nxc4 48. Ke4
Nd6+ 49. Kd3 Rd5+ 50. Kc2 Nf5 51. Rd3 Rc5+ 52. Rc3 {, I offered a draw, which
Kasparov accepted.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Buenos Aires"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Seirawan, Y."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in May 1993 and first appeared in 'Revista
Internacional de Ajedrez'. --- During the Buenos Aires tournament I met my
future wife who was demonstrating the games for the public. Possibly it
prevented me from showing my best chess there but at least I had some
excitements such as this game.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 ({[AS - The
Chebanenko system usually arises after} 4. Nf3 a6) ({whereas} 4. e3 a6 {allows
White to play} 5. Qc2 $5 {, which came into practice in 1994.]}) 4... a6 $5 ({
Normally I play the Semi-Slav Defence (} 4... e6 {, etc), but sometimes I get
bored employing the same openings over and over, even if they are good enough
to equalize. The 4...a6 variation has been seriously investigated and
developed by the Moldavian trainer Viacheslav Chebanenko and his pupils, among
whom I should particularly mention Gavrikov and Bologan. It is through them
that I know this line, although nowadays it is also practised by many other
players.}) 5. Nf3 ({Here} 5. a4 {is interesting.}) 5... b5 6. cxd5 {This
doesn't seem very ambitious.} ({Generally White plays} 6. b3 {here.}) 6... cxd5
7. Ne5 Nbd7 8. f4 e6 9. Bd3 Bb7 10. O-O Bd6 11. Bd2 O-O 12. Be1 Ne4 $5 {Black
has developed comfortably and is now ready to start fighting for the
initiative.} ({Also possible was} 12... Nb6 13. Bh4 Be7 {with equal chances.})
13. Qb1 $5 Ndf6 {Continuing with my aggressive strategy.} ({After} 13... f5 {
Seirawan was planning} 14. a4 $1 {, which seems to lead to equality after} b4 (
{[AS -} 14... bxa4 {seems to be equal as well.]}) 15. Nxe4 fxe4 ({but not} 
15... dxe4 $2 16. Bc4 Bd5 17. Bxd5 exd5 18. Qa2 {with the advantage - Seirawan}
) 16. Be2 Nxe5 17. fxe5 Rxf1+ 18. Bxf1 Be7 {.}) 14. Bh4 $5 Rc8 $6 ({After
playing} 14... Rc8 {I began calling myself an idiot, because I saw} 15. Bxe4
dxe4 16. Ng4 {.}) ({Better, perhaps, is} 14... Qa5 {immediately, and if} 15.
Rc1 {, then} Rfc8 {.}) ({I must point out that} 14... Nd2 {was bad, because of}
15. Qc2 ({but not} 15. Bxh7+ $4 Nxh7) 15... Nxf1 16. Bxh7+ Nxh7 ({I don't see
a good defence after} 16... Kh8 17. Rxf1 -- ({for example} 17... g6 18. Bxg6 $1
fxg6 19. Qxg6 Qe7 20. Qh6+ $1 Kg8 21. Rf3) ({or} 17... b4 18. Rf3 $1 bxc3 19.
Rh3)) 17. Bxd8 Nxe3 18. Qf2 $1 {, with a small advantage} -- (18... Nxg2 $2 {
fails to} 19. Bb6 {and White is winning}) ({. [AS - Of course, instead of 18...
Nxg2? Black can simply play} 18... Bxe5 19. fxe5 (19. dxe5 d4 $1) 19... Ng4 20.
Qg3 Nxe5 21. Be7 Rfe8 {and his chances are just a little worse.]})) 15. Rc1 $6
{When I saw this I sighed with relief.} ({However I should point out that} 15.
Bxe4 dxe4 16. Ng4 {doesn't win, as the post-mortem analysis later showed. After
} Be7 17. Bxf6 Bxf6 18. Nxf6+ (18. Nxe4 Be7) 18... Qxf6 19. Nxe4 Qg6 20. Ng3 {,
} -- (20... Qxb1 21. Raxb1 Rc2 22. Rf2 Rfc8 {doesn't equalize completely
because of} 23. Re1) ({, but Black can play a curious queen sacrifice:} 20...
Rc2 21. Rf2 Rfc8 $1 22. f5 $1 Rxf2 $1 23. fxg6 Rxg2+ 24. Kf1 fxg6 25. e4 Rcc2
26. Qe1 h5 $1 27. Rc1 Rxb2 28. -- ({and it doesn't seem that White has
anything better than} 28. Rb1 Rxa2 29. Ra1 {with equal chances}) ({since after
} 28. h4 {, the continuation} g5 $1 {is very strong. --- [AS - Here I made a
big mistake in my old analysis. After 28...g5 White wins easily with} 29. Qe3
gxh4 30. Nxh5 Rg4 31. d5)) ({, which means that instead of the incorrect queen
sacrifice 21...Rfc8?!, Black should try to survive in the worse endgame
arising after} 20... Qxb1 21. Raxb1 Rc2 22. Rf2 Rfc8 23. Re1 Rxf2 24. Kxf2 Rc2+
25. Re2 Rc1 $5 {]})) 15... Qa5 ({It was also good to play} 15... Be7 16. Bxf6
Nxf6 ({or} 16... gxf6 17. Ng4 f5 18. Ne5) 17. b4 $1 Qd6 18. a3 Rc7 19. Ra2 Rfc8
20. Rac2 {with equality.}) 16. Bxe4 ({After the game Seirawan suggested} 16. a4
$5 {, but I don't believe that Black has any problems after} bxa4 17. Bxf6 Nxf6
18. Rxa4 Qb6 19. Qa2 Ra8) ({or even} 16. a4 b4 17. Nxe4 Rxc1+ 18. Qxc1 Nxe4 19.
Bxe4 dxe4 20. Nc4 Qd5 21. b3 Rc8 22. Ra2 Rc6 23. Rc2 f6 {.}) 16... Nxe4 17.
Nxe4 dxe4 18. Nd7 {Here I spent about 20 or 25 minutes, leaving less than half
an hour for the following 22 moves. But Seirawan had only 15 minutes and this
fact greatly influenced my decision.} ({I saw that the position after} 18. Nd7
Rfe8 19. Nc5 Bd5 20. b4 Qb6 {would be about equal}) ({and then started
thinking about a tempting rook sacrifice} 18. Nd7 Qd2 $5 {). At first I found
nothing to counter} 19. Nxf8 Qxe3+ 20. Bf2 Qxf4 21. g3 {, because} Qf3 22. Rxc8
e3 {runs into the unfortunate} 23. Qxh7# {, but I continued calculating and
finally made up my mind, convinced that in any case I would not be worse after
the sacrifice. Probably I was wrong, since had Seirawan made the right moves,
I would have had to find the only way to survive. --- [AS - I still like this
sacrifice but I am not sure I would have done it, had I seen more during the
game.]}) 18... Qd2 $6 19. Nxf8 Qxe3+ 20. Bf2 Qxf4 21. g3 $6 {This natural move
is not the best.} ({After} 21. Rxc8 Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 Bxc8 23. Qxe4 Bxf8 24. Rc1
Bd7 25. Qb7 {, the only way to draw is} Qh1+ $1 26. Bg1 Qh6 $1 27. Rc7 Be8 28.
Rc8 Qd2 $1 29. Rxe8 Qd1+ 30. Kf2 Qxd4+ {and White cannot win.}) ({[AS -
Another commentary error. After} 21. Rxc8 Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 Bxc8 23. Qxe4 Bxf8 24.
Rc1 Bd7 25. Qb7 Qh1+ 26. Bg1 Qh6 27. Rc7 Be8 28. Rc8 Qd2 {, instead of 29 Rxe8,
} 29. g3 $1 {wins since Black has no perpetual check and ultimately loses his
bishop.}) ({The correct continuation after} 21. Rxc8 {is} Bxc8 $1 {(not 21...
Qxh2+)} 22. g3 Qf5 $1 23. Nxe6 Bxe6 {with sufficient compensation for the
exchange].}) 21... Rxc1+ 22. Qxc1 Qf5 $3 {This is the key move of the
combination which began with 18...Qd2.} 23. Be3 (23. Nxe6 {would have lost to}
e3 $3 24. Qxe3 Qd5 25. Kf1 Qh1+ 26. Bg1 (26. Ke2 Qxa1) 26... Qg2+ 27. Ke1 Bb4+
28. Kd1 Bf3+ 29. Kc1 Bd2+ $1 30. Qxd2 Qf1+ 31. Kc2 Be4+ 32. Kb3 Qc4+ 33. Ka3
Qa4# {.}) 23... Bxf8 {Now Black is a little bit better, but my best chance was
still his time-trouble.} ({AS - The text is probably stronger than} 23... Kxf8
24. Bf4 $1) 24. Qc7 Qf3 25. Qf4 Qe2 26. Qf2 Qd3 $1 ({Not} 26... Qc4 $2 27. Rc1
$1 Qxa2 $2 28. Rc7 {.}) 27. Qd2 ({After} 27. Rc1 Bd5 28. Qd2 f6 $1 {Black
keeps a small advantage.}) 27... Qc4 28. b3 Qd5 29. Rc1 Bd6 30. Qa5 h6 31. Qd8+
Kh7 32. Qd7 $4 {A terrible but understandable mistake when his flag was almost
ready to fall.} ({[AS - After} 32. Kg2 {White would have retained good drawing
chances.]}) 32... Bf4 {. Simple and decisive. White resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Munich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Lutz, C."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B66"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in May 1993 and first appeared in the German
magazine 'Schach 64'. --- The tournament in Munich which was run by the late
Heinrich Jellissen was one of the best organized in the world. When he died it
was a shock to learn that he had severe financial problems. Many chessplayers
and friends of his who had invested big sums in his suspicious business never
saw their money again. It doesn't feel great that in a way I played for the
money of my colleagues (I didn't invest anything with Jellissen myself) but
this can happen to anybody. --- My best game from the tournament was the
present one. It was also important for determining the winner of the
tournament. Munich appeared to be the strongest event I have ever been clear
first in.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6 7.
Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O h6 9. Be3 Be7 {In this well-known position I thought for a
long time. I had frequently played the black side of this variation, but this
was the first time I had had it on the board as White. I thought I remembered
having had most problems against 10 f3, so this was my choice, although in
retrospect it was not such a good one.} 10. f3 $6 {I had simply forgotten that
this move leads to equality.} ({[AS - The mark '?!' is too emotive. Of course,
10 f3 is as common as} 10. f4 {.]}) 10... Nxd4 $1 11. Bxd4 ({AS - Against Alon
Greenfeld (Pardubice 1994) I played} 11. Qxd4 {and won. The game Bologan-Lutz,
Bundesliga 1994/95, is probably the critical example of this line.}) 11... e5
12. Be3 Be6 $1 13. g4 ({Starting the kingside advance with} 13. h4 {also leads
to equality after} Qa5 14. Kb1 Rc8 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Nxf6+ gxf6 17. Rxd2 f5 {.})
13... Qa5 14. a3 ({On} 14. Kb1 {,} Rc8 {is good, for example} 15. h4 $6 Rxc3 $1
16. Qxc3 Qxa2+ 17. Kc1 d5 $1 {with an attack for Black.}) 14... b5 $5 {This
tempting advance is at the same time very committal.} ({The simple} 14... Rc8 {
is good for Black:} 15. -- (15. h4 Rxc3 16. Qxc3 Qxc3 17. bxc3 d5) ({, and} 15.
Nd5 Qxd2+ 16. Rxd2 Nxd5 17. exd5 Bd7 {, intending ...Bg5, when Black is
slightly better}) (15. Bd3 $1 {this is better than the two alternatives} d5 (
15... b5 16. Kb1 $1 {is good for White}) ({but} 15... Rxc3 {is quite playable:}
16. Qxc3 Qxc3 17. bxc3 d5 18. g5 $1 Bxa3+ 19. Kb1 {with an unclear position})
16. Nxd5 Qxd2+ 17. Rxd2 Nxd5 18. exd5 Bxd5 19. Bb5+ $1 Bc6 20. Bxc6+ Rxc6 {
with equality.})) 15. h4 b4 16. Nd5 ({Forced, as} 16. axb4 $2 {only leads to
problems:} Qa1+ 17. Nb1 Rc8 $1 ({inferior is} 17... Ba2 $2 18. Qc3 {, followed
by Kd2, with slightly better chances for White}) 18. Bd3 (18. c3 d5 19. g5 d4
20. gxf6 dxc3 21. bxc3 Bxb4 $1 {with advantage to Black}) 18... d5 $1 19. g5 d4
20. gxf6 gxf6 $1 {and Black wins. Otto Borik gives some further analysis:} 21.
-- (21. Bxh6 Ba2 22. c3 -- ({and now not} 22... dxc3 $4 23. Bb5+ {and White
mates}) ({but} 22... Rxh6 {winning back the piece under favourable
circumstances. If} 23. Qxh6 {, then} dxc3 24. Qh8+ Bf8 25. Rh2 Bxb1 26. Bxb1
cxb2+ 27. Kd2 Rd8+ 28. Ke3 Rxd1 {and Black wins.})) (21. Bf2 {prevents the
motif of the above-mentioned variation (...Rxh6 is not possible), but Black
has the initiative, for example} Ba2 22. c3 dxc3 {and now:} 23. -- (23. Bb5+ {
doesn't work here, because there is no white bishop on h6; Black wins with} Kf8
{.}) (23. Qe2 {(or any other move with the queen) loses after} Bxb4 $1 {.}) (
23. bxc3 Bxb1 24. Qb2 ({or} 24. Bxb1 Rxc3+) 24... Rxc3+ 25. Qxc3 Qxc3+ 26. Kxb1
Bxb4 {and Black should win.}))) 16... Bxd5 17. exd5 Rb8 18. Kb1 {Again the
best move.} (18. Bc4 {would have been bad because of} Qc7 {with the double
threat of ...Qxc4 and ...bxa3.}) ({After} 18. Kb1 {, White is well prepared
for his opponent's attack on the queen's wing.} -- ({. Thus} 18... Qa4 {makes
possible the resource} 19. b3 $1 Qxa3 20. Bc4 {, with good compensation for
the pawn, since nothing is currently happening on the queenside whereas White
is getting underway with g4-g5.}) ({. So} 18... Nd7 $1 {was best, after which}
19. Bd3 $1 {is the only sensible reply. Black then has three possibilities:} --
(19... Nc5 $2 20. Bxc5 Qxc5 21. a4 {is favourable for White}) (19... Qxd5 20.
axb4 Qxf3 21. g5 $1 {with the idea of} hxg5 22. Rhf1 Qg4 23. hxg5 Qxb4 24. c3 {
, and here it is White who is attacking}) (19... Qa4 20. b3 ({not} 20. axb4 $2
Rxb4 21. c3 Rb7 22. Qc2 Qa5 {followed by ...0-0 and ...Rfb8, when Black
develops an attack on the king}) 20... Qxa3 21. g5 {with good play for the
pawn.}))) 18... Bd8 $2 {To be frank, I hadn't even considered this move. When
I started pondering my reply, ...Bd8 at first seemed good to me - after all,
the queen is protected on a5 and Black threatens simply to take on a3. But
then I discovered the flaw ...} 19. axb4 Rxb4 ({After} 19... Qxb4 20. Qxb4 Rxb4
21. Bxa6 {Black does not have enough for the pawn.}) 20. Qc3 $1 {This move
poses Black great problems.} O-O ({Bad is} 20... Ra4 21. Qxa5 Rxa5 22. Bc4 {,
and the rook is caught with the moves b2-b4, c2-c3 and Bb3.}) ({And} 20... Rb8
{loses a pawn after} 21. Qxa5 Bxa5 22. Bxa6 {.}) 21. Bd2 $1 {White must turn
his attention to the queenside.} ({There is nothing to be obtained on the
opposite flank, for example} 21. g5 $2 Nxd5 $1 22. Rxd5 Qxd5 23. Qxb4 Qxf3 {
and Black is winning.}) 21... Ra4 ({Here} 21... Nxd5 {fails to} 22. Qd3 {.})
22. b4 $1 {Now Black has problems with his rook.} ({Weaker would have been} 22.
b3 Qxc3 23. Bxc3 Rf4 24. Be2 a5 {with counterplay (pointed out by Lutz).}) ({Or
} 22. Qxa5 $2 Bxa5 23. b3 Rb8 $1 {.}) 22... Qc7 ({Very bad for Black would
have been} 22... Qxd5 23. Qb3 Qc6 24. b5 {and White wins.}) 23. Kb2 $1 {The
best move;} ({whereas} 23. Qb3 Qd7 24. Bh3 Qe8 {is much less promising.}) ({
And after} 23. Qxc7 Bxc7 24. Kb2 Rb8 25. Kb3 Ra5 $1 26. c4 Nd7 $1 {Black
performs a balancing act and manages to hold everything together.}) 23... Nxd5
$2 {The decisive error, after which White's victory is not in doubt.} ({Also
losing were} 23... Qd7 24. Qc6 $1) ({and} 23... a5 24. Qxc7 Bxc7 25. Kb3 Rxb4+
26. Bxb4 axb4 27. Bb5 {.}) ({But} 23... Qb7 {would have made further
resistance possible, even if the position after} 24. Qb3 Qd7 25. Bh3 Qe8 26.
Ra1 Rxa1 27. Rxa1 {is obviously advantageous for White.}) 24. Qxc7 Bxc7 25. Kb3
Nb6 26. Be3 a5 {There is nothing else.} 27. c3 $1 {A last refinement. The
threat of Bxb6 followed by Kxa4 decides.} axb4 28. Bxb6 ({And since after} 28.
Bxb6 Ra3+ 29. Kxb4 Rfa8 30. Bxc7 {Black is short of both a perpetual check and
two bishops, he resigned. --- [AS - A strange way to trap a rook. I have never
had any other experiences like this.]}) 1-0

[Event "Chalkidiki"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kotronias, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B66"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "130"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in September 1993 and first appeared in the
German magazine 'Schach 64'. --- The Chalkidiki tournament was played
practically on the beach and I had a feeling that my chess was sometimes more
relaxed than it should have been. But I really like two of my games from that
event and have included them both in this book. Perhaps 'beach chess' isn't so
bad after all!} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Bg5 e6
7. Qd2 a6 8. O-O-O h6 9. Bf4 Bd7 10. Nxc6 Bxc6 11. Qe1 Qc7 $6 {Curiously
enough I had made the same mistake once before, against Topalov at Oviedo 1992.
Apparently I didn't learn anything from this experience.} ({AS - At Buenos
Aires in 1994 (the Lyev Polugayevsky theme tournament) I played the correct} 
11... Be7 {against Karpov and equalized after} 12. e5 Nh5 13. Be3 Qc7 14. Be2
g6 {(this is what Kotronias showed me after our game)} 15. Bxh5 gxh5 16. Bf4
O-O-O 17. f3 Bg5 $5 18. Bxg5 hxg5 {, etc. The game was drawn.}) 12. h4 $6 {Now
the mistake can be corrected.} ({Stronger in my opinion is} 12. Nd5 $1 Bxd5 13.
exd5 Rc8 14. c3 e5 15. Kb1 {with a slight advantage.}) 12... Be7 ({In the
above-mentioned game against Topalov I hit upon the incorrect idea of} 12... b5
13. Nd5 Bxd5 14. exd5 e5 $6 ({better is} 14... Rc8 {, but White is slightly
better}) 15. Kb1 Be7 16. Bc1 {, and Topalov defeated me spectacularly after
the further moves} O-O $6 17. g4 $1 Nxg4 $6 18. Rg1 h5 19. f3 Nf6 20. Bd3 Kh8
21. Rxg7 $1 Kxg7 22. Qg3+ Ng4 ({Black also loses after} 22... Kh8 23. Qg5 e4 ({
or} 23... Nh7 24. Qf5 Nf6 25. Bg5) 24. Bxe4 Nxe4 25. Qh6+ Kg8 26. Rg1+) 23.
fxg4 {, etc.}) 13. e5 d5 $1 ({This is better than} 13... dxe5 14. Bxe5 Qa5 15.
Rh3 {, when again White is slightly better - Kotronias.}) 14. Rh3 Nd7 15. Kb1
Nc5 16. h5 O-O-O $5 (16... O-O {is also possible, but after} 17. Qe3 Kh7 {
Black's king position is none too safe.}) 17. Ne2 Bb5 $5 {I wanted to get rid
of my 'bad' bishop,} ({but there was also nothing wrong with} 17... Kb8 18. Nd4
Bd7 {.}) 18. g4 $1 ({According to Kotronias,} 18. Rc3 {fails to} Bc4 $1 (18...
Kb8 {is also good}) 19. b3 Ne4 20. bxc4 Bb4 $1 {with a very strong attack.}) ({
White could have tried} 18. Nd4 Bxf1 19. Qxf1 {, but after} Kb8 {Black has no
problems.}) 18... Kb8 19. Bg2 Bxe2 20. Qxe2 Rd7 $1 {At first I had a generous
respect for the white bishop pair, but then I realized that Black has enough
counterplay along the c-file, and as a result perhaps even has the better
prospects.} 21. Rd4 {White plans c3-c4, which is not so good immediately on
account of ...d5-d4, but he will not achieve this aim.} ({Preferable was} 21.
b3 {, intending Bc1-b2.}) 21... Rc8 22. Rc3 (22. c4 {is strongly answered by}
Bg5 $1 {- Kotronias.}) 22... Qd8 23. a4 $5 {Weakening the king's position.} ({
It was better to play} 23. Bg3 b5 24. f4 {, when Black is only slightly better.
}) 23... Rdc7 24. Bg3 Qe8 $1 25. b3 Rc6 $1 {Black has improved the placing of
his pieces to the maximum, whereas White has been unable to attempt anything
active.} 26. f4 Bd8 27. Bf2 Bb6 $1 ({This is much better than} 27... Ba5 28.
Rh3 {, after which White can play} -- 29. c4 $1 {. Now ...Ne4 is threatened.})
28. Rd1 Ba5 {This is the difference to the previous variation. After the rook
has been driven away from d4 the a4 point is assailable.} ({If after} 28... Ba5
{, White plays} 29. Rh3 {then} Nxa4 $1 30. c4 ({or} 30. bxa4 Rxc2 31. Qxc2 Rxc2
32. Kxc2 Qxa4+ {winning}) 30... Rxc4 31. bxc4 Rxc4 {, and he has no defence
against the twin threats of ...Qb5+ and ...Nc3+, for example} 32. Rdd3 Qb5+ 33.
Rb3 Rc1+ 34. Kxc1 Qxe2 {and wins.}) 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. Bxc5 Rxc5 {In spite of
the reduced material Black has the better prospects. His pieces stand more
actively, the opposite-coloured bishops favour him, and he can also attack the
enemy king on the dark squares (...Bc3 in conjunction with a possible
sacrifice on a4 and a check on the b-file).} ({For this reason after} 30...
Rxc5 {White should now have walked his king towards the centre (} 31. Rd3 Bc3
32. Kc1 $5 {, with only a slight minus), but he lost patience ...}) 31. c4 $2
dxc4 32. Qe4 Rc7 33. Rc1 {There is nothing better.} Qd7 $5 (33... c3 {would
probably also have won, but I was looking for a forcing solution.}) 34. Rxc4
Qd1+ 35. Kb2 Qd2+ ({After} 35... Rd7 36. Rc1 $1 {things are not so clear.}) 36.
Qc2 $2 {This loses;} ({but Black would also have won eventually after} 36. Kb1
Bc3 37. Qc2 Rxc4 {, for example} 38. bxc4 (38. Qxd2 {makes no difference:} Bxd2
39. bxc4 Bxf4 40. Be4 Kc7 $1 41. Bh7 Kd7 42. Be4 b6 {and Black wins}) 38... Qd4
{with a clear endgame advantage.}) 36... Rxc4 37. Qxd2 ({Or} 37. bxc4 Qxf4 {
with a won game.}) 37... Bxd2 38. bxc4 Bxf4 39. Be4 Bxe5+ 40. Kc2 Kc7 {Black
is certainly winning, but I could not find the most accurate plan before the
time control at move 50.} 41. Kd3 b6 42. Bh7 Kd6 43. Be4 Bh2 44. Ke3 Bg1+ 45.
Kf3 Kc5 46. Bb7 a5 47. Ba6 Kd4 48. Bb5 g5 $2 49. hxg6 fxg6 50. Be8 Kxc4 51. Ke4
$2 {White could and should have waited with this move.} ({The natural} 51. Bxg6
{would have made my task more difficult.} -- ({. The ending after} 51... b5 52.
axb5 Kxb5 53. Bf7 e5 54. Ke4 {should be a draw}) ({, but} 51... Kd4 $1 {wins
very attractively through a series of zugzwangs:} 52. Bf7 e5 53. Bg6 Be3 54.
Be4 Bg5 55. Bc6 Be7 56. Bb5 Bd6 57. Bc6 Bc7 {(the first zugzwang)} 58. Bb5 ({or
} 58. Be4 b5 59. axb5 a4 {winning}) 58... e4+ 59. Ke2 Bd6 60. Bc6 Ke5 61. Ke3
Bc5+ 62. Ke2 Kf4 63. Bd7 e3 {(the second zugzwang)} 64. Be6 ({on} 64. Ke1 {
there follows} Kf3 {, and the threat of...Bc3+ forces White to play Bc6+,
after which he loses the g4 pawn}) 64... b5 65. axb5 a4 66. Bf5 a3 67. Be6 Bb6
{(the third zugzwang)} 68. Ke1 Kf3 {(the g4 pawn is again lost).})) 51... Kb4 {
Now Kotronias sealed, but the rest can be understood without much commentary.}
52. Bxg6 Kxa4 53. Bf7 b5 54. Bxe6 Ka3 55. Kd5 a4 56. Kc6 b4 57. Kb5 b3 58. Bf5
b2 59. Bc2 Bf2 60. Ka5 Be1+ 61. Kb5 Bd2 62. Bf5 Kb3 63. Be6+ Kc3 64. Ba2 a3 65.
Ka4 b1=Q (65... b1=Q 66. Bxb1 {is met by} Kb2 {.}) 0-1

[Event "Chalkidiki"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E99"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "61"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in September 1993 and was published in the German
magazine 'Schach 64'. --- The system of the Chalkidiki tournament was so
strange that I find it hard to explain to readers. I can only mention that
finally I had to play Boris in four games, but since I lost both games to him
in the quadrangular tournament, Boris was bound to be the tournament winner
independent of the result of the last two games. I won one game and drew the
other, so I could claim a moral victory because my total score (there were
also Adams and Kotronias in the event) was half a point more than Boris'. ---
I should mention that apart from the strange system, the tournament was well
organized and for me it was a unique experience of combining tournament chess
with beach relaxation.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6.
Nf3 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5 Ne7 9. Ne1 Nd7 10. Be3 {Viktor Korchnoi has often
played this way, but it was the first time that this move had occurred in my
own tournament practice.} f5 11. f3 h6 {This plan was first tried in
Korchnoi-Yurtayev, Manila Olympiad 1992. Yurtayev's idea appears dubious, but
I would not like to pass final judgement on it.} 12. Nd3 b6 (12... g5 13. c5
Nf6 14. Rc1 $1 Ng6 15. cxd6 cxd6 16. Nb5 $1 {is clearly better for White, as}
-- 17. Nc7 Rb8 18. Bxa7 {is threatened.}) 13. b4 g5 14. c5 Nf6 15. Rc1 $1 {An
important improvement.} ({Against Yurtayev, Korchnoi played} 15. cxd6 cxd6 16.
b5 Ng6 17. Nb4 Nf4 18. Nc6 Qe8 {, when Black stood well.}) ({However, worth
considering is} 15. Nf2 f4 16. Bd2 {, reaching a well-known type of position,
but with the moves b2-b4 and ...b7-b6 inserted. This favours White, as it is
now easier for him to open up the queenside.}) 15... Ng6 ({Also good for White
are} 15... Bd7 16. Nf2) ({and} 15... g4 16. fxg4 $1) ({but} 15... Rf7 {comes
into consideration.}) 16. exf5 $1 {Only so!} ({Both} 16. Nf2 Nf4) ({and} 16.
cxd6 cxd6 17. exf5 Ne7 18. g4 Nexd5 {lead to unclear play.}) 16... Bxf5 (16...
Ne7 {fails to} 17. g4 Nexd5 18. Nxd5 Nxd5 19. Qb3 c6 (19... Bb7 20. c6) ({and} 
19... dxc5 $2 20. Rfd1 c6 21. bxc5 {both win for White}) 20. cxd6 {with a big
advantage for White.}) 17. cxd6 cxd6 ({If} 17... Qxd6 {then} 18. Nb5 Qd7 19.
Nxc7 Rac8 20. Qb3 $1 {is very good for White.}) 18. Nf2 Nf4 19. Bxf4 exf4 20.
Bd3 Ne8 $2 {After this White's advantage becomes clear.} (20... Qd7 {is also
no good due to} 21. Bxf5 (21. Qc2 $5) 21... Qxf5 22. Nfe4) ({so Black should
have tried} 20... Bd7 {, even though after} 21. Bg6 $1 {I still like White's
position. Of course, things are much less clear then.}) 21. Bxf5 Rxf5 22. Qd3
Qd7 ({After} 22... Rf7 23. Nfe4 {White also has a clear advantage.}) 23. Nce4
Nc7 ({After} 23... Nc7 {,} 24. Rfd1 {can be met by} Rd8 $1 {.}) 24. Rc6 $1 Nxd5
({Of course not} 24... Rxd5 $4 25. Rxc7 {.}) 25. Rxd6 Qf7 26. Ng4 $1 Ne3 {The
best chance.} ({Black's position is hopeless after} 26... Nxb4 27. Qd2 h5 28.
Nh6+ Bxh6 29. Rxh6 a5 30. Qd4 Qg7 31. -- ({, and not now} 31. Qxb6 {because of}
Ra6 $1) ({, but} 31. Qd6 {with a clear advantage in view of the threats} -- 32.
Rg6 ({and} 32. Nf6+ {.})) ({. If} 31. Qd6 Qf8 {then} 32. a3 Qxd6 ({not} 32...
Nd5 33. Qg6+ Qg7 34. Qxf5 Qxh6 35. Qxd5+) 33. Nxd6 Rd5 34. axb4 Kg7 35. Re6
axb4 36. Ne4 {with a won ending.})) 27. Nxh6+ Bxh6 28. Rxh6 Nxf1 ({After} 28...
Qxa2 29. Nf6+ Kf8 (29... Rxf6 30. Qh7+) 30. Qd6+ Kg7 31. Qd7+ {Black is mated.}
) 29. Nd6 Rd5 $2 ({Black does not want to be tortured in a hopeless ending
after} 29... Qd5 30. Qxf5 Qxf5 31. Nxf5 Nd2 32. Rg6+ {, so he chooses a quick
death.}) 30. Rh8+ Kg7 31. Qh7+ 1-0

[Event "European Club Cup, Luxembourg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Murey, J."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A21"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "102"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 58'.} 1. c4 ({Grandmaster Jakob Murey has some incredibly
original ideas, especially in the openings. The most famous of these is
probably after} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. d4 Nxe4 4. Bd3 {,} Nc6 {. Imagine - to
find a novelty on only the fourth move in a position which has occurred
countless times before! His creativity is definitely exceptional.}) 1... e5 2.
Nf3 d6 3. Nc3 f5 4. g3 Nf6 5. d4 e4 6. Nh4 $5 {What is this? The knight goes
to the edge of the board, in violation of the classical rules! I thought that
it should be immediately refuted...} g6 $5 {A new move.} ({White's idea can be
seen in the line} 6... Be7 7. Bh3 $1 g6 8. O-O {, intending} -- 9. f3 {, with
a slight advantage, as Murey played a very long time ago.}) 7. Bg5 $1 Bg7 8.
Qd2 O-O {Every opening move was taking me a lot of time because I could not 
(and still cannot) understand what was going on.} ({The natural} 8... h6 $2 {
is wrong because of} 9. Bxf6 Qxf6 10. Nd5 Qf7 11. Nxg6 {.}) 9. f3 $1 Qe8 {This,
I believe, is a mistake.} ({I rejected} 9... exf3 {because I didn't like the
position after} 10. Nxf3 Qe8 $6 11. Bxf6 Bxf6 12. Bg2 {, with the idea of} --
13. O-O {, followed by Rae1 and e2-e4.}) ({But after} 9... exf3 10. Nxf3 {,
what would have been wrong with} b6 {instead of 10...Qe8? This would have been
the right way to challenge Murey's creative play.}) 10. Bg2 exf3 {Now this is
too late.} (10... Qf7 $6 {was an interesting alternative.}) 11. Bxf3 c5 {
Continuing with my aggressive intentions and putting the game into high-risk
mode.} ({However, I already don't see a good alternative, for example} 11...
Nc6 $6 12. O-O-O Ne4 13. Bxe4 fxe4 14. Bh6 $1 {, when White is on top.}) 12.
Nb5 $1 Ne4 $1 {There is nothing else.} 13. Bxe4 Qxe4 14. Nf3 $1 {This is the
move that I had underestimated;} ({counting mainly on} 14. O-O-O $2 cxd4 15.
Nc7 Be6 16. Qd3 (16. Nxa8 $2 Rc8 17. b3 Bxc4 {wins for Black}) 16... Bf7 17.
Qxe4 fxe4 18. Nxa8 Na6 {with an excellent initiative for the sacrificed rook.
After I replied to 14 Nf3 my situation became especially dangerous since I
already had less than half an hour to reach move 40 and in such a complicated
position this is not enough. Besides, my opponent continued playing
impressively quickly.}) 14... cxd4 15. Nc7 Na6 {Probably the only way to
create real counter-chances.} ({The lines} 15... f4 $2 16. O-O fxg3 17. hxg3
Bh3 18. Rf2) ({and} 15... Be6 16. Nxa8 Bxc4 $2 {(intending ...d4-d3)} 17. Kf2
Na6 18. Rhc1 $1 (18. Rac1 $2 Bxa2 19. Nc7 Nc5 {offers Black compensation})
18... b5 19. b3 {would have been completely disastrous.}) 16. Nxa8 Bd7 $1 {The
right place for the bishop as he can move to c6 one day.} (16... Be6 $2 17. Rc1
Rxa8 18. O-O {, with ideas of} -- 19. Bh6 ({or} 19. Bf4 {, looks bad for Black.
})) 17. Bh6 $5 {Is this the end? I almost convinced myself that it was, but
then found a possible chance.} Bxh6 18. Qxh6 d3 19. O-O dxe2 20. Rf2 f4 $1 (
20... Rxa8 $2 21. Re1 {loses at once. With the text Black offers White an
'easy win' which is in fact just an illusion.}) 21. Qxh7+ $5 {It's difficult
to resist such a move, but in fact White doesn't gain an advantage with it.} ({
Another try would have been Murey's post-mortem suggestion} 21. Re1 $5 fxg3 22.
hxg3 Rxf3 23. Rexe2 {, but I believe that Black gets reasonable compensation
for the exchange in the endgame arising after} Qd4 $1 24. Qh4 (24. Qg5 Bc6 $1 {
is unclear}) 24... Qxh4 25. gxh4 Rg3+ 26. Rg2 Rh3 $1 {.}) 21... Kxh7 22. Ng5+
Kg8 $1 23. Nxe4 f3 {A rook down, with less than ten minutes for 17 moves, but
still alive - this was what I more or less was feeling by this point. My
opponent was becoming visibly frustrated that the game was not yet won and
played the rest of the game without inspiration. It's a pity that there were
still no practical winning chances for myself.} 24. Nc3 ({If} 24. Nd2 {then}
Bc6 {, with the idea of} 25. -- b6) ({and} 24. Nxd6 {can also be answered by}
Bc6 {, intending} 25. -- Rd8 $1 {.}) 24... Re8 $1 {Very precise.} (24... Bc6
25. Nxe2 fxe2 26. Rxf8+ Kxf8 27. Kf2 b6 28. Nxb6 axb6 29. Kxe2 {would have
been really unpleasant for Black.}) 25. Re1 Bc6 26. Nd5 ({During the game I
feared} 26. a3 $5 b6 27. Nxb6 axb6 28. b4 {, but then I found that after} Re3
$1 29. b5 (29. Nxe2 b5 $1) 29... Ba8 $3 {Black is winning!}) 26... Bxd5 27.
cxd5 Re3 $1 28. a3 b5 {Time-trouble is already influencing the play.} ({The
easiest way to make a draw would have been} 28... Rd3 29. Rexe2 (29. Rxf3 $2
Rxf3 30. Rxe2 Rf8 {and takes on a8}) 29... fxe2 30. Rxe2 Rxd5 {.}) 29. g4 $5 b4
30. h4 (30. axb4 Nxb4 31. Nc7 {would have forced me to find the only drawing
line (with my flag hanging of course!):} Nc2 $1 32. Rxf3 Rxf3 33. Rxe2 Ne3 34.
Rf2 Rxf2 35. Kxf2 Nxg4+ {.}) 30... bxa3 31. bxa3 Rxa3 32. Kh2 Nb4 33. Nc7 Nd3
34. Rexe2 ({It is never too late to blunder.} 34. Rxf3 $4 Nxe1 35. Rxa3 Nc2 {
would even lose.}) 34... fxe2 35. Rxe2 Ne5 36. Re4 Nf3+ 37. Kg2 Nxh4+ 38. Kf2 {
Black is now a pawn up, but unfortunately his king is too passive to hope for
a win.} Ra2+ 39. Kg3 g5 40. Nb5 (40. Re6 {would have been simpler.}) 40... Rg2+
41. Kh3 Rd2 42. Nxd6 Rxd5 43. Re8+ Kg7 44. Ne4 a5 45. Kg3 Ng6 46. Ra8 Ne7 47.
Kf3 Rb5 48. Nd6 Rb3+ 49. Ke4 Rb4+ 50. Ke5 Rb1 51. Nc4 Rb4 {. Draw and...
Hamburg lost the knock-out match by half a point (had I won it would have been
the opposite result). --- This was the last game I played for Hamburg before
switching to Berlin; I would have relished a farewell win. However, the game
itself was very enjoyable.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Team Championship, Lucerne"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kramnik, V."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B65"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "107"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in November 1993 and first appeared in 'New in
Chess Magazine'. --- In the World Team Championship Latvia performed well in
the first half but then things went wrong. In the last round we still had a
chance for an honourable place if we could beat Russia 3-1. At one moment it
seemed possible, but the miracle didn't happen - the result was 2-2 and Latvia
finished sixth. --- For me it was the opposite story. I played poorly at
started with just 1½ out of 4. Then I recovered completely and won three
interesting games. The present game was important to prove that at that time I
was one of the elite players. I was on my way to the 3rd position in the
rating list which I obtained clearly half a year later... just for a while.} 1.
e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 {Like yours truly, Kramnik
always plays the Rauzer with Black. However, the line he chose in this game
was not one that I had expected.} 6. Bg5 e6 7. Qd2 Be7 8. O-O-O O-O 9. f4 Nxd4
10. Qxd4 Qa5 11. Bc4 Bd7 12. Rd3 $1 {This move, first played by Shabalov
against Inkiov in Gausdal in January 1991, has not proved popular.} e5 ({AS -
Two months later, in Belgrade 1993, Kramnik came up with a new move} 12... Rad8
$1 {. His games in that event against Kotronias and Hodgson, as well as the
game Shirov-Kramnik in Groningen (December 1993) sent White back to the
drawing board.}) 13. Qe3 $1 {A novelty which Vasilios Kotronias had analysed
deeply and shown me at Linares in 1993, where he was my second.} (13. Qg1 {,
which was played in Lanka-Kotronias, Gausdal, July 1991, is nothing like as
good.}) 13... Rac8 14. Bb3 Be6 {These two moves took Kramnik more than an hour.
} ({Later he told me that he had been calculating} 14... Rxc3 15. Rxc3 ({in my
opinion} 15. bxc3 {is not bad either}) 15... h6 {, but had decided that after}
16. fxe5 $1 Ng4 17. Bxe7 Nxe3 18. Rxe3 Qxe5 19. Bxf8 Kxf8 {Black stands worse.
Yet is not easy for White to prove that he has serious winning chances in this
line.}) 15. Bxe6 exf4 {The only move,} ({since} 15... fxe6 16. Qh3 Kf7 17. f5 {
is just bad for Black.}) 16. Bxf4 ({For a while I considered} 16. Qh3 $6 Rxc3
17. Rxc3 Qxg5 {, but then Black has no problems.}) 16... fxe6 17. Qh3 Kf7 {
Again the only move. Now it seems that White has the advantage, but he has to
be very energetic to prevent Black from consolidating.} 18. Kb1 ({Not, of
course,} 18. Rxd6 $4 Rxc3 19. bxc3 Bxd6 20. Bxd6 Qa3+ {.}) 18... Qc5 $6 {Now
White's edge is more or less clear.} ({After} 18... Rc6 {I was going to play}
19. Nd5 $5 exd5 20. exd5 Nxd5 21. Bd2 $1 {, but I was not sure about anything
in this position.}) 19. g4 $1 ({I could have won a pawn with} 19. Be3 Qe5 20.
Bd4 Qg5 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Rxd6 {, but after} Rfe8 23. Rf1 Qe5 {Black has
sufficient compensation.}) 19... h6 {Yet again the only move.} 20. Be3 Qe5 21.
Bd4 $5 ({Here I wanted to play} 21. Rg1 {, but after} Rc4 $1 22. g5 Nxe4 {the
position is unclear.}) ({Besides the text,} 21. Bxa7 $5 {deserved serious
attention, since} Rc4 {can be met by} 22. b3 Rb4 23. a3 {. Frankly, I was
rather exhausted at the end of the tournament, so I decided to make logical
moves without much calculation.}) 21... Qg5 22. Rg1 ({After} 22. Rg1 -- 23. Be3
Qe5 24. g5 {is threatened}) ({and} 22. Rg1 Rc4 {can still be met by} 23. e5 $1
dxe5 24. Be3 Qg6 25. g5 {with the initiative for a pawn.}) 22... Nd7 23. Be3
Qg6 24. g5 $1 {A direct attack is now the only way to retain the advantage.}
hxg5 25. Bxg5 $1 (25. Nb5 {did not seem convincing in view of} Kg8 {.}) 25...
Bxg5 26. Rxd6 Nc5 ({Of course} 26... Ke7 {loses to} 27. Rxg5) ({but} 26... Rfd8
{is not easy to refute. However, my analysis convinced me that after} 27. Qg3
$1 Nf6 (27... Nc5 $2 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Qc7+ Nd7 30. h4 {wins for White}) 28.
Rxd8 Rxd8 29. h4 Nxe4 30. Nxe4 Qxe4 31. Qxg5 Qd4 ({and not} 31... Rg8 $2 32.
Rf1+ Ke8 33. Rd1) 32. Qg6+ Kg8 33. Qxe6+ Kh8 34. Qe1 {Black has no real
compensation for the pawn.}) 27. Qg4 Kg8 28. h4 Rf4 {I must admit to having
overlooked this move when playing 24 g5, but White is still better.} 29. Qxg5
Qxg5 30. hxg5 Rcf8 (30... Nxe4 31. Nxe4 Rxe4 32. Rd7 $1 {is very promising for
White, e.g.} Re2 33. Rxb7 Rcxc2 34. g6 $1 {and White wins.}) 31. b4 $2 {Quite
a weak move.} ({After} 31. b3 $1 Nxe4 32. Nxe4 Rxe4 33. g6 $1 {White has
excellent winning chances.}) 31... Nxe4 32. Nxe4 Rxe4 33. a3 Kh7 $2 {With this
bad move Kramnik offered a draw.} ({After} 33... g6 $1 {White would still have
retained slight hopes for a win, although a draw would have been the most
likely outcome.}) 34. Rd7 ({Perhaps} 34. g6+ Kh6 35. Rd7 {would have been more
precise.}) 34... Kg6 35. Rxb7 a5 36. Kb2 Rff4 37. Kb3 $2 ({Now, while writing
these annotations, I realize that} 37. bxa5 {gives White a decisive advantage.}
) 37... Re3+ 38. Ka4 Rff3 $2 ({Black's only chance was to defend the position
after} 38... axb4 39. axb4 Rc3 40. Rg2 Rfc4 41. Re2 Rxc2 42. Rxe6+ Kxg5 43.
Rxg7+ {, although White is still clearly on top.}) 39. Kxa5 Rxa3+ 40. Kb6 Rac3
41. Re1 {At the time I thought that this was the clearest way to win, but in
fact there are still some snags.} ({Now I would prefer} 41. Rc7 Rxc7 42. Kxc7
Rc3+ 43. Kd7 Rxc2 44. Rb1 $1 {and Black's position is hopeless, for example}
Kf7 45. g6+ $1 Kxg6 46. b5 Kf7 47. b6 Rd2+ 48. Kc6 Rc2+ 49. Kb5 {(the move
that I had missed in my original calculations)} Rc8 50. b7 {followed by 51 Kc6
and wins.}) 41... Kxg5 42. Rxg7+ Kf6 43. Rc7 $1 e5 (43... Rxc7 44. Kxc7 Ke7 ({
or} 44... Rc3+ 45. Kd6) 45. Re5 Rf5 46. Re4 {is an easy win for White.}) 44. b5
Rxc7 ({I had expected} 44... Ke6 {and was going to play} 45. Re2 {anyway. If
then} Kd5 {,} 46. Rd2+ Ke6 47. Rxc3 Rxc3 48. Ka5 {is decisive.}) 45. Kxc7 Ke6 (
{Of course} 45... Rc3+ 46. Kd6 Rxc2 47. Rxe5 {is lost for Black.}) 46. Re2 Rc3+
47. Kb8 Rc4 ({The most logical line of resistance would have been} 47... Kd5
48. b6 e4 49. b7 e3 50. Rh2 ({not} 50. Ka7 $2 Kc6 $1) 50... Kc6 51. Rh6+ Kb5 ({
or} 51... Kd7 52. Ka7 Ra3+ 53. Kb6) 52. Re6 {and White wins.}) 48. b6 e4 49. b7
Kd5 50. Rh2 {This is the killer;} ({whereas} 50. Rd2+ $2 Kc6 51. Rh2 e3 52.
Rh6+ $2 Kd5 53. Ka7 $2 {would have suddenly led to a draw after} e2 54. b8=Q
Ra4+ $1 55. Kb7 ({or} 55. Ra6 Rxa6+ 56. Kxa6 e1=Q) 55... Rb4+ 56. Rb6 e1=Q $3 (
{not} 56... Rxb6+ 57. Kxb6 e1=Q 58. Qd8+ Kc4 59. Qd3+ Kb4 60. Qb3#) 57. Qd6+
Kc4 {, etc.}) 50... e3 ({If} 50... Kd4 {then} 51. Ka7 Ra4+ 52. Kb6 Rb4+ 53. Kc6
Rc4+ 54. Kb5 {and White wins.}) 51. Ka7 Ra4+ 52. Kb6 Rb4+ 53. Kc7 Rc4+ 54. Kd7
({After} 54. Kd7 {Kramnik resigned due to} Rb4 55. Rh5+ {and 56 Rh4+. --- In
my previous encounter with Vladimir I had won despite 'being a rook down'
according to various magazines (particularly 'New in Chess'). Well, this time
I was more careful with my rooks. --- [AS - But not at Linares 1994!]}) 1-0

[Event "Groningen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Chernin, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C10"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in January 1994 and have been published in
various magazines. --- Sacrifices on h5, d5 and f5 in a row and the rook
manoeuvre ... some people have expressed the opinion that this is my best game.
I agree it is good but do not consider it my finest.} 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3
dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 {I am always happy to play this system as White, since Black
loses some time compared to the Caro-Kann.} 5. Nf3 Bc6 6. Bd3 Nd7 7. O-O Ngf6
8. Ng3 ({Nowadays} 8. Neg5 {is more popular, but I can see nothing wrong with
simple development.}) 8... Be7 9. b3 O-O 10. Bb2 Bxf3 $6 {In my opinion it is
not yet necessary to give up the bishop.} 11. Qxf3 c6 12. c4 Re8 13. Rfe1 Bf8 (
{Hübner played} 13... Nf8 {against me at Munich in 1993, but after} 14. h4 $1 {
White stood better.}) 14. Rad1 ({Another idea would have been} 14. Re2 {,
followed by} -- 15. Rae1 {, but I consider the text more logical, since the
idea is to prevent ...g7-g6.}) 14... Qa5 ({After the game Chernin said he did
not like} 14... g6 {because of} 15. d5 $1 ({note that} 15. h4 Bg7 16. h5 Qa5 {
is quite okay for Black}) 15... cxd5 (15... exd5 16. Rxe8 Nxe8 17. cxd5 {is
very attractive for White}) 16. cxd5 Nxd5 17. Bc4 {.} -- ({. Now} 17... N7f6 {
just loses because of} 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. Rxd5 Qxd5 (19... exd5 20. Rxe8 Qxe8
21. Qf6 {and wins}) 20. Qf6 e5 21. Rxe5 Qc6 $1 22. Re6 $1 Qc1+ 23. Bxc1 Rxe6
24. Qc3) ({, so Black must play} 17... Bg7 {; but after} 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. Bxd5
exd5 20. Qxd5 {his position is terrible.})) 15. Bb1 g6 ({After} 15... Rac8) ({
or} 15... Rad8 {I would also have played} 16. h4 {with at least a slight edge.}
) 16. h4 $1 Bg7 ({During the game I saw no clear way of meeting} 16... h5 17.
-- ({, since} 17. Ne4 Nxe4 18. Rxe4 Bg7 {, with the idea of} 19. g4 $6 f5 $1 {
is fine for Black.}) ({. But now I think that} 17. Bc3 $1 Bb4 {(otherwise 18
d5!)} 18. Bxb4 Qxb4 19. Ne4 $1 {yields White a big advantage.})) 17. Bc3 $1 Qc7
18. h5 b5 19. h6 $2 {The right idea but in the wrong move order.} ({Correct was
} 19. Bd2 $1 -- {intending} 20. h6 $1 Bh8 21. Bg5 {with a clear advantage.}) ({
If after} 19. Bd2 {, Black plays, e.g.} bxc4 20. bxc4 e5 {, then after} 21. h6
Bh8 22. dxe5 Nxe5 23. Qf4 Re6 24. Re2 Rae8 25. Rde1 {White holds the edge.})
19... Bxh6 $1 {I had imagined that this was impossible, and only now realized
that Chernin would get three pawns for the piece.} 20. d5 cxd5 21. Bxf6 bxc4 $2
{Chernin misses his only opportunity to equalize.} (21... Nxf6 22. Qxf6 bxc4
23. Qh4 Bf4 $1 24. Ne2 (24. bxc4 Bxg3 25. fxg3 dxc4 {is equal}) 24... Be5 25.
bxc4 dxc4 {White has no advantage. Trying to take things easy suddenly allows
White a powerful attack.}) 22. Bb2 $1 cxb3 $6 ({Although White would have
stood better after} 22... Bg7 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. Qc3+ {, Black should have gone
in for this. The rest of the game gave me some aesthetic pleasure, which is
not often the case in chess.}) 23. Nh5 $3 f5 ({Both} 23... gxh5 24. Qxh5 Qf4
25. Bc1 Nf6 26. Qh3) ({and} 23... bxa2 24. Nf6+ Nxf6 25. Qxf6 e5 26. Rxe5 {are
hopeless.}) ({Tougher resistance would have been offered by} 23... Bg5 24. Qg4
Qd8 25. axb3 {; nevertheless, White should still win.}) 24. Rxd5 $1 gxh5 ({
There is no choice as} 24... exd5 {is met by} 25. Qxd5+ Kf8 26. Ba3+ {.}) 25.
Rxf5 $1 Nf8 (25... exf5 26. Qd5+ Kf8 27. Qxf5+ Kg8 28. Qxh7+ {and the game is
over.}) 26. Rxh5 bxa2 27. Bxa2 Bg7 28. Qg4 $1 {The best way.} (28. Rg5 Ng6 29.
Rxe6 Kh8 {is not so clear.}) 28... Kh8 29. Bxg7+ Qxg7 30. Rg5 Ng6 31. Bb1 Qc3
32. Rd1 Qf6 $6 (32... Rg8 {would probably have caused me some problems (I had
about eight minutes left at this stage), but during the post-mortem analysis
we found that} 33. Qh5 Nf8 34. Rd7 $3 {(suggested by Zoltan Ribli)} Qc1+ 35.
Kh2 Qf4+ 36. Rg3 Rxg3 37. Rxh7+ Kg8 38. fxg3 {wins.}) ({After} 32... Rg8 {
another idea is} 33. Rxg6 $5 (33. Bxg6 $2 Qf6 {is unclear}) 33... Rxg6 (33...
hxg6 34. Qh4+ Kg7 35. Rd7+) 34. Bxg6 Rg8 35. Qxe6 hxg6 (35... Rxg6 36. Rd8+ Kg7
37. Qe7+ Kh6 38. Qh4+ {, etc.}) 36. g4 $5 {with a clear plus.}) 33. Rd7 $1 {
Now it's all over.} Re7 34. Rxe7 Qxe7 ({Not} 34... Nxe7 $2 35. Qe4 {and White
wins immediately.}) 35. Bxg6 Rg8 36. Qd4+ Rg7 ({It is a pity that the game did
not finish with} 36... Qg7 37. Rh5 {.}) 37. Rh5 e5 ({After} 37... e5 {Black
resigned, not waiting for the obvious} 38. Rxe5 {. [AS - I especially enjoyed
this game because of the way White's rook destroyed Black's defences.]}) 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Polgar, J."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "96"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This annotations are based on my notes published in 'Informator 60'. --- This
was the best tournament in my career (so far), but I started with ½ out of 3.
Fortunately it didn't kill my fighting spirit and I won the next four games.
This one is the last in the series. Despite shaky play after that, my luck
held and I somehow made it. --- Something to remember.} 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3.
Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6 5. Bg5 $5 {Quite an interesting set-up against the Pirc
Defence. Eight months after this game I played it myself against David Norwood
(Bundesliga 1994/95).} Qb6 $5 ({Norwood continued} 5... Bg4 {.}) 6. Rb1 {I was
very surprised by this move.} (6. a3 Bg4 7. Be3 Nd7 {would also have been fine
for Black}) ({but I was completely sure that with her attacking style Judit
was going to sacrifice a pawn with} 6. Qd2 $5 Qxb2 7. Rb1 Qa3 8. Bd3 {. Black
might then continue} h6 9. Be3 Nf6 10. O-O Nbd7 11. h3 Qa5 {with an unclear
game.}) 6... Bg4 7. Be3 Bxf3 8. gxf3 Qc7 {Curiously enough Judit repeated the
same line against me in a blindfold game in Monaco in 1996.} ({Unable to
remember our previous encounter properly I continued} 8... Nd7 {and won again.}
) 9. h4 e6 $1 10. h5 d5 11. Qd2 ({I was more afraid of} 11. Qe2 {, a direct
attempt to use White's lead in development. But I think that Black is still
solid after the precise} Nf6 $1 (11... Ne7 $6 {leaves Black's position too
passive after} 12. h6 Bf8 13. Bh3 Nd7 14. Bg5 $1) 12. h6 Bf8 13. Bg5 Be7 {, as}
14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. exd5 cxd5 16. Nxd5 Qa5+ 17. Nc3 Bxd4 18. Qb5+ Nc6 $1 {is
good for him.}) 11... Nd7 12. b4 (12. exd5 exd5 13. Bf4 Qb6 14. Qe3+ {looks
dangerous but can be answered by} Ne7 {, since} 15. Bd6 O-O $3 16. Bxe7 Rfe8 {
is playable for Black, for example} 17. Ne2 (17. hxg6 Qxd4 $1 {allows Black to
win back the piece with a strong position}) 17... Bf8 18. hxg6 hxg6 19. Bc5
Nxc5 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Qh6 Bd4 22. Kd1 Bg7 23. Qh4 Re5 $1 {with an initiative
to compensate for White's extra piece.}) 12... Ngf6 13. h6 $5 Bf8 14. Bf4 Qd8
$6 {Although Black is not worse after this move, he certainly becomes very
passive.} (14... e5 {was called for, as Black needs to open the centre to show
that White's position is vulnerable and full of weaknesses. White then has to
try to swap some pieces, for example} 15. dxe5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Qxe5 17. f4 Qe6
18. e5 {and after} Ne4 {(other knight moves might also be interesting)} 19.
Nxe4 dxe4 20. Bh3 Qd5 21. c4 $1 Qxd2+ 22. Kxd2 a5 $5 (22... Bxh6 23. Ke3 f5 24.
exf6 Kf7 25. Bg4 Bf8 {is also okay for Black}) 23. bxa5 Bc5 $1 24. Rxb7 O-O {
the position should be about equal.}) 15. Bd3 {The plan chosen by Judit seems
too slow and Black soon gets the upper hand.} ({Critical was} 15. Be2 $1 {,
when Black can choose between} -- (15... Be7 16. e5 Ng8 ({not} 16... Nh5 $2 17.
Be3 {threatening 18 f4}) 17. Nd1 b5 {with a slow but solid plan of ...Bf8 and .
..Ne7}) ({, or} 15... Nb6 16. a4 Be7 17. a5 Nc8 {which seems equal to me.}))
15... Be7 16. Ne2 $6 ({Now} 16. e5 {would have been less strong but still
preferable to the text-move. I intended to reply} Nh5 17. Be3 Nxe5 $1 18. dxe5
d4 {with an equal position after} 19. Ne2 ({or} 19. Ne4 dxe3 20. fxe3) 19...
dxe3 20. Qxe3 {.}) 16... O-O 17. c3 b5 $1 {Here, holding a slight advantage, I
began feeling very ambitious, but as usual I had to be prepared for a fight
against the clock.} 18. Kf1 a5 19. a3 Nb6 20. Re1 Ne8 $5 {A natural plan but
one that allows White some curious counterplay for which Judit, of course,
immediately goes.} ({Another possibility would have been} 20... axb4 21. axb4
Ra3 $5 {, intending} 22. -- Qa8 {.}) 21. Be5 Nd6 22. Bg7 $1 Ndc4 23. Qc1 ({The
correct decision as the 'active'} 23. Qf4 {would also have been answered by}
Re8 {, when the a3 pawn is hanging.}) 23... Re8 24. e5 axb4 25. axb4 Ra2 26.
Qf4 Rd2 27. Bb1 Na4 $5 {Fighting against the bishop on b1.} 28. Kg2 Nab2 (28...
Rxe2 29. Rxe2 Nxc3 30. Ree1 Bxb4 {would smash White's pawn structure, but
allows him a powerful initiative with} 31. Bd3 $1 {.}) 29. Qg4 $1 ({Avoiding} 
29. Ng3 $2 Bg5 30. Qg4 Nd1 $1 {and wins.}) 29... Na3 $1 {The bishop must be
taken before it can be sacrificed on g6.} 30. Nf4 Nxb1 31. Rxb1 Nd3 32. Nxd3 ({
White has to exchange another active piece as} 32. Nh3 $6 {fails to} Qa8 $1 33.
Ra1 Ra2 34. Rad1 Nb2 {, with a clear advantage for Black.}) 32... Rxd3 {This
is the position I had been aiming for. Black's pawns are still much better but
the passivity of some of his pieces make the chances roughly equal. Now White
commits hara-kiri.} 33. Ra1 $2 {Giving up one, then another pawn, and not
getting anything in return.} ({The right idea was} 33. Rhc1 f5 $1 34. exf6 Bxf6
35. Ra1 $1 {with an unclear game.}) 33... Rxc3 34. Ra7 Rc4 $1 {Now Black is
winning. White can only hope for time-trouble tricks.} 35. Rha1 Rxb4 36. Qf4 c5
37. Rxe7 $5 Qxe7 38. Bf6 Qc7 $1 ({The purpose of} 38... Qc7 {is to meet} 39.
Bg5 {with} f5 {.}) 39. Ra6 Rxd4 40. Qg5 Ra4 41. Rd6 Raa8 42. Rc6 $5 {Beautiful
but insufficient.} ({Black also wins after} 42. Bd8 f6) ({or} 42. Qh4 $5 Qb7 $1
43. Bd8 f5 44. Qf6 c4 45. Rb6 Qd7 46. Rd6 Raxd8 47. Rxd7 Rxd7 {.}) 42... Qa7 $1
({Not} 42... Qxc6 $4 43. Be7 {, intending Qf6 winning.}) 43. Bd8 {Offering
another poisoned piece.} ({The rook sacrifice} 43. Ra6 {would now fail to} Qxa6
44. Be7 f5 45. Qf6 Rxe7 46. Qxe7 Qa7 {winning.}) 43... f6 44. Bxf6 c4 45. Qg4
Qf7 46. Qd4 Rec8 47. Qb6 Rxc6 48. Qxc6 Rb8 0-1

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D11"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "86"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1994 and have been published in various
magazines. --- Before this game I was half a point ahead of my opponent, so he
had to win. Given the tournament situation, perhaps my opening choice was not
the best.} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Bf5 $5 {Perhaps this move is not so bad, but it is
too experimental to play in such an important game.} 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. Qb3
Qb6 ({AS - In the Bundesliga in 1995 Kramnik had a very convincing victory
over Hertneck in the line} 5... Qc7 6. Bf4 dxc4 7. Bxc7 cxb3 8. e4 Bg6 9. a3 $1
{, which seems to be critical for today's assessment of the 2...Bf5 variation.
However, Hertneck's subsequent play can be improved upon.}) 6. c5 Qc7 ({The
other way,} 6... Qxb3 7. axb3 Na6 {is dubious in view of} 8. Ra4 $1 {.}) 7. Bf4
Qc8 8. e3 Nf6 9. Qa4 $1 {Something that I had not analysed, and actually quite
strong.} Nbd7 10. b4 a6 {A sad necessity.} (10... Nh5 11. Be5 f6 12. Bg3 {is
very unpleasant}) ({while} 10... Bg4 11. b5 Bxf3 {fails to} 12. bxc6 $1 {.})
11. h3 ({AS - There was no need to spend a tempo on this move since after} 11.
Be2 Be7 12. Qb3 {,} Nh5 {is not so good due to} 13. Be5 {, with a slight plus.}
) 11... Be7 12. Qb3 O-O 13. Be2 Be4 $5 ({I spent a long time making up my mind
between this move and} 13... Bd8 14. O-O Bc7 15. Bxc7 Qxc7 16. a4 e5 {. In
fact this gives Black a reasonable game, so perhaps I should not have rejected
it.}) 14. O-O {Now Black has no opening problems.} ({After} 14. Nxe4 Nxe4 15.
O-O Bd8 {he is also okay.}) 14... Bxf3 15. Bxf3 Bd8 16. a4 Bc7 $6 ({With
hindsight I prefer} 16... Re8 {, intending 17...e5, and ready to meet} 17. b5 {
with} Ba5 {.}) ({[AS - After} 16... Re8 17. b5 {, the best move is still} e5 {
with equality (} 18. Bg3 exd4 19. exd4 Bc7 {, etc).}) 17. Bg5 h6 18. Bxf6 Nxf6
19. b5 e5 $4 ({After} 19... Ba5 {(Karpov's suggestion) Black is quite okay.
Now he suddenly faces big problems.}) ({[AS - The mark '??' is a bit too harsh.
The position after} 19... e5 {is not yet so clear.}) ({Besides,} 19... Ba5 {
does not equalize due to} 20. Ne2 {with the idea of} b6 21. Rfc1 $1 {, when
White is on top.]}) 20. b6 $1 Bb8 {With apologies to the buried rook on a8.} ({
Variations such as} 20... exd4 21. Ne2 $1 d3 22. Qxd3 Be5 23. Nd4) ({and} 20...
e4 21. bxc7 exf3 22. Rfb1 $1 fxg2 23. Kxg2 Qxc7 24. Qxb7 {held no attraction
for me at all, but perhaps I should have tried one of them.}) ({Even worse
would have been} 20... Bd8 21. dxe5 Nd7 22. Bg4 $1 {.}) 21. a5 $1 {Making the
queenside structure quite picturesque, and demonstrating that White is not in
any hurry. Otherwise Black could have played 21...a5.} exd4 {Not wanting to
die a slow death.} ({AS - In fact, Black could have tried} 21... e4 22. Be2 Nh7
{, with the idea of 23...f5, but} 23. f4 $1 exf3 24. Bxf3 {would still have
yielded White a certain edge.}) 22. exd4 Bf4 $1 {The only reasonable move.} ({
After} 22... Bf4 {,} 23. g3 Qxh3 24. Bg2 Qh5 25. gxf4 Ng4 {is very dangerous
for White. Of course he is not forced to go in for this variation.}) 23. Qc2 $1
Qd7 $2 ({The last chance for a 'normal' game was} 23... h5 {, although after}
24. g3 Bh6 25. Kg2 {White is a little better. Anyway, Black would have had
good chances of survival in this variation, while in the game he immediately
slips into a lost position.}) 24. g3 $1 {Now, with the queen on c2, this is
strong.} Qxh3 {Under no circumstances, of course, could Black move his bishop
back to b8.} 25. Bg2 Qh5 26. gxf4 Ng4 27. Rfd1 $1 ({I underestimated this move,
having counted on} 27. Rfe1 Qh2+ 28. Kf1 Qxf4 {with unclear chances.}) 27...
Rae8 28. Rd3 Qh2+ 29. Kf1 f5 $5 (29... Qxf4 30. Qd2 {is hopeless for Black.})
30. Qd2 {Probably not the best.} ({I couldn't see a way to prove that I had
sufficient compensation after} 30. Ne2 {.}) 30... Rf6 $1 31. f3 ({After} 31.
Rh3 {Black has} Rg6 {, but the text seems decisive. However...}) 31... Re4 $3 {
The only chance. Now White is to move; he is a piece up, and he can take
either the rook or the knight, but in fact the position is not at all clear.
Both players were beginning to run short of time.} 32. Nxd5 $5 {This came as a
shock, and my first thought was that it must be decisive.} ({I was actually
afraid of} 32. Ne2 $1 {and although after} Ne3+ 33. Rxe3 Rg6 34. Ng3 Rxe3 35.
Qxe3 Qxg3 {Black is still fighting, he should lose in the long run. --- [AS -
As Kramnik indicated one week later, in the last variation White wins rather
easily with} 36. Ra2 h5 37. Qe1 Qxf4 38. Qe8+ Kh7 39. Qe5 Qg5 (39... Qh4 40.
Qxf5) 40. Re2 h4 41. Qe3 {.}) ({He also admitted that he was afraid of} 32. Ne2
Rg6 {(instead of 32...Nxe3+)} 33. fxe4 Nf2 34. Rg3 Nxe4 {, but the simple} 35.
Rxg6 Nxd2+ 36. Ke1) ({as well as} 32. Ne2 Rg6 33. fxg4 $1 {(also indicated by
Kramnik)} Rxg4 34. Ng1 Rexf4+ 35. Nf3 {gives White a decisive advantage. All
this proves that I was just lucky in this game.}) ({By the way,} 32. fxe4 {
(instead of 32 Ne2)} fxe4 33. Bf3 Qg3 $1 34. Qg2 (34. Bxg4 $2 exd3 $1) 34...
Qxf4 {is quite unclear.]}) 32... cxd5 33. c6 Rxf4 $1 {Again the only move.} ({
If} 33... Rxc6 {then the simple} 34. fxe4 {, intending} -- 35. Rh3 {, is
decisive.}) 34. cxb7 (34. c7 Rf8 35. Rc1 Rc8 {is not so clear.}) 34... Re4 $1
35. Rc1 $2 {Now the position is really becoming complicated.} (35. b8=Q+ Qxb8
36. fxg4 Rxg4 37. Bxd5+ {would have given White an edge.}) 35... Kh7 $1 36.
b8=Q $5 ({After spending most of his remaining time, Kramnik decided that the
draw after} 36. Rc8 {(or 36 Rc7)} Qg3 $1 37. b8=Q Nh2+ 38. Kg1 Re1+ 39. Qxe1
Qxe1+ 40. Kxh2 Qh4+ {was not enough for him.}) 36... Qxb8 37. fxg4 Qh2 $1 38.
Rf3 Rxg4 39. b7 $4 {Now the game turns dramatically.} ({After} 39. Rf2 Rfg6 40.
Bxd5 {White could still have played for a win, although Black would have had
some hopes of a draw after} Qd6 41. Bg2 Rxd4 {, etc.}) ({[AS - Kramnik has
suggested} 39. Rf2 Rfg6 40. Bxd5 Qh3+ {(instead of 40...Qd6)} 41. Ke2 Rd6 {
with good counterplay.}) 39... Rfg6 40. Rc2 $2 {The fatal mistake.} ({After} 
40. b8=Q Qxb8 41. Rf2 {White could still have fought for a draw.}) 40... Rxg2
41. Qxg2 Rxg2 42. Rxg2 Qh1+ 43. Kf2 Qb1 {Here White resigned.} ({He could
still have put up some resistance, but objectively speaking his position is
hopeless, e.g.} 43... Qb1 44. Kg3 Qxb7 45. Rxf5 Qc7+ {and Black wins. --- [AS
- One can live a whole life of chess for a game like that!]}) 0-1

[Event "French League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sokolov, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "44"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This annotations are based on my notes in 'Informator 60'. --- My performance
in the French league in 1994 was another remarkable achievement for me since I
scored 6 out of 6 and improved my actual rating to 2750. Pity that the Lyon
club has collapsed...} 1. e4 g6 {In 1994 I had much success with this pawn
advance, but nothing good ever lasts forever ... I have since lost many games
with it in 1995 and 1996.} 2. Nc3 Bg7 3. f4 $5 {A new but dubious move.} c6 $1
({Black is not obliged to transpose to a Closed Sicilian with} 3... c5 {.}) 4.
Qf3 $6 (4. g3 d5 5. Bg2 {, with unclear prospects, would have been more
consistent, but White clearly underestimated Black's answer.}) 4... d5 $1 5. d3
({Taking the pawn is not good, for example} 5. exd5 Nf6 6. Bc4 (6. dxc6 Nxc6 7.
Bb5 Bd7 {, intending ...Nb4}) 6... O-O 7. Nge2 Bg4 8. Qg3 Bxe2 {, intending ...
cxd5, with a slight advantage.}) 5... Nf6 6. h3 (6. e5 Ng4 (6... Nfd7 $5 7. h4
$1 h5 $1 {is also very interesting}) 7. h3 Nh6 8. g4 {and considered} f6 {to
be acceptable for Black. With the text Andrei tries to control all the
important squares but somehow he lacks sufficient development. As usual I
started looking to refute such a provocative set-up, even if this involved
sacrificing.}) 6... e5 $1 (6... b5 $5 7. g4 b4 8. Nd1 Bb7 {was also
interesting, but the other option is simply better!}) 7. f5 {Again rejecting
the pawn.} (7. fxe5 Nfd7 8. d4 c5 $1 {looks dangerous for White, for example}
9. Be3 cxd4 10. Bxd4 Nc6 11. O-O-O O-O 12. Nxd5 Nxd4 13. Rxd4 Nxe5 {with
compensation.}) 7... gxf5 8. exf5 O-O 9. Nge2 $2 {Now White's position really
becomes inferior.} (9. g4 e4 10. Qg2 {would have been correct, when I am not
sure that Black can establish any advantage, for instance} exd3 (10... Re8 11.
d4 $1 {is unclear}) 11. Bxd3 Re8+ 12. Nge2 d4 13. Nd1 Qd5 14. O-O Qxg2+ 15.
Kxg2 Nd5 {with a pleasant but unclear game.}) 9... e4 $1 {The third pawn
sacrifice in a row - and the soundest!} 10. Qf2 {Again no.} ({This time
accepting the pawn would have given Black too much development and good
attacking threats after} 10. dxe4 dxe4 11. Nxe4 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Re8 13. Qf3 Nd7 {
.}) 10... exd3 11. cxd3 Re8 {Threatening ...d5-d4.} 12. Kd1 {This ugly move is
practically the only stubborn defence.} ({Alternatives would have been even
easier for Black, e.g.} 12. d4 c5 $1) ({or} 12. Be3 c5 $1 13. Bxc5 Nc6 14.
O-O-O b6 15. Be3 ({or} 15. Ba3 d4) 15... Rxe3 16. Qxe3 d4 {, with a clear
advantage in every case.}) 12... Nbd7 $4 ({It's hard to explain why I didn't
go for the fourth (!) pawn sacrifice with} 12... c5 $1 {. White would then
have been obliged to go for the line} 13. Qxc5 Bxf5 14. Nd4 (14. Bg5 $2 Nfd7 $1
15. Bxd8 Nxc5 {wins}) 14... Bg6 15. Bg5 Na6 16. Qb5 Nc7 $1 17. Qxb7 Rb8 18.
Qxa7 Rxb2 {, when I don't think that Black's attack can be parried in the long
run.}) 13. g4 Ne5 14. Ng3 {Now the position is unclear again since White has
achieved a nice set-up on the kingside after all.} d4 $5 15. Nce4 Nd5 16. Rh2
$2 {But this loss of tempo is fatal.} ({The logical continuation would have
been} 16. Nh5 $1 Nc4 $1 (16... Ne3+ $2 17. Bxe3 dxe3 18. Qxe3 {is bad for
Black because of} Nc4 $2 19. Nef6+) 17. Bg5 $1 Nce3+ 18. Kc1 Qa5 19. Nxg7 Kxg7
20. Qd2 $5 {with an approximately equal game.}) 16... b6 $3 {Black gets a
decisive attack just in time.} 17. Nh5 Ba6 $1 18. Qxd4 ({The d3 pawn was
impossible to defend, for example} 18. Bg5 f6) ({or} 18. Nxg7 Kxg7 19. Qxd4 c5
{, winning.}) 18... Bh8 $1 {Saving the bishop for the final action and at the
same time threatening 19...Nf3 or 19...Nxd3.} 19. f6 {Blocking just one black
piece is not enough!} ({The bishop's triumph would have been complete after} 
19. Bg5 Nxd3 $1 {.}) 19... c5 20. Qf2 Nxd3 21. Qh4 Nf2+ {Just to make the end
more spectacular.} (21... Rxe4 22. Qg5+ Kf8 {would do the job as well.}) 22.
Kc2 $2 ({White avoids mate after} 22. Nxf2 Ne3+ 23. Ke1 Nc2#) ({but doesn't
notice that} 22. Ke1 {would have been his last try. However, Black wins easily
with} Nxe4 23. Bxa6 Nb4 24. Be2 Nc2+ 25. Kf1 Nxa1 {.}) 22... Nb4+ {. Sooner or
later White is checkmated, so he gave up.} 0-1

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Magem Badals, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in May 1994, but not published until now. --- My
Catalan compatriot Jordi Magem has a narrow but well worked-out opening
repertoire and he is a tough defender with Black. Fortunately in this game he
stuck to the official theory, not knowing the latest developments, which I was
told by Bologan in time for this game.} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Be2 e6
5. Nf3 c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. c3 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nge7 9. a3 Be4 10. Nbd2 Nf5 11. b4 a5 {
This theoretical move is, in fact, a serious mistake.} (11... Qb6 12. Bb2 Be7
13. Re1 Rd8 {, as played by Karpov against Short (Linares 1992) is better.}) ({
Also interesting after} 11... Qb6 12. Bb2 {is} Rd8 $5 {, as suggested by Magem
after the game.}) 12. g4 $1 {This move, first played by Bologan against
Khalifman (Bundesliga 1994), practically refutes 11...a5.} Bxf3 ({Khalifman
tried} 12... Nfxd4 {, but after} 13. Nxd4 Nxd4 14. Nxe4 dxe4 15. Be3 Nxe2+ 16.
Qxe2 Qd3 17. Qb2 {, White's initiative became extremely dangerous.}) 13. Nxf3
Nh4 14. Nxh4 {The best. Now Black's queen on h4 prevents him from developing
normally.} Qxh4 15. b5 Nb8 ({I had planned to meet} 15... Ne7 {with} 16. Bf4 {
, when White is clearly on top.}) 16. f4 Be7 {This takes space away from the
queen,} ({but I can't suggest anything better, for example} 16... Nd7 17. b6 $1
) ({or} 16... Qd8 17. f5 Be7 18. fxe6 fxe6 19. Be3 Nd7 20. b6 $1 {and White
has a strong attack.}) 17. Be3 $2 {A silly move, after which the position
becomes much less clear.} ({After the simple} 17. Kg2 Nd7 ({or} 17... Bd8 18.
a4 $1) 18. Rf3 Bd8 19. a4 $1 {Black would not have been left with anything to
hope for.}) 17... Nd7 18. Kg2 ({An alternative idea was} 18. g5 {, but I don't
see how I could have proved an advantage after} h6 19. g6 f5 {.}) 18... Bd8 19.
f5 Qe7 {I was pleased when my opponent played this move,} ({as I was more
worried about} 19... O-O {.} 20. -- ({After} 20. Qd3 Bb6 $1 21. Qd2 Qe7 {White
does not achieve anything}) ({so he should play} 20. Qd2 {, with a slight plus.
})) 20. fxe6 fxe6 $2 {Practically the decisive mistake.} ({After} 20... Qxe6
21. g5 Nb6 22. Bg4 Qe7 23. Qf3 O-O 24. h4 {White seems better to me, but the
position is still full of fight. I guess that Magem must have overlooked my
next move.}) 21. b6 $1 {I played this without hesitation. Magem had just 15
minutes to reach move 40 and must protect his king against all White's pieces.
I don't think such a defence is possible.} Rf8 {This loses by force,} ({but} 
21... Bxb6 22. Bb5 {is very unpleasant for Black since} O-O-O {fails to} 23.
Qc1+ Kb8 24. Bg5 {.}) 22. Qc2 Rxf1 23. Rxf1 Bxb6 24. Bb5 g6 {What else?} (24...
Qxa3 25. Bg5 {wins.}) 25. Qc1 $1 {The decisive penetration.} Qh4 (25... Bd8 {
loses to} 26. Bh6 Qh4 27. Rf8+ Ke7 28. Bg5+ {.}) 26. h3 Bd8 27. a4 $6 ({I
didn't see that} 27. Bxd7+ Kxd7 28. Rf7+ Ke8 29. Rxb7 {wins immediately.
Anyhow, there is no hurry because Black is in zugzwang.}) 27... Be7 ({After} 
27... Rb8 {White has several ways to win, for example} 28. Bh6 Be7 29. Qc7 Rd8
30. Bd2 $1 Bb4 31. Qb6 $1 Qe7 32. Bg5 {, but the text loses even more quickly.}
) 28. Qc7 Rd8 29. Qb6 {. Black resigned as there is no defence to 30 Qxe6.} 1-0

[Event "Horgen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nikolic, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D48"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
analysis in 'Informator 61'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 ({With
this move order White can answer} 4... a6 {with} 5. Qc2 $5 {.}) 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6.
Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 {I spent around 15 minutes on this move.} ({
After} 8... a6 {,} 9. e4 c5 10. e5 {has caused Black some trouble recently.})
9. O-O (9. a3 {is a more popular continuation nowadays.}) 9... a6 10. e4 c5 11.
d5 {Here this is forced.} Qc7 12. Bc2 c4 13. dxe6 fxe6 14. Ng5 Nc5 15. e5 Qxe5
(15... Qc6 {has not yet been refuted, but looks risky.}) 16. Re1 Qd6 17. Qxd6
Bxd6 18. Be3 O-O 19. Rad1 Be7 20. Bxc5 Bxc5 21. Nxe6 Rfc8 22. h3 Rab8 {This,
Lautier's move, had already been tried several times (for example
Nikolic-Bareev, Munich 1994) and Black had never experienced any problems. But
Nikolic had something new in mind.} 23. g4 Bf3 24. Rd2 b4 25. Na4 Ba7 26. g5
Nd5 27. g6 $1 {This natural move is a novelty.} ({Nikolic-Bareev saw} 27. Nd4 {
.}) 27... h6 {Probably best.} (27... hxg6 $2 {loses to} 28. Ng5 c3 29. bxc3
bxc3 30. Rd3) ({and} 27... c3 {also yields White some advantage after} 28. bxc3
bxc3 29. gxh7+ Kh8 30. Rd3 Nb4 31. Rxf3 Nxc2 32. Re4 {. But now the black king
is certainly not the strongest piece on the board.}) 28. Nd4 c3 29. bxc3 (29.
Rd3 {fails to} cxb2 30. Nxb2 Bxd4 31. Bb3 Rc6 $1 {and Black is better.}) 29...
bxc3 30. Rd3 $1 {Still trying to prove an 'opening' advantage.} (30. Nxc3 Bxd4
31. Nxd5 Bxd5 32. Rxd4 Rxc2 33. Rxd5 Rc6 {would have led to an immediate draw.}
) 30... Nb4 31. Rxf3 Bxd4 32. Bf5 $1 {The point of White's idea. Black's
pieces co-ordinate badly, though he is compensated by the dangerous passed
pawn on c3.} Rc7 {The only move.} (32... Rc6 $2 {is bad in view of} 33. a3 c2
34. Rc1) ({and} 32... c2 33. Be6+ Kh8 34. Bxc8 Rxc8 35. Nc3 $1 {is just
hopeless.}) 33. a3 Nc6 34. Rf4 $4 {Throwing a good game away.} ({Nikolic could
have chosen between the exchange sacrifice} 34. Nxc3 Ne5 35. Rxe5 Bxe5 36. Nd5)
({or the quiet} 34. Kg2 Ne7 {(I see nothing better)} 35. Bc2 {, when in either
case he has slightly better chances due to the terrible position of the enemy
king.}) 34... Be5 {Now Black is on top.} 35. Rfe4 ({Or} 35. Rc4 Nd4 {and Black
wins.}) 35... c2 36. Kg2 Rb1 37. Rf4 $6 {Beautiful but insufficient.} ({During
the game I didn't see how to win after} 37. Rxe5 Nxe5 38. Rxe5 {but
post-mortem analysis proved that} Rb8 39. Bxc2 Rxc2 40. Nc5 Rf8 $1 {leaves
White without chances.}) 37... Rxe1 38. Be6+ Rf7 {Fortunately I found this
after about five minutes' thought after the shocking 37 Rf4.} 39. gxf7+ ({The
line} 39. Rxf7 Nd8 {is also winning for Black.}) 39... Kf8 40. Nc5 Nb8 (40...
c1=Q 41. Nd7+ Ke7 42. f8=Q+ Kxe6 {is also good enough to win.}) 41. Rb4 ({Or} 
41. Rc4 c1=Q 42. Rxc1 Rxc1 43. Nd3 Rc6 {and wins.}) 41... c1=Q 42. Rxb8+ Bxb8
43. Nd7+ Ke7 44. f8=Q+ Kxe6 0-1

[Event "Horgen"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Benjamin, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B85"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These notes were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
analysis in 'Informator 61'.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3
a6 6. Be2 Qc7 7. Be3 Nf6 8. O-O Be7 9. f4 d6 10. Qe1 O-O 11. Qg3 Nxd4 12. Bxd4
b5 13. a3 Bb7 14. Kh1 Bc6 15. Rae1 Qb7 16. Bd3 b4 (16... b4 {All this has been
played many times before, including the game Shirov-Ivanchuk, Linares 1993,
where I continued} 17. axb4 {and got nothing. This time I played a move that I
thought was new.}) 17. Nd1 $5 ({In fact I later found the game Mednis-Jansa,
Budapest 1978, on my database, in which Black continued} 17. Nd1 bxa3 18. bxa3
Nh5 {and lost. So Benjamin's reply is the novelty.}) 17... g6 18. Nf2 $1 ({I
saw no other idea as} 18. f5 {fails to} e5 {followed by the capture of the e4
pawn}) ({and} 18. Ne3 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 Bxe4 20. Ng4 f6 {wasn't very attractive
either.}) 18... bxa3 19. bxa3 Nh5 (19... d5 20. e5 Ne4 21. Bxe4 dxe4 22. Ng4 {
would have given White a slight edge.}) 20. Qe3 $1 ({This is better than} 20.
Qh3 -- ({which could have been answered by either} 20... Nxf4 21. Ng4 e5 22.
Rxf4 Bg5 $1) ({or} 20... f5 {with unclear play in both cases.})) (20. Qf3 f5 {
is nothing for White either.}) 20... Nxf4 $6 (20... f5 {was still a better
option for Black, although after} 21. Bc4 $1 (21. exf5 $6 Bxg2+ 22. Kg1 Bxf1
23. Qxe6+ (23. Kxf1 e5 $1) 23... Rf7 24. Be4 Qc8 {is unclear}) 21... d5 22.
exf5 $1 exf5 (22... dxc4 {loses by force after} 23. Qxe6+ Rf7 24. fxg6 hxg6 25.
Qxg6+ Ng7 26. Ng4 $1) 23. Bb3 Bf6 24. Nd3 {White holds the advantage.}) 21.
Qxf4 ({After} 21. Ng4 e5 {,} 22. -- (22. Rxf4 $2 {is bad because of} Bg5 23.
Nf6+ Kg7 $1) ({and} 22. Qxf4 {simply transposes back into the game.})) 21... e5
22. Ng4 $1 ({This is much stronger than} 22. Bxe5 dxe5 23. Qxe5 f6 24. Qe6+ Kg7
{with some compensation for the pawn minus.}) 22... f6 $6 {This loses quickly.}
({So does} 22... exf4 $4 23. Nh6# {.}) ({During the game I couldn't see a
clear route to victory after} 22... exd4 {, but now I think that} 23. Nh6+ Kg7
24. Nxf7 Bg5 ({both} 24... g5 25. Qf2) ({and} 24... Be8 25. Qh6+ Kg8 26. Ng5 {
lose on the spot}) 25. Qxg5 Rxf7 26. e5 $1 {offers Black few chances of
survival.}) 23. Bc4+ Kh8 ({Of course} 23... Kg7 24. Qh6+) ({and} 23... d5 24.
exd5 Bxd5 25. Nxe5 fxe5 26. Qxe5 {aren't worth thinking about.}) 24. Nxe5 dxe5
25. Qxe5 (25. Bxe5 {was equally strong but why not play something spectacular?
Now 26 Rxf6 is threatened.}) 25... Kg7 ({Black can't accept the sacrifice as
after} 25... fxe5 26. Bxe5+ Bf6 (26... Rf6 27. Rxf6 Kg7 28. Rxc6+ {and 29 Bd5
wins for White}) 27. Rxf6 Kg7 28. Rf7+ Kh6 29. Bg7+ {White has a won ending.})
26. Qf4 {Now White has an extra pawn and the initiative. Black cannot last
long.} Rad8 27. c3 h6 28. Rb1 Qa8 29. Rb6 Rxd4 ({If} 29... Bxe4 {then} 30. Re1
Bxg2+ 31. Kg1 Rde8 32. Rxe7+ Rxe7 33. Rxf6 {wins.}) 30. cxd4 Bxe4 31. Re1 f5 ({
I would have preferred the game to end with another queen sacrifice:} 31...
Bxg2+ 32. Kg1 Bd8 33. Rb8 Qf3 ({after} 33... Qc6 34. Rxd8 Rxd8 35. Re7+ Kf8 36.
Rf7+ Ke8 37. Qxh6 {, mate is unavoidable}) 34. Rxd8 Qxf4 (34... Rxd8 35. Qc7+)
35. Re7+ {.}) 32. Qe5+ Bf6 33. Rxf6 ({Black resigned in view of} 33. Rxf6 Rxf6
34. Qe7+ {.}) 1-0

[Event "Moscow Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Yudasin, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E42"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in December 1994 and published in 'New In Chess' and
other magazines. --- The playing conditions and especially the meals at the
Moscow Olympiad were so bad that in the opening rounds I was completely
slow-witted. Fortunately a loss in round five shook me out of my torpor and I
managed to win four games with five draws in the latter rounds, although this
was insufficient to avoid losing 12 FIDE rating points. --- My best
achievements in the Olympiad were my games against Lalic (a draw after both
players missed opportunities to win - see the Foreword by Jon Speelman) and
the present game, which I hope readers will find amusing.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6
3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c5 5. Nge2 cxd4 6. exd4 d5 7. c5 Ne4 8. Bd2 Nxd2 9. Qxd2 a5
10. a3 Bxc3 11. Nxc3 a4 {Yudasin had already played this line against Lautier
in the Manila Interzonal, and although he lost that game, he was evidently not
put off by the opening. I suspected that he would try it again.} 12. Bd3 Bd7 $5
{But here is the difference.} ({Four and a half years ago Leonid had played} 
12... b6 {.}) 13. O-O Nc6 $5 {Even more surprising. This rare move was
introduced into practice by Karpov in his match against Korchnoi in Baguio
1978.} 14. Bc2 Ne7 15. Rae1 {Probably a novelty.} (15. Rfe1 {was tried in
Rechlis-Portisch, Manila Interzonal 1990, but it is not easy to evaluate
whether the rook stands better on al than f1.}) ({Also interesting is} 15. Qd1
$5 {which, according to Yudasin, leads to an unclear position after} Qa5 16.
Qg4 g6 17. Qg5 Qd8 $1 18. Qh6 Ng8 $1 {.}) 15... b6 ({Another possibility was} 
15... O-O {, when I intended} 16. Qd1 Qa5 17. Re3 $5 {.}) 16. Qd1 bxc5 17. dxc5
Qa5 18. Qd4 ({Nothing good comes from} 18. Nxd5 $2 exd5 19. Qxd5 Be6 {
(Rechlis-Portisch, but with the white rooks on a1 and e1)} 20. Qg5 Ng6 {with
the idea of} 21. f4 O-O {.}) 18... O-O $1 19. Re3 ({It would have been much
worse to play} 19. Bxh7+ $6 Kxh7 20. Qh4+ Kg8 21. Qxe7 Ra7 {(with the idea of
22...Bb5)} 22. Qd6 Rd8 $1 {. With the text move White tries to generate some
counterplay.}) 19... f5 $2 {After this move he is more than successful.} ({
Probably correct was} 19... Rfc8 {, as indicated by Yudasin after the game,
although it is difficult to assess the position after} 20. Rh3 (20. Bxh7+ Kxh7
21. Qh4+ Kg8 22. Qxe7 Qd8 $1 {is again a little better for Black}) 20... Ng6
21. Bxg6 hxg6 (21... fxg6 22. Ne4 $1 {is unclear}) 22. Qh4 f6 23. Qh7+ Kf7 24.
Rh6 $1 Rg8 25. Rxg6 Qxc5 26. Qh5 Rac8 $1 {with unclear chances.}) 20. Bxa4 $1 {
This sacrifice is in fact too obvious to deserve an exclamation mark, but at
least from this moment on I could not complain about lacking inspiration.} Bxa4
21. Rxe6 Ng6 ({If} 21... Nc6 {then} 22. Qxd5 {is better for White.}) 22. b4 $1
({Of course not} 22. Qxd5 $2 Nf4) (22. Nxd5 $6 Bb3 {.}) 22... Qa7 23. b5 Qa5
24. b6 Be8 {Here I sank into deep thought, since I couldn't find a way to
obtain a clear advantage, though it seemed to me that two passed pawns
supported by active pieces should prevail against a bishop.} ({Probably I
should have chosen} 24... Be8 25. b7 Rb8 26. Rb6 {with a clear edge, as what I
played was rather too spectacular.}) 25. Nxd5 $5 Bf7 26. Rxg6 $5 Bxg6 ({Of
course not} 26... hxg6 $4 27. Ne7+ {and 28 Qh4 mate.}) 27. c6 Rae8 $1 {Oops! I
had missed this, so now I had to start all over again.} 28. b7 {Perhaps White
is still better since his pieces co-ordinate perfectly and the pawns are so
close to queening. In time-trouble my opponent was unable to put up the
strongest resistance.} Bf7 ({I was afraid of} 28... Re1 {, but Yudasin showed
me} 29. h3 Rxf1+ 30. Kxf1 Re8 31. Kg1 {winning.}) 29. Nb6 Be6 ({Now} 29... Re1
{fails to} 30. Qb4 Rxf1+ 31. Kxf1 Qa6+ 32. Kg1 {.}) 30. h4 ({Perhaps it was
better to play} 30. a4 Rd8 31. Qb2 {in order to keep all three sisters on the
queenside alive.}) 30... Qxa3 31. Rb1 Rd8 $2 {Time-trouble.} ({Although Black
cannot escape after} 31... Qa7 32. Qd6 $1 Qb8 33. Nc8 $1 Rxc8 34. Qxe6+ Kh8 35.
bxc8=Q) ({or} 31... Qa2 32. Rb4 Qc2 33. Qd6 {, Black should try something as
this is capitulation.}) 32. Qxd8 Rxd8 33. c7 {The pawn prepares for touchdown.}
Rf8 (33... Qd6 34. cxd8=Q+ Qxd8 35. Nc8 Bxc8 36. b8=Q {is hopeless.}) 34. b8=Q
f4 35. Re1 Qd6 36. c8=Q {Completing the picture.} ({Black resigned in view of} 
36. c8=Q Qxb8 37. Qxe6+ {.}) 1-0

[Event "Monte Carlo (rapidplay)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E63"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This annotations were made in May 1995, and published in the tournament book.
--- Usually rapid chess games are not worth publishing. However, sometimes
they can be very exciting with many interesting ideas. The quality and
precision may go down, but the entertainment value often increases. Hopefully,
this is just such a game.} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 O-O 5. O-O Nc6
6. Nc3 d6 7. d4 a6 8. Re1 ({This position had already occurred in a game
between the same opponents only one month previously (Linares 1995). On that
occasion Ivanchuk played} 8. Bg5 {and the game ended in a draw. Here he tries
to improve on White's play.}) 8... Rb8 9. Rb1 {Already a novelty.} b5 10. cxb5
axb5 11. b4 {The point of White's play.} ({Now} 11. b4 d5 12. Ne5 {didn't
appeal to me, so I went for the standard manoeuvre ...}) 11... Bf5 12. e4 Bg4 {
I didn't waste a second on this move.} ({In serious chess I would also
probably have considered} 12... Nxe4 $5 13. Rxe4 d5 {.} 14. -- ({After} 14. Re2
Bxb1 15. Nxb1 Nxb4 {Black might even be slightly better}) ({so in the
post-mortem Ivanchuk suggested} 14. Ne5 $1 Nxe5 15. Rxe5 Bxe5 16. dxe5 Bxb1 17.
Nxb1 e6 18. Nd2 {. At the tinle we decided that White has an advantage, but
now I think that after} c5 $1 19. bxc5 Qa5 {Black gets excellent counterplay.})
) 13. h3 Bxf3 14. Bxf3 e5 (14... Nd7 15. e5 $1 Na7 16. e6 $1 fxe6 17. Bg4 {is
in White's favour.}) 15. d5 Nd4 16. Be3 Nd7 (16... Nxf3+ 17. Qxf3 Nd7 18. Qe2
f5 19. Nxb5 f4 20. Bd2 {looks insufficient for Black.}) 17. Bg2 ({During the
game I was quite afraid of} 17. Be2 f5 ({I see nothing better, because} 17...
Re8 18. Bf1 f5 19. exf5 Nxf5 20. Nxb5 {yields White a pawn for nothing}) 18.
exf5 -- (18... Nxf5 19. Bxb5 e4 20. Bxd7) ({or} 18... gxf5 19. Bxd4 exd4 20.
Nxb5 {, when in both cases White is clearly better.}) ({However, after} 18...
Nxe2+ $1 19. Qxe2 gxf5 {(indicated by Ivanchuk) things are still unclear.}))
17... Qf6 18. Rc1 Rb7 19. h4 $5 h6 ({Probably} 19... Qe7 {was also playable.})
20. f4 $5 {A very interesting idea, going into the sort of complications that
one would normally avoid in rapid chess.} (20. Bxd4 exd4 21. Ne2 Ra8 22. Rc2 {
was another idea.}) 20... Ra8 {Black must be consistent with his plan.} (20...
Re8 {would have been a waste of time after} 21. Qd3 {.}) 21. Bxd4 exd4 22. e5
$1 dxe5 23. d6 {The point of 20 f4. Now we have arrived at the critical moment
of the game and I should have thought for longer than I did.} dxc3 $2 {Natural
and bad.} ({Correct was} 23... c6 $1 24. Bxc6 (24. Ne4 Qf5 {seems insufficient
for White}) 24... dxc3 25. Qd5 $1 ({this looks like the only move since} 25.
Bxb7 Rxa2 26. Rxc3 exf4 {is clearly in Black's favour}) 25... exf4 ({if} 25...
Nb6 {then} 26. fxe5 {is possible}) 26. Bxb7 fxg3 {with a very complicated game,
for example} 27. Rf1 (27. Rc2 Rd8 {is also far from clear}) 27... Qxh4 28. Rxf7
$1 Bd4+ 29. Kf1 Rf8 30. Rxf8+ Kxf8 {.}) 24. Bxb7 Rxa2 25. Qd5 $1 {I saw, but
clearly underestimated, this move.} ({Of course} 25. dxc7 $2 {is impossible
due to} Qb6+ {.}) 25... Qxd6 {Having thought for a while, I decided to give up
a second exchange.} ({The post-mortem analysis showed that the line} 25... Rd2
26. dxc7 $1 {(I should have played 23...c6 to prevent this possibility)} Qb6+
27. Qc5 $1 Nxc5 28. c8=Q+ Bf8 29. bxc5 Qxc5+ 30. Qxc5 Bxc5+ 31. Kh1 b4 32. Rxe5
c2 33. Rd5 $1 {(a move found by Ljubojevic) is winning for White.}) 26. Qxa2
Qb6+ 27. Qf2 Qxb7 28. f5 $1 {Very strong. Otherwise Black would have had
sufficient compensation for the two exchanges.} e4 29. fxg6 fxg6 30. Qe3 $1 {
Here I started thinking again and realized that I was lost.} Ne5 31. Qxe4 Qb6+
({Also losing is} 31... Qxe4 32. Rxe4 Nd3 33. Rc2 c5 34. bxc5 b4 ({or} 34...
Nxc5 35. Rb4) 35. c6 b3 36. Rxc3 Bxc3 37. c7 {. Since in Monaco they use the
Fischer clock (which obviously improves the quality of rapid games), the rest
of the game was not too difficult for Vasily.}) 32. Kg2 Nc4 33. Qe6+ Qxe6 34.
Rxe6 Kf7 35. Rc6 Be5 36. Kf3 Nd2+ (36... Bd6 {would have offered more
resistance without changing the final result.}) 37. Ke3 Nc4+ 38. Ke4 Bxg3 39.
Rxc3 Bd6 40. Kd5 Bxb4 41. Rf3+ Ke8 42. Rxg6 Kd7 43. Rxh6 Be7 44. h5 Nd6 45.
Rxd6+ Bxd6 46. Rf7+ Ke8 47. Ke6 b4 48. h6 Be5 49. h7 Bh8 50. Rf3 1-0

[Event "Leon"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Sion Castro, M."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B89"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in May 1995 and published in 'New in Chess'. ---
Before this game I had expected a Velimirovic Attack because it suits Sion
Castro's sharp style and he had enjoyed some success with it. Even so, I still
didn't manage to prepare properly.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5.
Nxd4 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. Be3 Be7 8. Qe2 a6 9. Bb3 Qc7 10. O-O-O O-O 11. Rhg1 Nd7
12. g4 Nc5 13. Nf5 b5 14. Bd5 {For those readers who are unfamiliar with this
variation, I should point out that these sacrifices are well-known theory and
that it has been proved that neither piece can be taken.} Bb7 15. g5 {This is
the critical position.} ({Some time ago there was the game A. Sokolov-Salov,
Nikolaev 1983, which White won beautifully after} 15. g5 exf5 16. g6 hxg6 17.
Rxg6 Ne5 18. Rxg7+ Kxg7 19. Rg1+ Ng6 20. exf5 Rh8 21. Bd4+ Bf6 22. fxg6 fxg6
23. Qg4 Rh6 24. Bxf6+ Kh7 25. Re1 {, etc.}) ({Even more convincing was the
game Sion Castro-Rivera, Cordoba 1991, which continued} 15. g5 b4 16. Qh5 Ne5
17. Rg3 exf5 18. exf5 bxc3 19. g6 cxb2+ 20. Kb1 hxg6 21. fxg6 Nxg6 22. Qxg6 Bf6
23. Qxf6 Ne6 24. Bxe6 fxe6 25. Qxe6+ Qf7 26. Rxg7+ {1-0. When I saw this game
on my computer I felt sure that Sion Castro would repeat this line in our
encounter, although I didn't have much time to learn all its secrets.}) ({I
recalled that in the mid-1980s Latvian IM (now GM) Zigurds Lanka had found the
move 15...Rfc8!?, which he successfully introduced in a little-known rapidplay
game against Andrei Sokolov, but when I checked my computer I discovered that
this move had also been played in Brunner-Wittmann, Graz 1991, which had
continued} 15. g5 Rfc8 $5 16. Rg3 Ne5 17. Rh3 Ng6 18. Qh5 Nf8 19. Bd4 Bxd5 20.
Qh6 Bxg5+ 21. Qxg5 f6 22. Nh6+ Kh8 23. Qxf6 e5 24. Qf3 Be6 25. Bxc5 Qxc5 26.
Rg3 b4 27. Nf7+ Bxf7 28. Qxf7 Rc7 29. Qd5 {and it seems that here Black could
have obtained a decisive advantage with} Rac8 {. Having looked at this I
decided that my 'preparation' was perfect and set off for the game.}) 15...
Rfc8 16. Rg3 Ne5 ({Here I realized that after} 16... Ne5 17. f4 $1 {I would
probably have been in trouble. The following analysis doesn't offer Black very
much:} exf5 ({or} 17... b4 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 21. fxe5
bxc3 22. Rxc3) 18. Bxc5 Ng6 (18... dxc5 19. fxe5) 19. Be3 b4 20. Bxb7 Qxb7 21.
Nd5 fxe4 22. f5 {, with a clear advantage for White in each case.}) ({Perhaps
after} 16... Ne5 17. f4 {, Black can try} Ng6 {, but this looks somewhat risky
after} 18. Nxg7 Kxg7 19. f5 {with a strong attack. --- Anyway, I had no time
to calculate all this as Sion Castro quickly played the text move.}) 17. Bxb7 {
A new move but not such a good one.} Nxb7 $6 ({I rejected} 17... Qxb7 {because
I was afraid of} 18. Nxe7+ (18. f4 exf5 19. fxe5 Nxe4 {is fine for Black})
18... Qxe7 19. f4 Nc4 20. Bd4 {and White has some dangerous threats, for
example} Nd7 21. Rh3 $1 b4 ({or} 21... Nf8 22. f5 $1 exf5 23. Nd5 {with an
attack}) 22. Qh5 Nf8 23. Bxg7 $1 {and now:} -- (23... Kxg7 24. f5 $1 f6 ({or} 
24... exf5 25. exf5) 25. Qh6+ Kh8 26. gxf6 Qf7 27. Ne2 {with a strong attack})
(23... bxc3 24. Bxc3 {and again White has powerful attacking chances.})) ({
However, after} 17... Qxb7 18. Nxe7+ Qxe7 19. f4 {instead of 19...Nc4 Black
can play} Ned7 $1 {and White's attack is not strong enough, e.g.} 20. f5 b4 21.
f6 Qe8 $1 22. fxg7 bxc3 23. Qh5 cxb2+ 24. Kb1 Nxe4 25. Rh3 Nc3+ 26. Kxb2 Nxd1+
27. Kc1 Kxg7 {and there is no mate:} 28. Qh6+ Kg8 29. g6 Nxe3 30. Qxh7+ Kf8 {
, etc.}) 18. Nxe7+ (18. Bb6 Qd7 19. Bd4 {looks very dangerous, but after the
continuation} exf5 20. Bxe5 Qe6 21. Bd4 b4 22. Nd5 Bd8 {Black is not yet lost.}
) 18... Qxe7 19. Bd4 {Here I realized just how precarious my position was.} ({
After} 19. Bd4 -- {White threatens to smash through with} 20. f4 Nc4 21. -- (
21. f5) ({or} 21. Rh3 {. I had to find something extraordinary.})) 19... b4 $1
20. Na4 Nc4 $1 ({Black is not afraid to sacrifice the exchange and after} 20...
Nc4 21. -- {also threatens} Qd7 22. b3 Na3 23. Nb6 Qb5 $1 {.}) 21. b3 $5 {Very
ambitious but not too bad.} Na3 22. c4 $6 {This turns the game in Black's
favour.} (22. Rd2 {looked safer.}) 22... bxc3 23. Nb6 Nb5 $1 24. Bf6 ({I was
very afraid of} 24. Nxc8 Rxc8 25. Qc2 {, but in the post-mortem it became
clear that after} (25. a4 c2 $1 {offers Black excellent attacking chances})
25... Nc5 $1 ({not} 25... Na3 $2 26. Rxc3 $1) ({or} 25... d5 $2 26. a4 $1 {and
White is on top in both cases}) 26. Bxc5 dxc5 {Black probably has the
advantage. Still, this was better than the text.}) 24... Qc7 25. Nxc8 Rxc8 26.
a4 e5 $5 ({I preferred this to} 26... Qa5 {because I couldn't see a clear win
after} 27. Qa2 -- {with the idea of} 28. b4 {.}) 27. Qa2 $2 {This loses at
once;} ({but the endgame arising after} 27. Qc4 c2 $1 ({not} 27... Nc5 $2 28.
g6 $3 {with attacking chances}) ({or} 27... Na5 28. Qd5 $1) 28. Rd2 Qxc4 29.
bxc4 Nd4 30. Rxd4 exd4 31. Bxd4 Rxc4 32. Rb3 (32. Rc3 Rxc3 33. Bxc3 Nc5 34. f3
Nxa4 35. Bd4 Nc5 36. Kxc2 Ne6 37. Be3 f6 38. h4 Kf7 39. Kc3 Nd8 {is also very
good for Black}) 32... Rxd4 33. Rxb7 g6 {is probably lost for White in the
long run.}) 27... c2 28. Rdd3 Qa5 29. Rge3 Nc5 {All Black's pieces are now
taking part in the game.} 30. Rd5 Nc3 31. Qxc2 Nxd5 32. exd5 Nxb3+ 33. Rxb3
Qe1+ 0-1

[Event "Biel"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C51"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in August 1996 and published in 'New In Chess'. ---
During my preparation for this game I had anticipated that Jan would answer 1
e4 with 1...e5, but since I had recently had a bad experience with it as White
I was unsure which variation to choose. On the way to the game I passed a
blitz tournament that was taking place on large garden boards (and in which
some strong players were competing). The sight of these players moving big
pieces and then running to press the clock made quite a funny impression on me
and I decided to play something entertaining myself.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.
Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 $5 {When Kasparov does something unusual at the board, it
quickly becomes fashionable.} Bxb4 5. c3 Be7 ({Nowadays} 5... Ba5 {is
unpopular for some reason.}) 6. d4 Na5 7. Be2 exd4 8. Qxd4 d6 ({A novelty,
though, as Timman pointed out after the game, this move was recommended by
someone after the game Kasparov-Anand, Riga 1995, in which Black played} 8...
Nf6 {.}) 9. Qxg7 {The only sensible move.} Bf6 10. Qg3 Qe7 11. O-O ({After} 11.
O-O {it is not necessary to defend the e4 pawn because} Qxe4 $2 {fails to} 12.
Re1 {.}) ({[AS - A couple of weeks after the game the Dutch GM Roberto
Cifuentes demonstrated to me that} 11. O-O Qxe4 12. Re1 {can simply be
answered by} Kf8 13. Bb5 Qg6 {, when White has no real compensation for the
pawn.}) ({Therefore, after} 11. O-O Qxe4 {, his only chance would have been}
12. Nd4 $5 {, but this is still not convincing.}) ({I have to admit that 11
0-0 is a complete bluff and the right continuation would have been} 11. Qf4 {
with an unclear game.]}) 11... Bd7 12. Nd4 $5 (12. Nbd2 Bxc3 13. Rb1 Nf6 {
didn't appeal to me.}) 12... O-O-O 13. Nd2 Nc6 ({If immediately} 13... h5 {
then White might continue} 14. Rb1 $5 -- {with the idea of} 15. Qd3 $5 {.}) ({
After} 13... Nc6 {,} 14. Qd3 {can be met by} Ne5 $5 15. Qe3 c5 {with an
unclear position.}) 14. Qe3 h5 15. Rb1 Nh6 {Here I sank into deep thought. I
was sure that I was already almost winning, so I started to look for a forced
continuation.} ({After} 15... Nh6 {I sank into deep thought. I was sure that I
was already almost winning, so I started to look for a forced continuation.
Although I soon realized that} 16. Nxc6 Bxc6 17. Qxa7 {(threatening 18 Bb5)}
Qe5 $1 {would have been very unclear, I nevertheless couldn't believe that
White has nothing decisive.}) 16. Qd3 {When I finally played this move 
(threatening 17 Qa6) I had just 23 minutes left for the remaining 24 moves,
but from that point on I applied maximum concentration.} b6 ({I had expected} 
16... Rdg8 {, after which} 17. Rxb7 Nxd4 18. Qa6 Nxe2+ 19. Kh1 {fails to}) ({
After} 16... Rdg8 {the correct response is} 17. N2f3 {with a slight advantage.}
) 17. a4 $1 {This is no time to look back! This pawn advance is objectively
the best move.} Kb8 $6 {Playing with fire.} ({After} 17... Rdg8 18. a5 Nxa5 19.
Qa6+ Kd8 20. Qxa7 Ke8 $1 {Black can transfer his king to safety, for example}
21. Nb5 Bxb5 22. Qb8+ Qd8 23. Bxb5+ Ke7 24. Qxd8+ Rxd8 25. Bb2 {, and White
has only a small advantage.}) 18. a5 $1 Nxa5 19. Qa6 Ka8 $2 {This seems to
have been the decisive mistake.} ({It was obligatory to play} 19... Bxd4 20.
cxd4 Ka8 {, although after} 21. Bb2 $1 {, with the idea of} Bc8 22. Qb5 $1 {,
White keeps a strong initiative for the pawn.}) 20. e5 $1 {Giving more air to
the pieces.} Qxe5 (20... dxe5 {loses to} 21. Bf3+ Kb8 22. Qxa5 exd4 23. Qxa7+
Kxa7 24. Ra1+ {.}) 21. Bf3+ d5 22. Nc4 $1 Bc8 ({After} 22... Nxc4 {White would
have had a choice between:} 23. -- (23. Qxc4 $1 Bc8 (23... Bg4 24. Ra1 Bxf3 25.
Nc6 {wins}) 24. Qa4 $1 a5 (24... Bb7 25. Nb5 a6 26. Bf4 {also wins}) 25. Nc6
Bd7 ({or} 25... Qxc3 26. Nxd8 Rxd8 27. Bb2) 26. Bf4 Qxc3 (26... Qe6 {fails to}
27. Qb5) 27. Bxd5 {and wins}) ({, or} 23. Ra1 Na5 24. Rxa5 $1 bxa5 25. Nc6 Bxc6
26. Be3 $1 Qxe3 {(forced)} 27. Qxc6+ Kb8 28. fxe3 Rd6 29. Rb1+ Kc8 30. Qb7+ Kd7
31. Bxd5 {with a clear edge.})) 23. Qxa5 $1 Qxd4 $1 {You don't see this kind
of mutual queen sacrifice very often, do you?} ({Of course} 23... bxa5 $2 {
loses immediately to} 24. Nxe5 Bxe5 25. Nc6 {.}) 24. Qa2 $1 Qxc3 ({Both} 24...
Qd3 25. Be3) ({and} 24... Qh4 25. g3 {also lose quickly.}) 25. Be3 $1 ({It was
not too late to fall into a clever trap:} 25. Bb2 Qxf3 $3 26. gxf3 Rhg8+ 27.
Kh1 dxc4 28. Bxf6 $2 Bb7 {and Black wins! Although White has now sacrificed
three pawns, he has tremendous threats. Black's monarch is worth more than his
queen.}) 25... Bb7 ({If} 25... Rhg8 {then the simplest is} 26. Rfc1 Qd3 27.
Bxb6 {and White wins.}) 26. Bxb6 $1 cxb6 27. Nxb6+ Kb8 28. Nxd5 (28. Nxd5 Qxf3
29. gxf3 Rhg8+ 30. Kh1 Bd4 31. Qc4 {is hopeless for Black, so he resigned.
This game was awarded the first brilliancy prize at the 1995 Biel Festival.})
1-0

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Salov, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A21"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in September 1995 and published in 'New In Chess'. ---
Before this game I was not in a very ambitious frame of mind: I was Black and
all my five previous Black encounters with Valery had ended peacefully 
(despite various degrees of struggle).} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Bb4 3. Nd5 Be7 {When I
played this move for the first time, against Ehlvest at the 1990 Manila
Interzonal, I lost in twenty-odd moves and people looked at me as if I needed
a doctor, but nowadays it is perfectly respectable. Recently it was christened
the 'Shirov variation' by 'New in Chess' in one of their yearbooks, but this
is mistaken and I would like to put the record straight. The move 3...Be7 was
discovered by the Moldavian trainer Viacheslav Chebanenko; the earliest game
in which it appears on my database is Katalymov-N.Popov, Erevan 1977, and
Nikolai Popov used to be one of Chebanenko's pupils.} 4. e3 Nf6 $5 ({This was
not, as I believed at the time, a novelty, but is perhaps an improvement on} 
4... d6 {, which I played against Azmaiparashvili in the 1994 Moscow Olympiad.}
) 5. Nxe7 Qxe7 6. Ne2 d5 $5 {Finally we see a new move. My intention was to
play something similar to the 'Anti-Sicilian' line 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 e6,
etc., but with colours reversed.} ({The game Psakhis-Afek, Hertzliya 1993, went
} 6... O-O 7. Nc3 c6 8. d4 d6 {, but Black was unable to equalize completely.})
7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. a3 O-O 9. Ng3 $1 {In the aforementioned Sicilian line Black's
knight usually finds itself on c6 after an exchange of the bishop on b5 for
Black's other knight. Here it looks better for White to place his knight on g3
rather than c3.} c5 10. b3 Nc6 11. Bb2 Be6 12. Qc2 Rfd8 $5 {This move may not
be so bad but it does look a little risky.} ({'Normal' was} 12... Rac8 {to meet
} 13. Bb5 {with} f6 {.}) 13. Bb5 {I saw this move right after playing 12...
Rfd8 and at first I was cursing myself, though I found a good reply after some
thought.} ({Instead of 13 Bb5, it was dangerous for White to play} 13. Rc1 Rac8
14. Qxc5 Qh4 $1) ({while} 13. Bd3 h6 14. Be4 Rac8 {would have led to an
unclear position.}) 13... Na5 $1 {When you don't have a good defence you must
attack!} (13... f6 $2 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Ne4 $1 Bf5 16. d3 {would have been
strategically very bad for Black.}) 14. Bxe5 $2 {Salov admitted after the game
that he had simply overlooked my reply!} ({After} 14. O-O Nb6 $1 {Black would
have assumed the initiative}) ({so White should have played} 14. Rb1 {, when}
f6 {leads to an unclear position.}) 14... Bd7 15. Bc3 {The only move.} (15.
Bxd7 {loses immediately to} Qxe5 {.}) 15... Bxb5 16. Bxa5 Nf4 $5 ({I couldn't
see anything clear after} 16... b6 17. Bc3 {:} -- (17... Nf4 18. Qf5 $1 Nxg2+ (
18... Nd3+ 19. Kf1) 19. Kd1 {is also very complicated}) (17... Nxc3 18. dxc3
Bd3 19. Qb2 {. Since I was afraid of losing my advantage in that line, I
decided to sacrifice the exchange. Perhaps I was overestimating my chances,
but there was already little time to think. When I played 16...Nf4 I had about
twenty minutes left for 24 moves.})) 17. Bxd8 Rxd8 18. Qc3 $1 {A surprise.} ({
I had been counting on} 18. O-O-O $2 Nd3+ 19. Kb1 Nxf2 {when Black is on top.})
({After} 18. Qc3 {,} Nd3+ {is silly due to} 19. Kf1 {.}) 18... Qe6 $1 {The
critical position. Here Salov also started running short of time. Obviously in
mutual time-pressure it is much more pleasant to attack than defend and the
extra material doesn't count for so much at the moment. After the game Valery
admitted that he had been feeling quite pessimistic at this stage, and this
may help to explain his next error.} 19. f3 $2 {Now Black is clearly on top,
although he still has to be very precise. Of course my next few moves were not
based on much calculation and I am very glad that they were okay.} ({Instead
of 19 f3?, White had to play} 19. Kd1 $1 Nd3 20. Rf1 Ne5 $1 21. Rg1 (21. f4
Bxf1 22. fxe5 Bxg2 {is clearly better for Black}) 21... Rd3 $1 22. Qxc5 {,
although after} Rxb3 $1 {, with the idea of} 23. Qxa7 h6 $1 {, Black's attack
looks very dangerous. Still, it is very difficult for me to give a deep
analysis or clear assessment of this position.}) 19... Rd3 20. Qxc5 Nxg2+ $1 ({
This is stronger than} 20... Rxe3+ 21. Kd1 $1 ({not} 21. Qxe3 $2 Nxg2+ 22. Kf2
Nxe3 23. dxe3 Qxb3 {with a clear edge for Black}) 21... -- {and now:} (21...
Rxb3 $2 22. Qd4 $1 Be2+ 23. Nxe2 Qxe2+ 24. Kc2 $1 Ne6 25. Qe4 $1 Qxe4+ (25...
Qb5 26. Rhb1 Rxb1 27. Rxb1 Qc5+ 28. Kb2 {is also better for White}) 26. fxe4
Nd4+ 27. Kd1 Rb2 28. Rc1 h6 29. Rf1 $1 {and White has good winning chances}) (
21... Qxb3+ 22. Qc2 Nxg2 23. Qxb3 Rxb3 24. a4 Bc6 25. Rg1 {with an unclear
endgame.})) 21. Kd1 ({Of course not} 21. Kf2 $2 Rxd2+ 22. Kg1 Nh4 {and White
is mated.}) 21... Nxe3+ 22. Kc1 b6 $1 23. Qc7 ({The bishop is taboo:} 23. Qxb5
Qc8+ {wins.}) 23... Rd6 $1 24. Qb8+ {Again the only move.} Be8 25. Ne4 ({
Tougher resistance would have been offered by} 25. Ra2 {, although after the
further moves} Rc6+ 26. Kb2 Rc8 $1 27. Qxc8 (27. Qxa7 Rc2+ 28. Ka1 Qxb3 {wins})
27... Qxc8 28. dxe3 Qe6 $1 {Black has very good winning chances.}) 25... Rc6+
26. Nc3 Nd5 $1 27. Ra2 Rc8 28. Qg3 $2 {The last mistake, with his flag hanging.
} ({I was less sure about the consequences of the line} 28. Qxa7 Nxc3 29. dxc3
Qxb3 30. Rb2 (30. Rc2 $2 Ba4 31. Rb2 Qxa3 {wins}) 30... Qxc3+ 31. Kb1 {, but
the post-mortem and my home analysis showed that although after} -- (31... Qd3+
$6 32. Ka1 ({but not} 32. Ka2 $2 Qd5+ 33. Kb1 Bd7 {and wins}) 32... Qxf3 33.
Re1 f6 (33... Ra8 34. Re3 $1 Qd1+ 35. Rb1 Qd4+ 36. Rb2 {leads to an unclear
position}) 34. Qe7 $1 Ra8 35. Re3 Qh1+ 36. Rb1 Qxh2 37. Rd3 $1 {White has some
counterplay, Black can play}) (31... Bc6 $1 32. Qe7 {(the only move)} Qd3+ 33.
Ka1 Ra8 34. Qb4 {(again there is nothing else)} Rxa3+ 35. Ra2 Rxa2+ 36. Kxa2
Bd5+ 37. Kb2 Qxf3 38. Re1 Qf2+ 39. Kc1 h6 {and Black should win sooner or
later.})) 28... Nxc3 29. dxc3 Qxb3 ({Now} 29... Qxb3 30. Rb2 {fails to} Qxa3
31. Kb1 f6 {with the inevitable ...Bg6+, so the game is over.}) 30. Rc2 Ba4 31.
Qf2 Qxa3+ 32. Kb1 Bxc2+ 33. Qxc2 Rxc3 0-1

[Event "Amsterdam"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Piket, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D52"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in September 1995 and published in 'New In Chess'. ---
Sometimes analysing the game gives even more pleasure than the game itself.
This is what I felt while uncovering the mysteries of the variation 23...Qc5
24 Bg5!. I should mention that no playing program will ever be able to suggest
24 Bg5 as the strongest move, although I was still using Fritz in my analysis.
} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 {Offering a Botvinnik
variation, as usual.} Nbd7 {Not this time! Having reached a better position
against me with the Cambridge Springs in the sixth game of our match in Aruba
earlier in the year, Jeroen obviously had confidence in it.} 6. e3 Qa5 7. cxd5
Nxd5 8. Qd2 Bb4 9. Rc1 O-O 10. Bd3 h6 11. Bh4 Re8 $5 ({Formally a novelty,
although its idea is similar to the immediate} 11... e5 {.}) ({It is odd that
the exact same position as after White's move sixteen in this game could have
arisen in Bogolyubov-Alekhine, World Championship match 1929, after the moves} 
11... e5 12. a3 Bxc3 13. bxc3 Qxa3 14. Nxe5 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Re8 {, had
Bogolyubov played} 16. O-O ({instead of} 16. Bg3 {, after which he lost
hopelessly. The plan I found over the board is more logical because the bishop
is very strong on the h4-d8 diagonal.})) 12. a3 {I believe that this pawn
sacrifice is the best way for White to fight for the initiative.} ({The line} 
12. O-O e5 {seems equal to me.}) 12... Bxc3 13. bxc3 Qxa3 14. O-O e5 ({Another
way to play is passive defence with} 14... Qf8 $5 {.}) 15. Nxe5 ({I didn't
like the position after} 15. dxe5 $6 Qc5 {, with the idea of} 16. -- a5 17. --
a4 {. Black can annoy White a lot.}) 15... Nxe5 16. dxe5 Qc5 ({I intuitively
felt that after} 16... Rxe5 17. e4 Nb6 18. f4 {I would have had sufficient
compensation for the pawn, though it is hard to support this assessment with
variations.}) 17. Kh1 $1 ({Here too} 17. Bg3 Be6 {would have given Black
excellent piece co-ordination, so White offers the pawn again.}) 17... Be6 $5 {
... and Black still doesn't take it!} ({Of course after} 17... Rxe5 18. e4 {
White has sufficient compensation, e.g.} Rh5 $6 19. Bg3 Nf6 20. Rce1 $1 {with
a clear advantage.}) 18. e4 Nb6 ({It would not have been good for Black to
cover the h4-d8 diagonal with} 18... Ne7 {, in view of} 19. f4 Rad8 20. Qe2 $1
{, and if} Bg4 21. Qxg4 Rxd3 {then} 22. e6 $1 {is very good for White.}) 19. f4
Bc4 20. Rf3 {A move with strong psychological overtones: no-one likes to see
the enemy pieces encroaching on their king.} Bxd3 21. Rxd3 Qc4 $2 {A serious
mistake.} ({After} 21... Kh7 {I don't see anything concrete for White,
although I still prefer his position.}) 22. Re1 Kh7 23. Rh3 Re6 {This move
allows White to win almost by force.} ({Correct was} 23... Qc5 {as the queen
is a good defender on f8. White then continues} 24. Bg5 $1 {. Black has now
several possibilities but it seems to me that he cannot defend himself, e.g.}
-- (24... Nc4 {is met by} 25. Qd7 $1 Qf2 26. Rg1 Kg8 27. Bxh6 gxh6 28. Qg4+ Kf8
29. Rxh6 {with a decisive attack}) (24... Qf8 {and now the correct way is not
the direct} 25. -- (25. f5 $2 Nc4 26. Qf4 Nxe5 27. f6 Re6 28. Rf1 (28. fxg7
Qxg7 29. Bxh6 Rxh6 30. Rxh6+ Qxh6 31. Qxe5 Rg8 $1 {is unclear}) 28... Rae8 {
and Black holds on, for example} 29. fxg7 Qxg7 30. Bf6 Qg6 31. Rg3 Rxf6 32.
Qxf6 Qxf6 33. Rxf6 a5 {with excellent compensation for the exchange}) ({, but} 
25. Rf1 $1 {, just bringing one more piece into the action. Black is now
helpless, for instance} Kg8 (25... Re6 26. f5 Rxe5 27. f6 {wins}) 26. Qe2 $1
Re6 ({or} 26... hxg5 27. Qh5 f6 28. fxg5 Rxe5 29. Qh7+ Kf7 30. Rxf6+ {winning})
27. f5 Rxe5 28. Bf4 Ra5 29. f6 g5 30. Bd6 Qxd6 31. Rxh6 {and mate is
unavoidable})) (24... Kg8 {is clearly the toughest defence. Now White should
go for a long and sometimes not even forced line starting with the piece
sacrifice,} 25. Bxh6 $1 {, followed by} gxh6 26. f5 $1 Qf8 27. Rxh6 Rxe5 28.
Rh5 $1 ({but not} 28. Qg5+ $6 Qg7 29. Qh4 Nd5 $1 {with an unclear position})
28... f6 29. Qa2+ Nd5 ({not} 29... Kg7 $2 30. Re3 {and wins}) ({or} 29... Qf7
$2 30. Rh8+ Kg7 31. Rh7+ {and wins}) 30. Re3 $1 Kf7 31. Rh7+ Ke8 32. Reh3 Rxe4
({or} 32... Nf4 33. R3h4 Rd8 34. h3 Rxe4 35. Rh8 {and wins}) 33. Qb1 $1 {.
Initially I finished my analysis at this position but later I realized that
Black still has a resource, i.e.} Nxc3 34. Rxc3 Qb4 $1 {. Now White has to
find the very precise} ({not} 34... Re7 35. Rch3 Rxh7 36. Rxh7 {and White wins
outright}) 35. Qd1 $1 ({the rook endgame after} 35. Rc1 $6 Qxb1 36. Rxb1 Rd8
37. Rh8+ Ke7 38. Rxb7+ Rd7 39. Rh7+ Ke8 40. Rb8+ Rd8 {is just drawn because
exchanging one pair of rooks doesn't give White any winning prospects}) 35...
Kf8 (35... Qd4 $2 36. Rc1 {wins for White}) 36. Qd2 $1 (36. Rh8+ Kf7) 36... Kg8
37. Rh6 $1 {and it seems that he finally breaks through Black's defences
according to the following lines:} -- (37... Kf7 38. h3 $1 (38. Qa2+ $2 Ke7 39.
Rh7+ Kd6 40. Rd3+ Rd4 41. Qe6+ Kc5 42. Qe7+ Kb6 {is unclear}) 38... -- {and
now:} (38... Qd4 39. Rh7+ Kg8 40. Qh6 $1 Re1+ 41. Kh2 Qg1+ (41... Qe5+ 42. Rg3+
) 42. Kg3 {winning}) (38... Rg8 39. Qa2+ Ke7 40. Rh7+ Kd6 41. Rd3+ Kc5 42. Qf2+
Rd4 43. Rxb7 Qc4 44. Rxd4 Qxd4 45. Qe1 $1 {winning})) (37... Qb1+ 38. Rc1 Qxc1+
39. Qxc1 Rae8 40. Rh8+ $1 Kxh8 41. Qh6+ Kg8 42. Qg6+ Kf8 43. Qxf6+ Kg8 44. Qg6+
Kf8 45. h3 (45. g4 $2 Re1+ 46. Kg2 R8e3 $1 47. Qd6+ Kf7 {is only a draw}) 45...
R4e7 46. f6 Rf7 47. g4 Re2 48. Qf5 {and the queen and pawns mate the black
king at the end of it all. Such a deep analysis would never be made by a
computer program by itself, but neither is it easy for a human to check
everything without Fritz4 or Chess Genius. I think this is a good example of
combining two brains to bring the art of chess investigation to an entirely
new level.}))) 24. Bf6 $1 gxf6 25. f5 fxe5 {Everything is forced.} 26. fxe6
Qxe6 27. Rf1 Nc4 $6 {This loses immediately;} ({but} 27... Rf8 {wouldn't have
changed the result because of} 28. Rf5 $1 Kg7 (28... Nc4 29. Qf2 Kg7 30. Rg3+
Kh7 31. Rf6 {also wins}) 29. Rxe5 Nc4 30. Rg3+ Kh7 31. Rxe6 Nxd2 32. Re7 a5 33.
Rd3 Nb3 34. Rf3 Nc5 35. Rf5 b6 36. Rfxf7+ Rxf7 37. Rxf7+ Kg8 38. Rc7 Nxe4 39.
Rxc6 b5 40. c4 b4 41. Ra6 {.}) 28. Rxh6+ Qxh6 29. Rxf7+ Kg6 30. Rf6+ Kxf6 31.
Qxh6+ Ke7 32. Qg7+ Kd6 33. Qxb7 ({It would have been more precise to play} 33.
Qf6+ Kc5 34. Qe7+ {, winning a piece.}) 33... Nb6 34. h4 Kc5 35. h5 a5 36. h6
1-0

[Event "European Club Cup, Clichy"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Stefansson, H."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in October 1995 and published in several magazines.
--- This game has an unusual background. In August that year in Amsterdam I
had had an unfortunate last round encounter against Judit Polgar in the Pirc
Defence. A few hours after that game I started looking through its opening
with Julian Hodgson and at some point Hannes Stefansson joined our analysis 
(both were playing there in the open tournament). One month later I was due to
play in the European Cup and a short time before that event I heard that
Stefansson would be my opponent in the first match. Still, I did not know the
colours and I decided not to prepare at all. Just before our game I learned
that I would be Black and didn't feel confident enough to play a Sicilian. I
had simply forgotten about the post-mortem in Amsterdam...} 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7
3. Nc3 c6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Qf3 e6 6. Bf4 $5 {Here I began to remember that this
had been Hannes' suggestion then.} ({Judit played} 6. Nge2 {which isn't very
convincing.}) 6... b5 7. Bb3 a5 ({I didn't feel like taking the 'poisoned'
pawn with} 7... Bxd4 {because after} 8. O-O-O Bc5 9. Qg3 {White has good
compensation.}) 8. a4 b4 9. Nce2 d5 ({After} 9... Nf6 $6 {,} 10. h4 $1 {(and if
} h5 11. Bg5 {) gives White good attacking chances.}) 10. h4 $5 {A new move.} (
10. e5 Nd7 {would have been quite unclear}) ({while} 10. O-O-O {has been
played before and is similar to the game.}) 10... dxe4 11. Qxe4 Nf6 12. Qf3 Bb7
13. O-O-O Nbd7 ({Black is intending} 13... Nd5 14. -- {and} c5 {.}) 14. Qh3 c5
15. Nf3 ({Interesting was} 15. dxc5 -- ({, after which I mistakenly intended
to play} 15... Nd5 $6 {, which brings White a huge advantage after} 16. Bd6 Qf6
17. Nd4 Rc8 18. Ngf3 Rxc5 (18... Nxc5 $2 19. Be5) 19. Rhe1 $1) ({. Stronger is
Stefansson's post-mortem suggestion of} 15... Ne4 $1 {and it is not easy to
see anything better for White than} 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. c6 Qf6 $1 18. cxd7+ Kf7
19. Qb3 {and now:} -- (19... Nxf2 {is not good because of} 20. Nh3 $1 Nxd1 21.
Ng5+ $1 (21. Rxd1 $2 h6 {is good for Black}) 21... Ke7 22. Rxd1 Bd5 23. Rxd5
Qxb2+ (23... exd5 24. Qxd5 Qxb2+ 25. Kd2 {wins for White}) 24. Qxb2 Bxb2+ 25.
Kxb2 exd5 26. Be5 {and White has a very pleasant endgame.}) ({. Much stronger
is} 19... Nc5 $1 20. Qc4 (20. Qa2 $2 Bxg2 21. Rh2 b3 22. cxb3 Bd5 {and Black
is on top}) 20... Qxb2+ 21. Kd2 Bc3+ 22. Nxc3 Qxc3+ 23. Qxc3 bxc3+ 24. Kxc3
Bxg2 25. Rh2 Bd5 {and Black is a little better.}))) 15... Ba6 {I was already
approaching severe time-pressure, so I wanted to go for something relatively 
(compared to other variations!) forced and 'simple'.} ({Again} 15... Ne4 $5 {
(which was also suggested by Stefansson after the game) was very interesting.
The position after} 16. Be3 {is too complicated for me to give a clear
assessment or concrete analysis.}) 16. Bxe6 $1 ({I think that this is stronger
than} 16. d5 {after which, however, I would have had a tough (taking into
account less than half an hour left) choice between:} -- (16... Bxe2 17. dxe6
O-O (17... Bxd1 $4 18. exf7+ {wins for White}) 18. Rde1 (18. exd7 $2 c4 {is
better for Black}) 18... Bxf3 19. e7 Qc8 20. exf8=Q+ Nxf8 $1 ({not} 20... Bxf8
$6 21. Qxf3 c4 22. Ba2 b3 23. Bb1 c3 ({or} 23... Nc5 24. c3) 24. cxb3 Bb4 25.
Bd3 {with a plus for White}) 21. Qxf3 c4 22. Ba2 b3 23. Bb1 Ne6 24. c3 Nxf4 25.
Qxf4 Ng4 26. Qg3 Bh6+ 27. f4 Qc7 $1 28. Rhf1 (28. Qxg4 Bxf4+ 29. Kd1 Qd6+ 30.
Ke2 h5 31. Qf3 Re8+ 32. Be4 f5 33. Kf1 fxe4 34. Rxe4 Rf8 35. Rd4 Qxd4 $1 36.
cxd4 Bc1 $1 37. Ke2 Rxf3 38. Rxc1 Rg3 39. Kf2 Rd3 {is equal}) 28... f5 {with
good compensation for the exchange}) ({, or} 16... Nxd5 $1 17. Bxd5 -- ({, and
now not} 17... Qf6 $2 {(which I had been calculating during the game)} 18. Bxa8
Bxe2 (18... Qxb2+ 19. Kd2 Bc3+ 20. Ke3 Qxc2 21. Nc1 $1 {wins}) 19. Rxd7 Qxb2+
20. Kd2 Kxd7 21. Bb7 Qc3+ (21... b3 22. Kxe2 bxc2 23. Rc1 Qxb7 24. Nd2 {is
also winning for White}) 22. Kxe2 Qc4+ 23. Kd1 Qxf4 24. Qh2 {and White is
better}) ({, but} 17... exd5 $1 18. -- ({, when neither} 18. Rhe1 $6 O-O 19.
Rxd5 Qf6 20. Rxd7 (20. Qxd7 Rfd8 21. Qxd8+ Rxd8 22. Be5 Bh6+ 23. Kb1 Qb6) 20...
Qxb2+ 21. Kd2 (21. Kd1 b3) 21... Bc8 $1 {winning for Black}) ({, nor} 18. Rxd5
Bc4 {(intending 19...Be6 with a slight plus) ... is what White was hoping for.
})))) 16... O-O ({The bishop is taboo after} 16... fxe6 $2 17. Bd6 $1 {White's
attack is lethal, since if now} Bh6+ {then 18 Ng5.}) 17. Bxd7 Bxe2 18. Bc6 $1 {
This is what I had missed when playing 15...Ba6.} ({I was counting mainly on} 
18. dxc5 Bxf3 $1 (18... Bxd1 19. Rxd1 Ne4 20. Be3 {is slightly better for White
}) 19. gxf3 Nxd7 20. Rd6 $1 {found at home} (20. Qxd7 $2 Qf6) ({and} 20. Bg5
Qc7 21. Qxd7 Qe5 {, with an attack, are much weaker}) 20... Qc7 21. Qxd7 Qxc5 {
and Black has the initiative in return for only a pawn.}) 18... Bxd1 19. Rxd1
c4 $5 {Offering back the exchange for some positional compensation.} (19... Rc8
$6 {would not have been good in view of} 20. Bb7) ({but} 19... b3 $5 {would
have deserved serious attention had I had enough time. Here are some sample
variations:} 20. -- (20. cxb3 Rc8 21. Bb7 Rc7 22. Bxc7 Qxc7 23. Ba6 cxd4+ (
23... Ne4 24. Qh2 {is unclear}) 24. Bc4 Ne4 25. Qh2 Qxh2 26. Nxh2 Nxf2 {and
Black is slightly better}) (20. dxc5 Qc8 {and now:} 21. -- (21. Nd4 bxc2 22.
Kxc2 Nd5 $3 ({the line} 22... Ra6 23. Qxc8 Rxc8 24. Kb1 {is better for White})
23. Bxa8 Qxc5+ 24. Kb1 Rxa8 {and Black is on top}) (21. Bxa8 Qxc5 {with
compensation})) (20. Bxa8 bxc2 {and now:} 21. -- (21. Rd2 $6 Qxa8 22. Bd6 Re8
23. Bxc5 (23. dxc5 Ne4 24. Rxc2 Qd5 {wins for Black}) 23... Qd5 {is clearly
better for Black}) (21. Kxc2 Qxa8 22. Bd6 Rc8 {and Black is slightly better}) (
21. Re1 $1 Qxa8 22. Bd6 (22. dxc5 $6 Ne4 {with attacking chances}) 22... Rd8 (
22... Rc8 $6 23. dxc5) ({while} 22... Re8 23. Bxc5 {is slightly better for
White}) 23. Be7 (23. Bxc5 Ne4) ({and} 23. dxc5 Ne4 {both give Black good
attacking chances}) 23... Rb8 24. Bd6 Rd8 {with equal chances. Summing up, I
conclude that 19...b3!? would have promised Black at least an equal game. The
text is more risky but maybe not worse.}))) 20. Ne5 $5 (20. Bxa8 Qxa8 21. Ne5
Qd5 {leads to an unclear position.}) 20... Rc8 21. d5 $6 ({It seems that} 21.
Bb7 Rc7 22. Qf3 {would have been more unpleasant, after which I would have to
play} (22. Nc6 Qd7 23. Qxd7 Rxd7 24. Nxa5 c3 $1 {is unclear}) 22... Rxb7 $1 {
otherwise Black is dead,} ({for instance} 22... b3 23. Nc6 Qd7 24. Bxc7 Qxc7
25. Ba6) (22... Qb8 23. Bc6) ({or} 22... Qe8 23. Bc6 Qc8 24. d5) 23. Qxb7 Qd5
24. Qxd5 (24. Nc6 $6 {is precarious due to} Kh8 $1 {with an attack}) ({while} 
24. Qc6 {is useless because of} Re8 $1 25. -- {threatening} Rxe5 $1 {- it is
important to see this when playing 22...Rxb7!}) 24... Nxd5 25. Bg3 Rc8 $1 {and
Black doesn't seem worse to me in spite of the fact that he is a pawn down.})
21... Nh5 ({I spent a lot of important time calculating variations such as} 
21... Ne4 22. Qe3 Nd6 23. g3) ({and} 21... c3 22. b3 Ne4 23. Qe3 Nd2 24. g3 {
, only to realize that they would not have left me much hope of anything good.
It was practically at the last moment that the right idea occurred to me.}) 22.
Bh2 b3 $3 {The strongest move in the game. When I made it I had just five
minutes left for the remaining eighteen moves, whereas my opponent still had
more than fifteen. Of course, I needed a high level of concentration to play
well under these circumstances.} ({I should also mention that} 22... Qf6 23.
Nxc4 Qxf2 24. Nxa5 {would have been slightly better for White.}) 23. g4 $2 {
This turns things in Black's favour.} ({White should have continued} 23. Nxc4
Bh6+ 24. Ne3 (24. Kb1 $4 Rxc6 {wins}) 24... bxc2 25. Kxc2 Qb6 {and the
position is unclear.}) ({After} 23. c3 $2 Qf6 24. Nf3 Nf4 {Black is winning.})
23... Qf6 $1 24. Qf3 $6 {Making things still worse.} ({However, after} 24. Nxc4
bxc2 $1 ({but not} 24... Nf4 $2 25. Qxb3 Ne2+ 26. Kb1 Nd4 27. Qc3 Nxc6 28. Qxf6
Bxf6 29. dxc6 Rxc6 30. Nxa5 Ra6 31. b4 {, when White has a slight plus}) 25. --
{White is clearly in an inferior position:} (25. Kxc2 Nf4 26. Qf3 (26. Qe3 Nxd5
27. Bxd5 Rxc4+ 28. Bxc4 Qxb2+ 29. Kd3 Rd8+) (26. Qb3 Ne2) ({and} 26. Bxf4 Qxf4
{are all good for Black}) 26... Nxd5 $1 27. Qxf6 (27. Bxd5 $2 Rxc4+) 27... Nxf6
28. Nxa5 Nxg4) (25. Rd2 Nf4 26. Qe3 (26. Qf3 Nxd5 {is also good for Black})
26... Nxd5 27. Bxd5 Rxc4 28. Be5 Qxe5 29. Qxe5 Bxe5 30. Bxc4 Bf4 31. Kxc2 Bxd2
32. Kxd2 Rd8+ {(intending 33 Kc3 Rd1).})) ({I might also add that} 24. Qe3 $6
Qxh4 25. Rh1 Bxe5 26. Qxe5 Qxg4 {leaves White with no real chance of survival})
({while} 24. gxh5 $2 Qxf2 {loses immediately.}) 24... Qxh4 25. Rh1 Bxe5 $1 {
Accuracy is still necessary.} (25... Nf6 $4 {was impossible because of} 26. Bf4
) ({and} 25... Qg5+ 26. Qe3 {is quite unclear.}) 26. Bxe5 Qg5+ 27. Qe3 Qxg4 {
Black is winning because of his material advantage and threats against the
more vulnerable white king. The pair of bishops and the activity of White's
major pieces are no longer of any genuine significance.} 28. Bc3 ({Other tries
would also have been hopeless, for example} 28. f3 Qg2 29. Rh2 Qf1+ 30. Kd2
Rfd8 31. Bd4 c3+ $3 32. bxc3 ({or} 32. Qxc3 Rxd5) 32... b2 33. Qe5 Qc1+ 34. Ke2
Qxc2+) (28. Bd6 Qf5 29. Qd2 Rfd8 30. Be7 Rxc6 31. Bxd8 Rd6) ({or finally} 28.
cxb3 cxb3 29. Qxb3 Rfd8 30. Rd1 Nf4 {.}) 28... Qf5 29. Kb1 {Forced.} bxc2+ 30.
Ka2 Nf4 $1 31. Rh4 {This throws the game away at once;} ({but variations such
as} 31. Be5 c1=Q 32. Rxc1 Nd3) ({and} 31. Qd4 f6 32. Qxc4 Qd3 $1 33. Qxf4 Rxc6
34. dxc6 Qd5+ {would not have changed the result.}) 31... Ne2 $1 ({Not} 31...
Nd3 $4 32. Qh6 {and it is White who wins.}) 32. Rh1 ({Of course,} 32. Qh6 {
loses to} Nxc3+ 33. bxc3 g5 {.}) 32... Nxc3+ 33. Qxc3 Qd3 34. Qxd3 ({If} 34.
Rc1 {then the simplest is} Qxc3 35. bxc3 Rxc6 36. dxc6 Rc8 {.}) 34... cxd3 35.
Kb3 Rfd8 0-1

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Leko, P."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C92"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in December 1995 and published in various magazines.
--- Every time I play somebody who answers 1 e4 with 1...e5 I have serious
doubts about which opening to choose. This time I went for the Ruy Lopez,
despite its complexity, which had always made me afraid to play it.} 1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Bb7 10. d4 Re8 11. Ng5 Rf8 12. Nf3 {This move repetition is just to cut down
the risk of the time-trouble that can easily arise when you don't know the
opening well.} Re8 13. a4 h6 14. Nbd2 Bf8 15. Bc2 exd4 16. cxd4 Nb4 17. Bb1 c5
18. d5 Nd7 19. Ra3 f5 20. exf5 Bxd5 ({More common here is} 20... Nf6 {.}) 21.
Rxe8 Qxe8 22. Re3 {I learned afterwards that this logical move is a novelty.} (
22. Nh4 {was played in Arakhamia-Veroci, Yugoslavia 1991, but it didn't bring
White anything special and a draw was agreed a few moves later.}) 22... Qf7 23.
Ne4 bxa4 $5 {This unexpected decision caused me some confusion, particularly
since I already didn't have much time left.} ({I had thought that by playing} 
23... Bxe4 24. Rxe4 Nf6 25. Re6 Re8 {Black would have equalized completely,
but in fact after} 26. axb5 Rxe6 (26... axb5 27. Qe2 {looks rather unpleasant})
27. fxe6 Qxe6 28. bxa6 Nxa6 {he is stuck with a slightly worse position.}) ({
Another interesting idea would have been} 23... Ba2 $5 {, which Leko suggested
after the game.}) 24. Nfg5 $5 {I was so obsessed by the possibility of
sacrificing a knight that I almost didn't consider the alternatives.} ({In
fact the text just leads to a draw, whereas} 24. Qxa4 Re8 (24... Bc6 $2 25. Qd1
d5 26. Neg5 hxg5 27. Nxg5 Qf6 28. Re6 Qd4 29. Qh5 {wins for White}) 25. Bd2 $1
(25. Neg5 $2 hxg5 26. Nxg5 Rxe3 27. Nxf7 Re1+ 28. Kh2 Bxf7 {is winning for
Black}) 25... Bxe4 26. Bxe4 d5 27. Bb1 Rxe3 28. fxe3 {would probably have
brought White a little advantage.}) 24... hxg5 ({Several spectators could not
understand why Black didn't play} 24... Qxf5 {.} 25. -- ({. It's true that the
shocking} 25. Nh7 $6 {(suggested by Ivanchuk's second Alexander Sulipa)
doesn't seem good in view of} Qf7 $1 ({of course, not} 25... Qxh7 $2 26. Nc3 {
and White is better}) 26. Nxf8 ({or} 26. Rg3 Kh8) 26... Rxf8 {and White
doesn't have enough for the two pawns}) ({, but} 25. Bd2 $1 {(which in fact I
was intending during the game) is much better, when Black has a choice between:
} -- (25... Bb3 {, which loses to} 26. Rxb3 axb3 27. Bxb4 cxb4 ({or} 27... hxg5
28. Nxc5) (27... Nb6 28. Bc3) 28. Nxd6) (25... hxg5 26. Bxb4 cxb4 27. Nf6+ Qxf6
28. Qxd5+ Kh8 29. Qxa8 {with the same outcome}) ({, and the clearly stronger} 
25... Bc6 {. But then Sulipa's idea of} 26. Nh7 $3 {really does work! To prove
it I had to study this position thoroughly (with the help of Fritz4, to be
honest, although I had to find the main ideas by myself!) and here is the
analysis:} -- (26... Qd5 27. Nhf6+ $3 {the decisive piece sacrifice} (27. Qg4 {
is much less clear in view of} Kh8 28. Bc3 Ne5 29. Qg3 Be7 30. f4 Qd1+ 31. Re1
Qh5 {with the idea of} 32. fxe5 Bh4 33. Qxg7+ Kxg7 34. e6+ Qe5)) ({, and after
} 26... Qd5 27. Nhf6+ {, Black has two ways to take the knight but they lead
to the same thing:} Nxf6 28. Nxf6+ gxf6 29. Qg4+ Qg5 ({or} 29... Kh8 30. Rg3
Qf7 31. Qh4) 30. Qe6+ Kh8 31. Rg3 Bd5 (31... Re8 32. Qf7) 32. Bxg5 Bxe6 33.
Bxf6+ {and White wins}) ({, or after} 26... Qd5 27. Nhf6+ {,} gxf6 28. Qg4+ Kh8
29. Rg3 Qf7 30. Qh4 h5 31. Bc3 Bg7 ({or} 31... Nd5 32. Ng5 Qe8 33. Qe4) 32.
Nxd6 Qd5 33. Nf5 Qd1+ 34. Kh2 {and Black has no defence}) (26... Qxh7 27. Nxd6
$1 g6 28. Bxb4 $1 (28. Re6 $2 Ne5 $1 29. Rxe5 Rd8 30. Bxb4 Rxd6 $1 31. Ba2+ Kh8
{is better for Black}) 28... cxb4 29. Qd4 $1 {Black is a piece and a pawn up,
but his army is so badly co-ordinated that he cannot stop White's attack, for
instance:} -- (29... Ne5 30. Rxe5 Qd7 31. Qc4+ Kh8 32. Re6 $1 Bg7 ({or} 32...
Bxd6 33. Rxg6) (32... Bb5 33. Qe4) 33. Rxg6 Rf8 34. Bf5) ({or} 29... Qg7 30.
Qc4+ Kh7 (30... Kh8 31. Nf7+ Kh7 32. Rg3 $1 {wins}) 31. Qxc6 Rd8 32. Qc7 Qxb2
33. Bxg6+ $1 Kxg6 34. Rg3+ Kh5 ({or} 34... Kh7 35. Qxd8) 35. Nb7 $1 (35. Qxd8
$2 Qc1+ 36. Kh2 Bxd6 37. Qe8+ Kh4 38. Qxd7 Qf4 $1 {is unclear}) 35... Ne5 36.
Nxd8 Qb1+ 37. Kh2 Qf5 38. Nc6 Nxc6 39. Qxc6 Qf4 40. Kg1 {and White gives mate
soon})) (26... Qf7 {. Probably best. Now after} 27. Rg3 -- ({Black should play
not} 27... Kh8 28. Nxf8 Bxe4 (28... Rxf8 29. Bc3 {wins for White}) 29. Nxd7
Bxb1 30. Bc3 Qxd7 31. Qxb1 Re8 32. Rxg7 Qxg7 33. Bxg7+ Kxg7 34. Qd1 {where he
is losing}) ({but} 27... d5 28. Nxf8 Rxf8 29. Bxh6 dxe4 30. Rxg7+ Qxg7 31. Bxg7
Kxg7 32. Qg4+ {, and although White holds better chances it is not clear
whether he should win. Still, Leko's move (24...hxg5) is better.}))))) 25. Nxg5
Qf6 $4 {But this is horrible. Now White gets a winning position with a simple
exchange sacrifice.} ({Instead,} 25... Bb3 {would have given Black an easy
draw since White has nothing better than} 26. Qf3 Bd5 (26... Qd5 $2 27. Be4)
27. Qd1 ({my original idea of} 27. Qe2 Bc4 28. Qg4 $2 Nf6 29. Qh4 {doesn't
work because of} Qd5 30. Re6 Qd1+ 31. Kh2 Bxe6 32. fxe6 Qh5 {, when Black wins}
) 27... Bb3 28. Qf3 {repeating the position.}) 26. Re6 $1 Bxe6 27. fxe6 g6 (
27... Ne5 {loses by force to} 28. Qh5 Qh6 29. Bh7+ Kh8 30. Nf7+ Nxf7 31. Bxh6
Nxh6 32. Bb1 c4 33. g4 Nd3 34. g5 {.}) 28. exd7 Rd8 29. Qg4 $5 (29. Ba2+ $1
Nxa2 30. Qd5+ Kh8 31. Nf7+ Kg7 32. Bh6+ $1 Kh7 33. Bg5 {was more effective but
the text doesn't spoil anything.}) 29... Be7 30. h4 $1 {This decides the game;}
({whereas} 30. Ne6 Kf7 {would have prolonged it. Now both the g6 pawn and the
black king are terribly weak.}) 30... d5 31. Nf3 Kg7 32. Bg5 Qxb2 ({Or} 32...
Qd6 33. Bf4 {and wins.}) 33. Bh6+ 1-0

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C99"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 {After a successful try against Peter Leko in the
same tournament I decided that it was already time to employ this opening
regularly.} a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5
10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 Qc7 12. Nbd2 cxd4 13. cxd4 Bb7 14. d5 {A logical move when
you don't know much theory. Now the knight on a5 and the bishop on b7 are not
the best pieces on the board.} Rac8 15. Bb1 Nh5 16. Nf1 Nf4 17. Bxf4 {A new
move;} ({although the known move} 17. Kh2 {(Thipsay-P.Littlewood, Commonwealth,
Championship 1985), might have been a better idea.}) ({I nearly blundered with
} 17. Ne3 $4 Qxc1 {and when I finally saw this I played my move almost without
thinking.}) 17... exf4 18. Bd3 Bf6 19. Qe2 {Consistent but allowing Black a
nice opportunity.} (19. Rb1 {should have been preferred, with a slight plus,
and if now} Nc4 {then the simple} 20. Bxc4 {.}) 19... Qc5 $1 20. Rac1 Qb4 {I
couldn't believe that Black could allow} 21. b3 {so easily. But the queen
stands excellently on b4.} Rfe8 ({Both} 21... g6 $5) ({and} 21... h6 $5 {also
deserved attention.}) 22. Rxc8 Bxc8 $5 {During the game I thought that this
was bad because of the way the game went. But in fact things are not so simple.
} (22... Rxc8 23. Rb1 {would have led to quieter play.} ({But not} 23. e5 $6
dxe5 24. Nxe5 g6 {, when Black holds a small pull.})) 23. Qc2 $1 Qc3 $2 {This
is a mistake.} ({After the game Timman pointed out that he had a very
interesting double pawns sacrifice, i.e.} 23... Nb7 $1 24. Qc6 Rd8 25. Qxa6 Nc5
26. Qxb5 Qc3 {, when White has no advantage, for example:} 27. -- (27. Be2 Nxe4
28. Bc4 Bd7 29. Qb6 Ng5 30. N1d2 Nxf3+ 31. Nxf3 g5 32. Be2 Bf5 {with
compensation}) (27. Bc4 Ba6 (27... Bxh3 $2 28. e5 Bd7 29. Qb6 {wins for White})
28. Qc6 (28. Qb6 Bxc4 29. e5 Bxd5 30. exf6 Qxf6 {is equal}) 28... Bxc4 29. bxc4
Qxc4 {and again Black has sufficient compensation}) (27. Bb1 Bxh3 28. b4 (28.
N1h2 Bc8 {is also fine for Black}) 28... -- ({, and now not} 28... Bd7 $2 29.
Qb6 Na4 (29... Bg4 30. bxc5 Bxf3 31. e5 $3 dxe5 32. gxf3 Qxe1 33. c6 {wins for
White}) 30. Qxd6 Bg4 31. Qxf4 Bxf3 32. Re3 $1 Qxb4 ({or} 32... Qc1 33. Rxf3
Qxb1 34. e5) 33. Rb3 Qe1 34. Qxf3 Nc3 35. Bd3 Nxa2 36. Rb7 {with a clear plus
for White}) ({, but} 28... Nd7 29. N1h2 Ne5 30. gxh3 Nxf3+ 31. Nxf3 Qxf3 32.
Qd3 Qh5 {with excellent compensation.}))) 24. Rc1 Qxc2 25. Rxc2 {Now White is
clearly better.} b4 26. Rc7 {Black's problem is still the same as in the
opening - the knight and the light-squared bishop.} Bb7 27. N1d2 Kf8 28. Kf1
Re7 (28... h6 29. Rd7 {would have led to a similar position.}) 29. Rxe7 Kxe7
30. Ke2 {White's plan is very simple - to grab the pawn on b4. He only needs
to be careful about ...f7-f5.} Bc3 31. Nb1 Ba1 32. Ne1 f5 ({At home I
discovered that Black could have put up tougher resistance by sacrificing a
piece, i.e.} 32... Bd4 33. Nc2 Bc5 34. Nd2 f5 35. a3 fxe4 36. Bxe4 bxa3 37. b4
a2 38. bxa5 (38. bxc5 dxc5 {is less clear because the black king might become
very active}) 38... Bd4 39. Nb3 Bb2 {, but it seems to me that White is still
winning after} 40. Kd3 Bc8 41. Kc4 Bd7 42. Kb4 {.}) 33. Nc2 fxe4 34. Bxe4 Bf6
35. Nxb4 h6 36. Bd3 Bd4 37. Nc2 ({Going for the piece, e.g.} 37. Nc2 Be5 38. b4
{.}) 37... Ba7 38. Nc3 {. But now that is not even necessary, as the text is a
lot easier. It is not every day that I win a positional game like this.} 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Van der Sterren, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D49"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "56"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in December 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- Although nowadays I am less successful in the Bundesliga than in my first
season, every year I manage to score 2 out of 2 in at least one weekend.
Thanks to this game (and incredible luck in the Saturday one!) I kept up the
tradition.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. e3 ({Normally Paul
doesn't mind playing} 5. Bg5 {, but perhaps he didn't wish to enter the
Botvinnik variation at 9 a.m.}) 5... Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 a6 ({
Switching from my usual} 8... Bb7 {.}) 9. e4 c5 10. e5 cxd4 11. Nxb5 axb5 12.
exf6 gxf6 13. O-O Qb6 14. Be4 ({Nowadays} 14. Qe2 {is considered more critical.
}) 14... Bb7 15. Bxb7 Qxb7 16. Nxd4 Rg8 17. f3 Bc5 $5 {In one sense this move
is a novelty, although it ultimately leads to a known variation.} ({The other
move order is} 17... Ne5 18. Qe2 (18. Nb3 {doesn't seem promising in view of}
Rd8 19. Qe2 Qd5 20. Be3 $6 Qc4 21. Qxc4 Nxc4 22. Bc1 f5 {, when Black was
slightly better in Levin-Yasinsky, Novgorod open 1995}) 18... Bc5 19. Be3 {
(Kamsky-Kramnik, Linares 1994).}) 18. Be3 Ne5 19. Qe2 Qb6 $5 {This really is a
new and aggressive continuation.} ({The Kamsky-Kramnik game went} 19... Rd8 {.}
) 20. Rfd1 {This allows Black to keep on taking risks.} (20. Nc2 Ke7 {would
just have been equal.}) 20... Ra4 $5 ({The 'normal'} 20... Rd8 21. Nc2 Bxe3+
22. Nxe3 Nc4 23. Rxd8+ Kxd8 {, with equal chances, seemed too boring to me.})
21. Nc2 ({During the game I was slightly afraid of the pawn sacrifice} 21. Rac1
$5 Nc4 ({it may be safer to play} 21... Rc4 $5 22. Rxc4 bxc4 {with equality})
22. Bf2 Rxa2 23. Rc2 {, but now it seems to me that after} Rg5 (23... e5 24.
Kh1 {offers White excellent compensation for the pawn}) 24. b4 $5 {(this is
the idea that I feared)} Rxc2 25. Qxc2 Bxb4 26. Qxh7 Rd5 {Black has a good
game.}) 21... Rh4 $5 {Continuing with the same strategy.} 22. Qf2 $1 {I almost
disregarded this move in my calculations, thinking that it would lose in
exactly the same way as happened in the game.} ({But in reality it is stronger
than} 22. Kh1 {, which is what I thought White should do. Then Black has a
nice rook sacrifice, i.e.} Qb8 $1 23. h3 (23. g3 $2 {loses to} Rxg3 24. Bxc5
Nxf3 25. Bd6 Nxh2 $1) ({and the continuation} 23. Bxc5 Rxh2+ 24. Kg1 Rhxg2+ 25.
Qxg2 Nxf3+ 26. Kf2 Rxg2+ 27. Kxg2 Nh4+ {also seems to be in Black's favour})
23... Bxe3 ({but not} 23... Qb7 24. Bxc5 Nxf3 25. Ne3 Rxh3+ 26. gxh3 Ng1+ 27.
Qg2 Rxg2 28. Nxg2 Nxh3 29. Rd2 {and White wins}) 24. Nxe3 Rg3 $1 25. Nf1 (25.
Qf2 Nxf3 26. Nf1 {is the same}) 25... Nxf3 26. Qf2 ({not} 26. Nxg3 $2 Qxg3)
26... Rhxh3+ 27. gxh3 Rxh3+ 28. Kg2 Ng5 29. Qd4 Qb7+ 30. Kf2 Qf3+ 31. Ke1 Kf8
$1 {, maintaining very good attacking chances despite the material losses.})
22... Qc7 $5 {Going straight for the white king!} (22... Rc4 23. Kh1 {, with a
slight plus, would have been in contradiction of my previous play.}) 23. Bxc5
$1 ({This should yield White a little more than} 23. f4 {, which leads to a
forced draw after} Rxh2 24. fxe5 Qxe5 25. Bxc5 Qh5 26. g3 Rh1+ 27. Kg2 Qh3+ 28.
Kf3 Qf5+ (28... Qg4+ 29. Ke3 Rxd1 30. Rxd1 Qxd1 31. Qg2 {is equal}) 29. Ke2 ({
not} 29. Ke3 $2 Qxc5+ 30. Nd4 Qe5+ 31. Kd2 Rg4 $1 {and Black wins}) 29... Qxc2+
30. Kf3 Qf5+ 31. Ke2 {.}) 23... Nxf3+ 24. Kf1 $4 {Now Black succeeds in
everything.} ({Both players missed that after} 24. Qxf3 Qxh2+ 25. Kf1 Rf4 26.
Qxf4 Qxf4+ 27. Bf2 -- ({Black cannot take the knight with} 27... Qc4+ 28. Kg1
Qxc2 $2 {because of} 29. Rac1) ({so he should continue} 27... Rg5 {, with the
idea of} 28. Ne3 Rh5 {, but it is he who has to fight for a draw.})) 24...
Nxh2+ 25. Ke1 (25. Kg1 {would have been even worse in view of} Rf4 26. Rd8+
Kxd8 27. Bb6 Rxg2+ 28. Qxg2 Qxb6+ {.}) 25... Rf4 26. Bd6 $6 ({White was
obliged to go for} 26. Rd8+ Kxd8 27. Bb6 Rxf2 28. Bxc7+ Kxc7 29. Kxf2 {,
although the ending after} Ng4+ {is, of course, also lost.}) 26... Rxf2 27.
Bxc7 Rgxg2 $1 28. Bxh2 (28. Rd8+ Ke7 29. Bxh2 Kxd8 {would have made no
difference.}) 28... Rxc2 {. White resigned as he loses the house.} 0-1

[Event "Tallinn (rapidplay)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B43"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- It's
curious that I have had several interesting rapidplay and even blindfold games
against Vasily recently. The time control of this one was 25 minutes each.} 1.
e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. Be2 {For me this was an
improvisation typical of such an unimportant event (I don't know about my
opponent, but I played that Tallinn tournament just for fun).} Nf6 7. O-O Bb4 {
Here I already found myself in unknown territory. How should I defend e4?} 8.
Qd3 $5 Nc6 9. Bg5 $5 {Later I learned that this was a novelty, but during the
game I was just trying to put my pieces onto decent squares.} h6 (9... Ne5 10.
Qe3 {is unclear.}) 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Rad1 h5 12. Kh1 Nxd4 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. f4 (
{The alternative} 14. Qd2 $5 b5 15. Bd3 {, with unclear chances, would have
been more suitable for slow chess.}) 14... b5 {Here I saw a fascinating
sacrifice, and after about five minutes' thought I decided that it was worth a
try. The funny thing (but not for me) was that a few months later I had an
opportunity to play exactly the same idea in a different position against
Kramnik (Monaco rapidplay 1996), but scoring just half a point from two such
promising games is very annoying.} 15. e5 f5 16. Nd5 $3 (16. Bf3 Bb7 17. Bxb7
Qxb7 18. Rd2 ({or} 18. Ne2 {would have led to an unclear game. Not very
exciting.})) 16... exd5 17. e6 O-O $1 {The best defence.} (17... Rf8 18. exf7+
Kd8 19. Qxd5 Bb7 20. Qxf5 {is extremely dangerous for Black.}) 18. Rd3 $2 {The
safest (because it keeps a perpetual in reserve) but not the best way.} ({By
playing} 18. exf7+ Rxf7 19. Bxh5 {I could have obtained the advantage, for
example} Qc4 ({or} 19... Bb7 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qd3) 20. Bxf7+ Kxf7 21. Qh8 {
with a very strong initiative.}) 18... h4 19. Rff3 Kh7 $1 {The only move but
one that saves Black.} 20. Rg3 (20. Qxd5 fxe6 21. Qxa8 Bb7 22. Qa7 Ra8 (22...
Bc5 $2 23. Rc3) 23. Qf2 Bxf3 24. Bxf3 Rd8 {would have led to equality.}) 20...
hxg3 21. Rxg3 f6 22. Rh3+ {I was looking at this position for all my remaining
time, unable to believe that White has nothing more than perpetual check, but
my hanging flag warned me that I should at least not 'forget' to split the
point.} ({Trying for more would have been severely punished; for example} 22.
Qxd5 Qxf4) (22. Qf2 $2 Rg8 $1 23. Rh3+ Kg7 24. Rg3+ (24. Qh4 Kf8 25. Qh6+ Ke8
26. Rg3 Rf8) 24... Kf8 25. Rxg8+ Kxg8 26. Qg3+ Kf8 27. Qg6 dxe6 28. Bh5 Bd6 29.
Qe8+ Kg7 30. Qg6+ Kh8 31. Qe8+ Bf8 32. Qxf8+ Kh7) ({and} 22. exd7 $2 Qxd7 {.
Black wins in each variation.}) 22... Kg7 23. Rg3+ 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Adams, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in February 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- This game proved to be another successful use of 3 e5 against the
Caro-Kann. Unfortunately when I do it against Karpov or Anand things are
different...} 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 Nd7 6. O-O Ne7 7.
Nh4 Be4 $5 {A surprising novelty.} ({I was familiar with} 7... c5) (7... Qb6) (
{and} 7... Bg6 {.}) 8. Nd2 (8. Be3 Nf5 9. Nxf5 Bxf5 {would have transposed to
the second round game Shirov-Anand, in which I got absolutely nothing from the
opening.}) 8... Nf5 9. Nhf3 (9. Nxe4 Qxh4 {was not advisable. With the knight
retreat White seems to have lost two tempi compared to some lines. In a way
that's true, but the black bishop is a little bit misplaced on e4 and this
makes his counterplay in the centre more difficult. Therefore after a few more
moves Adams allows a structure which I very much like for White.}) 9... c5 10.
c3 Be7 $6 ({I would recommend either} 10... cxd4) ({or} 10... Qb6 $5 {.}) 11.
g4 Bxf3 12. Nxf3 Nh4 13. Nxh4 Bxh4 14. f4 {White's position is very pleasant
and easy to play. Black has to come up with a defensive plan.} cxd4 15. cxd4
Be7 16. Be3 Qb6 17. Bd3 O-O 18. Qe2 {If Black now allows 19 f5 his position
will become terrible. So the next move is practically forced.} f6 19. Kg2 $6 {
This plays into Black's hands. The idea of making a waiting move and trying to
further improve White's position is the correct one, but the king goes to the
wrong square.} (19. Kh1 $1 {was to be preferred, as then any attempt by Black
to free his position would rebound, for example:} -- (19... fxe5 20. fxe5 Rxf1+
21. Rxf1 Rf8 22. Rc1 {intending} Qd8 23. g5 $1 Bxg5 $2 24. Qh5 h6 ({or} 24...
Bh6 25. Rg1 Kh8 26. Bxh6 gxh6 27. Bxh7) 25. Qg6 Qb6 (25... Rf7 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27.
Rc8 Qxc8 28. Qh8+ Ke7 29. Bxg5+ hxg5 30. Qxc8) ({and} 25... Bxe3 26. Qh7+ Kf7
27. Bg6+ {both win for White}) 26. Bxg5 hxg5 27. Qh7+ Kf7 28. Qh5+ Ke7 29.
Qxg5+ {and White is winning}) ({, or} 19... Rac8 $6 20. f5 $1 fxe5 21. fxe6
Qxe6 22. Bf5 {and White has a clear plus.}) ({. Instead, Black should also
bide his time by} 19... Rf7 $1 {, after which White might continue} 20. Rg1 $5
{,} -- {intending} 21. Rg3 {with an attack.})) 19... fxe5 20. fxe5 Rxf1 21.
Rxf1 Rf8 22. Rc1 Qd8 {Here I probed deeply into the position and discovered
that my advantage had almost dissipated. Badly wanting to score my first win
in the tournament, I decided to go for complications and fortunately this time
my decision was reasonable.} 23. Qc2 $5 ({When I was making my 19th move I
missed that in the variation} 23. g5 $5 Bxg5 24. Qh5 {, Black would have} Bh6
$1 ({not} 24... h6 25. Qg6) 25. Bxh6 gxh6 26. Qxh6 Rf7 $1 ({but not} 26... Qe7
$2 27. Rc7) 27. Kh1 (27. Qxe6 $4 Qg5+ {wins for Black}) 27... Nf8 28. Rg1+ Kh8
{, when the position is equal.}) 23... Bg5 $1 (23... h6 {would have yielded
White a slight edge in the endgame arising after} 24. Qc7 Bg5 25. Qxd8 Bxd8 {
. The pawn sacrifice is better.}) 24. Bxh7+ Kh8 25. Re1 Bxe3 (25... Bf4 $2 26.
Bf2 Qg5 27. h3 {is better for White.}) 26. Rxe3 Rf4 $2 {Tempting but not best.}
({Instead} 26... Qg5 27. Rg3 Qf4 28. Bd3 Kg8 (28... Qxd4 $2 29. Rh3+ Kg8 30.
Bh7+ Kf7 31. Qg6+ Ke7 32. Qg5+ {wins for White}) 29. Bh7+ (29. Qc3 $6 Nb8 $1 {
is slightly better for Black}) 29... Kh8 {would have forced me to repeat moves.
}) 27. Rg3 Rxd4 $2 {This loses. Black had some other possibilities but it
seems to me that White should always stand better.} ({Here are the variations:
} 27... Qh4 28. Bd3 Kg8 ({or} 28... Nf8 29. h3) 29. Qc7 Nf8 30. h3 {with a
clear plus (} Rxd4 $2 {is met by} 31. Rf3 {)}) (27... g5 28. Qg6 Rxd4 {with
three variations:} 29. -- (29. Qh5 Kg7 $1 {is unclear}) (29. Bg8 Rd2+ 30. Kh1 (
30. Kf1 Rxh2 {is also unclear}) 30... Rd1+ 31. Kg2 Rd2+ {with equal chances}) (
29. Qxe6 $1 Rd2+ 30. Kf1 $1 ({not} 30. Kh3 Kxh7 31. Rf3 Qh8 $3 32. Qf7+ Qg7 33.
e6 Ne5 34. Qh5+ Kg8 {with a draw}) 30... Rxh2 31. Bf5 {and White is on top})) (
27... Nf8 28. Qd2 g5 29. Bb1 Qb6 30. Rf3 $1 Rxg4+ 31. Kh3 Rh4+ 32. Kg3 {with a
clear advantage for White.}) 28. Qf2 $1 {After the game Michael admitted that
he had overlooked this. His position is now lost.} Rb4 $6 (28... Kxh7 29. Qxd4
{would have offered slightly more resistance, although White is still winning.}
) 29. Bg6 Qh4 ({Or} 29... Qe7 30. Rh3+ Kg8 31. Bf7+ Qxf7 32. Rh8+ Kxh8 33. Qxf7
Rxb2+ ({or} 33... Rxg4+ 34. Kh3) 34. Kg3 {and White wins.}) 30. Qf7 Rxb2+ 31.
Kf1 Nf6 32. Qf8+ $6 ({It was a lot simpler to play} 32. exf6 Qxf6+ 33. Rf3 {,
but in time-pressure I found the other winning idea first.}) 32... Ng8 33. Rc3
({After} 33. Rc3 {,} -- 34. Qxg8+ Kxg8 35. Rc8+ {is threatened and Black has
no useful checks!}) 33... Rb1+ 34. Bxb1 Qxg4 35. Qf3 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B81"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in February and published in various magazines. ---
Before this game I had just 3 out of 8; and besides I had developed a severe
cold, which is clearly not the best companion if you're playing in Wijk aan
Zee, with its strong winds and poor heating in the playing area where doors
sometimes open by themselves. I was just dreaming of survival and getting back
to Spain, but somehow in this condition I managed to score a hat-trick.} 1. e4
c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 {This move has
become rather popular recently, especially since a nice victory by Topalov
against Kasparov at the Moscow Olympiad in 1994.} e5 {This leads by force to
very sharp and concrete play.} ({The fact that Kasparov played} 7... h6 {in
the aforementioned game may indicate that the variation with 7...e5 is quite
risky for Black.}) 8. Nf5 g6 9. g5 gxf5 10. exf5 d5 11. gxf6 (11. Qf3 {used to
be more popular but I think it's weaker.}) 11... d4 12. Bc4 $1 Qxf6 ({Another
critical continuation is} 12... Qc7 {, after which White normally continues}
13. Qd3 {with good attacking chances.}) 13. Nd5 Qc6 14. Bxd4 Bb4+ {This check
is well known to be the only move.} (14... Qxc4 $2 15. Nf6+ Ke7 16. Bxe5) ({and
} 14... exd4 $2 15. Qxd4 {are definitely inadvisable for Black.}) 15. c3 Qxc4
16. Be3 Ba5 {A novelty which sent me into long thought.} (16... Be7 17. Nb6 Qc6
18. Rg1 {was played in the game Th. Thorhallsson-J.L. Arnason, Reykjavik 1992,
which appears to favour White.}) 17. Nf6+ Ke7 18. Nd5+ {I already felt that it
wouldn't be easy to calculate everything with the modern time control, so here
and also later in the game I repeated moves even though I had a little more
time than my opponent. This was a practical enough decision but at the end of
the game I still managed to go wrong.} Ke8 19. Nf6+ Ke7 20. Bg5 $1 ({Of course,
it's too early to draw with} 20. Nd5+ {.}) 20... Bc7 $2 {This came as a
surprise and with my bad form I didn't react to it properly.} ({I had expected
} 20... Rd8 {, which I think is better, for example} 21. Nxh7+ {and now not}
Ke8 22. Nf6+ Ke7 23. Ne4+ Kf8 (23... Ke8 $2 24. Qxd8+ Bxd8 25. Nd6+) 24. Qg4
Rd4 25. f3 $1 {and White's attack is terrifying}) ({but after} 20... Rd8 21.
Nxh7+ {,} f6 $1 22. Bxf6+ Ke8 23. Qh5+ Qf7 24. Qxf7+ Kxf7 25. Bxd8 Bxd8 {and
the two bishops are no weaker than the white rook and pawns, as I had already
learned from Boris in Dos Hermanas the previous year.}) 21. Ne4+ $2 (21. Qd5 $1
{would have given White a huge advantage, as shown by the following lines:}
Qxd5 22. Nxd5+ Kd6 (22... Kd7 23. O-O-O f6 24. Be3 $1) 23. O-O-O -- ({, and now
} 23... Kc6 24. Ne7+ Kb6 25. Be3+ Ka5 26. Rd5+ b5 27. a4 $3 Nc6 (27... Bb7 28.
b4+ Kxa4 29. Kb2) ({or} 27... Kxa4 28. Kc2) 28. b4+ Nxb4 29. cxb4+ Kxb4 30. Kb2
Bb7 31. Bd2+ Kxa4 32. Ra1#) (23... Bxf5 24. Nb6+ Kc6 25. Nxa8 Bd6 26. Nb6 Be6
27. c4 {and although Black has some compensation for the exchange it shouldn't
be enough for a draw if White plays well.})) 21... Ke8 $2 {It's easy to err in
such a tactical position.} ({Stronger was} 21... Kf8 $1 {and after} 22. Bh6+ {
not} Ke7 23. Qg4 (23. f6+ $2 Ke8 24. Nd6+ Bxd6 25. Qxd6 Qe4+ {is better for
Black}) 23... Nd7 24. O-O-O $1 {with a clear plus for White}) ({but after} 
21... Kf8 22. Bh6+ {,} Ke8 $1 23. Qg4 $5 (23. Nf6+ Ke7 24. Nd5+ Ke8 {is a draw}
) 23... Qc6 24. Bg7 Rg8 25. O-O-O Nd7 26. f3 $5 {and White still has a strong
attack but is already taking risks.}) 22. Qg4 b5 ({Otherwise Black would lose
by force, for instance} 22... Qc6 23. Nf6+ Kf8 24. O-O-O h5 (24... Nd7 25. Bh6+
Ke7 26. Nd5+ Ke8 27. Qg7) 25. Bh6+ Ke7 26. Qg7 Qxf6 27. Bg5 Qxg5+ 28. Qxg5+ Ke8
29. f4 $1 {and the game is over.}) 23. Nf6+ $2 {I saw that with this move I
would get a clear advantage and went for it,} ({not having seen the forced win
with} 23. O-O-O Nd7 24. Bh6 $1 Qxa2 25. Qg7 Qa1+ 26. Kd2 Qxb2+ 27. Ke1 Rf8 28.
Nf6+ Ke7 29. Bg5 Qxc3+ 30. Kf1 Qh3+ 31. Kg1 {. The white king's journey in
this variation is amusing.}) 23... Ke7 {This time Gelfand puts his king onto
the right square.} ({After} 23... Kf8 {it would also have made a long trip,
but only to its grave, i.e.} 24. Bh6+ Ke7 25. Qg5 $1 Nd7 (25... Bb7 26. Rd1 $1)
26. Nxd7+ Kxd7 27. O-O-O+ Kc6 (27... Bd6 28. Qf6) 28. Qg2+ e4 ({or} 28... Kb6
29. Qxa8 Qxa2 30. Be3+ Ka5 31. Qe4) 29. Rd4 Qxa2 30. Qxe4+ Kb6 31. Be3 Ka5 (
31... Ka7 32. Rd8+ {wins}) 32. Ra4+ $3 Qxa4 (32... bxa4 33. Qb4#) 33. b4+ Qxb4
34. Qxb4# {.}) 24. O-O-O $1 (24. Qxc4 $6 bxc4 25. O-O-O Bb7 {is unclear.})
24... Qxg4 {Forced.} 25. Nxg4+ Kf8 (25... Ke8 $2 26. Nf6+ Kf8 27. Bh6+ Ke7 28.
Nd5+ {wins for White.}) 26. Bh6+ {See the note to move 18.} Ke7 27. Bg5+ Kf8
28. Bd8 $1 Bxf5 29. Bxc7 {With the queens off it's surely easier for Black to
defend, but now Gelfand makes a mistake which is hard to spot.} Nc6 $6 ({Of
course,} 29... Bxg4 {would have failed to} 30. Rd8+ Kg7 31. Bxe5+ f6 32. Bxf6+
Kxf6 33. Rxh8 {, and if} Bf3 34. Rf8+) ({but} 29... Nd7 $1 {, seemingly the
same as the text, would in fact have been much better. Black loses a pawn, but
retains considerable drawing chances, for example:} 30. -- (30. Nxe5 Nxe5 31.
Bxe5 (31. Bd6+ Kg7 32. Bxe5+ f6) 31... Rg8) (30. Bd6+ Kg7 31. Bxe5+ Nxe5 32.
Nxe5 Rhe8) (30. Bxe5 Nxe5 31. Nxe5 Rg8 {. The best White can get in any of
these variations is a slight advantage.})) 30. Nh6 $1 {I am very proud of this
move, refusing a pawn and still playing for the attack, despite time-pressure.}
(30. Nxe5) ({and} 30. Bxe5 {simply transpose to 29...Nd7.}) 30... Bg6 (30...
Be6 31. Rhg1 $1 {, threatening 32 Rd6, would have been highly unpleasant for
Black.}) 31. Rd6 Nb4 $3 {An amazing pre-time-scramble defence.} ({I would have
liked} 31... Ne7 32. Rd7 {much more.}) 32. cxb4 Kg7 33. h4 $1 {White has to be
very precise now.} ({A draw would have been the result of} 33. Nxf7 Kxf7 34.
Rhd1 Rhc8 35. Rd7+ Ke8) ({or} 33. Ng4 Rhc8 34. Rc6 Be4 35. Bxe5+ Kf8 (35... f6
$5 {is also interesting}) 36. Bd6+ Kg7 37. Be5+ Kf8 {.}) 33... Rhc8 {After
making this move Gelfand had almost no time left.} 34. h5 $1 (34. Rc6 f6 $1 {
equalizes.}) 34... Rxc7+ 35. Kd2 Be4 36. Rg1+ Kh8 {The king goes into the
corner;} ({but after} 36... Kf8 37. Rg8+ Ke7 38. Rxa8 Kxd6 ({or} 38... Bxa8 $6
39. Nf5+) 39. Rxa6+ {White's task would have been even more straightforward.})
37. Ke3 Bb7 {Here I spent a couple of minutes trying to complete the mating
net, but I couldn't finding anything special and had to play some quick moves
so as not to lose on time.} 38. Rgd1 $1 (38. Rf6 Rf8 39. Rg5 Re7 {is only
slightly better for White.}) 38... Re8 $6 {A time-trouble mistake.} (38... Rf8
{would have been tougher, but White is still better after} 39. Nf5 {with the
idea of} Rc4 40. f3 Rf4 $2 41. Rd8 Rxf3+ 42. Ke2 Rxf5 43. h6 $3 {mating.}) 39.
Nf5 $2 ({A reciprocal time-trouble error, missing that} 39. Rd7 Rxd7 40. Rxd7 {
finishes the game at once.}) 39... Bc8 $4 ({Down to his very last seconds,
Gelfand doesn't find} 39... Rc4 $1 {which in fact would have been a good
practical try. Now the correct variation is} 40. f3 Rf4 41. Rd8 Rxf3+ 42. Ke2
Rxf5 43. Rxe8+ (43. h6 Bc6 $1 44. Rxe8+ Bxe8 45. Rd8 Rg5 46. Rxe8+ Rg8 47. Rxe5
Rg6 48. Re8+ Rg8 {is equal}) 43... Kg7 44. Rg1+ Kh6 45. Rf1 $1 {, when I
believe that White should still win in the end.}) 40. Rd8 {Now the game
terminates straight away.} Bxf5 41. Rxe8+ Kg7 42. Rxe5 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Timman, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C80"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "97"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in February 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- I included this game in the book as an example of fighting for the win in
an objectively drawn ending. Finally I succeeded, got what was already enough
to win and... the end of the game is a good example of how careful one should
be in the final stages. One hidden thing is missed and half a point is gone,
unless your opponent gives it back to you the way Timman did - by resigning!} 
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5 8. dxe5
Be6 9. Nbd2 Nc5 10. c3 d4 11. Ng5 {Since Kasparov revived this old system, it
has become worth analysing. It's so concrete that in some lines one needs to
dig deep into the endgame to draw the right conclusions.} Qxg5 {The direct
response.} 12. Qf3 O-O-O 13. Bxe6+ fxe6 14. Qxc6 Qxe5 15. b4 (15. Nf3 {
probably just leads to a draw.}) 15... Qd5 16. Qxd5 exd5 17. bxc5 dxc3 18. Nb3
d4 19. Ba3 g6 $1 {A new move and one which makes me wonder how long Timman had
kept it in mind.} ({He played this line with the white pieces against Smyslov
in 1979 and had very good winning chances there, but Smyslov continued} 19...
Be7 {which is probably weaker.}) ({[In reference to Black's move 22 below: 
Here one can see the difference between 19...Be7 and 19...g6. In the case of} 
19... Be7 {(and then} 20. Bb4 Bf6 21. a4 Kd7 22. axb5 axb5 {) White would now
have} 23. Ra6 {, with the idea} Ra8 24. Rxf6 gxf6 25. Nxd4 {.]}) 20. Bb4 Bg7
21. a4 (21. Rad1 {would have been very risky in view of} d3 22. Nc1 d2 23. Ne2
Rd3 24. Nf4 Rhd8 25. Nxd3 Rxd3 26. c6 g5 $1 {, when although Black is a rook
down his chances are not at all worse.}) 21... Kd7 22. axb5 axb5 {Here one can
see the difference between 19...Be7 and 19...g6. --- [See the note to Black's
move 19 above.]} 23. Rad1 ({Here} 23. Ra6 {would simply be met by} Ra8 {.})
23... Ke6 24. Rfe1+ ({I was trying to figure out what would happen after} 24.
Rd3 {and I concluded that in the line} Kd5 25. Bxc3 (25. Na5 $2 Ra8 26. Rfd1
Rxa5 27. Bxa5 Kc4 {wins for Black}) 25... Kc4 26. Rfd1 dxc3 27. Na5+ Kxc5 28.
Nb7+ Kc4 29. Na5+ (29. Nxd8 $4 c2) 29... Kb4 30. Nc6+ Kc4 {, a draw is the
most that White can get.}) 24... Kd5 25. Bxc3 ({I rejected} 25. Na5 {in view of
} c2 26. Rd2 c1=Q 27. Rxc1 Bh6 {, which is unclear.}) 25... Kc4 26. Ba5 $1 {
The only practical try to win the game.} (26. Na5+ Kxc3 27. Rc1+ {is tempting
but allows Black an easy draw after} Kb2 $1 ({but not of course} 27... Kd2 $4
28. Kf1 Kd3 29. Nc6) ({or} 27... Kd3 $4 28. Nc6 Rde8 29. Nb4+ Kd2 30. Red1+ Ke2
31. Rd3 Bh6 32. Rc2+ Ke1 33. Rb3) 28. -- ({, and now either} 28. Rb1+ Ka2 29.
Ra1+ (29. Nc6 $6 d3 $1 30. Nxd8 Rxd8 31. Rxb5 d2 32. Rd1 Bc3 $1 {gives Black
plenty of compensation}) 29... Kb2) ({, or} 28. Rb1+ Kc3 29. Rbc1+ Kb2 {forces
White to give perpetual check.})) 26... Kxb3 27. Rb1+ Kc4 28. Rec1+ Kd5 29. c6
$1 {The point of White's idea. He is now a pawn down but his threats are not
to be underestimated. Black has to be precise.} Kd6 $1 (29... Be5 $2 {would
have lost by force to} 30. Rxb5+ Ke6 31. Rxe5+ Kxe5 32. Bxc7+ Kd5 33. Bxd8 Rxd8
34. c7 Rc8 35. Kf1 Kd6 36. Ke2 {.}) 30. Rxb5 Rb8 $1 31. Bb4+ (31. Rb7 $6 {is
met by} Rxb7 32. cxb7 c5 {.}) 31... Ke6 32. Re1+ Kf6 $1 (32... Kf7 $2 {was
wrong, not because of} 33. -- (33. Re7+ Kf6 34. Rbe5 Bf8 $1 ({note that} 34...
Rxb4 $4 {allows a simple mate after} 35. g4 Bh6 36. h4) 35. R5e6+ Kf5 36. Re5+
Kf6 {and the game is drawn}) ({, but} 33. Rb7 $1 Rxb7 34. cxb7 {winning.})) 33.
Be7+ ({My original idea was to win the exchange with} 33. Rb7 Rxb7 34. cxb7 Rb8
35. Rb1 Rxb7 36. Be7+ Kxe7 37. Rxb7 {, but then I realized that after} Kd6 {
Black's compensation is at least sufficient.}) 33... Kf7 34. Rd5 Rhc8 $6 ({
Black was only a small step from the draw that would have been reached after} 
34... Rhe8 $1 35. Rd7 Kg8 36. Kf1 d3 37. Rxd3 Rb6 {.}) 35. Rd7 Kg8 36. g3 $1 {
Looking for more practical chances.} Rb6 (36... Re8 {was still good enough.})
37. Rc1 Rb3 38. Bc5 d3 $2 (38... Rc3 $4 39. Rxg7+ {needs no comment}) ({but} 
38... Bh6 {would probably have saved the game. After the text move White is
clearly on top.}) 39. Rd1 Rcb8 40. Kg2 $1 ({Black was hoping for} 40. R1xd3 $2
Rxd3 41. Rxd3 Rb1+ 42. Kg2 Rc1 43. Rd5 Kf7 $1 44. Rd7+ Kg8 {with a draw, but
once White avoids this the game is over.}) 40... Bf8 41. Bxf8 Rxf8 42. R1xd3
Rxd3 43. Rxd3 Rf7 44. f4 Re7 {Setting the last but clever trap.} 45. g4 $1 ({
After the natural} 45. Kf3 $2 {I would have had to demonstrate my queen
endgame abilities in the line} Re6 46. Rd8+ Kf7 47. Rd7+ Re7 48. Rxe7+ Kxe7 49.
Kg4 Kd6 50. Kg5 Kxc6 51. Kh6 Kb7 52. Kxh7 c5 53. Kxg6 c4 54. f5 c3 55. f6 c2
56. f7 c1=Q 57. f8=Q Qc2+ {, which is not the best idea for a sudden death
time-control.}) ({[AS - In fact the pawn ending is drawn while the queen's one
should be winning after all. But I think that the best is} 45. Kf3 Re6 46. Rc3
$1 {, after which just good technique is required to win the game.]}) 45... Re6
(45... Kf7 46. Kf3 {is also hopeless for Black.}) 46. Rd8+ Kf7 47. Rd7+ Re7 48.
Rxe7+ Kxe7 49. g5 $1 ({After} 49. g5 {, Black resigned in view of the obvious}
Kd6 50. h4 Kxc6 51. f5 Kd6 (51... gxf5 52. h5 Kd6 53. g6 hxg6 54. h6 {and wins}
) 52. f6 {and White wins easily. It's strange that I had already won exactly
the same pawn ending against Akopian (Oakham 1992) with the only difference
that pawns were on the queenside in that game. --- [AS - The real difference
from that game is in fact that here Black has a pawn on c7. Thus when White's
king is on c6 Black puts his to d8 and there is no zugzwang since White's pawn
is already on h4 and there is no way to give Black the turn. Therefore Timman
simply resigned in a drawn position. This draw was discovered by an amateur
from Switzerland.]}) 1-0

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nunn, J."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B06"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in February 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- This game was difficult for me. I was not in a perfect state of health and
shortly before the game I suffered from a nosebleed. I was quite afraid it
would recur during the game but as it went on, I started feeling better and
when I sacrificed the rook (Rxc4) it was already clear to me that the blood
would be just in the game.} 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. Nc3 c6 4. Bc4 d6 5. Qf3 e6 6.
Nge2 b5 7. Bb3 a5 8. a3 Ba6 {Despite my terrible loss against Judit Polgar at
the Donner Memorial (Amsterdam 1995) I still chose to employ this setup. It's
hard to believe that with such a bishop on b3 White should get the advantage.}
9. O-O ({Judit played} 9. d5 {, and after} cxd5 10. exd5 e5 11. Ne4 Qc7 12. c4
bxc4 13. Ba4+ Nd7 14. N2c3 Ke7 $2 15. Nxd6 $1 {I was crushed with incredible
speed. Of course, this time I hoped to improve somewhere but Nunn decided not
to test my preparation. --- [AS - Later that year Anand played 9 d5 against me
in Dos Hermanas and although I lost that game I still have no complaints about
the opening phase.]}) 9... Nd7 10. Bf4 Qe7 11. Rad1 (11. e5 $5 d5 12. Qe3 {was
quite interesting, as this would create some difficulties for Black's
development.}) 11... e5 12. Bg5 (12. dxe5 {would have been answered by} Nxe5 $1
{with an unclear game.}) 12... Ngf6 13. d5 $6 {A very dubious plan but I don't
know what to recommend for White.} c5 14. a4 b4 15. Nb5 Nb6 $5 {As usual I was
being quite ambitious.} ({I saw that the simple} 15... Bxb5 16. axb5 Nb6 {
would be very good but I wasn't sure that I would be able to establish a clear
advantage after} 17. Qd3 $1 {, with the idea of answering} a4 {with} 18. Bc4 {
. The text might objectively be even better but it's not as strong as it looks.
Now White finds some very good moves (most of which of course I hadn't seen)
and the game becomes rather sharp and complicated.}) 16. Qd3 $1 c4 $1 17. Bxc4
Nxa4 18. Ra1 $1 {I had overlooked this.} (18. Rb1 Nc5 19. Bxf6 Bxf6 20. Qf3 O-O
21. Ra1 Rfc8 $1 22. c3 Qd8 $1 {with a clear advantage would have been more
according to my plan.}) 18... Nxb2 19. Qb3 Nxc4 20. Qxc4 Rc8 21. Qd3 Qd8 22. c4
$1 O-O $5 ({I could not assess the position arising after} 22... bxc3 23. Nexc3
Rxc3 (23... O-O 24. Rfb1 {provides good compensation}) 24. Qxc3 Bxb5 25. Bxf6
Bxf6 26. Rfb1 Bd7 27. Rxa5 O-O 28. Ra7 $1 {Black has a clear material
advantage but his pieces don't seem very comfortable. White's activity yields
him very good drawing chances.}) 23. Ra2 $1 {Another surprise. Here I realized
that if I was to choose now a 'normal' continuation, White would soon get full
compensation for the pawn. But then I saw a rook sacrifice. It was difficult
to convince myself to do it - just a couple of moves ago I was convinced I had
a clear advantage and now I had to take such risks! After several minutes of
uncertainty I decided to take the plunge.} Rxc4 $3 ({Variations such as} 23...
Bxb5 24. cxb5 Ra8 25. Rfa1 {would just demonstrate White's positional power.
But now Black's pawns are going to be really strong.}) 24. Bxf6 (24. Qxc4 Qb6 {
would ultimately lead to the same thing.}) 24... Bxf6 25. Qxc4 Qb6 26. Qc7 Qxb5
27. Qxd6 Kg7 ({The less concrete} 27... Bd8 $5 {would probably also have kept
Black's advantage. The text leads to positions in which such a small thing as
the placing of White's pawn on h2 and not on h3 will sometimes become a
decisive factor.}) 28. Rc1 $1 ({The unprotected first rank leads to White's
defeat in the line} 28. Rfa1 $6 b3 $1 29. Rxa5 $2 b2 30. Qxa6 b1=Q+ {.}) 28...
Rd8 $1 29. Qc6 (29. Qc5 b3 30. Rb2 a4 {looks clearly in Black's favour since
the queen's exchange,} 31. Qxb5 Bxb5 32. Ra1 Rc8 {, is catastrophic for White.}
) 29... b3 $1 ({Not} 29... a4 $2 {since in the endgame arising after} 30. Rxa4
Qxc6 31. dxc6 Bxe2 32. c7 Rc8 33. Rxb4 {, only White has winning chances.}) 30.
Rb2 {Here I had a feeling of horror, as if I had completely misplayed
everything. But it was definitely my day since I quickly found a move that
justified all my previous play.} Qd3 $3 ({But not} 30... a4 $2 {, which fails
to} 31. Nc3 Qxc6 32. dxc6 {with a clear plus for White. Now White's pieces
lack co-ordination, his back rank is vulnerable and 31...Rc8 is threatened.})
31. Rcb1 $2 {Short of time, Nunn loses immediately.} ({He had to try} 31. Rxb3
$1 {, when I'm not sure that during the game I would have responded correctly.
Home analysis convinced me that 31...Qxe2 would have given White good drawing
chances, whereas 31...Qxb3! should maintain Black's edge intact. Here are the
variations:} -- (31... Qxe2 32. Rf3 Be7 (32... Bg5 $2 33. Qc7 Rf8 34. Qxe5+ f6
35. Rc7+ Kh8 36. h4 Qd1+ 37. Kh2 Qxf3 38. Rxh7+ Kxh7 39. Qc7+ Kg8 40. gxf3 {is
better for White}) 33. Qc7 Qb2 {and now:} 34. -- (34. h4 {and:} -- (34... Rd7
$2 35. Qxd7 Qxc1+ 36. Kh2 Qc5 37. Qe8 {gives White compensation} (37. h5 $5)) (
34... Rf8 35. Rcc3 ({or} 35. Rc6 Bd8 36. Qd6 Bb7 37. Rc4 Bxh4 38. Rc7 Bc8)
35... Bxh4 36. Qxe5+ Kg8 {wins for Black})) (34. h3 Rd7 35. Qxd7 Qxc1+ 36. Kh2
Qc5 37. Qe8 Bf6 {and wins}) (34. Rd1 $2 Re8) (34. Re1 $1 Re8 35. Qxa5 Bb5 {
with a slight plus for Black in view of} 36. Qa1 Qd4 $1)) (31... Qxb3 $1 32.
Qxa6 a4 (32... Bg5 33. Qc4 $1 {is only slightly better for Black}) 33. Ng3 $1 {
and now:} -- (33... a3 34. Rc7 (34. Nf1 $2 Be7 35. Rc7 Bd6 36. Rb7 Qc2 37. Qa7
Rf8 {wins for Black}) 34... a2 35. Ra7 Qb1+ 36. Nf1 Qxe4 37. Qxa2 Qxd5 {and
Black only has a slight plus}) (33... Be7 $1 34. Rc7 ({or} 34. Qa7 Bd6 35. Qa5
Rb8 {intending} 36. Qa6 Rb6) 34... Bd6 35. Rb7 {and:} -- (35... Qc2 36. Qb6 $3
Bc5 37. Rxf7+ $1 Kxf7 38. Qe6+ Kf8 (38... Kg7 39. Qxe5+ {is equal}) 39. Qf6+
Ke8 40. Qe6+ Be7 41. Qg8+ Kd7 (41... Bf8 42. Qe6+ {is again equal}) 42. Qe6+
Kc7 43. Qxe7+ {with a draw}) (35... Qd1+ $1 36. Nf1 {and now:} -- (36... a3 37.
Qb6 $1 Rb8 (37... a2 $2 38. Qa7 $1 {is better for White}) 38. Rxb8 Bxb8 39.
Qxb8 a2 40. Qxe5+ Kh6 41. Qf4+ {with a draw}) (36... Qd4 $1 {, with a clear
plus. In this position Black should definitely win due to his a-pawn but good
technique is still required.}))))) 31... Rc8 {The rest is easy to understand.}
32. Qa4 ({Or} 32. Qd6 a4 {and wins.}) 32... Rc2 33. Rxb3 Qxe2 34. Rf3 Bd3 35.
Qd7 Bxe4 36. Rxf6 Kxf6 37. Qd6+ Kf5 38. Rf1 Bd3 39. Qd7+ Kf6 {. If my analysis
is correct then this is one of the best games of my career so far. The
complications starting with 15...Nb6!? went in the right direction.} 0-1

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Korchnoi, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A21"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "60"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in May 1996 and published in various magazines. ---
The day before this game I had drawn against Illescas from a much superior
position and, with a fifty per cent score, I had now practically lost all
chance of a good place. Still, I felt like fighting until the last pawn and,
with a certain degree of luck, this worked.} 1. c4 e5 2. g3 f5 3. Bg2 Nf6 4. d3
Bb4+ 5. Nc3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 d6 7. Nf3 c5 {I was not very familiar with the
opening and had already begun to improvise.} 8. O-O Nc6 9. Ne1 O-O 10. Nc2 Be6
11. Ne3 Qd7 12. Nd5 Ne7 $5 {The knight was annoying me.} 13. Qb3 $5 Nexd5 14.
cxd5 Bf7 15. c4 Bh5 {Although White has a nice set-up in the centre and good
prospects on the queenside, I was still quite optimistic about my attacking
chances on the kingside. Easier said than done!} 16. f3 Rae8 $6 {Afterwards I
felt unhappy about this move.} ({Both} 16... h6 $5 17. e4 fxe4 18. dxe4 g5) ({
and} 16... f4 $5 {deserved serious attention.}) 17. e4 $5 {This doesn't look
like a bad move, but it provokes the sort of melee I needed.} ({More precise
would have been} 17. Bh3 $1 {. A sample variation is} h6 18. e4 Bg6 19. Rb1 b6
20. Qb5 $1 {, with a nice game for White.}) ({Also interesting was} 17. Rb1 $5
{.}) 17... f4 $5 18. gxf4 exf4 19. d4 $5 {This came as a surprise.} ({In fact,
White could have played} 19. Bb2 {with the same basic idea but avoiding the
complications. Black's answer would then be something like} Qc7 20. d4 Nd7 21.
Bh3 {with unclear play.}) ({Of course, my calculations were concentrated on
the line} 19. Bxf4 Nxd5 $1 20. Bxd6 Nf4 21. Bxf8 Rxf8 {, when it's not easy to
assess the position. My feeling is that Black's initiative compensates for his
material losses.}) 19... cxd4 20. Bb2 Nxe4 $5 ({A normal and probably
objectively better continuation would have been} 20... Qc7 21. Bxd4 Nd7 {with
unclear chances. But I really wanted to win and, having taken Korchnoi's bad
form into account, I decided to gamble with a piece sacrifice.}) 21. fxe4 Qg4
22. h3 $2 {Here White goes astray.} ({The best and in fact only move was} 22.
Qh3 {.} -- ({. Now my original intention} 22... Qg6 $6 {would simply fail to}
23. Kh1 Be2 (23... f3 24. Bxf3 Bxf3+ 25. Rxf3 Qxe4 26. Raf1 {seems just losing
for Black}) 24. Bxd4 Bxf1 25. Rxf1 Rxe4 26. Bxa7 {and White is better since
his bishops are very powerful.}) ({. Probably the best idea is to go for an
ending after} 22... f3 23. Qxg4 Bxg4 24. h3 Bh5 25. Bh1 Rxe4 26. Rf2 d3 27. Rd1
Rxc4 28. Rxd3 Rcf4 {with good drawing chances for Black because of the bishop
on h1.})) 22... Qg5 $1 (22... Qg6 $2 23. Kh2 {would have been a great relief
for White.}) 23. Kh1 (23. Kh2 f3 24. Bxf3 Bxf3 25. Rxf3 Qd2+ 26. Kh1 Rxf3 27.
Qxf3 Rf8 {would also have been in Black's favour, but perhaps this was a
better practical chance for White.}) 23... Qh4 $1 24. Kg1 ({Now} 24. Kh2 {
seems too late in view of} f3 25. Bxf3 Bxf3 26. Rxf3 Rxf3 27. Qxf3 Rf8 28. Qg4
Rf2+ 29. Kg1 Qxg4+ 30. hxg4 Rxb2 {with a won rook ending.}) 24... Rf6 $3 ({Of
course I didn't even consider repeating moves with} 24... Qg5 {, but it wasn't
easy to find a winning idea.}) ({For example,} 24... Re5 $2 {was not possible
because of} 25. Bxd4 Rg5 26. Bf2 {.}) 25. Bxd4 Rg6 26. Kh1 $2 {The decisive
mistake.} ({Trying to give up the piece with} 26. Bf2 $2 Qg5 27. Bg3 {would
also lose to} f3) ({but} 26. Qd3 {would still have offered some resistance.
The best way then for Black is} Qg5 $1 (26... Rf8 $2 27. Rf3 Bxf3 28. Qxf3 Rg3
29. Bf2 Qf6 30. Qd1 {is completely unclear}) 27. Rf2 f3 {and the threat of} 28.
-- Qg3 {makes Black's advantage clear.}) 26... Rxg2 27. Kxg2 Rxe4 {Now Black's
attack crushes through.} 28. Bg1 ({After} 28. Bf2 Re2 {White has no way to
parry} 29. -- f3+ {, winning.}) 28... Re2+ 29. Kh1 Bg6 30. Bf2 Be4+ 0-1

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Gelfand, B."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B92"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "119"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in June and published in various magazines. --- My
only victory in Dos Hermanas was a truly interesting game but one with many
mistakes. Still, it gave me some sense of creativity which makes me less
pessimistic for future.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6.
Be2 {I had not employed this move before,} ({but I had already had too many} 6.
Be3 {games against Boris.}) 6... e5 7. Nb3 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Kh1 Qc7 $1 {This
very natural plan has occurred surprisingly seldom in tournament practice.} ({
Black avoids the line} 9... b5 10. a4 {but nevertheless wants to place his
bishop on b7.}) 10. f4 ({The flexibility of Black's 9th move would have been
seen after} 10. a4 Be6 {, when White has already weakened his queenside.})
10... b5 {This is the point.} 11. fxe5 {Finding myself in a new situation I
went in for an unusual plan. Despite Black's excellent development and control
over the centre, White still hopes to attack the enemy king one day.} ({The
pawn assault doesn't seem very promising. For example, in the game
Zarnicki-Sadler, Buenos Aires 1995, Black had excellent counterplay after} 11.
Bf3 Nbd7 12. a3 Bb7 13. f5 Rac8 14. g4 d5 $5 15. exd5 e4 $1 {.}) 11... dxe5 12.
Bg5 $5 Nbd7 13. Bd3 Bb7 14. Qf3 h6 15. Bd2 $1 ({After} 15. Bh4 Nb6 16. -- {
(intending} Nh7 {) it would have been difficult to generate an attack.}) 15...
Nb6 $1 16. Qg3 {This natural move in fact proves ineffective.} ({I should have
tried} 16. Rae1 $5 {with a very complicated game.}) 16... Kh8 {Boris is being
ambitious.} ({After the game he admitted that he rejected} 16... Nh5 {in view
of} 17. Qg4 (17. Qh3 $6 {was in fact my intention, but this just yields Black
a slightly better position after} Nf4 18. Bxf4 exf4) 17... Nf6 18. Qg3 (18.
Rxf6 $2 Bxf6 19. Bxh6 {is completely unsound owing to} Bc8 20. Qg3 Be6 {, when
Black is on top}) 18... Nh5 {and White has nothing better than to repeat the
position.}) 17. Rf5 $1 {Going for broke!} Bc8 {This allows White a very
dangerous attack by force.} ({I had actually expected} 17... b4 18. Raf1 $1 (
18. Nd5 Nbxd5 19. exd5 Bxd5 {is no better for White}) 18... bxc3 19. Bxh6 g6 {
and I think that the best way now is} ({otherwise Black gets mated, for example
} 19... gxh6 $2 20. Rxf6 Bxf6 21. Rxf6 Kh7 22. Qh4) ({or} 19... Ne8 $2 20.
Bxg7+ Nxg7 21. Rxf7 Rxf7 22. Rxf7) 20. Rxf6 $1 (20. bxc3 Nbd7 {is probably
slightly better for Black}) 20... Bxf6 21. Rxf6 cxb2 22. Rf1 {with a very
unclear game.}) ({Also worth considering is} 17... Nc4 {, but I believe that
by playing} 18. Raf1 $1 Nxd2 (18... Nxb2 $2 19. Bxh6 gxh6 20. Rxf6 Bxf6 21.
Rxf6 {is disastrous}) 19. Nxd2 {White gets better prospects.}) 18. Rxe5 $1 {Of
course!} Bd6 19. Bf4 g5 {Taking the exchange would allow White total
domination.} 20. Rc5 $1 {It's funny when the only move in the position is also
the most spectacular.} gxf4 21. Qh4 Bxc5 22. Qxf6+ Kg8 {So far everything had
been forced, but now I had to start thinking. White has several ways of giving
perpetual check, but I wanted more.} 23. Nxc5 Qxc5 24. e5 $1 Bb7 $6 {Now Black
gets into serious trouble.} (24... Nd7 $1 {had to be played and after} 25. Qf5
-- ({, not} 25... Rd8 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qxh6+ Ke8 (27... Ke7 28. Qh4+ Ke8 29.
Ne4 Qxe5 30. Re1 {also wins for White}) 28. Ne4 $1 {and White's attack is
decisive}) ({, but} 25... Re8 $1 26. Qh7+ Kf8 27. Qxh6+ Ke7 28. Qg5+ (28. Be4
Nb6 $1 {is far from clear}) 28... Kf8 {, when I see nothing better than} 29.
Qh6+ {with a draw.})) 25. Qxh6 f5 26. exf6 Rf7 {The only defence.} (26... Qc7
27. Qg5+ $1 Kh8 28. Re1 {was hopeless.}) 27. Qg6+ Kf8 28. Qh6+ Kg8 29. Rf1 Re8
30. Qg6+ Kf8 31. Qh6+ Kg8 32. Bg6 $6 ({I saw the variation} 32. Bh7+ Rxh7 33.
Qg6+ Kf8 34. Qxh7 Bxg2+ 35. Kxg2 Qc6+ 36. Rf3 Qxf6 {, but forgot that then I
would have had} 37. Ne4 {. After} Qg7+ 38. Qxg7+ Kxg7 39. Rxf4 {(to meet} Nc4 {
with} 40. Nc5 $1 {) Black's chances of survival are minimal. After the text
White is still better but the position gets much more complicated, especially
in time-trouble.}) 32... Qc4 33. Bxf7+ Qxf7 34. Qg5+ (34. Qxf4 {would have
guaranteed me the advantage, but I was still looking for a forcing way.}) 34...
Kh8 35. Qh4+ Qh7 36. f7 Rf8 37. Qxf4 (37. Qf6+ Qg7 {is just another repetition
of moves.}) 37... Qg6 38. Rf2 Nc8 ({Afterwards Gelfand was unhappy about this
move and instead proposed} 38... Nc4 {. White's best answer then is} 39. Ne2 $1
{, with a clear plus.}) 39. h4 $2 (39. Ne2 $1 {would have been especially
effective now.}) 39... Kh7 40. Kg1 $6 Qh6 $2 {As often happens, the final move
of the time control is the worst of the game.} ({After} 40... Nd6 {White would
already have to look for a draw. Still, it seems that he can achieve it by
continuing} 41. Qe5 Rxf7 42. Qxd6 Qxd6 43. Rxf7+ Kg6 44. Rxb7 {.}) 41. Qe5 $1 {
Now White is better again.} Qd6 ({Better was} 41... Qg7 42. Qc7 b4 43. Qxb7
bxc3 44. bxc3 Nd6 45. Qxa6 Nxf7 46. Qd3+ {, though White is still on top.}) 42.
Qe2 $1 Kg7 ({Not} 42... b4 43. Ne4 {, winning.}) 43. Qg4+ Qg6 44. Qd4+ Kh7 45.
h5 $1 Qc6 (45... Qxh5 $2 46. Rf4 {loses immediately}) ({but I had expected} 
45... Qd6 46. Qg4 $1 Qh6 ({since} 46... Ne7 $2 {is bad in view of} 47. Qg5 {.})
) 46. Qd3+ (46. Qg4 {would still have been answered by the forced} Qh6 {,
leading to the same thing.}) 46... Kh8 47. Qf5 Qh6 48. Qe5+ (48. Nd5 $1 {was
the right move.}) 48... Qg7 49. Qc7 $6 {White loses his way.} ({Better would
have been} 49. Qf4 $1 {, with a clear plus.}) 49... b4 50. Ne2 (50. Qxb7 bxc3
51. bxc3 Nd6 {allows Black some counterplay.}) 50... Bd5 51. h6 ({It is not
clear whether White has any winning chances in the endgame arising after} 51.
Nf4 Bxf7 52. Ne6 Bxe6 53. Qxg7+ Kxg7 54. h6+ Kg8 55. h7+ Kxh7 56. Rxf8 Kg7) ({
but perhaps I should have chosen} 51. Qc5 $5 Bxf7 52. Qxb4 {, retaining an
edge.}) 51... Qg5 52. Qc5 (52. Qf4 $6 Qxf4 53. Nxf4 Ne7 54. Nxd5 Nxd5 {would
just have been unclear.}) 52... Ne7 53. Ng3 $2 {During the game I thought that
this was brilliant but in fact...} ({By playing} 53. c4 $1 bxc3 54. Nxc3 Rxf7
55. Ne4 Qxh6 56. Rxf7 Bxf7 57. Qxe7 {I would still have had good winning
chances in the endgame.}) 53... Qc1+ $4 ({Both players missed the simple line} 
53... Qxg3 54. Qxe7 Qxf2+ $1 {(first pointed out by Miguel Najdorf)} 55. Kxf2
Rxf7+ 56. Qxf7 Bxf7 {with a draw after} 57. a3 {.}) 54. Nf1 {Now it's all over.
} Qg5 55. Ne3 {So Black loses his extra piece after all.} Kh7 56. Nxd5 Qxd5 57.
Qxe7 Qd1+ 58. Rf1 Qd4+ 59. Kh1 Kg6 60. Qe6+ 1-0

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B81"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "112"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The annotations on this game were made in July 1996 and have not been
published before. --- My encounters with Judit have a strange history. Finally
I stopped my series of losses against her (it was six in a row!) maybe because
this year I played exclusively with the white pieces against her. All the five
last games (Dos Hermanas, Dortmund, Vienna, Yerevan and Tilburg) were
Sicilians (pity that Lev Polugaevsky has passed away, he would certainly have
enjoyed it) and I always achieved a promising position at some stage. Still I
managed to beat her only in Tilburg, profiting from old analysis. --- This,
the Dortmund game, was in my opinion the most interesting from these five.} 1.
e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 e6 7. g4 e5 $5 {It is
quite strange that this sharp move has only been played against me in 1996.} ({
Six months ago Gelfand played it, but in Dortmund he switched to} 7... h6 {
against Leko in the penultimate round.}) 8. Nf5 g6 9. g5 gxf5 10. exf5 d5 11.
gxf6 d4 12. Bc4 Qc7 {The most popular continuation.} ({Gelfand played} 12...
Qxf6 {.}) 13. Qd3 dxe3 14. O-O-O exf2 (14... Nc6 15. Nd5 Qa5 16. f4 {proved to
be quite dangerous for Black in Gallagher-Al. Shneider, Bern 1995, and it is
no wonder that Judit comes up with a novelty. While thinking about my 15th
move I couldn't help feeling that modern chess-playing programs would consider
my position to be completely lost since there is no direct mate and the
material deficit is already quite large. However, it became clear to me that
White's attack is strong despite being rather vague.}) 15. Bxf7+ $1 {By
sacrificing a second piece White can create some threats before Black can
develop.} Kxf7 16. Qd5+ Ke8 $1 {A wise decision.} ({After} 16... Kxf6 17. Ne4+
Kxf5 18. Rhf1 Bh6+ 19. Kb1 Bf4 20. Rxf2 {Black's king is soon executed, for
example:} -- (20... Rd8 21. Rxf4+ Kxf4 22. Rf1+ Ke3 ({or} 22... Kg4 23. Nf6+
Kg5 24. Qf3 {and wins}) 23. Nd6 Qxd6 24. Rf3+ Ke2 25. Qe4+ Kd1 26. Rf1+ Kd2 27.
Qe1#) ({, or} 20... Qe7 21. Rxf4+ Kxf4 22. Rf1+ Kg4 23. Qd1+ Kh4 24. Qe1+ Kh5
25. Qe2+ Kg6 26. Qg2+ Kh6 ({or} 26... Kh5 27. Rf6 Bg4 28. h3 Qxf6 29. Qxg4+ Kh6
30. Nxf6 Rf8 31. h4 Rxf6 32. Qg5#) 27. Rf7 $1 {and the game is over.})) 17. f7+
Ke7 18. Qf3 $1 {The most ambitious continuation.} ({I saw that} 18. f6+ Kxf6
19. Qf3+ Ke6 20. Qh3+ Kxf7 21. Qh5+ Kg8 22. Rhg1+ fxg1=Q 23. Rxg1+ Qg7 24.
Rxg7+ Kxg7 25. Qxe5+ Kg8 26. Qd5+ Kg7 27. Qe5+ {would probably have led to a
draw by repetition, since} Kf7 28. Qxh8 {is quite risky for Black. But of
course I wanted more from my position.}) 18... Bh6+ 19. Kb1 Kf8 $1 {Perhaps
the only defence.} (19... Rd8 20. Qh5 $1 {is extremely unpleasant for Black.})
20. Qxf2 Nd7 $6 {But this is certainly too risky.} ({On the other hand,} 20...
Nc6 $1 {would finally have forced me to repeat moves after} 21. Qh4 ({I don't
like} 21. Nd5 Qd6 22. Nb6 Nd4 23. Nxa8 Kxf7 {at all for White}) 21... Bf4 22.
Qf6 Qxf7 23. Qxh8+ Qg8 24. Qf6+ Qf7 {, since now} 25. Qd6+ Qe7 {is not very
promising.}) 21. Ne4 $5 {This move took me a long time to find, and after
making it I was already in danger of serious time-trouble.} ({The problem was
that I couldn't find a win after} 21. Qh4 Bg7 22. Nd5 Qd6 23. Rhg1 Kxf7 {, but
in fact it is reached in one move, i.e.} 24. Nc7 $3 {, when the line} Qxc7 ({or
} 24... Qh6 25. Qc4+) 25. Rxg7+ Kxg7 26. Qe7+ Kh6 27. Rg1 {speaks for itself.})
({However, after} 21. Qh4 Bg7 22. Nd5 Qd6 23. Rhg1 {, instead of 23...Kxf7
Black has the much stronger} h6 $1 24. Qg4 Rh7 {, and I don't see how White
can get more than a draw after} 25. Nf4 (25. Qg6 Qxg6 26. fxg6 Rh8 27. Nc7 Rb8
28. Ne6+ Ke7 29. Nxg7 Nf6 $1 {should be okay for Black}) 25... Qf6 $1 26. Ne6+
Kxf7 27. Qc4 Nb6 28. Qc7+ (28. Ng5+ Ke8 29. Qg8+ Qf8 30. Qxf8+ Bxf8 31. Nxh7
Bc5 {cannot favour White}) 28... Nd7 29. Qc4 Nb6 30. Qc7+ {with a repetition.})
21... Bg7 $1 ({After the game Judit demonstrated to me an amazing resource
that I had not seen, i.e.} 21... a5 {. But then she indicated that it was
probably insufficient in view of} 22. Rhg1 Ra6 23. f6 $1 {and White should win,
for instance} Qc4 (23... Nxf6 24. Nxf6) (23... Kxf7 24. Qh4) 24. Qh4 Bf4 25.
Qg4 Qxf7 26. Qg7+ Qxg7 27. fxg7+ Kg8 28. Nd6 {.}) 22. Rhg1 $1 ({Of course,
Black would be happy to sacrifice back one piece to organize a defence after} 
22. f6 $2 Nxf6 23. Nxf6 Be6) ({or} 22. Qh4 $6 Nf6 23. Nxf6 Bxf5 {.}) 22... Nf6
23. Qg3 $1 Qxf7 24. Qa3+ $1 {Immediately after the game I was very unhappy
about this move but it became clear at the post-mortem that it is entirely
correct.} ({The alternative} 24. Rd8+ $2 Ke7 25. Ng5 {fails to} Qc4 26. Rxh8
Bxh8 27. Qxe5+ Be6 $1 {(easy to overlook from a distance!)} 28. Nxe6 Ne4 {and
Black has an edge.}) 24... Qe7 25. Qxe7+ {The exchange of queens allows White
to win back the material and continue playing for a win without any risks.} ({
Another possibility was} 25. Rd8+ Ne8 26. Nc5 $5 {, but after} Kf7 $5 (26...
Bxf5 27. Rxa8 Bh6 28. Rb8 {is unclear}) 27. Qb3+ Kf8 28. Rxc8 Rxc8 29. Ne6+ Kf7
30. Nxg7+ Kf8 31. Ne6+ Kf7 {, he has to go for perpetual check.}) 25... Kxe7
26. Rxg7+ Kf8 27. Rc7 $1 Ne8 $1 ({Of course, not} 27... Bxf5 $2 28. Nxf6 {and
White wins easily.}) 28. Rd8 Rg8 $1 ({After the game Judit stated that she had
missed the line} 28... Bxf5 29. Rxa8 Bxe4 30. Rxe8+ Kxe8 31. Rc8+ {, when she
was considering something her like 22nd move... However with the text she
threatens both 29...Rg1+ and 29...Bxf5.}) 29. Ng3 {The only way to parry these
threats.} Rg4 30. Rxh7 {Time-trouble was forcing me to play quickly and I
started to miss the best opportunities.} ({I believe that by continuing} 30.
Kc1 Rd4 31. Rdxc8 Rxc8 32. Rxc8 Rh4 33. Rb8 b5 34. Rb6 {I would have had even
better winning chances than in the game.}) 30... Rd4 31. Rh8+ Kf7 32. Rhxe8 {
Game over?} Bd7 $3 {Not at all! White has to exchange a pair of rooks, when
with a strong bishop Black has very good prospects of holding the position.}
33. Kc1 ({In retrospect I would prefer} 33. Rf8+ Ke7 34. f6+ Ke6 35. Kc1 Rxd8
36. Rxd8 Kxf6 37. c3 $1 Rd5 38. h4 {, with a slight plus.}) 33... Bxe8 34. Rxa8
Rh4 35. Rd8 $6 (35. Nf1 $1 {, as suggested by Judit, was probably my last real
practical chance. But I was already fighting with the clock.}) 35... Rxh2 36.
Rd5 Kf6 37. Rd6+ Kg5 38. Re6 Rh8 39. f6 Bc6 $1 {Practically forcing White to
give up his passed pawn.} 40. Rxe5+ Kxf6 41. Re3 Re8 $1 42. Kd2 Rxe3 43. Kxe3
Ke5 44. Ne2 Kd5 45. Nd4 Be8 46. Kd3 Bg6+ 47. Kc3 Kc5 48. Ne6+ Kd6 49. Nf4 Bf5
50. Nd3 Kd5 51. Kb4 $6 {Black has reached a drawn position but there was still
no reason to call it a day immediately.} Bxd3 $1 52. cxd3 Kd4 53. Ka5 Kxd3 54.
Kb6 Kc2 55. a4 ({If} 55. Kxb7 {then} a5 $1 {saves Black.}) 55... Kb3 $1 56. a5
Ka4 $1 ({It was still not too late to lose the game with} 56... Kb4 $4 57. b3 {
. But now the draw really had to be agreed.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Vienna"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "70"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- When I
learned that I would play Kramnik with Black, I was not especially confident
because the memory of how I lost to him in Dortmund, without getting out of
the opening, was still very fresh. Therefore I chose a set-up involving some
risk, but in which the chances to safely reach a middlegame fight were still
very good.} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 c6 3. c4 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 {In Vienna I returned to
the Chebanenko system, which I played a lot during 1993-4, scoring 3 out of 4
- a successful comeback. I also scored a further 3 out of 4 after Vienna, but
only with some luck...} 5. c5 ({Kramnik has almost never encountered the 4...
a6 system as White and I didn't know what to expect from him. Once he played} 
5. a4 {.}) 5... Bf5 $5 ({I used to play the 'pure Moldavian'} 5... g6 {, but
then Black gets a passive position. The text has been well employed by my
countryman Jordi Magem.}) 6. Qb3 Ra7 ({Against Ivan Sokolov at the Erevan
Olympiad, 1996 I switched to} 6... Qc8 {. I am still trying to figure out
which of the two moves is better.}) 7. Bf4 Nbd7 8. h3 ({A new move to avoid} 8.
e3 Nh5 $5 {when, by exchanging the strong white bishop, Black should probably
solve his opening problems.}) 8... h6 $5 9. e3 g5 10. Bh2 Bg7 11. Ne5 $5 {
Kramnik is being ambitious but it is a bit risky as his development is not
very good.} ({I believe that Black should also be OK after} 11. Be2 Ne4 $5) ({
but} 11. Nd2 $5 {could be an interesting try.}) 11... O-O 12. f3 (12. Bd3 {
probably promises White a slight advantage.}) 12... Nxe5 $1 {Otherwise Black
has a passive position.} 13. Bxe5 Nd7 14. Bxg7 Kxg7 15. e4 {This pawn advance
is not dangerous,} ({but} 15. Be2 Qc7 16. Kf2 e5 {would also promise Black a
good game.}) 15... dxe4 16. fxe4 Bg6 17. O-O-O $2 {This bad move was
accompanied by a draw offer but I rejected it as now Black gets a clear
advantage by simple means.} ({White should continue} 17. e5 {which I was
planning to answer by} b6 18. cxb6 Qxb6 (18... Rb7 19. O-O-O Rxb6 20. Qa3 {is
unclear}) 19. Qxb6 Nxb6 20. O-O-O Nd5 $5 {with a roughly equal endgame.}) 17...
e5 $1 {Now White's centre collapses while the isolated e4-pawn remains as a
weakness. White is unable to arrange any counter-play.} 18. Qc4 ({Both} 18.
dxe5 Qe7) ({and} 18. d5 Nxc5 19. Qc4 Nd7 {are clearly better for Black.}) 18...
Qf6 $1 {A very precise move. Now White is forced to exchange pawns before
completing his development.} 19. dxe5 (19. d5 Qf4+ 20. Rd2 (20. Kb1 cxd5 {is
also very bad}) 20... Qe3 21. b4 a5 {is awful for White.}) 19... Nxe5 20. Qd4
Raa8 $1 ({I was tempted by} 20... Qf4+ $5 21. Qd2 Qg3 {, but then decided to
bring my rook into the game first.}) 21. Qe3 Rad8 22. Be2 Qe7 {Black has no
clear winning plan but, as already stated, White has no counterplay.} 23. Rhe1
Nd7 24. Qd4+ Nf6 25. Qe3 Qe5 26. Bf3 h5 27. a3 Rfe8 28. Rxd8 Rxd8 29. Bd1 $2 (
29. Rd1 {is better, when Black should retains his advantage with} Re8 {.})
29... Rd4 30. Bc2 Rc4 $1 {The game is over.} 31. Kb1 Rxc5 32. Qd2 Rc4 33. Qd8
Nxe4 34. Bxe4 Bxe4+ 35. Nxe4 (35. Ka1 {loses to} Rxc3 {.}) 35... Rxe4 {. White
lost on time but his position is, of course, lost anyway.} 0-1

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Adams, M."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C69"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 {Not exactly a new opening in my
repertoire, as I used to play it from time to time more than ten years ago.
But now, of course, I had to study it all over again.} dxc6 5. O-O f6 6. d4
exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxd1 9. Rxd1 Bg4 10. f3 Bd7 11. Nc3 O-O-O {All this
could be easily expected from Michael since he plays this line against the
Exchange Variation regularly. During my preparation I also suspected that he
would go for a known ending where Black obtains excellent compensation for the
pawn. Still, I wasn't sure whether it would be so easy to draw and I decided
to try it.} 12. Bf4 c4 13. Na5 Bc5+ 14. Kf1 (14. Kh1 {is a different story
according to Jan Timman's commentaries on his game against Adams (Belgrade
1995, see 'New In Chess' magazine No.1 of 1996) I should mention that in the
same source Timman indicated 21...Rd6!, which occurred later on in the present
game. I didn't notice this remark in time, maybe because after reading Short's
notes to his game against Timman ('New In Chess' No.8 of 1995) I got a feeling
that 'New In Chess' was somehow more for entertainment than for chess
annotations, even though Nigel did enrich my vocabulary.}) 14... b5 15. Nd5 Ne7
$1 (15... c6 16. b4 $1 {was the way Timman brilliantly beat Adams in the
above-mentioned game; no wonder Michael doesn't play this line any more.}) 16.
Bxc7 Nxd5 17. Rxd5 Kxc7 18. Rxc5+ Kb6 19. b4 cxb3 20. Nxb3 {It is sufficient
to look at the position to see that Black should not lose. However, he still
faces some small practical difficulties.} Be6 ({The other way would be} 20...
a5 21. Rc3 b4 22. Re3 Bb5+ {and Black has enough for the pawn.}) 21. Rc3 Rd6 $1
{An innovation.} ({Previous experience has been} 21... a5 22. a4 b4 23. Rc5
Bxb3 24. Rb5+ Ka7 25. cxb3 {with a clear advantage for White, Kelleher-Adams,
New York 1996}) ({and} 21... b4 22. Re3 Rc8 23. Nd4 Bc4+ 24. Ke1 Rhd8 25. Ne2 {
with an edge for White, as in J.Benjamin-A.Ivanov, USA ch 1993.}) (21... Rc8
22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Nd4 {also fails to equalize.}) 22. a4 {I saw no other way to
create winning chances. With the text I am at least trying to exchange my
isolated pawn for his good one, hoping that one day the b5-pawn might also
become weak.} Bc4+ $1 23. Kf2 (23. Ke1 Rhd8 {promises Black full compensation.}
) 23... Rc8 $1 24. axb5 axb5 25. Rb1 b4 26. Re3 Bxb3 $1 {Forcing a drawn rook
ending.} ({My hope was to meet} 26... Bb5 {with} 27. Na1 $1 {and by attacking
his pawn get some winning chances, for example} Rd2+ 28. Kg3 Rc4 29. Rd3 $1
Rcxc2 30. Nxc2 Bxd3 31. Rxb4+ Kc5 32. Rd4 {with a promising position.}) 27.
Rexb3 ({Capturing with the pawn leaves White no winning chances as after} 27.
cxb3 Rd2+ 28. Re2 ({not} 28. Kg3 $6 Rcc2 29. Rg1 Rc3) 28... Rxe2+ 29. Kxe2 Rc2+
30. Kf1 Rd2 $1 {Black is too active.}) 27... Rxc2+ 28. Ke3 ({The position after
} 28. Kg3 Rdd2 29. Rxb4+ Kc7 30. Rb7+ Kc6 {seemed dead drawn to me, but the
text is no great improvement.}) 28... Rxg2 29. Rxb4+ Kc5 $6 {Not yet a real
error, but an indication that Black is deviating from the right course.} ({
More natural would be} 29... Kc7 30. Rb7+ Kd8 31. h4 Rd7 32. Rb8+ Ke7 {, with
a draw.}) 30. Rb7 Ra6 31. R1b3 g5 $6 {Here I started thinking that I might get
some winning chances.} ({Of course,} 31... Kd6 {would still be an easy draw.})
32. h4 h6 $2 (32... g4 $1 {was correct, when to avoid a forced draw White must
continue} 33. Kf4 $1 (33. Rxh7 Rg3 34. Kf4 Rxf3+ 35. Rxf3 gxf3 36. Kxf3 Kd6 37.
Kf4 Ke6 {is drawn}) 33... gxf3 34. Rxf3 {although it seems that Black's
counterplay after} h5 $1 {is sufficient.}) 33. Rd3 $1 {The most difficult move
in the game, intending to cut Black's king off from his pawns.} (33. hxg5 hxg5
34. Rd3 $1 {would also have yielded White some practical winning chances, so
it was not easy to choose.}) 33... gxh4 $6 {Tempting but wrong as the two
remaining White pawns will be a formidable force.} (33... g4 {was still to be
preferred, although White can then make dangerous threats with} 34. Rc7+ Kb4
35. Kf4 gxf3 36. Rxf3 {and the black king is still cut off.}) 34. Rc7+ Kb4 (
34... Kb6 35. Rc1 {is very unpleasant for Black, for example} h3 36. Rd6+ Ka7
37. Rxa6+ Kxa6 38. Rc6+ Kb7 39. Rxf6 h5 40. Rf5 $1 h4 41. Rh5 {and wins.}) 35.
Rd1 $1 {White already has a large advantage. However, the win is not yet clear.
} Kb3 $1 ({Black must now avoid exchanging one pair of rooks, for example} 
35... h3 36. Rb1+ Ka3 37. Ra1+ Ra2 38. Rxa2+ Kxa2 {wins for White after} 39.
Rc5 $3 {.}) 36. Rh1 f5 37. exf5 ({Here I was already in slight time-pressure
and I am not sure whether} 37. e5 $5 {might have been better. Of course, the
text is less risky.}) 37... Rg5 38. Rb7+ Kc2 $1 {Going to the right square.} (
38... Ka2 39. Rh2+ Ka3 40. Rb5 $1 {is probably winning for White, for instance}
Ra4 41. Rhb2 Ra6 (41... Ra5 42. R2b3+ Ka2 43. Rxa5+ Kxb3 44. Kf4 h3 45. Ra1 h2
46. Rh1 Rg2 47. f6 {wins}) 42. R5b3+ Ka4 43. Rb1 Rg1 44. Rxg1 Kxb3 45. Rg6 Ra5
46. Rxh6 Rxf5 47. Rxh4 {and the king is fatally cut off along a rank.}) 39.
Rh2+ Kc3 $2 {This is the fatal error.} ({After} 39... Kc1 {Black can still
fight, although it seems to me that with accurate play White should win in the
end, for example} 40. Rc7+ Kb1 41. Rc5 Ra3+ 42. Ke4 Ra4+ 43. Ke5 Rg1 44. Rd5 $1
{and the relative king positions will decide the game.}) 40. Rbb2 {Now the
game is over. Black loses his pride and joy, the passed h4-pawn, and he still
cannot move his king towards the centre.} Kc4 41. Rxh4+ Kc5 42. Rc2+ Kb5 ({A
sad necessity as} 42... Kd5 {loses to} 43. Rd4+ Ke5 44. f4+ {.}) 43. Rh1 $6 (
43. Rf4 Rf6 44. Ke4 {might have been a better way to win, but I missed that
with the text I lose one of my pawns in return for the pawn on h6.}) 43... Ra3+
44. Kf4 Ra4+ 45. Ke5 Ra5 $1 46. Rxh6 Kb4+ 47. Ke4 Rgxf5 48. Rb6+ Ka3 {
Nevertheless, the endgame should be an easy win because White can try to
exchange rooks, promote his pawn or mate the enemy king; Black cannot avoid
all these dangers.} 49. Rc3+ Ka2 ({White also wins after} 49... Ka4 50. f4 {.})
50. f4 Rf8 51. Rcb3 Rc5 $6 {This makes it quicker because now Black cannot
avoid the exchange of rooks.} (51... Raf5 52. Rf3 {was also hopeless}) ({but} 
51... Re8+ 52. Kf3 Re1 {would still require some technical accuracy from White.
I believe that the best line would be} 53. Rb2+ Ka1 54. Re2 Rf1+ 55. Rf2 Rg1
56. Rb3 {and White will win.}) 52. Rb2+ Ka3 53. Rb1 Ka2 54. R6b2+ Ka3 55. Rb5
Re8+ 56. Kd4 Rxb5 57. Rxb5 Ka4 58. Rb1 Rf8 59. Ke5 Re8+ 60. Kd6 Rf8 61. Rf1 1-0

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Svidler, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B01"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "118"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 $5 {A very provocative opening which has every
reason to be called the 'Portuguese Variation' because a large percentage of
the games found in databases involved Portuguese players. Kevin Spraggett, who
has lived in Portugal for many years and has picked up many ideas from his
local colleagues, has also employed it and he suggested it to me.} 4. Be2 ({
One of the funniest variations I've ever seen is} 4. f3 Bf5 5. c4 e6 6. dxe6
Nc6 $1 {, which has occurred in several games.}) ({Other critical moves are} 4.
Bb5+) ({and} 4. Nf3 {.}) 4... Bxe2 5. Qxe2 Qxd5 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Nc3 {A new move.}
({'Theory', such as it is in this completely undeveloped system, is} 7. c4 {.})
7... Qh5 8. Bg5 $6 {During the game I wasn't able to decide whether this was a
blunder or a sacrifice -very often the annotator's verdict depends on the
result of the game. White gets some initiative for a pawn but it seems
insufficient.} ({Instead White had an interesting opportunity which I was
slightly afraid of, namely} 8. Qb5 $5 {. After} O-O-O (8... Qxb5 9. Nxb5 O-O-O
10. Ng5 $1 a6 11. Nxf7 axb5 12. Nxh8 Nxd4 13. O-O Nxc2 14. Rb1 {is clearly
better for White}) 9. Qxh5 Nxh5 10. Ng5 Nxd4 11. O-O Nxc2 12. Rb1 {White seems
to have good compensation for the sacrificed pawns.}) ({Of course, White could
have chosen simple development by} 8. Be3) ({or} 8. Bf4 {, with an equal game.}
) 8... Nxd4 9. Nxd4 Qxg5 10. h4 $1 ({To be honest, I had overlooked this,
counting only on} 10. Ncb5 Qc5 11. O-O-O a6 {which is very sad for White.})
10... Qh5 $1 {Gaining an important tempo.} 11. f3 (11. Qxh5 Nxh5 12. Ncb5 Rc8
$1 {is winning for Black as} 13. Nxa7 $6 {loses to} Rd8 $1 14. Nb3 c6 {.})
11... O-O-O 12. O-O-O e6 13. g4 Qa5 $1 ({After} 13... Qc5 $6 14. Nb3 Qb6 15.
Rxd8+ Kxd8 16. Rd1+ Bd6 17. g5 Nd7 18. Ne4 {Black is only slightly better.})
14. Nb3 {Going for an inferior ending.} ({I was more concerned about} 14. g5 {
and now} Nd5 $6 {was my intention, but it proves to be incorrect because of}
15. Nxe6 Ba3 $5 ({I thought that} 15... Bb4 $5 {would be winning but, as Fritz
indicates, it leads only to an equal ending after} 16. Nxd8 $1 Nxc3 17. Qc4 $1
Nxa2+ 18. Kb1 Nc3+ 19. bxc3 Bxc3 20. Qa2 Rxd8 21. Rxd8+ Kxd8 22. Rd1+ Ke7 23.
Qxa5 Bxa5) 16. Nxd8 Bxb2+ (16... Qxc3 $2 {fails to} 17. Qb5 Rxd8 18. Rd3 Qc5
19. Qxc5 Bxc5 20. Rhd1 c6 21. c4 Be3+ 22. Kb1 {and White wins}) 17. Kxb2 Qxc3+
18. Kb1 {and Black cannot make more than a draw.}) ({However, after} 14. g5 {
, the simple retreat} Nd7 $1 15. Nb3 Qb6 {leaves White with no compensation
for the pawn.}) 14... Rxd1+ 15. Rxd1 Qa6 $1 ({Now} 15... Qb6 16. g5 {would
yield White some counterplay after} {or} Nd7 ({or} 16... Nh5 17. Nd2 $1) 17.
Qd2 Bd6 18. Ne4 {.}) 16. Qxa6 bxa6 17. Rd4 Nd7 $1 {Not an easy move to find.
Black is ready to give up his a-pawns since White's pawns on the kingside are
also vulnerable.} 18. Ra4 Ne5 19. Nd2 (19. Rxa6 Kb7 20. Ra4 Nxf3 21. Na5+ Kc8 {
offers White no chances.}) 19... Kb7 20. Kd1 Be7 21. h5 $6 {Playing into
Black's hands.} (21. Re4 Nc6 22. g5 {would be slightly more tenacious,
although Black retains a clear advantage.}) 21... g6 22. Re4 Nc6 23. hxg6 hxg6
24. f4 Rh1+ $2 {Having reached a winning position, I started to play
ridiculous moves.} ({I rejected} 24... Rh4 {in view of} 25. f5 (25. g5 Bd6 {
wins for Black}) 25... Rh1+ 26. Re1 {, but the endgame resulting after} Rxe1+
27. Kxe1 gxf5 (27... Ne5 $5 {is also possible and should be enough to win}) 28.
gxf5 exf5 {should be hopeless for White.}) 25. Ke2 f5 $6 {Activating both
Black's and White's pieces at the same time.} 26. gxf5 gxf5 27. Rc4 Rh2+ 28.
Kd1 e5 $2 {Now Black almost loses his advantage.} (28... Bd6 {was called for.})
29. Nd5 Rh1+ 30. Ke2 Bh4 $6 (30... Bd6 {should have been preferred, although
after} 31. fxe5 Nxe5 (31... Bxe5 32. Nb3 {gives counterplay}) 32. Rf4 c6 33.
Ne3 Rh2+ 34. Rf2 Rxf2+ 35. Kxf2 {it's already very difficult to win since
Black's extra pawn is not so valuable.}) 31. Nb3 $1 {Here I realised just how
far I had gone wrong. There was one last chance - White's time-pressure - and
my next move aimed to exploit this factor.} Bg3 $5 {At least Black does not
risk losing.} 32. Nc5+ Kc8 33. Nb3 $6 ({The following day Peter stated that
the simplest way to draw would be} 33. Nd3 Kd7 34. Nf6+ Kd6 35. Ne8+ Kd7 36.
Nf6+ {.}) 33... Rh2+ 34. Kd1 $6 (34. Kf3 exf4 35. Nxf4 Bxf4 36. Rxc6 Bd6 {
would leave Black with a small advantage, but hardly enough to win.}) 34...
exf4 $3 {An endgame piece sacrifice is quite unusual. Its main motivation was
White's clock, although during the game I thought that Black is already almost
winning.} 35. Rxc6 ({Black wins after} 35. Nxf4 Ne5 {.}) 35... f3 36. Rf6 $2 {
Giving up the rook is no way to save the game,} ({whereas} 36. c4 $1 {was
probably enough for a draw. Black has then a choice between:} -- (36... Rh1+
37. Kc2 f2 38. Nd2 Bd6 39. Ne3 Re1 40. Rxd6 cxd6 41. Nxf5 {draws.}) (36... Rxb2
37. Rf6 Rb1+ ({during the game I missed that} 37... f2 $4 38. Rxf5 Rb1+ {is
met by} 39. Nc1) 38. Kc2 (38. Nc1 $2 Bf4 39. Nxf4 Rxc1+ 40. Kxc1 f2 {wins})
38... f2 39. Nd2 f1=Q 40. Nxf1 Rxf1 41. Rxf5 {is also drawn.}) (36... Bd6 $3 {
. I don't know whether I would have found this move over the board, but it is
the only way to pose White serious practical difficulties. White can reply:}
37. -- (37. c5 {leads to a probably lost ending after} Rh1+ 38. Kc2 f2 39. Nd2
Kb7 40. cxd6 (40. Rxd6 cxd6 41. cxd6 Rh6 $1 {wins for Black}) 40... Kxc6 41.
dxc7 Kd7 42. Ne3 Re1 43. Nxf5 f1=Q 44. Nxf1 Rxf1 {.}) (37. Rxa6 {(this
continuation is also risky)} Rh1+ 38. Kc2 f2 39. Nd2 Re1 $1 40. Kd3 f4 $1 41.
Nc3 Be5 $1 42. c5 Bxc3 43. Kxc3 Rc1+ 44. Kb3 Rd1 45. Rf6 Rxd2 46. Rxf4 {is
better for Black, although I am not sure whether Black can win this.}) (37. Nd2
{(this is probably the right way for White to proceed)} Kb7 ({the line} 37...
Rh1+ 38. Kc2 f2 39. Ne3 Re1 40. Rxd6 cxd6 41. Nxf5 Kd7 42. Ng3 {is also a draw}
) 38. Rxd6 cxd6 39. Nxf3 Rxb2 {and although Black can keep on fighting, it's
going to be a draw.}))) 36... Rh1+ 37. Kd2 f2 38. Rf8+ Kd7 39. Rxf5 f1=Q 40.
Rxf1 Rxf1 41. Nb4 Bd6 $1 {A very important move after which White has to turn
to passive defence.} 42. Nd3 (42. Nxa6 $6 Kc6 {loses because the white knight
will not return, for example} 43. Nb8+ Kd5 {. However, after the text Black's
task is not at all easy. The ending is unusual and at the board I couldn't
decide whether it was good or bad for me to exchange the bishop for one of his
knights. It is also not clear how Black should arrange his pawns. I am not
sure that my subsequent play was entirely correct; during the game I spent
some time moving back and forth searching for the right plan until suddenly
the correct idea became clear.}) 42... Rf5 43. Kc3 Rh5 44. Nd2 Kc6 45. Nc4 Rh4
46. Kb3 Kb5 47. Ne3 ({Is the position after} 47. Nxd6+ cxd6 {winning? I am not
still completely sure of the answer.}) 47... Re4 48. Nd5 Rd4 49. Nc3+ Kc6 50.
Na4 Kd5 51. Nc3+ Ke6 52. Nd1 c5 53. Ne3 Re4 54. Nc4 Be7 $1 ({It took me some
time to realise that} 54... Kd5 $2 55. Nxd6 Kxd6 56. c4 $1 {might be only a
draw because Black's king or rook will be stuck defending the c5-pawn and so
it will be very difficult to make progress. Fortunately at this point I
suddenly saw the correct set-up.}) 55. Nf2 Rh4 56. Nd3 Bg5 $1 {The point.
White has to abandon the fortress he's built.} 57. Kc3 (57. Nxc5+ Kd5 58. Nxa6
Rxc4 59. Nb4+ Kc5 60. Na6+ Kb5 61. a4+ Rxa4 62. Nc7+ {is winning for Black.})
57... Kd5 58. b3 Rh2 {A move without a clear idea that wins the game
immediately!} 59. b4 $2 ({Of course, White should play something like} 59. Ne1
{. The best winning plan seems to be} Rh3+ 60. Nd3 Bf6+ 61. Kd2 Rh2+ 62. Kd1
Bg5 {, intending to penetrate with the king to c3.}) 59... Rh4 {. White's
defence collapses and he therefore resigned.} 0-1

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C78"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "178"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This game was annotated in November 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- It's curious that four of five games I won in Tilburg finished in the
endgame. Three of them I consider interesting and offer for the reader's
consideration. The technique I demonstrated in these games is very far from
perfect (although against Adams I played rather well) but I think that after
analysing them I penetrated a little bit further into the secrets of these
endgames.} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 $5 {When
playing the Ruy Lopez with Black, I have been the constant follower of
Vladimir Malaniuk. I have followed the Ukrainian grandmaster in using both the
'normal Arkhangelsk' and then the 'Arkhangelsk with 6...Bc5'. Now, having seen
that both Malaniuk and Onischuk had played 5...Bc5 at the Olympiad, I decided
to give it a try.} 6. c3 b5 7. Bb3 {The game has transposed to 6...Bc5, but
this move-order avoids the line 7 a4.} d6 8. a4 Bg4 {I was surprised to learn
afterwards that this logical move is new.} (8... Bb7 {has been played before,
but I didn't like it because after} 9. d4 Bb6 {White can try to find something
more useful than} 10. Re1 {.}) 9. d3 Rb8 10. axb5 axb5 11. h3 Bh5 12. Be3 $5 {
I didn't expect this.} Bxe3 13. fxe3 Bxf3 $6 ({In retrospect I think that the
simple} 13... Nd7 {was better, with equality. I chose the text because the
structure arising resembles my game against Short (Erevan Olympiad, 1996)
where I somewhat overestimated my chances with White although I finally won.
Comparing the present game to that one, I should note that here Black is
better developed but on the other hand White's bishop is much more active on
b3 than on g2. Therefore I doubt whether exchanging my bishop for his knight
was the right decision.}) 14. Qxf3 O-O 15. Nd2 {White has a slight advantage.}
b4 16. Rf2 $6 {Logical but slow.} (16. g4 $1 {was better.}) 16... Ra8 $1 17.
Rb1 ({Both} 17. Rxa8 Qxa8 18. g4 $6 bxc3 19. bxc3 Qa1+ $1 20. Kg2 Nd8) ({and} 
17. Raf1 bxc3 18. bxc3 Ra3 {yield Black enough counterplay.}) 17... Na5 $1 18.
Ba4 ({Not} 18. cxb4 $6 Nxb3 19. Nxb3 Qb8 {with an edge for Black.}) 18... Rb8
$1 ({After} 18... c5 $6 19. c4 $1 {the knight on a5 is trapped offside.}) 19.
Ra1 ({After} 19. c4 b3 $1 {Black has counterplay.}) 19... bxc3 20. bxc3 Rb2 $1
{Black's activity on the queenside is not to be underestimated and now White
himself starts simplifying the position. A few moves later Leko offered me a
draw, but I rejected it hoping that the better pawn structure would always
give me slight chances in a simplified endgame.} 21. Nf1 Rxf2 22. Qxf2 Nb7 $1 {
Now Black has a slight advantage.} 23. Bc6 Nc5 24. Qc2 Qb8 25. Rb1 Qa7 26. d4
Ne6 27. Nd2 Rb8 28. Bd5 Rxb1+ 29. Qxb1 Nd8 30. Kf2 g6 31. Nf3 $2 {A mistake
which went unnoticed as both opponents were a little short of time.} (31. Bc4 {
would be better.}) 31... c6 32. Bc4 Kg7 $2 ({After the game Leko suggested that
} 32... Qa5 $1 {would yield a large advantage. His assessment can be confirmed
by the line} 33. dxe5 dxe5 34. Qd3 Kg7 {.}) 33. Bd3 {Now White is again just a
little worse.} Ne6 34. Qb2 Qc7 35. Bc2 h6 $1 36. Ke2 $2 {Another error. The
king has nothing to do in the centre and now Black's queen has a chance to
penetrate.} (36. Qb4 {would be correct, meeting} Ng5 {by} 37. Nd2 {.}) 36...
Ng5 $1 37. Nxg5 (37. Nd2 d5 $1 {would be especially dangerous for White in
time-trouble.}) 37... hxg5 38. Bd3 g4 ({I saw the opportunity} 38... d5 $5 {
but as I was down to my last minute (thank goodness it was a digital one) I
preferred a safer continuation. The line} 39. exd5 exd4 40. cxd4 Qg3 $1 {just
proves how bad White's position is.}) 39. hxg4 Qd7 40. Kf1 Qxg4 {This ending
should also be winning. However, I didn't understand the position properly and
spent too much time considering possible queen exchanges, which often lead
only to a draw. With queens on the board Black should be able to create
decisive threats sooner or later. I think I followed the right plan, but just
as in the game against Svidler I nearly ruined the job when the win was in
sight.} 41. Qe2 Qh4 42. Qf2 Qh1+ 43. Ke2 Qa1 44. Qe1 Qa2+ 45. Qd2 Qe6 46. Qc2
c5 $1 {Black wants to force White to play c3-c4.} 47. dxc5 dxc5 48. Ke1 Qc6 $1
49. c4 Qb6 {Black is in no hurry.} 50. Qc3 Nd7 51. Ke2 Qe6 52. Bc2 Qg4+ 53. Kf1
Qg3 54. Qe1 Qh2 55. Qf2 Nf6 $1 56. Ke2 Qh1 57. Qf1 Qh4 $1 ({Here is a sample
line to show Black's difficulties after an exchange of queens:} 57... Qxf1+ $2
58. Kxf1 Kf8 59. Ke2 Ke7 60. Kd3 Kd6 61. Bd1 Kc6 62. Bf3 Kb6 63. Kc3 Ka5 64.
Kb3 g5 65. g4 {is a draw.}) 58. Qf2 Qh2 59. Qf3 (59. Bd3 Ne8 {is also very
good for Black.}) 59... Ne8 $1 {This should have been the decisive manoeuvre.}
60. Bd3 Nd6 61. Qf1 Qh4 $1 62. Qf2 (62. Qf3 f5 63. Qf2 (63. g3 Qh2+ 64. Ke1
fxe4 65. Bxe4 Nxc4) 63... Qxf2+ 64. Kxf2 fxe4 {is probably winning for Black.})
62... Qe7 $4 ({I wanted to play my queen to e6 and I can't explain why I
didn't notice} 62... Qg4+ 63. Qf3 Qe6 {and White should simply resign.}) 63.
Qf1 Qb7 $2 ({It was not too late to play} 63... Qh4 {.}) 64. Qa1 {Now White
has some counterplay.} Kf6 65. Qa5 Nxe4 66. Bxe4 Qxe4 67. Qxc5 Qxg2+ {Suddenly
the technically won position has turned into a very complicated queen ending,
which should probably be drawn. Of course, having only 20 minutes left in the
sudden death finish, I had little optimism. I am still so disgusted with my
play during the preceding stage of the game that I hope the reader will
forgive me for not analysing this ending too carefully (it seems a deep
analysis and sometimes a CD-ROM is needed). However, I will make some brief
remarks.} 68. Kd3 Qf1+ 69. Kd2 Qf2+ 70. Kd3 $1 (70. Kd1 {probably loses to} Qf5
{.}) 70... Qf5+ 71. Kc3 g5 72. Qb6+ $4 ({During the game I couldn't see how to
win after} 72. Qf8 $1 {and have found no solution since.}) 72... Kg7 {Once
again Black is completely winning and this time there are no mistakes.} 73. c5
g4 74. c6 g3 75. c7 g2 76. e4 Qf1 $1 77. Kd2 (77. c8=Q {is met by} Qc1+ {.})
77... g1=Q 78. Qxg1+ Qxg1 79. c8=Q Qd4+ 80. Ke2 Qxe4+ 81. Kf2 Qf4+ 82. Ke2 e4
83. Qc3+ Kg6 84. Qc6+ Kg5 85. Qc5+ Kg4 86. Qc8+ Kg3 87. Qc5 Kg2 88. Qd5 Qf3+
89. Ke1 Qe3+ 0-1

[Event "Tilburg"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Polgar, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B85"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in November 1996 and published in 'New In Chess'. ---
Before the present game I had lost two games in a row and had dropped from the
lead almost to the middle of the field. A free day helped me to relax, but who
knows what the story would have been if Judit hadn't fallen into some of my
old analysis. Anyway, I am satisfied that after so many setbacks (after this
game I also lost to Piket) I still managed to finish the tournament in third
place by winning in the last round.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 ({After some bad games with} 6. Be3 {I decided to switch to a
'less aggressive' set-up.}) 6... e6 7. O-O Be7 8. f4 O-O 9. Be3 Qc7 {A
provocative line. As Vishy Anand once stated there is nothing to be expected
from me in this position but the advance of the g-pawn.} 10. g4 $1 {Sutovsky
had smashed Van Wely and Polgar earlier in the same tournament with this move,
giving me even more confidence in White's attacking chances.} Re8 ({Van Wely
continued} 10... b5) ({and Polgar} 10... Nc6 {.}) ({The text (with a different
move-order) occurred in Shirov-Anand, Buenos Aires 1994. After} 10... Re8 {I
continued} 11. g5 Nfd7 12. Bh5 $5 g6 13. Bg4 {and won a complicated battle.}) (
{Nowadays after} 10... Re8 11. g5 Nfd7 {,} 12. Bd3 {seems more critical 
(instead of 12 Bh5) and this was the way Sutovsky played his games. Why didn't
I follow his example? Because I remembered that during my game against Anand I
was seriously considering the alternative...}) 11. f5 $5 {...but then I
decided not to play it. This time I saw less objection to the idea.} ({We
shall see that 11...Bf8? just loses. As I remember, the main reason why I
rejected} 11. f5 {against Anand was} h6 {with the idea} 12. h4 $6 d5 $1 {.})
11... Bf8 $2 {This is what Anand suggested in our post-mortem but later the
same evening I found a crushing piece sacrifice. Of course, I kept my
discovery more or less secret, but when I learned that it had occurred in the
rapid game Wolff-Rychagov (Hastings PCA qualifier, 1995), I no longer expected
to be able to play it myself. Fortunately the Wolff game didn't get into the
main databases.} 12. g5 Nfd7 13. Nxe6 $1 {This is the killer move. Curiously,
the position after Black's 12th move occurred in some other games 
(Nevednichy-Nisipeanu, Romania 1995, for example) played at a normal time
control, and White didn't find this refutation of Black's setup.} fxe6 14. Bh5
{By attacking the rook White gains time to create decisive mating threats.
Black has no defence because her pieces are completely misplaced.} g6 (14...
Qd8 {loses by force after} 15. fxe6 Nc5 (15... Ne5 16. Bf7+ Kh8 17. Bxe8 Qxe8
18. Nd5 {wins}) 16. Bf7+ Kh8 17. Bxe8 Qxe8 18. Bxc5 dxc5 19. Nd5 Ra7 20. Qh5 g6
21. Qf3 Bg7 22. e7 Kg8 23. Qb3 Kh8 24. Nf6) ({and Black's fate is rather
similar after} 14... Re7 15. fxe6 Nb6 16. Qf3 Qd8 17. Bxb6 Qxb6+ 18. Rf2 {.})
15. fxg6 Re7 16. Nd5 $1 {I don't know whether White has other ways to win the
game but this one is simple and effective.} exd5 17. Qxd5+ Kh8 18. gxh7 $1 {
After long thought, I didn't go in for another sacrifice.} ({In fact} 18. Rxf8+
$6 Nxf8 19. Rf1 {would probably also have won but I preferred to keep it
simple. The following variations justify the second offer, but are not so easy
to calculate and be sure about during a game:} -- (19... Ne6 20. Bd4+ Kg8 (
20... Rg7 21. Rf7 {wins}) 21. Qf5 $1 Qd7 22. Qf6 Rg7 23. Bg4 Qe7 24. gxh7+ Rxh7
25. Bxe6+ Bxe6 26. Qg6+ Rg7 27. Bxg7 Qxg7 28. Qxe6+ Kh8 29. Qe8+ Kh7 30. Rf7 {
is decisive.}) (19... Nxg6 $1 20. Bd4+ ({not} 20. Bxg6 $2 Be6 21. Bd4+ Kg8 22.
Bxh7+ Kxh7 23. g6+ Kg8 24. Qh5 Rg7) 20... Re5 21. Bxg6 Qe7 22. Bxe5+ (22. Rf7
Qxg5+ 23. Kf2 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Qg5+ {is a draw}) 22... dxe5 23. Bxh7 Qxg5+ 24. Kh1
Nc6 (24... Kxh7 25. Qf7+ Qg7 26. Qh5+ Kg8 27. Qe8+ Kh7 28. Qxc8 {wins}) 25. Rg1
Qxg1+ 26. Kxg1 Kxh7 27. Qf7+ {with a clear advantage for White.})) 18... Rxh7
19. Bg6 $5 {A long time ago Vladimir Bagirov taught me (I believe that he
himself was taught it by Vladimir Makogonov) about brilliancy in chess - 'A
brilliancy is when you attack a piece and there is nothing to defend it'. This
is exactly the case with the rook on h7; once again the co-ordination of
Black's pieces speaks for itself.} ({However White had a second winning line
which would have been even better:} 19. g6 $1 Rg7 (19... Re7 20. Bg4 {wins})
20. Bg4 Rxg6 21. Bd4+ $1 {(I considered the move 19 g6 during the game but I
probably overlooked this very important check)} Nf6 (21... Ne5 22. Rxf8+ Kh7
23. Bxe5 Rxg4+ 24. Kh1 dxe5 25. Rf7+ Rg7 26. Rxc7 Rxc7 27. Qxe5 {wins}) 22.
Rxf6 Rxf6 23. Bxf6+ Bg7 24. Qh5+ Kg8 25. Qe8+ Kh7 26. Bxc8 Bxf6 27. Bf5+ {
finishes the game.}) 19... Bg7 ({The point of White's play was that} 19... Qc6
{is impossible due to} 20. Rxf8+ Nxf8 21. Bd4+ Rg7 22. Bxg7+ Kxg7 23. Qf7+ Kh8
24. Qxf8# {.}) ({Nor could Black move his rook, e.g.:} 19... Rg7 20. Bd4 Nc6
21. Rf4 {with inevitable mate}) ({or} 19... Re7 20. Rf4 Bh6 21. Rh4 {and White
wins.}) 20. Bxh7 Qd8 (20... Kxh7 21. g6+ Kxg6 22. Qf5# {.}) 21. Bf5 ({I was
slightly lacking in self-confidence and so chose the more secure continuation
instead of the forced win} 21. Qf7 $1 Kxh7 ({or} 21... Ne5 22. Qh5 Bg4 23. Qh4)
22. Qh5+ Kg8 23. g6 Nf6 (23... Nf8 24. Rxf8+ Kxf8 25. Rf1+ Ke8 26. Qd5 Qe7 27.
Qg8+ Kd7 28. Rf7 {wins}) 24. Rxf6 Qxf6 25. Rf1 {and Black is lost.}) 21... Ne5
22. Qd1 $1 Bxf5 ({The alternatives} 22... Qe8 23. g6) ({and} 22... Kg8 23. Qh5
Bxf5 24. exf5 {are no better.}) 23. exf5 Qe8 24. g6 $1 {The simplest.} Ng4 (
24... Nxg6 25. Qh5+ Kg8 26. Rae1 {wins.}) 25. Bd4 Qe4 26. f6 Nc6 ({It was a
pity not to be allowed to finish the game off with the queen sacrifice} 26...
Nxf6 27. Qh5+ $1 Kg8 (27... Nxh5 28. Rf8#) 28. Bxf6 Qe3+ 29. Rf2 {and wins.}) (
{Of course,} 26... Bxf6 27. Bxf6+ Nxf6 28. Rxf6 {is also hopeless.}) 27. fxg7+
Kg8 28. Rf8+ Rxf8 29. gxf8=Q+ Kxf8 30. Qf1+ {. Black resigned as she gets
mated.} 1-0

[Event "Yerevan Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Short, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C00"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "119"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in October 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- The match Spain-England was quite important since after winning it Spain
was in second place. Unfortunately the Olympiad could not be stopped at that
moment... --- I had very mixed feelings after this game. On the one hand I
beat a strong opponent and my play after the first time-control was
fascinating and good, but to make such a 40th move...} 1. e4 ({The Glek system:
} 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 {.}) 1... e6 2. d3 {I had no strength
to move the pawn further.} Nc6 3. Nf3 e5 $5 {This didn't come as a surprise as
I already faced it once against Ivanchuk (at Novgorod, 1994). On that occasion
I didn't get anything special from the opening, but this time I had an idea.}
4. Nc3 $1 {A novelty.} Nf6 5. g3 {This is the point. I am playing the
so-called 'Glek system' (e.g. 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 g3) but with an
extra tempo! White should have a slight advantage.} Bc5 6. Bg2 d6 7. O-O a6 8.
Be3 Bg4 9. h3 Bxe3 10. fxe3 Bxf3 11. Rxf3 $6 {I don't like this move because
it spoils the co-ordination of White's pieces.} (11. Qxf3 {would have been
better.}) 11... Ne7 12. Qe2 c6 13. Raf1 h6 ({A good way to exploit my mistake
on the 11th move would have been} 13... Qb6 $5 14. Nd1 O-O-O {, with unclear
play.}) 14. d4 O-O (14... Qb6 $5 {deserved attention. I would probably have
answered} 15. Qd2 {.}) 15. Rxf6 $5 {Why not, if he allows it?} gxf6 16. Nd1 $1
{A very important finesse. White can only create dangerous threats by quickly
bringing the knight towards the black king.} (16. Rxf6 $6 Ng6 {would not
promise any real attack, and might even be slightly better for Black.}) 16...
Kh8 {Probably the best decision.} ({Variations such as} 16... Kg7 17. Qg4+ Ng6
18. h4 {(intending to meet} Qc8 {by} 19. Qf3 $1 {)}) (16... Ng6 17. Nf2) ({and
} 16... f5 $2 17. exf5 f6 18. dxe5 dxe5 19. Nc3 {seem very favourable for
White.}) 17. Qh5 Ng8 18. Nf2 Qe7 19. Ng4 Kg7 20. Rxf6 $6 {There was no reason
to take the queen immediately as Black has no useful moves.} (20. h4 Rae8 21.
c3 {would have been preferable, with some advantage for White.}) 20... Qxf6 21.
Nxf6 Nxf6 22. Qf5 Rae8 23. g4 Re7 $1 {With this precise move Black controls
the d7-point and should hold the game.} 24. d5 (24. g5 Nh7 25. h4 Rg8 {leads
nowhere.}) 24... Rc7 25. c3 Nh7 26. Kh2 c5 27. h4 Rg8 28. Bh3 Kh8 $4 (28... Rh8
{would probably be enough for a draw as I don't see any effective plan for
White.}) 29. Qh5 $1 {Now Black is just lost.} Kg7 (29... Rg6 30. g5 hxg5 31.
Bf5 Kg7 32. hxg5 {is an even shorter story.}) 30. g5 hxg5 31. hxg5 Rd8 32. Bf5
Nf8 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Qf6 Rdd7 {A sad necessity.} 35. Kg3 Nh7 36. Bxh7+ Kxh7 37.
Kg4 b5 38. Qh6+ Kg8 39. Kf5 f6 {This desperate move is the only chance.} 40. g6
$4 {Probably I should give even three question marks to this move, made while
having more than one minute left to think.} (40. gxf6 {would win very quickly
e.g.} Rh7 41. Qg6+ Kf8 42. Ke6 Rcd7 43. b4 c4 44. a3 Rhf7 45. Qh6+ Kg8 46. Qh5
{and Black is in zugzwang. The text doesn't throw the win away yet but it
results in wasted time and energy - something a chess player should always be
careful to conserve.}) 40... Re7 41. Kxf6 {The time control has been reached.
Short played his next move quickly.} Rcd7 {Both here and later on Short
prefers passive defence.} ({He could have created considerable practical
problems had he played 41...a5 or 41...c4, trying to block the queenside. In
both cases White would only be able to win with very accurate play - here is a
brief analysis of those tries:} 41... a5 $5 42. a4 $1 ({not} 42. Qh5 $2 a4 {
and the blockade is set up}) 42... b4 (42... bxa4 43. Qh5 a3 44. bxa3 a4 45.
Qd1 Ra7 46. Qe2 {wins}) 43. cxb4 axb4 ({or} 43... cxb4 44. Qh5 {followed by
Qe2, penetrating on the queenside}) 44. b3 $1 {and now:} -- (44... Rb7 45. Qh5
c4 46. Qe2 Rec7 (46... Rbc7 47. bxc4 Re8 48. c5 Rxc5 49. g7 {wins}) 47. Qg4 Rb8
48. Qe6+ Kh8 49. Qxd6 Rbc8 50. bxc4 {with an easy win.}) (44... c4 45. bxc4 b3
(45... Rb7 46. c5 dxc5 47. Qh3 Re8 48. d6) 46. c5 b2 47. Qh1 Rb7 48. c6 b1=Q
49. Qxb1 Rxb1 50. Kxe7 {winning the rook for the c-pawn.})) (41... c4 $5 {
(intending ...a5-a4)} 42. b3 $1 b4 (42... a5 43. bxc4 bxc4 44. Qh5 a4 45. Qd1
Ra7 46. Qe2 Rac7 47. Qb2 Rb7 48. Qa3) ({and} 42... cxb3 43. axb3 a5 44. c4 bxc4
45. bxc4 a4 46. c5 {both win for White}) 43. bxc4 bxc3 44. Qh2 Re8 45. Kg5 {
and again White wins.}) 42. Qh5 {Having thought for a long time, I found the
winning plan if Black plays passively. However, I was still afraid there might
be some tricks.} Rg7 43. Qf5 Rge7 44. Kg5 Rg7 45. Qe6+ Kf8 46. Qf6+ Kg8 47. Kh6
Rge7 ({Here, too, the pawn moves deserved attention but probably would not
have saved the game:} 47... a5 48. a4 bxa4 49. Qe6+ $1 (49. Qf1 $4 Rxg6+ 50.
Kxg6 Rg7+ {is a draw}) 49... Kf8 50. Qg4 {and wins.}) (47... c4 {and now:} 48.
-- (48. b3 $2 b4 49. Qf1 (49. Qe6+ Kf8 50. Qf5+ Ke8 $1 {is unclear}) 49...
Rxg6+ $1 50. Kxg6 Rg7+ 51. Kh5 Rh7+ 52. Kg4 Rg7+ 53. Kf3 Rf7+ 54. Ke2 Rxf1 55.
Kxf1 bxc3 56. Ke2 cxb3 57. axb3 Kf7 58. Kd3 Ke7 59. Kxc3 Kd7 60. Kb4 Kc7 61.
Ka5 Kb7 62. b4 Ka7 63. b5 axb5 64. Kxb5 Kb7 {with a draw.}) (48. Qe6+ $1 Kf8
49. Qf5+ Kg8 ({alternatively,} 49... Ke8 50. Qf6 {wins}) 50. b3 b4 51. bxc4
bxc3 52. c5 c2 53. c6 $1 c1=Q 54. cxd7 Qxe3+ 55. Kh5 Qe2+ 56. Kg5 {and White
wins.})) 48. c4 $1 {Now I was again confident that White has a winning
position. The threat is 49 b4!.} b4 (48... bxc4 {would still call for precise
play, e.g.:} 49. Qf1 Rh7+ 50. Kg5 $1 ({not} 50. gxh7+ $4 Rxh7+ {and Black draws
}) 50... Rh2 51. Qf5 $1 Re7 52. Kf6 Re8 53. Qd7 Rf8+ 54. Ke6 Rh6 55. Kxd6 Rxg6+
56. Kxe5 {and White wins since he has too many passed pawns.}) 49. Qf3 Rb7 ({Or
} 49... Rh7+ 50. Kg5 {and wins.}) 50. Qd1 Rb8 51. Qa4 Rb6 52. b3 $1 {Accuracy
is still important!} ({Variations such as} 52. g7 $2 Rb8 53. Qxa6 Rxg7 54. Qxd6
Rh7+ 55. Kg5 Rg7+ 56. Kh4 (56. Kf5 Rf8+ 57. Kxe5 {is unclear}) 56... Rf8 $1 {
, which leads to a draw}) ({or} 52. a3 b3 $1 {, would have been very
unpleasant for me as I was now in time-trouble for the second time.}) 52... Kf8
53. a3 $1 {Finally opening the queenside. Now I could finish the game
comfortably.} bxa3 54. Qxa3 Ra7 55. Qa1 $1 Kg8 56. Qf1 Rbb7 57. Qf6 Rd7 58. b4
cxb4 59. c5 dxc5 60. Qxe5 ({After} 60. Qxe5 {, Black resigned in view of the
obvious} Rd8 61. Qe6+ Kf8 62. Qf6+ Ke8 63. g7 {.}) 1-0

[Event "Yerevan Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kasparov, G."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "B52"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "53"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in October 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- After the game Kasparov stated that I saved this game by a long series of
only moves. I thought exactly the same about him. Who is right? Probably both.
} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ {This made Kasparov think for a while. I remember
that some time ago, having lost to Ivanchuk, he stated that White only plays 3
Bb5+ when he wants a draw. I wouldn't be so sure...} Bd7 ({Diverging from his
usual} 3... Nd7 {.}) 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nc6 6. Nc3 g6 7. d4 Bg7 $5 {A very
interesting novelty which, as he said afterwards, he had already practised in
a training game against Rublevsky. Now White has a hard choice between 8 Be3,
which is completely unpretentious because the bishop normally aims for g5 in
this system, and the text.} ({The usual line is} 7... cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bg7 9. Nde2
{.}) 8. d5 Bxc3+ $1 {This is the point. Black forces a pawn structure similar
to a favourable Nimzo-Indian.} 9. bxc3 Na5 10. O-O $5 {For the moment it is
not essential to defend the pawn.} (10. Nd2 {looked rather slow.}) 10... f6 $1
{Very strong.} (10... Nxc4 11. Qe2 Ne5 12. Nxe5 dxe5 13. f4 {would yield White
a dangerous initiative.}) 11. Nd2 {Now this seems necessary.} b6 12. Qe2 $6 {
But this is definitely wrong.} ({I rejected} 12. f4 {in view of} Nh6) ({but
maybe I should have chosen} 12. Rb1 {. The position after the logical
continuation} Nh6 13. Nb3 Nxb3 14. axb3 Nf7 15. f4 O-O {is quite complicated
and appears about equal to me.}) 12... Qa4 $1 13. f4 Nh6 14. e5 O-O-O {Here I
sank into thought and realised that my queenside is practically stalemated.
Thus I decided to at least make an active move with my rook.} 15. Rb1 Nf5 $6 ({
After the game Kasparov was very critical of this move and suggested} 15...
Rhf8 $1 {instead. He was completely correct in that after} 16. e6 f5 $1 {,
intending to bring the knight to e4 via f6, Black has the advantage.}) 16. g4 {
Risky but necessary.} (16. e6 h5 {is very annoying for White as he can not do
anything against the plan ...Kc7, ...Rb8, ...a6, ...b5 and so on.}) 16... Nh4
$6 {This gives me a breathing space.} ({I was afraid of} 16... Ng7 {and
although I wanted to continue} 17. exf6 (17. e6 f5 18. h3 fxg4 19. hxg4 h5 {is
awful for White}) 17... exf6 18. f5 {, I didn't have much confidence in this
line.}) 17. exf6 exf6 18. Qf2 $1 g5 19. Ne4 $1 {White initiates very sharp
play and is suddenly completely OK. After lengthy thought, Kasparov goes for a
long and practically forced drawing line.} Qe8 $5 (19... Qxc4 20. Nxf6 {seems
very attractive for White.}) 20. Re1 Qg6 21. fxg5 ({Having just twenty minutes
left to reach the time-control at move 40, I rejected the tempting} 21. f5 {
because the position after} Qg7 (21... Qf7 22. Nxg5 fxg5 23. Bxg5 Rdg8 {is
also unclear}) 22. Ng3 Nxc4 23. Nh5 Qf7 24. Re6 Ne5 {didn't appeal to me at all
} 25. -- ({, for example} 25. h3 Rhe8 $1) ({, or} 25. Nxf6 h5 $1 26. Rxe5 (26.
gxh5 $2 Rh6 {wins for Black}) 26... Qxf6 27. Re6 Qxc3 {and Black is much
better.}) ({. However, White has a stronger line, namely} 25. Qe2 $1 Rhe8 26.
Qe4 $1 {and his compensation for the pawn seems quite good. Thus 21 f5 would
have been a real, though risky, winning try while the text leads to a forced
draw.})) 21... Rhe8 $1 {The only move.} 22. Nxd6+ $1 Rxd6 23. Rxe8+ Qxe8 24.
Bf4 $1 (24. Qxh4 Qe4 25. Ra1 Nxc4 {can only favour Black. Having made the
intermediary bishop move I thought I was on top but Kasparov had a surprise
ready.}) 24... Nxc4 $1 {This came like lightning from a clear sky.} ({I had
counted on} 24... Qe4 25. Rf1 Rd7 26. Qxh4 fxg5 27. Qxg5 Nxc4 28. Qg8+) ({or} 
24... Rd7 25. Qxh4 fxg5 26. Qxg5 Nxc4 27. Qf5 {, with a clear plus for White
in both cases.}) ({However,} 24... Qg6 25. Re1 {would be a sensible
alternative to the text and now:} -- (25... fxg5 $2 26. Bxd6 Qxd6 {leads to a
spectacular mate after} 27. Qf7 $1 Nb7 28. Qe8+ Nd8 29. Re6 $1 Nf3+ 30. Kf1 $3
Nd2+ 31. Ke1 $1 Nf3+ 32. Kd1 Qxh2 33. Rc6+ Kb7 34. Qd7+ Ka6 35. Qc8+ Nb7 (35...
Ka5 36. Rxc5+ bxc5 37. Qxc5+ Ka4 38. Qb4#) 36. Rxb6+ $1 Kxb6 (36... axb6 37.
Qa8#) 37. Qc6+ Ka5 38. Qb5# {.}) (25... Rd8 $1 26. Qxh4 fxg5 27. Qxg5 Qxg5 28.
Bxg5 Rg8 29. Bh4 (29. h4 h6 {should be a draw}) 29... Rxg4+ 30. Bg3 Kd8 31. Rf1
Ke8 {and it seems that everything ends with a draw by repetition after} 32.
Re1+ Kd8 {.})) 25. Bxd6 Nd2 $1 26. Rd1 {Here I was completely sure that my
opponent had miscalculated something and that the game was over. But...} Qe4 $3
(26... Nhf3+ 27. Kh1 Qe4 28. Qg2 $1) ({or} 26... Ndf3+ 27. Kf1 {would simply
lose for Black, but after the text it's White who has to be careful.}) 27. Bg3
({I forgot that in the line} 27. Rxd2 Qb1+ 28. Qf1 Nf3+ 29. Kf2 Qxf1+ 30. Kxf1
{he takes my rook with check, when} Nxd2+ 31. Ke2 Ne4 {is better for Black!
Thus I already had no choice. After playing 27 Bg3 I offered a draw and the
reaction was 'But I have a perpetual, can I think a while?' I said OK and
after some five minutes Kasparov agreed to call it a day.}) ({After} 27. Bg3 {
he could have tried} Nhf3+ 28. Kh1 Ne1+ 29. Kg1 Ndf3+ 30. Kf1 Nc2 {but after
the precise} 31. d6 $1 ({not} 31. Bf4 Qxf4 32. Qxc2 Nxh2+ 33. Kg1 Nxg4 {and
Black is slightly better}) 31... Kd7 32. Bf4 Qxf4 33. Qxc2 Nxg5+ 34. Qf2 Qxg4
35. Qe2 $1 {White is by no means worse.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Yerevan Olympiad"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ye Jiangchuan"]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "54"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The game was annotated in October 1996 and published in various magazines.
--- It's not a bad feeling to beat the first board of the team representing a
nation of 1.2 billion, is it?} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 Nf6 4. Nc3 cxd4 5. Nxd4
a6 {Having played the white side of the Najdorf several times against Gelfand,
I decided that it was time to employ it from the other side.} 6. Be3 e5 7. Nf3
({In previous games the Chinese player had usually played} 7. Nb3 {. As so
often happens when facing something unexpected, I immediately mixed up the
move-order.}) 7... Be7 8. Bc4 Be6 $6 ({I forgot to include} 8... O-O 9. O-O {
before playing this move.}) 9. Bxe6 fxe6 10. Ng5 $1 Qd7 11. Qf3 {Here I
realised that I had done something wrong. White's threats seemed very
dangerous and after due consideration I decided to take radical measures.} h6
$6 ({The theoretical move is} 11... d5 {, although I didn't like the position
after} 12. exd5 exd5 13. O-O-O {at all. However, the text is just bluff.}) 12.
Qh3 Nc6 $5 (12... Rg8 {would fail to} 13. Nxe6 Kf7 14. Nd5 $1 {, so Black had
no choice.}) 13. O-O-O $2 {Timid and wrong.} ({The natural move is, of course,
} 13. Na4 {. My intention was to answer it with} Nb4 14. Nb6 Nxc2+ 15. Kd2 Qc6
{, but I didn't notice that after} 16. Rac1 hxg5 17. Qxh8+ Kf7 18. Nxa8 Nxe4+
19. Kd1 Nxe3+ 20. fxe3 Qd5+ ({the alternative} 20... Qa4+ 21. b3 Nf2+ 22. Ke1
Qa5+ 23. Kf1 Qd2 24. Qh5+ Kf6 25. Re1 Nxh1 26. Qe2 {is also hopeless}) 21. Kc2
{the white king easily escapes and Black is lost.}) ({Thus after} 13. Na4 {,
Black should probably choose} Bd8 {instead, although his position after} 14.
O-O-O {is still quite unattractive.}) 13... Rc8 $1 {With this precise move
Black already takes over the initiative!} 14. Kb1 ({It was difficult to find
anything better as the e6-pawn is taboo while} 14. Na4 {could now be well met
by} Nb4 15. Nb6 Rxc2+ 16. Kb1 Qc6 $1 {and White's position is busted.}) 14...
Nd8 $1 {The most solid and logical continuation. White's reply is forced.} 15.
Rd3 (15. Nf3 Rxc3 16. bxc3 Nxe4 {looks very dangerous.}) 15... O-O 16. Nf3 Nf7
17. Nh4 $6 (17. g4 {might have been a better try}) ({but I believe that it was
already time to play quietly, for example} 17. Nd2 b5 18. f3 {with approximate
equality.}) 17... Rc4 $1 {Straightforward play is the best way to refute
White's strategy.} 18. Ng6 Rfc8 19. f4 $2 {More aggression and more trouble
for White. Surprisingly, my opponent offered me a draw here, which I, of
course, rejected.} (19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. f3 {might have been his best but after}
b5 21. Rc1 Qe8 $1 {Black is still much better.}) ({The same is true after} 19.
f3 Bd8 $1 {.}) 19... exf4 20. Bxf4 Nxe4 21. Nd5 {The same style!} Bd8 22. Re1
Nfg5 $1 ({Of course, not} 22... Nf2 $2 23. Qxe6 Qxe6 24. Rxe6 Nxd3 25. Re8+ Kh7
26. Nf8+ {with draw by perpetual check.}) 23. Bxg5 Nxg5 24. Qh5 exd5 {Is the
game over?} 25. Rf3 $1 Ba5 ({It took me some time to notice that} 25... Nxf3 {
'fails' to} 26. Qxd5+ Kh7 {(the only move)} 27. Nf8+ Kh8 28. Ng6+ ({not} 28.
Nxd7 $2 Nxe1) 28... Kh7 29. Nf8+ {with a draw.}) ({It was possible to try} 
25... Bf6 26. Rxf6 Rxc2 $1 {with the idea} ({of course not} 26... gxf6 $2 27.
Ne7+ Kh8 28. Qxh6+ Nh7 29. Ng6+ Kg8 30. Re7 {and White wins}) 27. Ne7+ $2 Qxe7
{winning for Black, but the text is even better.}) 26. Ne7+ Kh7 (26... Kh8 27.
Ng6+ Kh7 {also wins.}) 27. Rf6 $1 {A final attempt to give Black a heart
attack.} (27. Qg6+ Kh8 {would lose at once.}) 27... Qe8 {. The only move, but
sufficient to parry White's threats.} 0-1

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "4: The Botvinnik Variation"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "12"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.02"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 {. Although I have
done a lot of deep opening analyses in my life, I still cannot consider myself
a strong theoretician. This doesn't, however, mean that I don't like working
on theory. And if you were to ask me which opening I like to investigate more
than any other, I wouldn't hesitate for even a second - the Botvinnik
variation! To find the truth in this opening one needs to analyse certain
lines very deeply and always make very cool assessments because many of the
positions go against standard chess principles. --- The complexity of the
Botvinnik variation has always greatly attracted me, and it was always
traditional to analyse it in Latvia since Tal often played it. Of course
Bagirov was also an expert on it - after all it was he who had to oppose
Polugaevsky's famous idea in lengthy analyses (Bagirov used to be
Polugaevsky's main trainer) before it was played against Torre in Moscow 1981.
--- I should also mention that Alexander Shabalov (now living in the USA)
played many exciting games in the Botvinnik variation and several other
Latvian players participated in theoretical analyses. In fact the trio
Tal-Bagirov-Shabalov were making valuable discoveries as early as the
beginning of the 1980s; the game Kasparov-Tal (USSR 1983) was one of the
fruits of their joint work. Their other important discovery, in 1984(!), was ...Rd4!!, which came into practice only in the game Bareev-Oll (Moscow rapid,
1992) - see the game Nikolic-Shirov in this book. Having lost touch with
Latvian chess over the past few years, I have begun to work less and less on
the Botvinnik and my results have gone down. But I don't think I will ever
give up investigating my favourite line. --- This chapter is in no sense a
theoretical article. I would just like to present all the serious games (i.e.
games with a normal time limit in serious competitions) that I have played in
the Botvinnik variation, arranged in chronological order, plus a few others. I
will also explain something about the history of the line, but the reader
should forgive me if I sometimes reduce my commentaries to brief descriptions
- the last word on the Botvinnik variation hasn't been said yet and I might
still play it with either colour, who knows... --- My first experience with
this opening came in January 1987. I was playing in the Soviet Junior
Championship and at that time I had just switched from 1 e4 to 1 d4. When I
was to due to play Gata Kamsky with White, I found out that he sometimes goes
for the Botvinnik. Of course, I didn't really know any theory then, but after
looking at a few Informators I decided to join the fight.} *

[Event "USSR Junior Championship, Kapsukas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1987.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kamsky, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1987.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book.} 1. d4 d5 2.
c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5
10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 ({I knew that} 11. g3 {was more popular, and it would
therefore have required more knowledge for me to play it.}) 11... Bb7 12. g3 c5
13. d5 Bh6 {I knew practically nothing about this line.} 14. Bxh6 Rxh6 15. Qd2
Qxf6 $5 {Remember this position! It will reappear later in the chapter.} 16.
Ne4 $5 ({Nowadays} 16. O-O-O {is more fashionable. More about this later.}) (
16. O-O-O $5 exd5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Rd8 {(See the comments below.)}) 16...
Qf3 (16... Qe5 {is probably wrong due to} 17. O-O-O $1 {.}) 17. Nd6+ Ke7 18.
Nxb7 (18. Qxh6 Kxd6 {leads to an unclear position.}) 18... Qxh1 {In fact this
move just loses.} ({An example of} 18... Rh5 {is Van Wely-Moll, Amsterdam 
(simultaneous) 1994:} 19. Rg1 $1 (19. d6+ Ke8 20. Rg1 c3 21. bxc3 Re5+ 22. Be2
Rxe2+ 23. Qxe2 Qxc3+ 24. Kf1 Qxa1+ 25. Kg2 {is slightly better for White, but
a draw was agreed here in Ionov-Popov, St Petersburg 1995}) 19... c3 20. Qc2 $3
(20. bxc3 Re5+ 21. Be2 Rxe2+ 22. Qxe2 Qxc3+ 23. Kf1 Qxa1+ 24. Kg2 Qe5 {is only
a little better for White}) 20... Re5+ 21. Be2 cxb2 (21... Rh8 22. h4 Qxd5 23.
Na5 {wins for White}) 22. Rd1 {(now White is winning)} exd5 23. Qxb2 Rb8 24.
Nxc5 Rxe2+ 25. Qxe2+ Qxe2+ 26. Kxe2 Nxc5 27. Rxd5 Ne6 28. Rb1 a6 29. h4 Rc8 30.
Kd2 Nc5 31. Re1+ Kf8 32. h5 Kg7 33. g4 Ne6 34. Re4 Kh6 35. f4 Rg8 36. g5+ Kxh5
37. g6+ Kxg6 38. f5+ {1-0.}) 19. d6+ Ke8 20. Qxh6 Qxb7 21. O-O-O Nf8 22. Qf6
Qd7 23. Bg2 Rc8 24. h4 Qd8 25. Qg7 Qb6 26. Qg8 Rd8 27. d7+ Rxd7 28. Rxd7 Kxd7
29. Qxf7+ {. Kamsky resigned a few moves later, but I don't remember exactly
how it went. When I showed this game to Bagirov he made some interesting
suggestions, and then Tal joined us and we discovered yet more. For example we
looked at the position arising after 16 0-0-0!? exd5 17 Nxd5 Bxd5 18 Qxd5 Rd8
and concluded that it was playable for Black.} 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Botvinnik's line"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r2qkb1r/pb1n1p2/2p1pP2/1p4B1/2pP4/2N3P1/PP3P1P/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 12"]
[PlyCount "8"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{So this was my first acquaintance with the Botvinnik variation, but at that
time I had no idea that one day I would start playing it with the black pieces.
However, after analysing it for White and getting more into contact with
Shabalov, I was becoming more and more excited by the variation and eventually
I decided to adopt it with both colours. In 1988 I was prepared to try it with
Black in the World Cadet Championship and before that event I even had the
chance to discuss it with Mikhail Moiseyevic Botvinnik himself. To be honest
this was interesting only from a historical point of view - Botvinnik was
insisting that the line} 12... Qb6 ({instead of} 12... c5) 13. Bg2 O-O-O 14.
O-O Ne5 {was the best option for Black. To me it was clear that after} 15. dxe5
Rxd1 16. Raxd1 {White stands better, but convincing the Soviet patriarch of
something was always impossible.} ({Recent tournament practice has proved that
both 16 Raxd1 and} 16. Rfxd1 {yield White a clear advantage. --- In 1988 I
didn't get the chance to experience the Botvinnik variation (I would prefer to
discount the game Sadler-Shirov in Timisoara, where White continued 7 Qc2
after 5...dxc4 6 e4 b5) but the following year I was finally able to enter
this adventurous opening.}) *

[Event "USSR Ch. semi-final, Daugavpils"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ubilava, E."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in November 1989 and first appeared in 'Shakhmaty
Riga'.} 1. c4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. a4 (7.
e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. exf6 gxh4 10. Ne5 Qxf6 11. a4 Bb4 {(See the note to 10
exf6?! below.)}) 7... Bb4 8. e5 h6 9. Bh4 (9. exf6 hxg5 10. fxg7 Rg8 11. g3 {
is more promising.} ({[AS - Recent tournament practice has demonstrated that} 
11. h4 {(instead of 11 g3)} g4 12. Ne5 Rxg7 13. h5 {is probably White's best
try. In fact this position looks too risky for Black, but of course 7...Bb4 is
not obligatory.]})) 9... g5 10. exf6 $6 ({Theory considers} 10. Nxg5 {to be
best here. Ubilava was hoping to transpose into the well-known variation 7 e5
h6 8 Bh4 g5 9 exf6 gxh4 10 Ne5 Qxf6 11 a4 Bb4 but he runs into a strong
rejoinder.}) 10... gxh4 11. Ne5 c5 $1 12. Qh5 $2 {The decisive mistake.} ({
After} 12. Qf3 Qxd4 ({[AS -} 12... cxd4 13. O-O-O $1 {is rather unclear, for
example} Qc7 14. Nxb5 Qxe5 15. -- ({and now not} 15. Qxa8 $2 d3 $1 {, when
Black is better}) ({but} 15. Bxc4 $1 {with an open fight.]})) 13. Nc6 $1 Nxc6 (
13... Qd5 $2 14. Nxb4 Qxf3 15. gxf3 cxb4 16. Nxb5 {is better for White}) ({
while} 13... Bxc3+ 14. bxc3 Qd5 15. axb5 {is also dangerous for Black}) 14.
Qxc6+ Kf8 15. Rd1 Bxc3+ 16. bxc3 Qxc3+ 17. Rd2 {is also dangerous for Black}
Qa1+ 18. Rd1 (18. Ke2 Qe5+) 18... Qc3+ 19. Rd2 {.}) ({[AS - I should also
mention that} 12. dxc5 $2 Qxf6 13. Qe2 {fails to} Nd7 $1 {.}) 12... Qxf6 13.
O-O-O a6 $1 {Now I don't see any compensation for the two pawns.} 14. Be2 ({AS
-} 14. dxc5 {also seem to be losing for White in view of} Bxc3 15. bxc3 Nd7 16.
Qf3 Qxf3 17. Nxf3 Nxc5 {and Black is winning.}) 14... Nd7 15. Bf3 (15. Qf3 {
can be met by} Qxf3 16. Bxf3 Nxe5 17. Bxa8 (17. dxe5 Rb8) 17... Nd3+ {, with
advantage to Black.}) 15... cxd4 $1 16. Nxd7 Bxd7 17. Bxa8 Bxc3 $1 ({Of course,
} 17... dxc3 {is also quite good, but after} 18. Qe2 {White can still offer
some resistance.}) ({But now after} 17... Bxc3 {on} 18. Qe2 {Black has the
unpleasant} d3 {.}) 18. bxc3 d3 19. Rxd3 {After using up nearly all of his
remaining time, White was unable to find anything better.} (19. Kb2 {is met by
the decisive} b4 20. Rc1 Qxf2+ 21. Kb1 b3 {, and otherwise there is no defence
against the threat 19...Qxc3+, 20...Qb3+ and 21...c3.}) 19... cxd3 20. Qc5 Qf4+
21. Kb2 Qxa4 22. Bf3 ({White cannot save the game by} 22. Bc6 Qc2+ 23. Ka1 Bxc6
24. Qxc6+ Kf8 25. Qc5+ Kg8 {and Black has an overwhelming advantage.}) 22...
Qc2+ 23. Ka1 d2 24. Rb1 $6 ({A slightly tougher defence was offered by} 24. Rd1
{, after which I was intending} Rg8 $1 25. Qd4 Qc1+ 26. Ka2 e5 $1 27. Qxd2 Be6+
28. Bd5 Qxd2+ 29. Rxd2 Rxg2 {, when the ending is hopeless for White.}) 24...
Rg8 25. Qd4 Rg5 26. Rd1 ({If} 26. Bd1 {Black again has the unpleasant manoeuvre
} Qc1 27. Ka2 e5 $1 {winning.}) 26... Rd5 {. White lost on time, but in any
case his position was hopeless. --- As I have said before, at that time I
wanted to play the Botvinnik variation with either colour, but somehow it was
not popular and nobody really wanted to go in for it. (Of course, the
Semi-Slav was not my only opening against 1 d4 - I was playing the King's
Indian as well.) I had a lot of exciting games in the Meran system (in which
White plays 5 e3 instead of 5 Bg5), but I wanted another kind of blood!
Shabalov and I did not ignore the fashion for the Meran system and in 1991 we
started working on a crazy line (of course, I mean the variation 5 e3 Nbd7 6
Qc2 Bd6 7 g4!?) which later became known in Russia as the 'Shabalov-Shirov
Gambit'. However, at the beginning of our investigations I felt quite
sceptical about it, so it was no wonder that when I had the choice in August
1991 I still went for the Botvinnik variation with White.} 0-1

[Event "London Lloyds Bank"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1991.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Stisis, Y."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "1991.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book.} 1. d4 d5 2.
c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5
10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 ({When this game was played I considered this move to be
more precise than} 11. exf6 {, which allows the lines} Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Bh6
{, which we have already seen and will see again later in this book} ({and} 
13... Nxf6 {.})) 11... Rg8 $5 {Not a pleasant surprise. I knew that this move
was not so bad as considered by the theory of those times, but I had never
studied it seriously before this game. A few months later I suggested to
Kramnik that the line was worth a try and he started working on it as well. In
Linares 1993 he played 11...Rg8 against Beliavsky and won.} 12. h4 {The most
ambitious and critical continuation.} ({The line} 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 13. exf6 Qxf6
14. Bg2 Bb7 {is equal according to theory.}) 12... Rxg5 13. hxg5 Nd5 14. g6
fxg6 15. Qg4 Qe7 {So far everything seems forced.} ({Moves like} 15... Qa5 {
have been severely punished in the past.}) 16. Qxg6+ {At that time I didn't
consider any alternatives to capturing the pawn.} ({Both} 16. Bg2) ({and} 16.
Rh8 {later came into vogue and the reader also will see them in this book.})
16... Qf7 17. Qxf7+ Kxf7 18. Bg2 {Here my knowledge ended. I wasn't sure
whether White was really better but still felt optimistic.} Nxc3 $1 {A novelty
at that time. Other moves are clearly worse.} 19. bxc3 (19. Bxc6 Rb8 20. bxc3 {
would ultimately lead to the same thing.}) 19... Rb8 $1 {This is the idea.
Black wants to play ...c6-c5 as soon as possible and he is not afraid of
losing the c6 pawn - it is more important to exchange the light-squared
bishops.} 20. Bxc6 $6 {Natural but not the best.} (20. f4 {, first played by
Bareev against San Segundo (Madrid 1995), is much more ambitious. (Another
important game with this move is Mecking-San Segundo, Linares (open) 1995.)})
20... Bb7 21. Rh7+ {, first played by Bareyev against San Segundo (Madrid 1995)
, is much more ambitious. (Another important game with this move is
Mecking-San Segundo, Linares (open) 1995.)} ({In any case I didn't like} 21.
Bxb7 Rxb7 {at all, since as soon as Black gets his knight to d5 his position
will be extremely pleasant.}) 21... Kg6 22. Rxd7 Bxc6 23. Rxa7 Bf3 $1 {This
came as a shock.} ({I was mainly counting on} 23... b4 24. Kd2 bxc3+ 25. Kxc3
Bd5 26. Ra4 {, with a slight pull}) ({whereas after} 23... Bf3 {it becomes
clear that White is in danger. He is practically forced to move his king away
since Black threatens} 24. -- Bh6 25. -- Bg5 26. -- {and} Rh8 {.}) 24. Kd2 $6 (
{However,} 24. Ra6 $1 Kf5 25. Kd2 {was more precise, when Black is only
slightly better. Now Black seizes a clear advantage.}) 24... Bh6+ 25. Kc2 Rf8
$1 26. Kb2 Rf5 $6 {This appears to be a bit too slow.} ({Correct would have
been} 26... Bd2 $1 27. Kc2 (27. a3 Bd5) 27... Bg5 28. -- {with the idea of} Rh8
{.}) 27. a4 bxa4 28. R1xa4 Bd5 $6 {After the game my opponent admitted that at
this point he was still playing for a win.} ({In my opinion, by now White is
not worse and Black should have preferred} 28... Bc6 $1 29. f4 ({or} 29. Rxc4
Rxf2+ 30. Ka1 Rf1+ 31. Kb2 Bc1+ 32. Kb3 Bd5 33. Rd7) 29... Bxa4 30. Rxa4 Rh5
31. Rxc4 Rh2+ 32. Kb3 Rg2 {and the game is drawn.}) 29. f4 Rh5 30. R4a6 $1 Rh2+
({Black couldn't prevent the white king from escaping, since} 30... Bf8 $2 {
would have failed to} 31. g4 Rh2+ 32. Kc1 {.}) 31. Ka3 Rc2 $2 {Probably the
decisive mistake.} ({Black could still have reached a draw by playing} 31...
Bf8+ 32. Rd6 (32. Ka4 Ra2+ 33. Kb5 Rb2+ 34. Ka5 Rb3 35. f5+ Kxf5 36. Rf7+ Ke4
37. Rxf8 Rxc3 38. Rf4+ Kd3 {can only be dangerous for White}) 32... Rh8 $1 33.
Kb4 Kf5 {.}) 32. Kb4 Bf8+ 33. Rd6 $1 {Simple and powerful. If Black takes the
rook he won't be able to stop the pawn, but otherwise he will soon lose his
bishop since White threatens 34 f5+. The rest is agony.} Rb2+ 34. Kc5 Rb8 35.
g4 $1 Rc8+ 36. Kb5 Bxd6 37. exd6 Bf3 38. g5 Bd5 39. d7 Rd8 40. Kc5 Be4 41. Kd6
Kf7 42. Rc7 Bf5 43. g6+ {. Although I won this game I wasn't very happy about
the opening, because my much lower-rated opponent had equalized relatively
easily. And for a while I turned more to investigating the Meran system (see
Shirov-Thorhallsson, in this book). My Botvinnik 'comeback' came more than a
year later, in 1992.} 1-0

[Event "Tilburg (rapidplay)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1992.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Oll, L."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This was the second rapid play-off game in a knock-out match. An exciting
tournament situation - but the game itself is practically not worth annotating.
Lembit Oll, who is generally a great expert in opening theory, couldn't stand
the tension and played carelessly quickly at the most critical moment.} 1. d4
Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9.
Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 {Undoubtedly the
most complex branch of the Botvinnik variation, and the one that most players
have focused their attention on.} 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4 16. Na4 Qb5 ({In
1992 the move} 16... Qa6 {hadn't yet been seen.}) 17. a3 Nb8 18. axb4 cxb4 19.
Qd4 $5 ({I had analysed} 19. Qg4 {a lot over the years, but when this game was
played I wasn't convinced that it led to an advantage for White (today theory
claims that White is better in that line). On the other hand 19 Qd4 had just
been introduced into practice in the correspondence game Krausser-Gunther
shortly before the present encounter.}) 19... Rxd5 {This was condemned by
several commentators, but what else can Black do?} (19... Nc6 20. dxc6 $1 Rxd4
21. cxb7+ {seems to lose by force, as in the games Krausser-Gunter,
Salov-Illescas, Madrid 1993, and Kamsky-Kramnik, New York 1994!}) 20. Qxa7 Nc6
$4 {This is horrible.} ({The only way to proceed was} 20... Nd7 {, after which
it is still not easy for White to prove his advantage.}) 21. Nb6+ {Winning.
The rest needs no comment.} Kc7 22. Bf4+ Bd6 23. Nxd5+ exd5 24. Bxd6+ Kxd6 25.
Qe3 Kc7 26. Rfe1 Rd8 27. b3 d4 28. Qf4+ Kb6 29. Re7 1-0

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Nikolic, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{By the end of 1992 I was again ready to employ the Botvinnik system with both
colours and of course I started studying it more. The next chance came quite
soon afterwards, in January 1993 at Wyk aan Zee. --- These annotations were
made in January 1993 and first appeared in the German magazine 'Schach 64'.} 1.
d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9.
Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Bb7 ({Diverging with} 11... Rg8 12. Bh4 $1 {
didn't work out well for Black in Magerramov-Savchenko, Helsinki Open 1992.
--- [AS - In 1993 (Rostov on Don) there was another game between Magerramov
and Savchenko and this time Black won. According to that game 12 Bh4 is not
very convincing.}) 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6 O-O-O 14. O-O c5 15. d5 (15. dxc5 {is
possible, as in the game Timman-Tal, Hilversum 1988. However, after} Nxc5 16.
Qe2 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Bh6 {I quite like Black's position.}) 15... b4 16. Na4 Qb5
17. dxe6 ({In the game I. Sokolov-Oll on the next board White started his
queenside play immediately with} 17. a3 {, which looks even better to me than
17 dxe6. --- [AS - The point was that the evening before Oll and I prepared
together to meet the Bosnian grandmasters. Oll's game more or less showed the
fruits of our labour, as he quickly obtained a good position. He just needed a
draw to win the match (Wijk aan Zee was also based on a knock-out system) but
again at the decisive moment he played too quickly, missed some tactics and
lost. --- The first game of my match against Nikolic had ended in a draw, so
my situation was different. Perhaps this helped me to win, who knows...}) 17...
Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Qc6+ {Black now picks up the pawn on e6.} ({After} 18... Qc6+ {
, in the game Aseyev-Bagirov, Helsinki Open 1992, White short-circuited
himself here with} 19. Qf3 $4 -- ({(intending} 19... Qxe6 20. Qa8+ {)}) (19...
Rxh2+ {, winning the queen.})) 19. f3 Qxe6 20. Qc2 Ne5 21. Rae1 Rd4 $5 {Tal
and Shabalov had discovered this move as long ago as 1983, but it wasn't tried
out in practice until nine years later, in the game Bareyev-Oll, Moscow Speed
Tournament 1992. [AS - Here I should mention that as the representative of
Estonia, which is a neighbour to Latvia, Lembit Oll has always had close chess
contact with Shabalov and me.]} ({Belyavsky-Piket, Amsterdam 1989, went} 21...
Qh3+ 22. Kg1 Nd3 23. Re2 Bd6 24. Qxc4 Bxg3 {.} 25. -- ({White then had the
choice between perpetual check with} 25. Qa6+ {(and Qb5+, Qc6+, etc.)}) ({and
the game continuation} 25. Qg4+ Qxg4 26. fxg4 {, with complicated play.})) 22.
h4 Bd6 23. a3 {This is the first new move of the game, but it doesn't even
guarantee White equal play. Other tries are:} (23. Be3 $2 {occurred in
Rublevsky-Savchenko, Helsinki Open 1992, but it backfired after} Rdxh4 $1 24.
gxh4 Rxh4 {, when Black had a strong attack}) (23. Re4 {was effectively
punished in the already mentioned game Bareyev-Oll which continued} Qd5 24. Qe2
Nxf3 $1 25. Re8+ ({or} 25. Kxf3 Re8) 25... Rxe8 26. Qxe8+ Kc7 {and Black soon
won.}) ({In my opinion the best continuation is} 23. Re2 {, with the possible
sequel} Qd5 24. Qf5+ Kc7 25. -- ({and now both} 25. Bf4 Re8) ({and} 25. Rfe1 $5
Nd3 26. Re7+ Bxe7 27. Rxe7+ Kc6 28. Qxd5+ Rxd5 29. Rxf7 {lead to unclear play.
If Black doesn't want to take any risks he can force perpetual check in the
last variation with} Re8 30. Rxa7 {(there is nothing better)} Re2+ 31. Kh3 Nf2+
{, etc.})) 23... Qd5 24. Qf5+ Kc7 25. Re2 ({Now} 25. Be3 $2 {is bad due to} Nd3
) ({and} 25. Bf4 {is met by} Rxf4 $1 26. Qxf4 Nd3 27. Re7+ (27. Qe4 Nxe1+ 28.
Rxe1 Kc6 $1 {is good for Black}) 27... Kc6 28. Qe4 Rg8 $3 29. g4 Bxe7 30. fxe7
({not} 30. Qxe7 $2 Rxg4+ 31. Kh3 Rg8 {, threatening ...Nf4+}) 30... Qxe4 31.
fxe4 Rxg4+ 32. Kf3 ({or} 32. Kh3 Rxe4) 32... Rg8 {, when in view of the badly
placed knight at a4 Black has the advantage.}) 25... Kc6 $3 {Steinitz
understood the value of the king as a strong piece, and in the present game
Black's monarch will perform sterling work. Nonetheless when I made this move
I couldn't help remembering the game Shirov-Georgiev, Biel 1992, in which my
king didn't feel at all comfortable on h5, and indeed eventually came to grief
there. On the present occasion, however, my king's journey is crowned with
success.} 26. b3 $1 {White stands badly from a strategic point of view,
because of the badly placed knight on a4, but this doesn't mean that his
attacking chances should be underestimated.} ({After} 26. b3 {, for example,
capturing the pawn on b3 would be unfavourable for Black:} cxb3 27. axb4 cxb4
28. Rc1+ Nc4 (28... Kb5 $4 {loses after} 29. Rc5+ Bxc5 30. Rxe5) 29. Qb1 $1 {
, and I didn't like the look of the storm brewing up on the queenside at all.})
26... c3 27. axb4 cxb4 28. Ra1 $1 ({After this Black must always reckon with a
knight sacrifice on c3 followed by the combination Ra6+, Rxd6 and Rxe5. For
example,} 28. Ra1 Qxb3 $2 29. Nxc3 $1 {, threatening} -- 30. Ra6+ {, 31 Rxd6
and 32 Qxe5+}) ({or} 28. Ra1 Rd3 $2 29. Nxc3 $1 bxc3 30. Ra6+ Kc7 31. Rxd6 $1
Kxd6 32. Rxe5 {(threatening 33 Bf4)} Qxf3+ 33. Qxf3 Rxf3 34. Re7 {, and White
doesn't stand worse.}) 28... Nd3 29. Qxd5+ Rxd5 ({I also examined continuing
the king's advance with} 29... Kxd5 30. -- ({, when, for example,} 30. Be3 $1
Rg8 $1 {favours Black.}) ({. Correct is} 30. Kh3 $1 Rg8 {with complicated play
if White continues} 31. Rc2 ({and thereby avoids the lurking danger -} 31. Raa2
$2 Rxg5 $1 {(removing the defender of c1)} 32. hxg5 Nc1 {. Black wins back the
exchange, follows up with ...Rd2 and wins the ending against the helpless
knight on a4.}))) 30. Re4 $1 {The best chance. White preserves the balance by
tactical means.} Kb5 {The king advances and clears the c-file, in preparation
for ...Rc8 and later ...c3-c2. White's next is directed against this.} 31. Rc4
$1 Re8 $1 {During this phase of the game I continually had to calculate the
possible rook sacrifice on c3.} ({In this position it would fail to} 31... Re8
32. Rxc3 Re2+ 33. Kf1 ({not} 33. Kg1 $2 Be5 $1) ({or} 33. Kh3 $2 Nf2+ 34. Kg2
Ne4+) 33... Rf2+ 34. Kg1 Rxf3 {with a clear advantage to Black.}) 32. Ra2 Ne1+
{I thought this would lead to a won ending, but in the post-mortem we
discovered that White has a study-like way to draw. So if Black is to
demonstrate that he is winning he must look for another continuation here.} ({
The tries} 32... Rde5 $2 33. Rd4) ({and} 32... Be5 33. Re2 {fail}) ({but} 32...
Ree5 $5 {comes into consideration.}) 33. Kh3 Nxf3 34. Rxc3 $1 {Here the
above-mentioned rook sacrifice is possible.} Nxg5+ 35. hxg5 Rh8+ ({In my
original calculations I thought I could win with} 35... Rxg5 36. Rd3 Rxg3+ 37.
Rxg3 Bxg3 38. Kxg3 Re3+ 39. Kf4 Rxb3 {. Checking this later I noticed} 40. Nc5
$1 Kxc5 41. Rxa7 {drawing.}) 36. Kg2 bxc3 37. Nxc3+ Kc6 38. Nxd5 Kxd5 39. Rxa7
Ke6 40. Ra4 $4 ({With his last move before the time control, Nikolic throws
away the draw he has almost achieved and which can be reached, as Ivan Sokolov
pointed out in the postmortem, by} 40. Kf3 $1 Rh3 41. Kg4 Rxg3+ 42. Kh5 Rh3+ (
42... Kf5 43. Ra5+ Be5 44. Kh6 $1 {is also a draw}) 43. Kg4 Rxb3 44. Ra5 $1 {
Black cannot improve his position. White answers ...Be5 with lateral rook
checks, and if the rooks are exchanged, for example after ...Re3-e5, White
draws with Kh5 and g5-g6, eliminating the last black pawn.}) 40... Rg8 41. Rg4
(41. Ra5 {doesn't save White because his king is too far back and he is unable
to play g5-g6 to get rid of the last black pawn:} Be5 42. Ra6+ Kf5 43. Ra7 Kg6
$1 {followed by ...Rb8.}) 41... Be5 {. White resigned since ...Kf5 will be
decisive.} 0-1

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Yusupov, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In 1993 I again had a 'break' from the Botvinnik system with White, because I
had found some new ideas in Meran with 7 g4 (which is actually no less
exciting!) and later I won two games with it. However, the Botvinnik still
remained one of my main weapons with Black. The next game was played two
months later in the last round at Linares 1993, and it was very important from
a sporting perspective - if I could win I would catch Karpov and Anand and lie
behind only Kasparov. --- Before the Linares tournament I had found out that
the course of the Wijk aan Zee game between I.Sokolov and Oll was probably
losing for Black (since confirmed by tournament practice), so I decided to
switch to an already almost forgotten line, which as the reader will recall, I
had analysed with Tal and Bagirov in 1987. --- These annotations were made
during the preparation of this book.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5.
Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7
12. g3 c5 13. d5 Bh6 {This move could hardly have surprised Yusupov, since he
had played it himself against Bagirov as long ago as in 1981!} 14. Bxh6 Rxh6
15. Qd2 ({Bagirov continued} 15. Bg2 {, the main line at that time, but it
doesn't yield White any advantage.}) 15... Qxf6 16. O-O-O ({As the reader may
recall, I continued} 16. Ne4 {against Kamsky, but Yusupov follows a
theoretical recommendation.}) 16... Bxd5 {Following our old Latvian analysis.}
({After the game Yusupov pointed out the move} 16... Kf8 $5 {and the new era
of the 13...Bh6 line had begun.}) 17. Nxd5 exd5 {Here Yusupov sank into deep
thought and I realized that Black's position was not at all as bright as it
had seemed in 1987.} 18. Bg2 ({I was quite afraid of} 18. Qxd5 Rd8 (18... Nb6
19. Re1+ Kf8 20. Qxc5+ Kg8 21. Qxb5 $1 {, intending Qe5, which is slightly
better for White}) 19. f4 {, but the game Gofstein-Kacheishvili, played one
year later in Groningen 1993, showed that this is probably not all that
dangerous for Black. That game went} Nb6 20. Re1+ Kf8 21. Qxc5+ Qd6 22. Qxd6+
Rhxd6 23. Be2 c3 $1 24. Rd1 (24. bxc3 $2 Na4 25. Rd1 Nxc3 26. Rxd6 Rxd6 {gives
Black a slight pull}) 24... cxb2+ {, and now according to Kacheishvili Black
could have made a draw with} 25. Kxb2 Na4+ 26. Kb3 a6 $1 27. Rxd6 Rxd6 28. Rc1
Rh6 $1 29. Rc2 Rxh2 30. Bg4 Rxc2 $1 31. Kxc2 b4 $1 {(intending ...Nc3).}) 18...
Nb6 19. Qe3+ $2 {This is a serious mistake, after which White should already
think about equality.} ({Correct would have been} 19. Bxd5 O-O-O (19... Rc8 20.
Bb7 Rc7 21. Ba6 {is also better for White}) 20. Bb7+ Kc7 21. Qxd8+ Qxd8 22.
Rxd8 Kxd8 23. Ba6 {, when the endgame is very dangerous for Black.}) 19... Kf8
20. Qxc5+ ({Now} 20. Bxd5 $2 {would have been wrong in view of} Na4 $1 {with
an attack.}) 20... Kg8 $6 {This appears to be a serious mistake.} ({There is
just one difference between this move and} 20... Kg7 {, but it seems to be a
very important one. The reader will understand what I mean eighteen(!) moves
later.}) 21. Qd4 (21. Bxd5 $2 {loses to} Rh5 {.}) 21... Re8 $1 {Black takes
over the initiative with this move. Even the exchange of queens doesn't stop
him.} 22. Bxd5 Qxd4 23. Rxd4 Re2 24. Be4 $1 {Here I too started thinking a lot.
} ({In principle, having been worse in the opening, I wouldn't have minded
making a draw, which would have been the probable outcome after} 24. Be4 Rxf2
25. Rd2 {. But then I saw a tempting pawn sacrifice ... I should add that
Karpov at that point had an inferior position against Bareev, and Anand also
faced slight problems against Salov. --- Anything could happen and, being just
half a point short of Karpov and Anand, I smelled blood.}) 24... c3 $1 25. bxc3
Na4 {A curious position! White has two pawns more, a bishop against a knight
and it is his move. But he is just fighting for a draw!} 26. Bc2 $1 Nxc3 27.
Rd2 Nxa2+ 28. Kd1 Nc3+ 29. Kc1 Rhe6 $5 (29... Re5 $5 30. Kb2 b4 {would have
been another winning try, but I wanted to avoid any possible risk.}) 30. Bd3
R2e5 31. Kb2 b4 32. Ra1 a5 33. Bc2 $1 {Despite his time-trouble Yusupov
defends very well.} Ra6 34. f4 Re3 35. Rd4 $1 {White threatens 36 Rxb4; I
thought I could refute this plan but I had overlooked a trick.} Re2 $1 36. Rxb4
Rc6 $1 37. Rxa5 $1 Nd1+ 38. Kc1 {Here I understood what was going on.} Rcxc2+ (
38... Ne3 {would have been met by} 39. Rg5+ Kf8 40. Rb8+ Ke7 41. Re5+ Kf6 42.
Rxe3 {drawing. But with my king on g7 (see the notes to Black's 20th move),
then 39 Rg5+ Kf6 would just be winning for Black.}) 39. Kxd1 {Now Black can't
do anything.} Red2+ 40. Ke1 Rxh2 41. Kd1 Rcg2 42. Re4 {. Here we agreed a draw,
which meant that I finished fourth since Karpov and Anand had also drawn.
Nevertheless, this was a great success for me.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "World Team Championship, Lucerne"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kamsky, G."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "62"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{I again had to wait a long time for my next opportunity to play the Botvinnik,
because I had another pet line with Black (the Slav with 4...a6) and I was
still employing the Meran with White. In October 1993, at the World Team
Championship in Lucerne, I saw Kamsky defeat Kramnik in the variation 5 Bg5 h6
(instead of 5...dxc4). A few days later I had Black against him and I
suspected that he would feel confident in the Botvinnik with White. I didn't
prepare much for the game, but I remembered Yusupov's suggestion in Linares
and thought it would be great to try it. --- The game appeared so impressive
to other players that at Tilburg 1993, which started only two weeks after
Lucerne had finished, the move 16...Kf8 occurred no less than three times! ---
These annotations are based on my notes in 'Informator 57'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6
3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10.
Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Bh6 14. Bxh6 Rxh6 15. Qd2 Qxf6 $1 {So
again this position. It felt strange to play it against the same opponent
after six and a half years but with the colours reversed.} ({Like Yusupov,
Kamsky didn't wish to try} 15... Qxf6 16. Ne4 {.}) 16. O-O-O Kf8 $1 {A novelty
which later on was recognized the best in 'Informator 57', though of course it
belongs to Artur Yusupov.} ({Black's idea is that after} 16... Kf8 17. -- ({
either} 17. dxe6) ({or} 17. Bg2 {can be met by} Ne5 {.})) 17. f4 (17. g4 {was
played in the game Piket-Kaidanov, Tilburg 1993, and Black was OK.}) ({Today
the most critical continuation is} 17. f3 {. One can find some games with this
in a database.}) 17... Nb6 $1 18. Bg2 (18. Ne4 Qg7 {worked out well for Black
in the game E. Vladimirov-Bareev, Tilburg 1993.}) ({Perhaps} 18. g4 {was still
worth trying.}) 18... exd5 19. Qf2 {White is already in severe difficulties.} (
{For example} 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Rd8 21. Qg2 c3 {is practically lost for
him}) ({while} 19. Bxd5 $2 Rd8 20. Qg2 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Qd6 {is even worse.}) ({
I had expected} 19. Nxb5 {, but after} Bc6 20. Nc7 (20. Qa5 d4 21. Bxc6 Qxc6
22. Na3 Rb8 {(intending ...Na4)}) ({and} 20. Nc3 d4 21. Ne4 Bxe4 22. Bxe4 Re8
23. Bg2 c3 {are also very good for Black}) 20... Rd8 $1 {Black is nearly
winning, according to the course of the game B. Alterman-Kamsky, Tilburg 1993.}
) 19... Rc8 $1 {Accuracy is the most important thing now.} ({Variations such as
} 19... d4 $6 20. Bxb7 Rb8 21. Ne4 Qe7 22. f5 $1 {would have yielded White
unnecessary counterplay.}) 20. Nxb5 $6 {After this I consider White's position
to be lost.} ({After long thought Kamsky rejected both ways of capturing the
d-pawn, and it's true that neither} 20. Bxd5 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Qa6 {, threatening
22...Qxa2 and 22...Rd6}) ({nor} 20. Nxd5 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 c3 $1 {with the idea of}
22. b3 c4 $1 23. bxc4 $2 c2 $1 24. Qxc2 Nxc4 {offers White much hope}) ({but
probably his best chance was still} 20. g4 {.}) 20... Na4 $1 {Threatening 21...
c3.} 21. Qc2 ({Both} 21. Na3) ({and} 21. Nxa7 {would have been answered by} Rb8
$1) ({and the line} 21. Bxd5 Bxd5 22. Rxd5 Qc6 23. Nxa7 Qxd5 24. Rd1 Qb7 25.
Nxc8 Qxc8 {also appears hopeless for White.}) 21... Qa6 $1 22. Na3 ({I was
also calculating} 22. Nc3 Nxc3 23. Qxc3 ({or} 23. bxc3 Rb6 24. Kd2 d4) 23...
Qxa2 {and decided that I was winning, for example} 24. Rxd5 (24. Bxd5 $2 Bxd5
25. Rxd5 Qa1+ 26. Kc2 Qxh1) (24. Qa3 Qxa3 25. bxa3 Rd8 {, intending ...Bc6, ...d5-d4}) 24... Bxd5 25. Bxd5 Rb8 $1 26. g4 Rb3 {and the game is over.}) 22... c3
$3 {Perhaps the most difficult move in the game.} ({Of course} 22... Rb6 $6 {
would have allowed} 23. Qh7 {with counterplay.}) 23. Bxd5 {This loses by force,
though still demanding precise play from Black.} (23. b3 {would have been even
worse because of} Nb2) ({but} 23. bxc3 {was an alternative. I was going to play
} Qa5 $1 24. Nb1 (24. Nc4 $2 Qxc3 25. Bxd5 Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Qa1+ 27. Qb1 Qxb1+ 28.
Kxb1 Nc3+) (24. Rd3 c4 25. Rf3 d4) ({and} 24. Kd2 Nb6 25. Nb1 Nc4+ {both win
for Black}) 24... Rb8 $1 {(with the idea of...Ba8, ...Rhb6) and it seems to me
that there is no defence, for instance} 25. -- ({, if White continues} 25. Rhe1
Ba8 $1 26. Re3 -- ({intending to meet} 26... Rhb6 {with} 27. Nd2 {and Qh7}) ({
then the simplest is} 26... d4 $1 27. cxd4 Bxg2 28. Qxg2 cxd4)) (25. Bxd5 Bxd5
26. Rxd5 Rxb1+ 27. Qxb1 Qxc3+ 28. Qc2 (28. Kd1 Qf3+) 28... Qa1+ 29. Qb1 Qxb1+
30. Kxb1 Nc3+ {and Black wins.})) 23... Nxb2 24. Qf5 ({I had to see precisely
the line} 24. Bxb7 Qxa3 $1 25. Qb3 (25. Bxc8 Nd3+ (25... Nc4+ 26. Kb1 Rb6+ 27.
Ka1 Qb2+ 28. Qxb2 cxb2+ 29. Kb1 Na3# {, as given by the Swiss IM Beat Züger is
even more accurate}) 26. Kb1 Rb6+ 27. Ka1 Rb2) 25... Qxb3 26. axb3 Rc7 27. Rd8+
Ke7 28. Rb8 Rb6 29. Kc2 c4 $1 {and Black wins.}) 24... Rf6 25. Qh7 ({This time
} 25. Bxb7 {fails to} Nd3+ $1 26. Qxd3 (26. Kb1 Qxb7+) (26. Kc2 Qa4+) (26. Rxd3
Qxa3+) 26... Qxa3+ 27. Kc2 Qb2# {.}) 25... Qxa3 $1 {The clearest way.} ({
However,} 25... Nxd1 26. Re1 $1 Ne3 $1 (26... Qxa3+ $2 27. Kxd1) 27. Qh8+ (27.
Rxe3 $2 Qxa3+ 28. Kd1 c2+) (27. Nc4 $2 Bxd5 28. Rxe3 Rh6) 27... Ke7 28. Rxe3+
Kd7 $1 29. Qh3+ Kd6 30. Nc4+ Kxd5 31. Rxc3 $1 Kc6 $1 32. Ne5+ Kc7 33. Rxc5+ Kb8
34. Nd7+ Ka8 35. Rxc8+ Bxc8 {would also have won.}) 26. Qh8+ Ke7 27. Rhe1+ (27.
Rde1+ {doesn't change anything in view of} Kd7 28. Qxf6 Nd3+ 29. Kc2 (29. Kd1
Qc1+ 30. Ke2 Qd2+ 31. Kf3 Bxd5+) 29... Qb2+ 30. Kxd3 Qd2+ 31. Kc4 Bxd5+ 32. Kb5
Qb2+ {and White gets mated.}) 27... Kd7 $1 {It's bizarre that although White
has no less than ten discovered checks with his bishop, they are all worthless
because of 28...Nxd1+. The double checks don't help either.} 28. Qh3+ (28. Qxf6
{just leads to mate after} Nd3+ 29. Kc2 Nb4+ 30. Kb1 Qb2#) ({and variations
like} 28. Bc6+ Kxc6 29. Qxf6+ Kb5) ({and} 28. Be6+ Kc6 29. Bd7+ (29. Bd5+ Kb5)
29... Kc7 {speak for themselves.}) 28... Kd6 $1 29. Bxb7+ Nxd1+ 30. Kxd1 Qxa2
31. Qg2 Qb1+ ({Here Kamsky's flag fell, but of course he would have had to
resign anyway because of} 31... Qb1+ 32. Ke2 Re8+ {. This game was awarded a
special prize for the best game of the tournament and was obviously the golden
moment for me in the Botvinnik variation. However, for a while I continued to
employ it with success. The next game was played one month later, in the
German Bundesliga (see the following game).}) 0-1

[Event "German League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Lobron, E."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in December 1993 and first appeared in the German
magazine 'Schach 64'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4
b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 ({Less fashionable than
} 11. exf6 {nowadays. --- [AS - Nowadays 11 exf6 is still played more often.})
11... Rg8 $1 12. h4 Rxg5 13. hxg5 Nd5 14. g6 fxg6 15. Qg4 Qe7 16. Qxg6+ Qf7 17.
Qxf7+ Kxf7 {The critical position of the line with 11...Rg8.} ({After} 17...
Kxf7 {, White usually chooses between} 18. Bg2 ({and} 18. O-O-O {. Lobron's
move came as a surprise. --- [AS - The reader has already seen 18 Bg2 in the
game Shirov-Stisis. The next game will feature another critical position.]}))
18. Ne4 $5 Bb4+ 19. Ke2 {Another surprise.} ({If White doesn't want to
exchange knights, he can play} 19. Kd1 {in order to meet} c3 {with} 20. b3 {.})
({[AS - Probably the best answer to} 19. Kd1 {is} c5 {.}) 19... c3 $1 20. bxc3
({Now} 20. b3 $2 {fails to} Ba3 $1 {.}) 20... Nxc3+ 21. Nxc3 Bxc3 22. Rd1 {
Here I saw what White had in mind. The attack with connected rooks is
potentially very dangerous for Black, especially if White manages to realize
the plan Bg2-e4, f2-f4, g3-g4-g5, etc. So I was obliged to react forcefully
before my opponent's pieces could become too active.} b4 $1 23. Bg2 Ba6+ 24.
Ke3 Rg8 $1 {Black must parry the threat of 25 Rh7, so he doesn't mind
exchanging a pair of rooks.} 25. Bxc6 Nb6 {The second critical position.
White's pawns are weak, so the two extra pawns don't fully compensate for the
advantage of two pieces against a rook.} 26. Rh6 $2 ({During the game I had
the feeling that} 26. Rh7+ Rg7 27. Rh8 {might have been a more accurate way to
play. After some home analysis I would say that in the line with} Bc4 {(I see
nothing better)} 28. Rdh1 {(a more precise move order for White is 27 Rdh1 Bc4
28 Rh8)} Bxa2 29. R1h6 Nd5+ 30. Bxd5 Bxd5 31. Rc8 $1 Rg4 32. f3 $1 Rxg3 33.
Rf6+ Ke7 ({or} 33... Kg7 34. Rc7+ Kh8 35. Rf8+ Rg8 36. Rf6 Rg3) 34. Rc7+ Ke8
35. Rff7 $1 {White is not in any danger of losing, although he has nothing
better than a draw after} a5 {(} 36. Rh7 Kd8 37. Rhd7+ {, etc.)}) 26... Bc4 27.
Rdh1 ({After} 27. Rf6+ Kg7 28. Rh1 {Black has} Rh8 {with a clear plus.}) 27...
Nd5+ $1 ({Of course} 27... Bxa2 $2 28. Rf6+ Kg7 29. Rh4 {would only cause
trouble for Black.}) 28. Ke4 $2 {This should have been the losing move.} ({
After} 28. Bxd5 Bxd5 29. Rf6+ Ke8 30. Rh7 Rg4 $1 31. f3 (31. Rff7 Re4+ 32. Kd3
Rxd4+ 33. Ke3 Re4+ 34. Kd3 Bxe5 {seems hopeless}) 31... Bxd4+ 32. Kd3 Bxe5 33.
fxg4 Bxf6 34. Rxa7 Bb2 $1 {, intending 25...Ba3, Black is also winning}) ({but
} 28. Bxd5 Bxd5 29. Rh7+ $1 Rg7 30. R1h6 {(the same idea as in the variation
26 Rh7!)} Bb2 31. Kd3 {would still have yielded White some drawing chances.})
28... Bxa2 29. Bd7 Nc7 30. Rf6+ Ke7 31. Bc6 b3 32. d5 {The last try.} (32. Rh7+
Kd8 33. Rd7+ Kc8 34. Rff7 Ba5 {is curtains.}) 32... exd5+ ({Here} 32... b2 33.
d6+ Kd8 34. Rf7 Nd5 35. Rd7+ Kc8 36. Rxa7 b1=Q+ 37. Rxb1 Bxb1+ 38. Kf3 Rf8+ 39.
Kg4 (39. Kg2 Rxf2+ 40. Kg1 Ra2) 39... Bf5+ 40. Kg5 Rg8+ 41. Kh6 Nb6 {with the
idea} 42. Rc7+ Kd8 43. Rb7 Bxe5 44. Rxb6 Bxd6 {would also have been winning,
but the text doesn't spoil anything.}) 33. Bxd5 Nxd5 34. Ra6 $1 {At least this
prevents the immediate ...b3-b2.} Nc7 35. Rxa7 Kd8 36. f4 Rxg3 $4 {Terrible.} (
{In time-trouble I forgot that after} 36... Kc8 37. Rh7 {Black has} Bb1+ {,
when the game is completely over.}) 37. Rh8+ Ne8 38. Ra8+ Kd7 39. Rhxe8 b2 40.
Red8+ $4 {White repays the compliment.} ({Instead} 40. Rad8+ Kc6 41. Rd6+ $1 ({
I had overlooked this when playing 36...Rxg3, hoping only for} 41. Rc8+ Kb5 42.
Rb8+ Ka4) 41... Kb5 42. Rb8+ Ka5 43. Ra8+ Kb4 44. Rb8+ {leads to a draw}) ({so
the last chance for Black after} 40. Rad8+ {is to play} Kc7 41. Rc8+ Kb7 42.
Rb8+ Kc6 43. Rec8+ Kd7 44. Rxc3 b1=Q+ 45. Rxb1 Bxb1+ 46. Kd4 Rg1 {, and fight
to obtain a rook and bishop against rook (without pawns) ending, though this
is still a theoretical draw. --- [AS - In fact there is no chance of Black
winning White's pawns so it's a dead draw in every line.]}) 40... Ke7 41. Re8+
Kf7 {White resigned.} ({After the game Lobron admitted that in time-trouble he
had overlooked that} 41... Kf7 42. Rf8+ Kg7 43. Rg8+ {fails to} Bxg8 {. [AS -
A strange story of Black's light-squared bishop, whose power went unnoticed by
both players.]}) 0-1

[Event "Las Palmas"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Morovic Fernandez, I."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In 1994 I again switched with White from the Meran to the Botvinnik, as I had
already had enough craziness with 7 g4. I had come to the conclusion that the
course of the game Beliavsky-Kramnik was favourable for White, and although I
overestimated White's chances a little, my ideas still worked in the following
game, which was played in June 1994. --- These annotations are based on my
notes in 'Informator 60'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4
6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Rg8 12. h4 Rxg5
13. hxg5 Nd5 14. g6 fxg6 15. Qg4 Qe7 16. Bg2 $5 {It has always been a priority
of mine to try out my own ideas whenever I can.} ({When the present game was
played it was already known that Bareev had established an advantage against
San Segundo in the line} 16. Qxg6+ {in Madrid 1994.}) 16... Qf7 17. Be4 Ne7 18.
Nxb5 $1 {This is the point. White wins the exchange and, although Kramnik had
assessed the resulting position as unclear in his annotations, I trusted the
white side.} cxb5 19. Bxa8 Nb6 20. Be4 Bd7 $1 ({Morovic finds a stronger move
than} 20... Nbd5 {(as suggested by Kramnik), which allows White to get the
edge after} 21. Rh8 $1 {, intending f3, Kf2, Rah1 etc.}) 21. Rh8 Bc6 22. f3 $1
{Trying to avoid the exchange of bishops.} ({The position after} 22. Bxc6+ Nxc6
23. O-O-O Nd5 {would have been perfectly okay for Black, I think.}) 22... Nbd5
$2 {Now White can simply follow his plan.} ({Black shouldn't have allowed 23
Kf2 so easily. After} 22... Kd7 23. Ke2 $1 ({not} 23. O-O-O Bg7 {, intending}
24. Bxc6+ $6 Nxc6 25. d5 $2 Nxd5 26. Rxd5+ Kc7) 23... Bg7 24. Rh7 Nbd5 25. Rah1
{White would only have been slightly better.}) 23. Kf2 {Now things are
different. Black is already in serious trouble.} Nb4 {Consistent but
insufficient.} ({However, even after the logical} 23... Kd7 24. Rah1 Bg7 25.
R1h7 b4 26. Qg5 $1 {White would also stand to win, for example} -- (26... c3
27. bxc3 Nxc3 (27... bxc3 28. Qc1 $1 {, intending Qa3}) 28. Bxc6+ Kxc6 29. Rxg7
Ne4+ (29... Qxg7 30. Qf6 Nf5 31. Qxe6+ {wins for White}) 30. Kg2 Nxg5 31. Rxf7
Nxf7 32. Rh7 {and wins}) ({, or} 26... a5 27. Ke1 $3 {, and I don't see how to
meet the threat of} -- 28. Bxd5 Bxd5 (28... Nxd5 29. Qh6 $1) 29. Rxg7 Qxg7 30.
Qf6 {, winning.})) 24. a3 $1 {No exchange of bishops!} (24. Rah1 $6 Bxe4 25.
Qxe4 Nbd5 26. R1h7 Qf5 {would have suited Black in a way since he would have
had some counterplay.}) 24... Nd3+ ({My idea was to answer} 24... Bxe4 {with}
25. axb4 $1 Bf5 {(forced)} 26. Qg5 Nc8 (26... Qg7 27. Rah1) (26... Nc6 27. Qf6
$1 Qxf6 28. exf6 {, intending Ra6}) 27. Qh6 $1 {(threatening 28 Ra6 or 28 Ra5)}
Ke7 28. Qh4+ Kd7 29. Qf6 $1 Ke8 30. Ra6 $1 Qxf6 31. exf6 Kf7 32. Rc6 {,
winning.}) 25. Bxd3 cxd3 26. Rd1 {Simple chess. White wins a pawn, after which
the two rooks and two pawns will be clearly stronger than the three minor
pieces.} Qf5 {The exchange of queens only favours White, in any case it wasn't
easy to avoid it,} ({for instance} 26... Nd5 27. Rxd3 Kd7 28. Qh3 $1 Be7 29.
Qh7 {and} Qf5 $2 {is impossible because of} 30. Qg8 {.}) 27. Qxf5 gxf5 28. Rxd3
Bd5 29. Rc3 Nc6 30. Ke3 Kf7 31. Rh7+ $1 Bg7 32. Rh2 Kg6 $6 {Morovic doesn't
put up much resistance in the final stages.} ({He had to play} 32... Ke8 {with
the idea of} 33. Rhc2 Kd7) ({but I think that after} 32... Ke8 33. g4 $1 {
White should win quite quickly.}) 33. Rhc2 Na5 34. Rc7 {Now it's curtains for
Black.} a6 (34... Bh6+ 35. f4 Nc4+ 36. Ke2 Be4 37. Rc3 (37. R2xc4 bxc4 38. Rxc4
) 37... a5 38. Rc5 {would just prolong the game, not change the result.}) 35.
Ra7 Nc4+ 36. Ke2 a5 37. b3 {Finally both rooks are coming in.} Nxa3 (37... Nb6
38. Rcc7 Bh6 39. Ra6 {is the same.}) 38. Rc8 Bh6 39. Rg8+ Kh5 40. Rh7 {. This
game was a kind of 'Pyrrhic victory' for me since after this my results in the
Botvinnik system worsened. But the reader will see that the opening was not
always the reason.} 1-0

[Event "Pardubice"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Khalifman, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In July 1994 I played a category 15 tournament in Pardubice (Czech Republic),
and my last round opponent was Alexander Khalifman, who was having a
disastrous tournament and had no special ambitions in the last round. A draw
in some quiet opening would have sufficed to tie for first place, but for some
reason I again chose the Botvinnik variation. The opening worked out well but
then ... --- These annotations were made during the preparation of this book,
based on my notes in 'Informator 61'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6
5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Rg8
12. h4 Rxg5 13. hxg5 Nd5 14. g6 fxg6 15. Qg4 Qe7 16. Rh8 $6 {To be honest I
had never seriously considered this move, and even now it doesn't seem very
dangerous to me.} Nxc3 17. bxc3 Qa3 $1 {The most energetic continuation.} ({
Other tries would have been} 17... Qf7 {, Kamsky-Serper, Groningen 1993}) ({and
} 17... Bb7 $5 {, Paschall-Wells, Hastings open 1993.}) 18. Qxg6+ (18. Qxe6+
Kd8 19. Rd1 Qxc3+ {is probably also good for Black.}) 18... Kd8 19. Rd1 $5 {
This came as a surprise.} ({In my home analysis I had concentrated on} 19. Qc2
{, and decided that after} Nb6 {Black has a very good position.}) 19... Qxc3+
20. Ke2 Qb2+ $5 {Trying to get White's pieces onto bad squares.} ({I didn't
want to allow something like} 20... Kc7 21. Bg2 Bb4 22. Be4 {, with good
attacking chances.}) 21. Rd2 Qb4 22. Qxe6 c3 23. a3 $1 {Probably best.} (23.
Rc2 Qxd4 24. Bg2 Bb7 {looks nice for Black.}) 23... Qxa3 $4 {I can hardly
explain this move.} ({I saw that after} 23... Qb1 $1 24. Qd6 Qe4+ 25. Kd1 Qb1+
{I could make a draw and share 1st-2nd places with Bareev and I had plenty of
time to think. The problem was that I had decided that my position was
objectively better and that I should try to be the sole winner. A young man's
ambitions ...} ({Well, I can only add that the other attempt to play for a win
} 25... Qg4+ {would also have been risky in view of the reply} 26. Re2 {.}))
24. Rc2 $1 ({This is better than} 24. Ra2 Qb4 {.}) 24... Kc7 25. Rh7 $1 {I had
overlooked this excellent move. The game is practically over now.} b4 26. Ra2
b3 $5 27. Rxa3 c2 28. Ra4 $1 c1=Q 29. Rc4 {. Here I resigned a Botvinnik
variation for the first time in a serious tournament game.} 1-0

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{My bad luck in this opening continued. In the next game, played one month
later, I again reached an excellent position, and when my opponent offered a
draw I had every reason to reject it. --- These annotations were made during
the preparation of this book, based on my notes in 'Informator 61'.} 1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5
hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4
16. Na4 Qa6 $5 ({Switching from the usual} 16... Qb5 {. At the end of 1993
Shabalov had told me that 16...Qa6 deserved attention, but at first I didn't
take it very seriously. Then in the Summer 1994 we both visited Latvia at the
same time, and before going back to the US he mentioned it again. I then did
some analysis with some Latvian players (Bagirov and the talented young
Fridman), but I still thought that this relatively new line was not really
worth employing. However, in July 1994 I met Shabalov again at a tournament in
North Bay (Canada), and we exchanged some more ideas. Now, it seemed quite
interesting to me after all, but I practically had no time to check it - the
Novgorod tournament began immediately after I returned from Canada.}) 17. a3 (
17. dxe6 Qxe6 {is also critical - see the next game.}) 17... Bxd5 $1 {This is
the move that Shabalov told me about.} (17... b3 {, which had been played
before, isn't a serious idea.}) 18. Bxd5 Ne5 19. axb4 ({The other possibility
for White here is} 19. Nxc5 $5 {.}) 19... Rxd5 20. Qe2 cxb4 21. Nc3 Qc6 $1 ({
I like this exchange sacrifice more than} 21... Ra5 {, which is now also well
known.}) 22. Nxd5 Qxd5 23. f3 Bc5+ 24. Kg2 ({Another critical position could
have arisen after} 24. Be3 Nd3 25. Bxc5 Qxc5+ {, when Black has counterplay
for the exchange.}) 24... Nd3 25. h4 Kb7 {Black's idea is rather primitive,
namely ...Kb6!?, ...a7-a5, and ...Bd4.} 26. Ra5 $5 ({Lately there have been
some games with} 26. Rfd1 {, but I cannot yet comment on it.}) 26... Qd4 (26...
Rd8 $5 {would have been another try.}) 27. b3 Bb6 $1 {I didn't want to take a
pawn - preferring to put mine on c3.} 28. Ra2 c3 29. Rd1 Rd8 30. h5 {Somewhere
around here Ivanchuk offered a draw, but since I had much more time than him
and I considered my position a little better I thought I didn't have any
losing chances ...} a5 (30... Nf4+ 31. Bxf4 Qxd1 32. Qxd1 Rxd1 33. h6 a5 34. g4
{would have led to exactly the same thing.}) 31. g4 (31. h6 Nf4+ 32. Bxf4 Qxd1
33. Qxd1 Rxd1 34. g4 {is an alternative move order.}) 31... Nf4+ 32. Bxf4 Qxd1
33. Qxd1 Rxd1 34. h6 Ka6 $4 {Terrible. I had completely overlooked White's
36th move.} ({I saw that I could achieve a favourable pawn exchange after} 
34... e5 $1 35. h7 ({forced, as} 35. Bxe5 $2 Rd2+ 36. Kh3 Rxa2 37. h7 c2 38.
Bf4 Bc7 $1 {wins for Black}) 35... Rd8 36. Bxe5 Rh8 {but unfortunately the
text seemed even more attractive to me...}) 35. g5 Rd8 36. Kf1 $1 Bd4 {Here I
was already destroyed and now I didn't manage to offer any resistance.} 37. Ke2
e5 (37... Rc8 38. Kd3 e5 39. Bc1 Kb5 {would have been the last chance.}) 38.
Be3 {White is winning now and the rest needs no commentary.} Kb5 39. h7 Rh8 40.
Bxd4 exd4 41. g6 fxg6 42. f7 Kc6 43. Kd3 Kd7 44. Re2 a4 45. Re8 axb3 46. Rxh8
b2 47. Rd8+ 1-0

[Event "Aruba match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Piket, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{After two such bitter losses it would have been easy to completely lose
confidence in the Botvinnik variation. However, six months later I was due to
play an eight-game match against Jeroen Piket, who also employs the Botvinnik
with both colours, and I needed to adjust my preparation. However, the opening
occurred just once in the match. --- These annotations were made during the
preparation of this book, based on my notes in 'Informator 63'. --- Like yours
truly, Jeroen has a great deal of experience in the Botvinnik variation with
both colours. However, in the third game of our match he had avoided 5 Bg5 as
White, preferring 5 e3. Here was another chance...} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3
Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5
Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4 16. Na4 Qd6 {
This move came as quite a shock to me. During the game I thought it must be a
novelty.} 17. dxe6 (17. Bf4 e5 18. Bg5 Bh6 {didn't seem at all clear to me.})
17... Qxe6 18. Re1 Ne5 $1 ({In fact only this is the new move, but it is much
better and more natural than} 18... Qf5 {, as played in Agzamov-Gen.
Timoschenko, USSR 1982.}) 19. Qxd8+ ({I rejected} 19. Bxb7+ Kxb7 20. Qxd8 {
because of} Nf3+ 21. Kg2 Qc6 $1 22. Re7+ Bxe7 23. Qxh8 (23. Qxe7+ Ka8 {wins
for Black}) 23... Nxg5+ {, followed by 24...Bxf6 with a very strong attack for
Black.}) ({After} 19. Bxb7+ Kxb7 {, instead of 20 Qxd8,} 20. Qe2 {is correct,
for example} Qh3 21. Qxe5 Qxh2+ 22. Kf1 Qh3+ 23. Ke2 Qg4+ 24. Kf1 {with a draw.
}) 19... Kxd8 20. Bxb7 Kc7 $4 ({During the game I considered both 20...Bd6 and
} 20... Qf5 21. Rad1+ (21. Rxe5 Qxe5 22. Rd1+ Kc7 23. Bf4 Qxf4) 21... Nd3 22.
Bf4 Bd6 23. Be4 Qh3 24. Rxd3 cxd3 25. Bxd6 Qxh2+ 26. Kf1 Qh1+ 27. Bxh1 Rxh1+
28. Kg2 Rxe1 29. Bf4 Re2 30. Kf3 c4) ({but now I am not so sure about} 20...
Bd6 {because of} 21. Bf4 $1 {and now:} -- (21... Qh3 22. Bxe5) (21... Kc7 22.
Nxc5 Qxf6 (22... Bxc5 23. Rxe5) 23. Bg2) (21... Qxf6 22. Nxc5 Bxc5 23. Rxe5
Bxf2+ 24. Kg2) (21... Re8 22. Bxe5 $1 Bxe5 23. Rad1+ Kc7 24. Nxc5 Qxf6 25. Rd7+
Kb6 26. Na4+ Kb5 27. b3 {and White wins in each variation.})) ({However,} 20...
Qf5 {saves Black's bacon since I see nothing better than:} 21. -- (21. Rad1+
Nd3 22. Bf4 Bd6 $1 23. Be4 Qh3 24. Rxd3 cxd3 25. Bxd6 Qxh2+ 26. Kf1 Qh1+ 27.
Bxh1 Rxh1+ 28. Kg2 Rxe1 29. Bf4 Re2 30. Kf3 c4 $1 {is better for Black} (30...
--)) (21. Rxe5 Qxe5 22. Rd1+ Kc7 23. Bf4 Qxf4 24. gxf4 Kxb7 25. Rc1 Rh6 26.
Rxc4 Kc6 {leads to an approximately equal ending.})) 21. Bg2 Qd7 22. Bf4 $1 {
This may have been what Piket had missed.} Qxa4 23. Bxe5+ ({Probably even
better was} 23. a3 $1 Bd6 (23... Qd7 24. axb4 {wins for White}) 24. axb4 Qxb4
25. Bxe5 {and White's attack should prove decisive.}) 23... Kb6 24. Rad1 ({Now
} 24. a3 Qd7 {is less clear.}) 24... Rh5 25. Rd8 Rxe5 {Black's last chance.}
26. Rxe5 c3 27. bxc3 bxc3 28. Rb8+ $6 (28. Be4 {was a lot easier.}) 28... Ka5
29. Rxf8 Qd1+ 30. Bf1 Qd6 31. Rfe8 ({Technically more precise was} 31. Re7 c2
32. Rxa7+ Kb4 33. Rfa8 c1=Q 34. Ra4+ Kc3 35. Rc4+ Kd2 36. Rxc1 Kxc1 37. Ra4 Kb2
38. Rf4 {, winning.}) 31... c2 32. Re1 Qd1 33. R8e7 $1 Kb6 34. h4 c1=Q {
Desperation, but Black cannot do anything.} 35. Rxd1 Qxd1 36. Rxf7 c4 37. Re7
c3 38. f7 Qf3 39. Rb7+ $1 {The simplest.} Kc5 (39... Qxb7 40. f8=Q c2 41. Qb4+
Kc7 42. Qf4+ {wins.}) 40. Rc7+ Kd6 41. Bg2 ({Of course} 41. Rxc3 {wins easily,
but I didn't want to demonstrate any technique. Only after making my move did
I spot Black's reply and my first reaction was one of horror. Fortunately for
me Black still cannot save the game.}) 41... Qd1+ 42. Kh2 Kxc7 43. f8=Q c2 44.
Qf4+ Kb6 45. Bf3 ({If} 45. Bf3 Qb1 {then} 46. Be4 {.}) 1-0

[Event "European Club Cup, Ljubljana"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Beliavsky, A."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{For a long time I had expected Alexander Belyavsky to enter the Botvinnik
variation with White against me, since he is a well-known expert on it.
However four (!) times he chose other openings until he finally went for a
real discussion in Ljubljana in December 1995. --- The game was annotated in
December 1995 but the present version appeared only in 'ChessBase Magazine 51'.
} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4
g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 b4 15.
O-O O-O-O 16. Rb1 ({Nowadays this move is considered more critical than} 16.
Na4 {.}) 16... Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18. e7 Bxf1 19. Qd5 Bh6 20. Bxh6 Bd3 {Nothing
new so far. But now Belyavsky plays an interesting novelty which might be a
fruit of his homework.} 21. Ne4 $5 ({The known course is} 21. Qa8+ Nb8 22.
exd8=Q+ Rxd8 23. Re1 bxc3 24. Bf4 Qb6 (24... Qb7 $4 25. Re7 $3 Qxa8 26. Rc7#)
25. bxc3 {with a very complicated position (Yermolinsky-D. Gurevich, USA
Championship 1994).}) 21... Bxe4 22. Qxe4 Rde8 {I think that I had something
like this analysed a long time before the game, and then I decided that with a
rook more Black has nothing to worry about. However ...} 23. Bg7 $1 {What is
this? A rook down and then the bishop out of play? Unfortunately the e7 pawn
compensates for everything.} Rh5 ({Another interesting try was} 23... Nxf6 $5 {
.}) 24. Rd1 Qb5 $1 (24... Qb5 {is probably the only move to prevent} 25. Qa8+
Nb8 26. Rd8+) ({since} 24... Qa4 $2 {would have lost to} 25. b3 cxb3 26. Qa8+
Nb8 27. Rd8+ Rxd8 28. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 29. Qxb8+ Kd7 30. Qb7+ Ke6 31. Qe7+ Kf5 32.
Qxf7 {.}) 25. f4 $2 ({I believe that most players would have gone for a move
repetition after} 25. Qa8+ Nb8 (25... Qb8 $2 26. Qc6+ Qc7 27. Qa6+ Kb8 28. Qxc4
{and White wins}) 26. Qe4 (26. Qf3 Re5 27. h4) 26... Nd7 {, but it is well
known that Beliavsky almost never goes in for them. In this case it seems that
he was wrong. It is true that now the rook on h5 has no squares and is
indefensible, but there is a trick that should turn things into Black's favour.
}) 25... c3 $1 26. bxc3 c4 $4 {Unbelievable.} ({I saw that after} 26... bxc3
27. Rb1 {I would have} c2 $3 {, but for some mysterious reason I rejected it.
White would have been in a hopeless situation, for example} 28. Rxb5 ({after} 
28. Qxc2 Qc6 {Black defends everything while an extra rook plus the position
of the enemy bishop yields him an easy victory}) 28... c1=Q+ 29. Kg2 Qd2+ 30.
Kf3 Qd1+ 31. Kg2 Qd5 {and the game is over.}) 27. cxb4 {Now White is not worse
anymore. However, during the game I still thought differently, counting on my
queen and rook which are now well connected. Due to this over-optimism I was
unable to put up much resistance to the strong white pawns.} Kc7 ({My original
idea of} 27... Nb6 {fails to} 28. a4 $3 Qxa4 {and neither:} 29. -- (29. Rd8+
Kc7 30. Rxe8 Qd1+ (30... Qxe8 31. f5) 31. Kg2 Qd2+ 32. Kf1 Qd1+ 33. Qe1) ({,
nor} 29. Rd8+ Rxd8 30. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 31. Qe7+ Kc8 32. Qf8+ Kb7 33. Qxf7+ {offer
Black any chance of survival.})) 28. g4 Rh3 $2 {Probably the decisive mistake.}
(28... Rh4 {was called for, when White must reply} 29. Qf3 $1 ({other tries
are clearly unfavourable for White, for example} 29. f5 $2 Ne5 30. h3 Rxh3 31.
Rd5 Re3 $1 32. Qxe3 Qxd5 33. Qxa7+ Kd6 34. Qb6+ Nc6 35. b5 Qd4+ 36. Qxd4+ Nxd4)
({or} 29. Qe2 Qxb4) 29... Qb6+ (29... Qxb4 30. a3 {yields White enough
compensation for the rook}) 30. Kg2 $1 ({not} 30. Kh1 $2 Nxf6 31. f5 Nxg4 32.
Qg3+ Kc8 33. Qxh4 Nf2+ 34. Kg2 Nxd1 35. Qxc4+ Qc7 {and Black wins}) 30... Nxf6
31. g5 Ng4 32. Kg3 $1 {and Black has nothing better than} Rxh2 33. Kxg4 Qe6+ ({
after} 33... Rxe7 34. Qd5 $1 {White's chances are definitely not worse}) 34. f5
Qxe7 {, which seems to lead to a draw by repetition after} 35. Qf4+ Kb7 36.
Qxh2 Qe4+ 37. Qf4 Qg2+ 38. Kh5 Qe2+ 39. Qg4 Qh2+ 40. Qh4 Qe2+ 41. Qg4 {.}) 29.
g5 Rd3 $6 30. Rc1 $1 c3 31. g6 fxg6 32. f7 Rxe7 33. Qxe7 Qb6+ 34. Kf1 $1 {I
had overlooked this. Now Black is dead.} Qb5 ({Neither} 34... Qc6 35. Rxc3 Rxc3
36. Be5+ Kb7 37. Bxc3 Qf3+ 38. Kg1 Qg4+ 39. Kf2 Qxf4+ 40. Ke1 Qc1+ 41. Ke2) ({
nor} 34... Rf3+ 35. Kg2 Qc6 (35... Qf2+ 36. Kh1) 36. Be5+ Kb7 37. Qd6 {would
have helped.}) 35. Qe2 Qc4 36. Ke1 Kb7 37. Qg2+ ({It is strange that Belyavsky,
who had almost twenty minutes to reach move forty, missed a simple win with
the continuation} 37. Bxc3 Qd5 38. Kf2 g5 39. fxg5 Qxf7+ 40. Kg1 {.}) 37... Kc7
38. Qe2 Kb7 39. Qg2+ $4 Kc7 {Now White must move his queen back to e2,
otherwise the position will become very unclear.} 40. Qe2 ({And after} 40. Qe2
{I claimed the three times repetition which arises after} Kb7 {. Possibly my
best move in the game.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{And finally the last and most bitter experience. Again I lost against
Ivanchuk but this time without much fight... --- The game was annotated in
February 1996 and published in 'New In Chess'.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4.
Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 {For the second time I chose the Botvinnik variation
against Vasily, and for the second time I lost. Time to draw some conclusions...} 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6 Bb7 12. g3
c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4 16. Na4 Qb5 17. a3 exd5 {I hadn't
played this move before and it seemed unexpected for Vasily. However, he
reacted ingeniously.} 18. axb4 cxb4 19. Be3 Nc5 20. Qg4+ Rd7 ({Formally a new
move but the idea of sacrificing the exchange was already known as} 20... Kb8 {
is bad in view of} 21. Qd4 $1 {(Agzamov-Chandler, Belgrade 1982). I doubt that
anyone would think twice about playing it.}) 21. Qg7 $3 {A positional queen
sacrifice, after which the attack of the white rooks and minor pieces becomes
extremely strong. When the move appears on the board it looks so simple...
Vasily told me after the game he discovered 21 Qg7 over the board. Impressive.}
(21. Nxc5 Bxc5 22. Bxc5 Qxc5 23. Bh3 Rhd8 24. Qg7 Kc7 25. Bxd7 Rxd7 {, with
compensation, was what I had wanted.}) 21... Bxg7 22. fxg7 Rg8 23. Nxc5 d4 {I
was trying to overcome the difficulties with concrete play, but clearly
underestimated White's 26th move.} ({Other options seemed to me like a kind of
'slow death', for example:} 23... Rc7 24. Nxb7 Rxb7 25. Rfd1 Rd7 26. Bd4 {
(intending h4-h5-h6)}) (23... f5 24. Rxa7 $1 (24. Nxd7 $6 Qxd7 25. Bd4 Rxg7 {
is only a little better for White}) 24... Rgxg7 (24... Rdxg7 25. Rfa1) 25. Rfa1
) (23... Rxg7 24. Bh3 $1 Bc6 25. Rxa7) ({and} 23... Bc6 24. Ra6 {, intending}
-- 25. Rfa1 {.}) 24. Bxb7+ Rxb7 25. Nxb7 Qb6 {The only move.} (25... Kxb7 26.
Bxd4 a5 27. Rfe1 {loses quickly.}) 26. Bxd4 $3 ({I was mainly counting on} 26.
Bf4 Kxb7 27. Rfe1 a5 $1 {, with counterplay.}) 26... Qxd4 27. Rfd1 Qxb2 {The
choice wasn't a pleasant one.} ({Variations like} 27... Qxd1+ 28. Rxd1 Kxb7 29.
Rd4 Rxg7 30. Rxc4 a5 31. Rf4 $1 Kb6 32. h4 Kb5 33. b3) ({and} 27... Qxg7 28.
Rxa7 Kb8 29. Rda1 Re8 (29... Qd4 30. Na5 $3 Qc5 31. Rb7+ Kc8 32. Rxf7) 30. Nd6
Re1+ 31. Rxe1 Kxa7 32. Nxc4 {speak for themselves.}) 28. Nd6+ Kb8 29. Rdb1 Qxg7
$2 {This loses immediately.} ({Tougher resistance would have been promised by} 
29... Qd2 30. Nxc4 Qc3 {, but my home analysis indicates that White gets a
decisive advantage by playing} 31. Ra4 $1 (31. Ne3 Qc5 32. Ra4 a5 33. Rba1 b3 {
is unclear}) 31... b3 32. Na5 $1 (32. Ne3 Ka8 33. Ra3 Qxg7 34. Raxb3 {is only
slightly better for White}) 32... Ka8 (32... b2 33. Rb4+ Ka8 34. R4xb2) 33. Ra3
$1 (33. Rxb3 Qe1+ 34. Kg2 Qd1 $1 {allows counterplay}) 33... Qxg7 34. Nc6 Kb7
35. Nxa7 {and it's all over.}) ({I should also mention that I saw the line} 
29... Qc3 30. Rxa7 $1 Kxa7 (30... Rxg7 31. Rb7+ Ka8 32. R7xb4) 31. Nb5+ Ka6 32.
Nxc3 bxc3 33. Rb4 $1 {too late.}) 30. Rxb4+ Kc7 31. Ra6 $1 {Now Black must
give up his rook to avoid being mated. Of course, further resistance is
impossible.} Rb8 32. Rxa7+ Kxd6 33. Rxb8 Qg4 34. Rd8+ Kc6 35. Ra1 {. And since
the passed pawn is going to fall... Black resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Monte Carlo (blindfold rapid)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Kramnik, V."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "117"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{P.S. Although 'the Botvinnik chapter' should have been completed with the
last game, new problems have since arisen. At Monaco 1996 I just couldn't
resist trying it again - this time against Kramnik - and only a miracle saved
me from another loss. --- These annotations were made during the preparation
of this book.} 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7.
e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. g3 Bb7 12. Bg2 Qb6 13. exf6
O-O-O 14. O-O c5 15. d5 b4 16. Rb1 {Somehow this move doesn't seem very
logical to me - but it's terribly dangerous.} Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18. e7 Bxf1 19.
Kxf1 {This move hasn't been seen in tournament praxis for a long time, but of
course nobody could miss it in home analysis.} Qc6 ({The only known example of
19 Kxf1 was the game Uhlmann-Alexandria, Halle 1981, in which Black continued} 
19... bxc3 {but that doesn't seem good.}) 20. exd8=Q+ Kxd8 21. Nd5 Rxh2 22. Kg1
Rh8 23. Bf4 $1 ({Avoiding the line} 23. Qf3 Bd6 {, when the black bishop
becomes rather active.}) 23... Bd6 24. Bxd6 Qxd6 25. Qf3 Ne5 26. Qe4 Re8 27.
Ne3 $1 Nc6 28. Qf3 $1 {Very strong!} ({Variations such as} 28. Qxc4 Rxe3 29.
fxe3 Qxg3+) ({or} 28. Nxc4 Qxg3+ 29. fxg3 Rxe4 30. Nd6 Re6 31. Nxf7+ Ke8 32.
Ng5 Rxf6 33. Ne4 Rg6 {are not especially dangerous for Black. Now he also has
to look for an endgame, but a much less favourable one this time.}) 28... Kc7
29. Nxc4 Qd4 30. b3 Qe4 ({After} 30... Re6 31. Rd1 Rxf6 ({or} 31... Qxf6 32.
Qxf6 Rxf6 33. Rd5 {and White is clearly better}) 32. Rxd4 Rxf3 33. Rd5 {White
is on top.}) 31. Qxe4 Rxe4 32. Kg2 Ne5 33. Ne3 Kd7 {The king was probably the
last piece that Black should activate in this position.} ({Now I would prefer} 
33... Nd7 {, although the text isn't a mistake.}) 34. Rh1 (34. Rd1+ Rd4 35.
Rxd4+ cxd4 {is unclear.}) 34... Ke6 $2 {After this error Black can only hope
for a miracle.} ({Both} 34... Rd4) ({and} 34... c4 $5 {would have promised him
some drawing chances.}) 35. Rh8 $1 Kxf6 36. Rc8 Nd3 37. Ra8 Rd4 38. Rxa7 Kg6 (
38... Nc1 39. Ra6+ {is also bad.}) 39. f4 $1 {The rest of the game doesn't
require much commentary. White is winning, but in blindfold (as well as rapid!)
chess, there are always some practical chances - luck was with me on this
occasion.} Nc1 40. Nc4 f6 41. Ra6 $1 Re4 42. Kf3 Re2 43. Ne5+ Kg7 44. Ra7+ Kh6
45. Nd3 $1 Rc2 46. Nxc1 Rxc1 47. Ke4 Kg6 48. f5+ Kh5 49. Rh7+ Kg4 50. Rg7+ Kh3
51. Kd5 Rc2 52. Rg6 $4 {A terrible mistake.} ({The simplest way to win would
have been} 52. Rc7 Rxa2 53. Rxc5 Kxg3 54. Kc4 {.}) 52... Rxa2 53. Rxf6 Rb2 54.
Rh6+ Kxg3 55. f6 Rxb3 56. Rg6+ Kh4 57. f7 Rf3 58. Ke6 b3 59. Rf6 ({Drawn
because of} 59. Rf6 Rxf6+ 60. Kxf6 b2 61. f8=Q b1=Q 62. Qxc5 {.}) 1/2-1/2

[Event "Madrid"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Azmaiparashvili, Z."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "D44"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{Immediately after the last game I felt extremely pessimistic about the
Botvinnik variation, but time passed and I discovered some new wrinkles. Time
will tell whether it's still playable, but in my next (and for the moment last)
try, I didn't have any 'opening' problems. --- The game was annotated in May
1996, and published in various magazines.} 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3
e6 5. Bg5 dxc4 6. e4 b5 7. e5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Nxg5 hxg5 10. Bxg5 Nbd7 11. exf6
Bb7 12. g3 c5 13. d5 Qb6 14. Bg2 O-O-O 15. O-O b4 16. Rb1 Qa6 17. dxe6 Bxg2 18.
e7 Bxf1 19. Qd5 {This move, which was once considered practically the
refutation of the 13...Qb6 line, in fact seems to lead to a draw according to
the present game.} ({Of course,} 19. Kxf1 {causes Black more suffering.
Funnily enough Kramnik went in for this position with Black(!) against Kamsky
at Dos Hermanas 1996, but he also came very close to losing.}) 19... Bh6 (19...
Bxe7 20. fxe7 Rdg8 {, played by Kramnik against Kasparov, doesn't equalize.})
20. Bxh6 {The latest fashion.} ({An old alternative is} 20. exd8=Q+ {, played
by Yermolinsky against Ivanchuk in 1986, but that game didn't achieve any
advantage for White.}) 20... Bd3 21. Qa8+ ({As the reader will remember,} 21.
Ne4 {, as played in Beliavsky-Shirov, Ljubljana 1995, is not especially
dangerous for Black.}) (21. exd8=Q+ {is bad according to Yermolinsky because of
} Kxd8 $1 {.}) 21... Nb8 22. exd8=Q+ Rxd8 23. Re1 $1 bxc3 24. Bf4 Qb6 {The
only move.} (24... Qb7 $2 25. Re7 $1 {would have shown the point of White's
idea.}) 25. bxc3 Bf5 26. h4 Qb7 $1 ({Until this move everything has been
played before in the game Yermolinsky-D. Gurevich, USA Championship 1994,
which White won after} 26... Be6 27. Kh2 Rd7 28. h5 {, etc. The text forces
White to go in for an ending which was considered lost for Black by
Yermolinsky, but in fact is drawn.}) 27. Qxb7+ Kxb7 28. Re7+ Rd7 29. Bxb8 Kxb8
30. Rxd7 Bxd7 31. Kg2 Kc7 32. Kf3 Kd6 33. Kf4 Bc6 $3 {You have to find such
moves at home if you play the Botvinnik variation! If White can get his king
to g5 and pawn to f4 then Black can only resign. The bishop manoeuvre prevents
this set-up.} 34. Kg5 Bf3 35. Kf5 {White cannot force Black into zugzwang as
the latter has space for his king.} Kd5 36. g4 Kd6 37. h5 Kd5 38. Kf4 Bd1 39.
Kg5 Bf3 {White has improved his position as much as he could, but it's not
enough.} 40. Kf4 (40. h6 $2 Be4 41. f4 Bh7 {would suddenly lose as the king
cannot now come to h6.}) 40... Bd1 41. Kg5 Bf3 42. Kf4 {. Drawn because of
threefold repetition. As the reader will have realized, the final position had
been analysed at home. Sometimes the Botvinnik variation gets so boring...}
1/2-1/2

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "5: Selected Endgames"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.02"]

{During my chess career I have had some games that were particularly
interesting in their final stages, and this gave me the idea of collecting
them into a special chapter. Some of them are very simple and don't require
much annotation, but endings such as the one against Lautier and particularly
the one against Ruzhyale need a lot of deep analysis. The latter especially
exercised a mesmeric power over me and I couldn't help publishing it.} 1. -- {
Generally speaking this collection is rather small. Some of my most
interesting endings arose in games included in other chapters of the book, but
I still believe that one day I should make the effort to collect together all
the interesting endgames that I have played. Here is my first attempt to do
something about it.} *

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Three Adjournments"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.02"]

{This article was written in March 1989 and published in 'Chess Review 64'.} 1.
-- {In the 1988 USSR Championship Semi-Final in Klaipeda I made a particularly
good start. However, I was not in the leading group for long. In the second
half of the tournament I suffered five defeats, and finished with a result of
'minus two'. I think that one of the causes of this slump was a squandering of
my strength, and, as a result, a large number of adjourned games. While in no
way wishing to justify my own failure, I should nevertheless remark that the
time control of two and a half hours for 40 moves adversely affects those
players who play, so to speak, flat out. --- In this sense the performance of
Valery Salov in last year's Premier League is very revealing. As, incidentally,
is a very recent example - the play of A.Anastasian in the USSR Young Masters
Championship, where the Yerevan IM, after adjourning 12(!) games, one after
another, squandered all his 'starting gains', and, naturally, dropped out of
the battle for the top places. --- I think that to a great extent this was the
result of the five-hour control, which has been retained only in the USSR
Championship Final and Semi-Final. In all other Soviet events, the players
manage to get through two time scrambles in an evening ... The dual time
control has been in place for several years now, but some consider that it is
difficult to spending six successive hours at the board. Well, this is true.
However, in my opinion, to analyse an unfinished game (sometimes right through
the night) and then play it on, is nevertheless much more difficult than to
play an extra hour in normal time.} (1. -- {[AS - Nowadays very few
tournaments are played with adjournments, because computer chess is developing
very fast. I think that the best time control for modern chess is 40 moves in
two hours each, then twenty in one hour and then one hour for each to finish
the game. This maintains the quality of play in every stage. The drawback of
this, of course, is that a single game might sometimes last eight hours. The
more common seven hours control is probably okay as well.] --- So, the
Semi-Final lasted for about a month. During this time I accumulated nine
adjournments, three of which I offer for the readers' consideration.}) *

[Event "Klaipeda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Dokhoian, Y."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6R1/8/5pk1/4n3/8/4K2P/8/8 b - - 0 92"]
[PlyCount "43"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In the following position the game's second 'interval' was announced, and
Black sealed his 'secret' move:} 92... Kh5 {When I adjourned the game, I was
still hoping to reach a draw, but my analysis definitively established that
there was no way of saving the game.} ({I should mention that after} 92... Kh5
{, the simplest way for White to win was by} 93. Kf4 Ng6+ 94. Ke4 Kg5 95. Rg7
Kh6 96. Ra7 Kg5 97. Ra3 Ne5 ({if} 97... Kh4 98. Kf5) ({while after} 97... f5+
98. Kf3 {the win is technically straightforward}) 98. Rg3+ Kh4 99. Kf4 {. But
it so happened that my opponent did not find this continuation, and he assumed
that the most probable outcome was a draw.}) 93. Ke4 $2 Kh4 94. Rh8+ Kg5 95.
Kd5 $2 {A fundamentally incorrect plan. By playing his king to g3, White would
still have retained winning chances.} Nf3 96. Ke6 Ne5 97. Kd5 Nf3 98. Kd6 Ne5
99. Ke6 Nf3 100. Ke7 Ne5 101. Ra8 Ng6+ 102. Kf7 Nf4 103. Ra3 f5 104. Rc3 Nxh3
$1 105. Rxh3 Kg4 {It is not difficult to see that now Black is just in time:}
106. Rh6 f4 107. Rg6+ Kh3 108. Rf6 Kg3 109. Ke6 f3 110. Ke5 f2 111. Ke4 Kg2
112. Ke3 f1=Q 113. Rxf1 Kxf1 1/2-1/2

[Event "Klaipeda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Magerramov, E."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1p1p1q2/7p/2P1P2k/3Q4/PP3K2/8 w - - 0 48"]
[PlyCount "26"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{Black has a clear advantage, probably sufficient for a win. A brief analysis
that same evening confirmed my optimistic expectations, so I didn't bother to
go into details, since I was hoping to return to the position just before the
adjournment session. But in the very next round my collection of adjournments
was increased. I was now also faced by a difficult defence in my game with
Psakhis, the analysis of which took up all my strength and time. When the
Psakhis game was resumed I came close to a draw, but several blunders reduced
all my efforts to nought... So my mood before the next adjourned game was not
a very happy one.} 48. Kg1 {The sealed move.} Kg4 49. Qd1+ {A surprise. I had
thought that after} Qf3 {the win was not far off. But...} ({since after} 49...
Qf3 {,} 50. Qxd6 {is not possible on account of} Qe3+ 51. Kf1 Qf4+ {.}) 50. Qd5
$1 {It was essentially only here that I got down to 'analysis'. I quite
quickly established that 49...Qf3 had been a mistake. I nevertheless decided
to give a few 'sham' checks, and then return. And this evidently dulled my
opponent's vigilance.} Qe3+ 51. Kg2 Qe2+ 52. Kg1 Qe1+ 53. Kg2 Qg3+ 54. Kh1 Qf3+
55. Kg1 Qf6 56. Qd1+ $6 {Again without thinking, but by this point I had
already 'made my analysis'.} ({Black faces more difficult problems after} 56.
a4) ({or even} 56. a3 {, with the idea of} -- 57. b4 {.}) 56... Kf4 $1 57. Qd3
$1 ({Not} 57. Qxh5 Qd4+ {, when the pawns are lost with check.}) 57... h4 58.
b4 ({In the variation} 58. a4 Qg6+ 59. Kf1 Qxe4 60. Qxd6+ Ke3 {Black has a
clear win.}) 58... Qa1+ 59. Kg2 Qb2+ 60. Kh3 Qxb4 {and Black soon won.} *

[Event "Klaipeda"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1988.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balashov, Y."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/p7/1pk5/2p1rb1p/5R2/P1P5/1P1R4/6K1 w - - 0 41"]
[PlyCount "19"]
[EventDate "1988.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This position had already been published in '64' (1989 No.1) with the words
'how elegantly he [Balashov - AS] outplayed his young opponent.' It seemed to
be a typical situation, with a highly-experienced grandmaster demonstrating
his superiority in the endgame. But in fact it all could have been quite
different...} 41. Kf2 Be6 42. Re2 Rxe2+ 43. Kxe2 Bb3 $5 {The start of a very
interesting plan, which the grandmaster had evidently overlooked.} ({Even
before the adjournment I had ascertained that} 43... Bg4+ {was bad in view of}
44. Kd3 Kb5 45. c4+ Kc6 46. Rf6+ Kb7 47. Rf7+ {.}) ({Black also loses after} 
43... a5 44. Rf6 Kd7 45. Rh6 {.}) 44. Rf5 a5 45. Rxh5 b5 46. Ke3 Kd6 47. Rh6+
$2 {In my opinion, a significant inaccuracy.} ({White could have won by} 47.
Kf4 a4 (47... Bc2 {loses to} 48. b4 $1) 48. Kf5 Kd5 49. Kf6+ Kc4 50. Rh2 Bd1
51. Ke5 Kb3 52. Kd5 b4 53. c4 bxa3 54. bxa3 Kxa3 55. Kxc5 Bb3 56. Rh3 $1 Kb2
57. Kb4 {, etc.}) 47... Kd5 48. Ra6 $2 ({It was still not too late to play} 48.
Rh5+ Kd6 49. Kf4 {.}) 48... a4 49. Rb6 Kc4 $4 {A blunder, resulting from
tiredness.} (49... Bc4 {would have given quite an easy draw, since now White
cannot return to the previous position - the bishop has undisputed control of
the a2-g8 diagonal. Nothing is achieved by} 50. Rb8 Ke5 51. Re8+ Kd5 52. Kf4
Ba2 53. Rd8+ Kc4 54. Ke5 Kb3 55. Rd2 b4 {, when the draw is obvious.}) 50. Kd2
{I had overlooked this move, and I was obliged to resign.} ({[AS - After} 50.
Kd2 Ba2 {White wins by playing} 51. Kc2 Bb3+ 52. Kc1 Ba2 53. Rd6 Kb3 54. Rd8
Kc4 (54... b4 55. Rb8) 55. Kc2 Bb3+ 56. Kb1 {and Black falls into zugzwang.]})
*

[Event "Analysis"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Balashov, Y."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/2k5/1p5R/p1p1K2p/6b1/P1P5/1P6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{This (or a similar) position could well have arisen in the game. In the books
I was unable to find any such endgame. Incidentally, my opponent thought that
in this situation Black had good chances of a draw. --- After lengthy analysis
I succeeded in discovering a clear-cut winning method, which I think will be
of interest to readers.} 1. Ke4 Be2 ({If} 1... Kb7 2. Kd5 {.}) ({Also bad is} 
1... a4 {, since all the same Black cannot save his h-pawn, and the a-pawn
will be unprotected.}) 2. Rf6 Ba6 ({Or} 2... Bg4 3. Kd5 {.}) 3. Rf5 Bb7+ 4. Ke5
Bg2 5. Rxh5 Bf3 {White has managed to win a pawn, but for complete success he
must also drive the bishop off the long diagonal.} 6. Rh7+ Kc6 7. Rh6+ Kc7 8.
Rf6 Bg2 9. c4 Bh1 10. Rf7+ Kc6 11. Rf1 Bg2 12. Rf2 Bh1 13. Rh2 Bf3 14. Kf4 {
Thus White has carried out his plan, and the remainder is clear.} Bd1 15. Ke4
Bg4 16. Rh6+ Kc7 17. Rf6 Bh3 18. Rg6 Bc8 19. Rg7+ Kd6 20. a4 $1 {Now any pawn
ending is lost for Black.} Ba6 21. b3 Bc8 22. Rg6+ Kc7 23. Ke5 Ba6 24. Rg8 Kc6
25. Rb8 Kc7 26. Ra8 Bb7 27. Ra7 Kb8 28. Rxb7+ Kxb7 29. Kd6 Ka8 30. Kc6 Ka7 31.
Kc7 Ka6 32. Kb8 {. There may also be shorter ways, but this, certainly, is
sufficiently clear-cut.} *

[Event "USSR Youth Games, Kramatorsk"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Ruzele, D."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "7k/7p/pn6/1p3P2/3PP3/P5K1/1P6/8 b - - 0 42"]
[PlyCount "21"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations are based on the article 'One tempo is a lot', published in
'Shakhmaty Riga' in 1990. I must thank the Latvian player Gennady Kuzmichyov,
whose suggestions and corrections to my analysis were very useful in
completing that work six years ago. Nevertheless, even now I have noticed a
few things - it is sad to admit that one of them changes the evaluation - that
were missed then. --- In a time scramble I had succeeded (not without my
opponent's help) in converting a clearly inferior middlegame into a very sharp
endgame. The first time control had passed, and the second now began. Black is
now playing for a win, since he is a knight up and has a passed pawn on the
edge of the board. But the three central pawns are also a formidable force.
Later I analysed this ending a great deal, and it would appear that Black
should win. But during the game, having only an hour for 20 moves, it was
difficult to examine everything. However, I initially played correctly. --- 
[AS - Now, after revision, I would say that the logical outcome of the endgame
is a draw, although White has to be very accurate.]} 42... Nc4 ({Interesting
variations arise following} 42... Kg7 43. Kf4 (43. b3 {is strongly met by} Nc4
$1 {, since} 44. bxc4 bxc4 45. Kf4 {is not possible on account of} c3 46. Ke3
c2 47. Kd2 h5 48. d5 h4 49. d6 Kf8 $1 50. f6 Ke8 $1 51. e5 h3 52. e6 c1=Q+ 53.
Kxc1 h2 {, when Black wins}) 43... Kf7 $2 {not allowing 44 d5, but now White
gains a draw} ({whereas after} 43... Nc4 {[transposing into the game] Black
wins, and the transposition of moves indicates that 42...Kg7 and 42...Nc4 are
equivalent}) 44. e5 $1 a5 ({, if} 44... Kg7 45. -- ({[with the idea of} 45. Ke4
$2 h5 46. d5 h4 47. d6 h3 48. Kf3 Nc4 {and Black wins]}) ({then} 45. b3 $1 {is
strong, depriving the knight of the c4 square})) ({, while} 44... Ke7 45. Ke4
h5 {also looks bad on account of} 46. Kf4 $1) 45. Ke4 h5 46. d5 h4 47. d6 h3
48. e6+ Ke8 49. Kf3 Nc4 50. d7+ Kd8 51. f6 Ne5+ 52. Kg3 Ng6 ({Black also fails
to win by} 52... h2 53. Kxh2 Ng4+ 54. Kg3 Nxf6 55. Kf4 {, as the white king
proceeds to the queenside}) 53. Kxh3 Nf4+ 54. Kg4 Nxe6 55. Kf5 Kxd7 56. Ke5 {.}
-- ({Here White can draw, e.g.} 56... Nc7 57. f7 Ke7 58. f8=Q+ Kxf8 59. Kd6) (
56... Nc5 57. Kd5 Nd3 58. b3 {.})) 43. Kf4 (43. f6 {does not work owing to} Kg8
44. Kf4 Kf7 45. e5 Ke6 46. Kg5 (46. d5+ Kxd5 47. f7 Nxe5 $1 {is also winning
for Black}) 46... Ne3 47. Kf4 ({or} 47. Kh6 Nf5+ 48. Kxh7 Nxd4 {and Black wins}
) 47... Nd5+ 48. Kg5 Nc7 49. Kh6 ({or} 49. Kf4 Kd5) 49... Kf7 50. Kxh7 Ne6 51.
d5 Ng5+ 52. Kh6 Nf3 {and Black is winning.}) 43... Kg7 ({Taking the pawn -} 
43... Nxb2 {- would have been weaker on account of} 44. Ke5 $1 Kg7 ({not} 44...
Nd3+ $2 45. Ke6 h5 46. f6 Nf4+ 47. Kf5 {and White wins}) 45. Ke6 Kf8 46. d5 $1
-- ({. Black has a draw at best, e.g.} 46... Nd3 47. d6 Ke8 48. d7+ Kd8 49. Kd6
Nc5 $5 50. Kxc5 Kxd7 51. e5 h5 52. e6+ Ke7 53. Kd5 h4 54. f6+ Kxf6 55. Kd6 h3
56. e7 h2 57. e8=Q h1=Q {with a draw.}) ({. [AS - After} 46... Nd3 47. d6 Ke8
48. d7+ Kd8 49. Kd6 {, instead of 49...Nc5, stronger is} a5 50. f6 Ne5 $1 51.
Kxe5 Kxd7 {, but after} 52. Kd5 b4 53. axb4 axb4 54. e5 b3 55. e6+ Ke8 56. Kd6
b2 57. f7+ Kf8 58. e7+ Kxf7 59. Kd7 b1=Q 60. e8=Q+ Kf6 61. Qe6+ Kg5 62. Qe3+ {
White still draws, because Black can't avoid perpetual check.]} (62. --))) 44.
b3 $5 ({A very interesting position arises after} 44. e5 Nxb2 45. d5 Nd3+ 46.
Ke4 Nc5+ 47. Kd4 (47. Kf4 $2 a5 $1) 47... Nb7 48. d6 {. Black has a choice:
which pawn should he move - 'a' or 'h'?} -- (48... a5 49. Kd5 b4 50. axb4 {and
again he has two moves:} -- (50... axb4 51. Ke6 ({but not} 51. Kc6 $2 b3 52. e6
b2 53. e7 Kf7 54. Kd7 Nxd6 {and wins}) 51... b3 ({a fantastic position arises
after} 51... Nd8+ 52. Kd7 b3 53. Kxd8 $1 b2 54. Ke7 b1=Q 55. f6+ Kg6 56. f7 {
. Black is a queen up, but it is not difficult to see that one of the white
pawns will promote, and Black has at best a draw, e.g.} Qb7+ 57. d7 Qb4+ 58.
Ke8 Qb8+ 59. d8=Q Qxe5+ 60. Qe7 Qb8+) 52. Ke7 b2 53. f6+ Kg6 54. f7 b1=Q 55.
f8=Q {, and White has everything in order, e.g.} Qf5 56. Qg8+ Kh6 57. Qd5 Kg7
$5 58. Qg2+ $1 Qg6 59. Qd5 {with a draw.}) (50... a4 51. Kc6 $1 ({now} 51. Ke6
{is bad:} Nd8+ 52. Kd7 a3 53. e6 ({or} 53. Kxd8 a2) 53... a2 54. e7 Nf7 55.
e8=Q a1=Q {and Black wins}) 51... Nd8+ 52. Kc7 a3 53. e6 a2 54. e7 Nf7 55. d7
$1 ({after} 55. e8=Q a1=Q {Black should win}) 55... a1=Q 56. d8=Q Qc3+ 57. Kd7
Qd4+ 58. Kc8 {with a draw.})) (48... h5 $1 49. Kd5 h4 50. Ke6 Nd8+ 51. Kd7 h3
52. Kxd8 ({the alternative is} 52. e6 h2 53. e7 Nf7 54. e8=Q h1=Q 55. Qc8 $1 {
, and here Black wins by} Qd5 $1 56. Qxa6 Qc4 $1 57. Ke7 {[the only move]} Ne5
$1 58. d7 Qc5+ 59. Ke6 ({or} 59. Qd6 Nc6+ 60. Ke6 Nd4+) 59... Nf7 $1 60. d8=Q
Nxd8+ 61. Kd7 Nf7) 52... h2 53. Ke7 h1=Q 54. f6+ Kg6 55. f7 {In this fantastic
position (we have already seen something similar - cf. variation 48...a5) a
win for Black can nevertheless be found:} Qh7 $1 56. e6 Qg7 57. Ke8 (57. d7
Qf6+ 58. Kd6 Kf5) (57. Kd7 Kf6) (57. Kd8 Qf6+ 58. Kc7 Kf5 $1 59. d7 Kxe6) 57...
Kf6 58. d7 $1 Kxe6 59. d8=N+ Kd5 60. f8=Q Qxf8+ 61. Kxf8 {(amazing: it is now
White who has a knight, and Black who will have a passed pawn!)} a5 62. Nb7 a4
$1 63. Na5 Kc5 64. Ke7 b4 65. axb4+ Kxb4 66. Nc6+ Kc3 {, and Black wins. ---
This variation, and also the one beginning with 52 e6, are, I think, the key
variations for the evaluation of the initial position, since the move made by
Ruzhyale should have led to the same thing.}) ({. [AS - Here I made a serious
mistake in my analysis. After} 48... h5 49. Kd5 h4 50. Ke6 Nd8+ 51. Kd7 h3 52.
e6 $1 h2 53. e7 Nf7 54. e8=Q h1=Q {White can play} 55. Kc7 $1 {and Black can't
win, for example} ({not} 55. Qc8 $2 {as indicated before}) 55... Qc1+ 56. Qc6
Qc4 ({after} 56... Qxa3 57. Qg2+ Kf8 58. Qa8+ {White makes a perpetual check -
this is what I missed five years ago}) 57. Kb6 Qd4+ 58. Qc5 $1 ({, but not} 58.
Kxa6 $6 Nxd6 59. Qd7+ Kf6 60. Qe6+ Kg5 61. Qg6+ Kf4 62. f6 Qd5 $1 63. Qh6+ Kg4
64. Qg6+ ({or} 64. Qg7+ Kf5 $1) 64... Kf3 65. Kb6 Nc4+ 66. Kc7 Qd6+ 67. Kc8
Qc6+ {, followed by 68...Nd6!}) ({, or} 58. Kc7 $6 Qa7+ 59. Kc8 a5 $1 60. d7
Qd4 $1 {with excellent winning chances for Black in both cases}) 58... Qd3 59.
Kc7 Kf6 60. d7 {and the maximum Black can get is queen and knight against
queen.})) 44... Nd2 ({The a3-pawn is 'poisoned':} 44... Nxa3 $2 45. d5 $1 Nc2 (
{or} 45... a5 46. d6 Kf8 47. e5 Nc2 48. d7 Ke7 49. e6 -- {and} 50. f6+ {and
wins}) 46. Ke5 $1 ({not} 46. d6 $2 Nb4 47. e5 a5 {and Black wins}) 46... a5 47.
Kd6 $1 {and now:} -- (47... Kf8 48. Kc7 $1 -- {and} 49. d6 {.}) (47... a4 48.
bxa4 b4 (48... bxa4 49. Ke7 a3 50. f6+ Kg6 51. f7 a2 52. f8=Q a1=Q 53. Qf5+ Kg7
54. Qg4+ Kh6 55. Qh3+ {and 56 Qg2+}) 49. Ke7 b3 50. f6+ Kg6 51. f7 b2 52. f8=Q
b1=Q 53. Qf5+ Kh6 (53... Kg7 $2 54. Qf6+ {, mating}) 54. d6 {, and White wins.}
) ({. [AS - Black should play} 47... Kf7 48. Kc7 a4 49. bxa4 bxa4 50. d6 a3 51.
d7 a2 52. d8=Q a1=Q 53. Qd7+ Kf8 {with a draw.})) ({White can get the same
result after} 44... Nxa3 $2 45. d5 $1 Nc2 {by playing} 46. d6 {(instead of 46
Ke5)} Nb4 47. e5 a5 48. Ke4 a4 49. bxa4 bxa4 50. e6 Kf6 51. Kd4 a3 52. Kc5 Nd3+
53. Kb6 a2 54. d7 a1=Q 55. d8=Q+ Kxf5 56. Qxd3+ Kxe6 57. Qxh7 {.}) 45. d5 $1 {
Although this move doesn't save White,} ({it sets Black much more difficult
problems than} 45. b4 {, on which I was intending} Nc4 46. e5 Nb6 $1 {Black
has provoked the b2-b4 advance, and White finds himself in zugzwang.} 47. -- ({
. On} 47. Ke4 {there follows} h5 48. Kf4 (48. d5 h4 49. d6 h3 50. Kf3 Nc4)
48... Kh6 $1 49. e6 Kg7 50. Ke5 (50. Kg5 Nd5 51. Kxh5 Kf6) 50... h4 51. f6+ Kf8
52. d5 h3 53. d6 Nc4+ 54. Kd5 h2 {and Black wins}) ({, while if} 47. Kg4 {then
the simplest is} Nd5 48. Kg5 h6+ 49. Kg4 Kf7 $1 {(the second zugzwang)} 50. Kf3
({or} 50. Kh5 Ne3 51. f6 Nd5 52. Kxh6 Nxf6 $1) 50... h5 51. Ke4 h4 52. Kxd5 h3
53. e6+ Ke8 $1 54. f6 h2 {and Black is winning.})) 45... Nxb3 46. d6 Kf7 $2 ({
Time-trouble was approaching, and here with} 46... Kf7 $2 {I deviated from the
correct path, assuming that White was obliged to play} 47. Ke5 {, when Black
wins by} Na5 $1 48. Kd5 Kf6 $1 49. Kc5 h5 50. Kb6 Nc4+ 51. Kc7 Ne5 52. d7 Nf7
$1 53. d8=Q+ Nxd8 54. Kxd8 h4 {.}) ({Instead of 46...Kf7?, Black could have
won by} 46... Nc5 $1 47. Ke5 h5 48. Kd5 Nb7 49. e5 (49. Ke6 Nd8+ 50. Ke7 Nf7
51. d7 h4 52. f6+ Kg6 53. e5 Nxe5 $1 {is also winning for Black}) 49... h4 {,
when we reach a position that was examined in the notes to White's 44th move 
(the variation with 48...h5). My opponent's reply came as a surprise to me.
--- [AS - We already know that the variation with 48...h5 also leads to a draw.
}) 47. e5 $1 Nc5 48. Kg5 $4 {Just when he was within reach of a draw, Ruzhyale
also blunders.} ({He should have played} 48. Ke3 {(the king in the centre!)} h5
49. Kd4 Nb7 50. Kd5 h4 51. e6+ {(this is why the king does best not to stand
at f7!)} Kf6 52. e7 Kf7 53. Kc6 h3 54. Kd7 Nc5+ 55. Kd8 Nb7+ {, with a draw.})
48... a5 {Now there is no way of saving the game.} 49. d7 Ke7 50. e6 Ne4+ 51.
Kf4 ({If} 51. Kh6 {then} b4 52. axb4 axb4 53. Kg7 b3 54. d8=Q+ Kxd8 55. Kf8 ({
or} 55. Kf7 Nd6+) 55... Nf6 {.}) 51... Nf6 52. Kg5 ({On} 52. Ke5 {there follows
} Nxd7+ 53. exd7 b4 {, and wins.}) 52... Nd5 {. It wouldn't be right to say
that everything in this ending depended on a single tempo: half a tempo would
be more precise. Incidentally, I had something similar in a game with Dolmatov
(Klaipeda 1988), only there I had two pawns for a bishop, and the value of a
tempo was rather less. This game was thoroughly analysed by Dvoretsky in
'Shakhmaty v SSSR' 1988 No.3. --- [AS - It is strange that for six years I
held the wrong assessment on this ending, but at least now I feel that I know
the truth. I should also like to thank the little-known Latvian player Gennady
Kuzmichyov, who helped me to analyse this ending in 1989 (when chess computers
almost didn't exist!)]} 0-1

[Event "Frunze"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1989.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Minasian, Art"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/8/p1BN1k2/3P4/1p2KP1p/r7/8/8 w - - 0 41"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1989.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{The annotations for this extract were made in October 1989 and first appeared
in 'Shakhmaty Riga'. --- In this position, the time control had just been
reached, and I had the opportunity to think. I reflected over my next move for
some twenty-five minutes.} 41. Kd4 ({Earlier I had intended} 41. Ne8+ Kf7 42.
d6 {, but in this calm situation I now saw that after} b3 43. Kd3 b2+ 44. Kc2
Rc3+ {I would lose.}) ({After} 41. Ne8+ Kf7 {, I could, of course, have played}
42. Nd6+ {with a probable draw, but I wanted to win! Therefore I played the
text move.}) 41... Ra1 ({Also possible was} 41... b3 42. Kc3 (42. Nc4 Ra1) ({
and} 42. Ne4+ Kf5 43. d6 b2 44. Nd2 Rg3 45. d7 Rg8 {also drawn}) 42... h3 43.
Ne4+ Kf7 $1 (43... Kf5 $2 44. d6 h2 45. Nc5 {wins for White}) 44. d6 h2 45.
Ng5+ Kf6 46. d7 Ke7 47. Ne6 b2+ 48. Kxb2 Rd3 49. d8=Q+ Rxd8 50. Nxd8 Kxd8 51.
Kc3 a5 {, and it is not difficult to see that the position is drawn.}) 42. Ne4+
Kf5 $2 {This move loses.} ({Correct was} 42... Kf7 43. d6 Rd1+ $1 44. Ke5 b3
45. Ng5+ (45. Bd5+ $2 Rxd5+ $1 46. Kxd5 b2 47. Nd2 h3 48. d7 Ke7 49. Kc6 Kd8 {
wins for Black}) 45... Kf8 46. Ne6+ Kf7 47. Ng5+ (47. d7 $2 b2 48. d8=Q Rxd8
49. Nxd8+ Ke7 50. Be4 h3 $1 51. Nc6+ Kf8 {also wins for Black}) 47... Kf8 {,
with a draw.}) 43. d6 Rd1+ 44. Ke3 Ke6 ({During the game I could not see a win
after} 44... b3 45. d7 b2 46. Nd2 $1 Rxd2 47. Be4+ Ke6 48. Kxd2 Kxd7 {.} 49. --
({. Indeed, nothing is promised either by} 49. Kc2 Ke6 50. Kxb2 h3 51. Kc3 h2
52. Kd4 a5) ({, or} 49. Ke3 a5 50. Kf3 a4 51. Kg4 Ke6 52. Bb1 Kd5 53. f5 a3 54.
Kxh4 (54. f6 Ke6) 54... Kc4 55. Ba2+ Kc3 56. f6 Kc2 57. f7 b1=Q 58. Bxb1+ Kxb1
59. f8=Q a2 {.}) ({. But then in analysis the Leningrad player Alexei Yuneyev
discovered the simple, but by no means obvious} 49. Bf5+ $1 Kd6 50. Kc2 {,
when questions, as they say, are superfluous.})) 45. d7 Ke7 46. f5 Rxd7 {The
only move.} 47. Bxd7 Kxd7 48. Kf4 $1 {It's all over. The white knight holds
the queenside pawns, while the king picks up the h4 pawn and is in time to
defend the f5 pawn. The game concluded:} Ke7 49. Kg4 a5 50. Kxh4 a4 51. Kg5 a3
52. Nd2 Kd6 53. f6 a2 54. Nb3 Kd5 55. f7 Kc4 56. Na1 1-0

[Event "?"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Opposite-Coloured Bishops"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[EventDate "2013.04.29"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.02"]

{Practical Problems of Opposite-Coloured Bishops} 1. -- {This article was
completed in the Autumn of 1990 and published in 'Shakhmaty Riga'.} (1. -- {
Endings with opposite-colour bishops can, in my opinion, be regarded as a
little-explored field of chess theory. Amateurs are of the opinion that these
endings 'always' end in a draw, and that wins can be regarded as exceptions.
It will be understood that I have in mind endings where one side has a
material advantage of not more than one pawn. But in practice, one side wins
so often that the question suggests itself: which is the exception, and which
the rule? --- However, I am not intending to conduct a statistical study here.
I should merely like to mention that such endings have a great similarity with
the middlegame, because the stronger side, if he doesn't have a forced win, is
obliged to engage in manoeuvring play. --- I will attempt to describe one such
ending. Or more precisely, one of my most important games, played in the sixth
round of the Lvov Zonal (February 1990).}) *

[Event "Lvov Zonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Vyzmanavin, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/5p2/5Rpp/2b5/3p1PB1/3P2PP/3rP1K1/1R6 b - - 0 39"]
[PlyCount "46"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{Practical Problems of Opposite-Coloured Bishops --- This article was
completed in the Autumn of 1990 and published in 'Shakhmaty Riga'. --- Endings
with opposite-colour bishops can, in my opinion, be regarded as a
little-explored field of chess theory. Amateurs are of the opinion that these
endings 'always' end in a draw, and that wins can be regarded as exceptions.
It will be understood that I have in mind endings where one side has a
material advantage of not more than one pawn. But in practice, one side wins
so often that the question suggests itself: which is the exception, and which
the rule? --- However, I am not intending to conduct a statistical study here.
I should merely like to mention that such endings have a great similarity with
the middlegame, because the stronger side, if he doesn't have a forced win, is
obliged to engage in manoeuvring play. --- I will attempt to describe one such
ending. Or more precisely, one of my most important games, played in the sixth
round of the Lvov Zonal (February 1990). --- So that the reader should
understand better the essence of the position, I will carry out a little
experiment. First I will remove from the board both pairs of rooks(See the
following game segment). --- Returning to the game position: With two rooks,
White can develop a strong attack, since there are several weaknesses in
Black's position. I should also like to draw attention to the unfortunate
placing of the black rook at d2, which is running up against an impregnable
wall of pawns at d3 and e2. In order to include this rook in the defence,
Black will have to spend one or even several tempi. It can be concluded that
Black must try to exchange at least one pair of rooks, whereas White will try
to be the first to create serious threats.} 39... Ra7 $2 {Black made this move
with the flag on his clock already horizontal (the time limit was two hours
for 40 moves and one hour for the next 20). Black, quite understandably,
parries the main threat of 40 Rb7, but now White achieves complete
co-ordination of his forces, and will be able to dictate matters.} ({Black
should have played} 39... Be7 $1 40. Rc6 Rda2 $1 41. -- ({with the idea on} 41.
Rb7 {of playing} R2a7 42. Rcc7 Rxb7 43. Rxb7 Kf8) ({while if} 41. Rb5 Kg7 {.
His defences would then have been very difficult to breach.})) 40. Rc6 Ba3 {
After this, my opponent's last move before the time control, I no longer had
any doubts about winning.} ({In analysis (after the game) I also discovered a
win against} 40... Be7 {, which I should like to demonstrate:} 41. Rb8+ Kg7 42.
Rcc8 $1 -- {threatening} 43. Rg8+ Kf6 44. Rh8 Kg7 45. Rbg8+ Kf6 {and} 46. Rxh6
{so Black's reply is forced}) ({After} 40... Be7 41. Rb8+ Kg7 42. Rcc8 {,} h5
43. Rg8+ Kh7 44. Rh8+ Kg7 45. Bf3 $1 ({of course not} 45. Bxh5 $2 gxh5 46.
Rbg8+ Kf6 47. Rh6+ Kf5 48. Kf3 f6 $1 {, and Black stands no worse}) 45... -- {
With 45 Bf3 White threatens to continue} 46. g4 hxg4 47. hxg4 -- {and} 48. g5 {
, after which the black king will be in a mating net.}) ({If after} 40... Be7
41. Rb8+ Kg7 42. Rcc8 h5 43. Rg8+ Kh7 44. Rh8+ Kg7 45. Bf3 {, Black tries to
parry this threat by} Bd6 {, then} 46. Rbg8+ $1 Kf6 47. Rd8 Ra6 48. Rd7 $1 Kg7
49. Rhd8 {, with a decisive advantage. --- I therefore conclude that 40.Be7
loses by force.}) 41. Rb5 $5 {For a long time (until I got down to a serious
analysis) I regarded this move as the best way to win. Indeed, during the game
I calculated few concrete variations, but relied in the first instance on a
plan. And the plan was a simple one - to play 42 f5 and exchange the white
f-pawn for the black g-pawn. After this Black is left with three weak pawns -
d4, f7 and h6, and White can mount a combined attack, in which both rooks and
his bishop participate, and, in the distant future, perhaps also his king. To
this it should be added that the black pieces cannot immediately be included
in the defence. I had no doubt that my plan should lead to a win, and
therefore I did not seek any alternatives.} ({After winning the game, I was
still sure about the correctness of 41 Rb5. But now I see that it would have
been stronger and simpler to play} 41. Rb8+ $1 Kg7 42. Rcc8 $1 {(as in the 40...Be7 variation).} -- 43. Rg8+ Kf6 44. Rbd8 {is again threatened, and it isn't
apparent how Black can simultaneously defend his d4 and f7 pawns.}) ({The
following is an instructive variation:} 41. Rb8+ Kg7 42. Rcc8 Rb2 43. Rg8+ Kf6
44. Rbd8 Rb4 45. Rd6+ Ke7 46. Rdxg6 $1 fxg6 47. Rg7+ {and 48 Rxa7 and wins.}) (
{The only possibility of counterplay after} 41. Rb8+ Kg7 42. Rcc8 {in my
opinion is} h5 43. Rg8+ Kh7 44. Bf3 Rd1 $1 45. -- ({. Black's idea after} 45.
Rh8+ Kg7 46. Rbg8+ Kf6 47. Rd8 {is to sacrifice a second pawn by} Bc1 $1 {,
and if} 48. Rxd4 Be3 49. Rd6+ Kg7 50. Re8 Rg1+ 51. Kh2 Bf2 {to retain certain
drawing chances.}) ({. Instead of 45 Rh8+, more convincing is} 45. f5 $1 gxf5
46. Rh8+ Kg7 47. Rbg8+ Kf6 48. Rh6+ Ke5 (48... Ke7 $2 49. Bc6 $1 {, and wins})
49. Rd8 $1 f6 (49... Ra5 $2 50. Re8+) 50. Rxh5 {, when the rest is, so to
speak, the 'gathering in of the harvest'. --- 41 Rb8+! was undoubtedly much
better than 41 Rb5!?. However, from a practical perspective I don't consider
my choice to be a blunder. After evaluating the possible consequences of 41
Rb5, I was, as I have already mentioned, firmly convinced that I would
gradually win. And at the same time the move 41 Rb8+ demanded the calculation
of concrete variations, and in attempting to work out everything I could have
ended up in time-trouble. If during a game I see one way to win, I prefer not
to look for another.})) 41... Kg7 42. Rd5 $1 {An important nuance. The bishop
is driven to b2, from where it cannot control f6, and where it will block the
path of the rook at d2, which comes into play too late.} Bb2 43. f5 gxf5 44.
Rxf5 (44. Rxf5 {threatens both} -- 45. Bh5 -- {followed by} 46. Rcf6) ({as
well as} 44. Rxf5 -- 45. Rff6 {. Therefore Black's reply is forced.}) 44... Rd1
45. Bf3 $1 ({Now} 45. Bh5 Rc1 $1 46. Rcf6 Rcc7) ({or} 45. Rff6 Bc1 {is no
longer effective. White intends first to drive the black king away from g7,
and then to concentrate on the main weakness - the h6 pawn.}) 45... Rda1 (45...
Rc1 {fails to} 46. Rb6 Ba3 ({or} 46... Rc2 47. Rf4) 47. Rf4 {.}) 46. Rf4 R1a6
47. Rg4+ Kf8 48. Rc8+ Ke7 49. Re4+ Kf6 {After thinking for some ten minutes, I
nevertheless failed to find an immediate win. In order to keep a sufficient
reserve of time, I decided to make a move that was useful in all respects. The
white king will be well placed at h3.} 50. h4 $1 Kg7 $2 {The decisive mistake
in a poor position. Understandably, Vyzhmanavin did not like the idea of 51
Rg8!, which I was intending to play next move.} ({Two other continuations came
into consideration, even though they too would not have saved the game:} 50...
Bc3 51. Rg8 $1 ({but not} 51. Kh3 Kg7 $1 52. Ree8 Bd2) ({or} 51. Rd8 Re6 $1 52.
Rf4+ Ke7 {, and Black can still resist}) 51... Ra5 (51... -- {the threat was}
52. Rf4+ Ke7 53. Bh5 Rf6 54. Re4+ Re6 55. Re8+ $1 Kxe8 56. Rxe6+ {and 57 Rxh6,
with a two-pawn advantage}) 52. Reg4 $3 {(this move creates the almost
irresistible threat of 53 Rh8)} R7a6 {(evidently best)} 53. Rh8 Ke7 54. Re4+
Kd7 55. Rf8 $1 Rf6 (55... f6 56. Ree8) 56. Bg4+ {, and it's not difficult to
see that, after driving the black king to the queenside, White picks up the
kingside pawns in the end.}) ({The toughest defence, in my opinion, was} 50...
Re6 $1 51. Rf4+ $1 Kg7 {. After this I was intending} (51... Ke7 $2 52. Bh5 $1)
52. Be4 $1 {, and didn't calculate any further. Now I can say that on the
possible move} Bc3 {(with the idea of 53...Bd2) White replies} 53. Rd8 $1 {,
and Black is still extremely restricted.} -- ({. The 'active'} 53... Ra2 {
doesn't work on account of} 54. Rd7 $1 Rxe2+ 55. Kh3 Rf6 56. Rg4+ Kf8 57. Bh7
$1 Ke8 58. Ra7 {, when there is no normal defence against the mate.}) ({.
Another variation appeals to me:} 53... Bb2 {(I don't see a more useful move)}
54. Rg4+ Kf6 55. Rgg8 $1 {(threatening 56 Rh8)} Ra4 56. g4 $1 (56. Rh8 $2 Bc1)
56... Bc1 57. Rd7 $1 {(the black king is trapped!)} Bd2 58. Kf3 $1 Re5 59. Bd5
$1 Re3+ 60. Kf2 Re7 {(there is nothing else)} 61. Rxe7 Kxe7 62. Rg7 {, and
White wins. --- In the above variations White's moves were easy to find, since
they were in keeping with his basic plan. However Black tries to defend his
weaknesses, White, by fully co-ordinating his forces, finds a breach in the
defence. --- After the move in the game White has a forced win.})) 51. Ree8 $1
Ra1 {A gesture of despair.} ({But there was the familiar threat of} 51... --
52. Rg8+ Kf6 53. Rh8 {, winning a second pawn}) ({and nothing is changed by} 
51... Bc3 52. Rcd8 $1 {.}) 52. Rg8+ Kf6 53. Rc6+ Ke7 54. Rxh6 Bc1 55. Rhh8 Be3
56. Re8+ Kf6 57. Rhg8 Rg1+ 58. Kh3 Bf2 $6 (58... Re7 {was slightly more
tenacious.}) 59. g4 Ra6 60. Re4 $1 Re6 61. Rf4+ Ke7 62. g5 {. This concludes
matters, since there is no defence against 63 Rg7.} ({After} 62. g5 {, the
threat can be delayed for just one move -} Be3 63. Rf5 {. The second
time-control had been reached, and I began filling in the envelope in the
event of the game being adjourned. But Alexei Vyzhmanavin sensibly judged that
there was no point in wasting effort on the adjournment of a hopeless position,
and he congratulated me on my win.}) *

[Event "Without rooks"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Vyzmanavin, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5p2/6pp/2b5/3p1PB1/3P2PP/4P1K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "1"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{So that the reader should understand better the essence of the position, I
will carry out a little experiment. First I will remove from the board both
pairs of rooks.} 1... -- {The draw in this case is obvious, since White cannot
even advance his e-pawn. Now let's again place a white rook at f6, and a black
one at a8(See the following game segment).} *

[Event "Two rooks (analysis)"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Vyzmanavin, A."]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "r5k1/5p2/5Rpp/2b5/3p1PB1/3P2PP/4P1K1/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{In this position White already has certain winning chances, since he can
manoeuvre while avoiding the exchange of rooks. Even so, by playing, for
example,} 1... Be7 2. Rc6 Ra7 {with the idea of} 3. -- Kg7 4. -- {and} Bf6 {,
Black should, in my opinion, be able to set up an impregnable defence, and if
he is a strong player (not even necessarily as strong a grandmaster as Alexei
Vyzhmanavin), then a draw is inevitable.} *

[Event "Val Maubuee"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Prie, E."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5k2/5np1/1p1pQ3/p5PP/3q1B2/P4PK1/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "29"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations are based on my notes in 'Informator 49'. --- As usual, I
am giving the position which arose more or less after the first time control.
In my teenage years I used to have a high level of concentration in the fifth
and sixth hours. It is most important to completely switch off the first forty
moves of the game from your mind and take the new position as the starting one,
and of course, one needs a lot of energy to do this properly. In this
particular game I was winning several times but somehow misplayed it. In the
diagram position it already seems that Black's drawing chances are quite good,
because he threatens several queen checks. However, after long thought I found
a winning plan. White's trumps are his bishop against the knight and the clear
superiority of his pawn position.} 1. Be3 $1 (1. g6 $2 {just allows a
perpetual after} Qg1+ 2. Kh4 Qh1+ 3. Qh3 Qe1+ {.}) 1... Qc3 $1 ({Of course I
needed to calculate the consequences of the queen exchange after} 1... Qe5+ 2.
Qxe5 Nxe5 {. I believe that White wins with} 3. a4 $1 (3. Bxb6 a4 {is less
clear}) 3... Nd7 (3... Nc4 4. Bd4) 4. Kg4 Nc5 5. Kf5 Nxa4 6. Bd4 {, with an
inevitable 7 h6, queening.}) 2. Qe4 $1 (2. g6 $2 Qe1+ {again allows a
perpetual. The idea of the text is to free the e6 square for the king!}) 2...
Qe1+ ({The continuation} 2... d5 3. Qf4 {is winning for White.}) 3. Kg4 Ne5+ 4.
Kf5 Qh1 ({Wisely considering the h5 pawn to be his main enemy, Prié rejects
the natural} 4... Qf1 5. Ke6 $1 Qc4+ (5... Qh3+ 6. Kxd6 {is lost}) ({while} 
5... Qxf3 6. Qxf3+ Nxf3 {fails to} 7. a4 $3 {, and the pawns on b6 and a5 will
fall}) 6. Qxc4 Nxc4 {, because} 7. Bd4 $1 {seems to be winning in the line}
Nxa3 8. f4 Nc2 9. Bb2 $1 a4 10. f5 a3 11. Bc3 b5 12. h6 {.}) 5. Qa8+ $1 ({It
is better to avoid} 5. Ke6 Qxh5 {.}) 5... Ke7 6. Qb7+ Nd7 7. Kg6 $1 {Now it's
clear that the pawn will promote one day. Black has no chance of a perpetual,
so the game is over.} Qh3 8. Bd4 $1 d5 ({Or} 8... Qe6+ 9. Kxg7 Qf7+ 10. Kh6 {.}
) 9. Kxg7 Qxf3 (9... Qxh5 10. Qxd5 {.}) 10. Bf6+ Kd6 11. h6 Qe3 12. h7 Nxf6 13.
gxf6 $1 Qg5+ 14. Kf7 Qh5+ 15. Kg8 ({After} 15. Kg8 {, Black resigned in view of
} Qg6+ 16. Qg7 Qe8+ 17. Qf8+ {and wins.}) 1-0

[Event "Manila Interzonal"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1990.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Torre, E."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "5n2/8/8/B1p2k1p/2Pp1p1P/3P1K2/5PP1/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "52"]
[EventDate "1990.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations are based on my notes in 'Informator 49'. --- The game was
adjourned a few moves before this position arose and my brief analysis
convinced me that the position was objectively lost. However, I set up a trap
into which Torre now falls.} 1. Bd8 $2 ({The winning idea would have been to
go immediately for forced variations, e.g.} 1. Bb6 Ng6 {the only move,} ({as} 
1... Nd7 $2 {just loses another pawn after} 2. Bc7) ({while} 1... Ne6 2. Ba7 $1
Ke5 {[forced]} 3. Bb8+ Kf5 4. Bd6 {leads to zugzwang}) 2. Ke2 $1 (2. Bxc5 $2
Nxh4+ 3. Ke2 Nxg2 4. Bxd4 h4 $1 {is an easy draw for Black}) 2... Nxh4 3. g3 $1
{leaving Black with unpleasant choice between:} -- (3... Ng6 4. Bxc5 Ke5 5. Kf3
$1 fxg3 6. fxg3 h4 7. Kg4 $1 hxg3 8. Kxg3 Nh8 ({or} 8... Nf4 9. Bd6+) 9. Kg4 $1
({not} 9. Bf8 Ng6 10. Bg7+ $2 Kf5 11. Bxd4 Nf4 {, with a draw}) 9... Ng6 (9...
Nf7 10. Bf8 Kf6 11. Kf4) 10. Kg5 Nh8 11. Bxd4+ $1 Kxd4 12. Kf6 {winning}) ({,
or} 3... f3+ 4. Kd2 Ng6 5. Bxc5 Ke5 6. Kc2 $1 {and again Black has several
possibilities, but none of them work:} -- (6... h4 7. gxh4 Nxh4 8. Bf8 $1 Kf6
9. Kb3 Nf5 (9... Ng2 10. c5) (9... Ng6 10. Bc5 Ke5 11. Ba7 $1) 10. Ka4 Ne3 11.
c5 $1 Nd1 12. c6 Ke6 13. Kb5 $1 Nxf2 14. Ka6 Nxd3 15. c7 {and wins}) (6... Nh8
7. Bf8 $1 Kf6 {[forced]} 8. Kb3 Nf7 9. Ka4 $1 Ne5 (9... Ng5 10. c5 $1 Ke6 11.
c6 Nh3 12. Kb5 $1) 10. Bc5 $1 Nxd3 11. Bxd4+ Ke6 12. Kb5 {and wins.}))) 1...
Ng6 {Now Black should hold the draw, as by precise play he can avoid the
positions considered in the previous annotation. It's very unpleasant to
defend the pawns blocked on dark squares, but it seems that White can't make
progress even with such a powerful bishop. Besides he has a weakness on h4 as
well.} 2. Ke2 Ke6 3. Kd2 ({Or} 3. Kf3 Kf5 {.}) 3... Kd7 4. Bg5 Ke6 5. Ke1 ({
The pawn exchange} 5. g3 fxg3 6. fxg3 {in order to protect h4 would also lead
to a draw after} Kf5 7. Bd8 Ne5 8. Bc7 Nd7 9. Ke2 (9. Kc2 Kg4 10. Kb3 Kf3 11.
Ka4 Ke3 12. Kb5 Kxd3 13. Kc6 Kxc4 $1 14. Kxd7 Kd5 15. g4 {[forced]} hxg4 16. h5
) 9... Kg4 10. Bd6 Kf5 11. Kf3 Ke6 $1 {.}) 5... Kf5 6. Bd8 Ke6 7. Ke2 Kd7 $1 {
Only so!} ({If I had played} 7... Kf5 $2 {then my opponent would definitely
have gone for} 8. Bb6 $1 {obtaining the already known position.}) 8. Bg5 Ke6 9.
Kf3 Kf5 $6 (9... Ke5 $1 {would have been more precise, but it seems that the
text doesn't lose either.}) 10. Bd8 Ke5 $1 11. Bc7+ Kf5 12. Ke2 Nxh4 $1 ({Of
course, not} 12... Ke6 $6 13. Kf1 $1 {, intending to get his king to h3, when
White gets all his winning chances again.}) 13. g3 f3+ $1 14. Kd2 Ng6 15. Bd6
Ne5 16. Bxc5 Nc6 {The knight both defends d4 and stops White's passed pawn.
White's only winning chance would be to go to b5 with his king, but he cannot
do so because of the f2 pawn.} 17. Ke1 (17. Kc2 $2 Kg4 18. Kb3 Kh3 19. Ka4 Kg2
20. Kb5 Kxf2 21. Kxc6 Kxg3 22. Bxd4 h4 {just loses by one tempo.}) 17... Kg4
18. Kf1 h4 19. gxh4 Kxh4 20. Bd6 Kh3 21. Kg1 Na5 22. Bb4 Nc6 23. Bd6 Na5 24.
Kf1 Nc6 25. Bc5 Kh2 26. Bd6+ Kh3 {. Here my opponent in a rather odd way said
'Yes', offered his hand and stopped the clock. All this might have been
interpreted as resignation but, of course I didn't apply to the arbiter for a
win.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Munich"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1993.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Lautier, J."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "8/4R1pk/p7/1p3pK1/2pBb1p1/P1P3r1/1P6/8 b - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "28"]
[EventDate "1993.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{For these annotations I should like give special thanks to German IM Karsten
Müller, who was my second in Munich and not only analysed this position with
me when the game was adjourned, but also made a very deep investigation of its
mysteries later on. His work was checked by German chess columnist and trainer
Claus-Dieter Meyer, who then published an article on it in the German magazine
'Schach 64' (12/1994), and in these annotations I will often refer to that
article. --- I was utterly lost a large part of this game, but it was finally
adjourned in this curious position, where Black had to seal his move. He is
still a lot of material (three pawns) up, but in fact the ending is already
dangerous for him since White's attack is now very strong indeed! Nevertheless
I wasn't that optimistic about my winning chances, thinking that a draw would
be the most likely result. It was more Karsten than me who was finding
magnificent tries in the various variations.} 1... Kg8 $2 {When the game was
resumed I thought that this move was still sufficient for a draw but now it's
clear to me that Black gets into serious trouble with it.} ({The main
alternative would have been} 1... Rd3 {, trying to get rid of White's bishop
as soon as possible. White must then play} 2. Rxg7+ {, and after} Kh8 {he has
three possibilities, but none of them with a real hope of success:} 3. -- (3.
Bf6 Rd6 4. Rg6+ (4. Rd7+ $6 Rxf6 5. Kxf6 g3 {can only be dangerous for White
as the black pawns are already too close}) 4... Kh7 5. Rg7+ {with a draw by
repetition}) (3. Kg6 f4+ 4. Kh6 Rxd4 (4... Rh3+ {is OK as well - see 3 Kh6}) 5.
cxd4 g3 6. Rf7 Kg8 7. Rxf4 g2 8. Rg4+ Kf7 9. Rf4+ (9. Kg5 $6 Bd5 $1 10. Kf4 Kf6
{is not advisable}) 9... Kg8 10. Rg4+ {with the same outcome}) (3. Kh6 {(the
most ambitious try)} Rh3+ $1 ({this time giving up the exchange might cause
Black problems, for example} 3... a5 4. Rg5+ Rxd4 5. cxd4 b4 6. d5 Bxd5 7. Rxf5
Bg8 8. Rh5 Bf7 9. Rxa5 c3 10. bxc3 b3 11. Ra8+ Bg8 12. Rd8 g3 13. Rd2 Bc4 14.
Kg5 Bf1 15. Kg6 Bc4 16. a4 {and White wins according to C-D.Meyer}) 4. Kg6 f4+
5. Kg5 Bf3 (5... Rd3 $2 {was beautifully refuted by Karsten, who shortly
before resumption found} 6. Re7+ Rxd4 7. cxd4 g3 8. Rxe4 $1 g2 9. Re1 $1 f3 10.
Kg6 f2 11. Re8# {. Need I say that it was this line that put me in a good mood
before going to play?}) 6. Kxf4 Bd1 7. Rxg4+ Kh7 8. Rg7+ Kh6 9. Ra7 Rh2 10.
Rxa6+ Kh7 {, and Black should hold his own (C-D.Meyer).})) 2. Kg6 Bc6 {The
only move.} 3. Bc5 $1 {I give this move an exclamation mark, because it went
completely unnoticed by my opponent during his analysis and it was no wonder
that he reacted in a bad way.} ({However, the objectively correct continuation
(although with the text White is not losing anything) would have been} 3. Rxg7+
Kf8 4. Rc7 $1 {. To be honest I wouldn't think that White would be able to
continue his attack when the black king is no longer in the corner anymore but
he can! Black's only reasonable answer then is} Bd5 5. -- ({, and now our
post-mortem analysis led only to a draw after} 5. Kf6 Ke8 6. Rc5 $1 Bb7 {
(forced)} 7. Re5+ (7. Ke6 Rh3 $1 8. Rc7 Rh6+ 9. Bf6 Bd5+ $1) 7... Kd7 ({or} 
7... Kd8 8. Bb6+) 8. Re7+ Kc6 9. Re6+ {with a perpetual}) ({, but some months
later Karsten found} 5. Rc5 $3 {with the idea that the enemy king doesn't
escape from the mating net so easily! A sample line, indicated by C-D.Meyer,
is} Be6 6. Kf6 Bd7 7. Rc7 Ke8 8. Ra7 $1 Kd8 (8... Bc6 9. Re7+ Kd8 10. Bb6+ Kc8
11. Rc7+ Kb8 12. Rxc6 Kb7 13. Rd6 {should be winning for White in the long run}
) 9. Bb6+ Kc8 10. Rc7+ Kd8 11. Rc5+ Ke8 12. Re5+ Kf8 13. Bc5+ Kg8 14. Re7 $1
Rd3 15. Rg7+ Kh8 16. Bd4 Bc6 17. Rc7 Rxd4 18. cxd4 Be4 (18... Bd5 19. Rc5 Be4
20. d5) 19. Kg6 f4+ 20. Kh6 {and we get the same as occurred in the game.}))
3... Rd3 $2 {A decisive mistake.} ({The only move was} 3... Kh8 $1 {.} 4. -- ({
. Now White doesn't achieve anything with} 4. Rxg7 Be8+ 5. Kf6 Rh3 (5... Rd3 6.
Bd4 g3 7. Be5 $1 {is a little better for White}) 6. Bd4 Rh7 $1 7. Rg5 Rc7 8.
Kxf5+ Kh7 9. Kxg4 {which is completely drawn}) ({, but he can still come back
to the right idea by continuing} 4. Bd4 Kg8 {(the only move)} 5. Rxg7+ Kf8 6.
Rc7 Bd5 7. Rc5 $1 {, etc. Of course, I doubt that I would have found this over
the board.})) 4. Rxg7+ Kh8 5. Bd4 Rxd4 {A sad necessity.} (5... Be8+ 6. Kh6
Rh3+ 7. Kg5 Rh5+ 8. Kf4 {loses by force.}) 6. cxd4 f4 ({On} 6... g3 {the
clearest way to win is} 7. Rh7+ Kg8 8. Rc7 Be8+ 9. Kf6 f4 10. d5 {and Black is
helpless against the white rook, king and the passed pawn.}) 7. Rc7 $1 Be4+ ({
As Lautier indicated afterwards, the position after} 7... Bd5 8. Rc8+ Bg8 9.
Rf8 $1 f3 10. d5 g3 11. Rxf3 Bxd5 12. Rxg3 {is lost. The text sets a trap, but
also allows White to finish the game nicely.}) 8. Kh6 Bd5 ({Giving up two
passed pawns with} 8... Kg8 9. Rg7+ Kf8 10. Rxg4 Bd3 11. Rxf4+ Ke7 {would
prolong Black's resistance, but not save the game in view of} 12. Kg5 Kd6 (
12... a5 13. Rf6 b4 14. Rb6) 13. Rf6+ Kd5 14. Rxa6 Kxd4 15. Kf4 {, and the
rest is just a matter of White's technique.}) 9. Rc5 $1 ({Now} 9. Rc8+ Bg8 10.
Rf8 {is a different story, because Black seems to draw by force with} g3 11.
Rxf4 g2 12. Rg4 Bd5 13. Kg5 a5 14. Kf4 b4 15. axb4 axb4 16. Rg3 Kh7 17. Ke3 Kh6
18. Kf2 c3 19. bxc3 b3 20. c4 Bxc4 21. Rxg2 b2 22. Rg1 Ba2 {. But the text is
a killer.}) 9... Bg8 10. d5 $1 f3 (10... g3 {is the same in view of} 11. d6 g2
(11... Be6 12. Re5) 12. Rg5 f3 13. d7 {.}) 11. d6 Be6 ({Black also gets mated
if he promotes his pawns, e.g.} 11... f2 12. Rf5 g3 13. d7 g2 14. d8=Q g1=Q 15.
Qf6+ {.}) 12. Re5 $1 Bd7 13. Re7 Kg8 14. Rxd7 f2 15. Rg7+ {Just in time!} ({
After} 15. Rg7+ Kf8 {,} 16. d7 {wins, so he resigned.}) 1-0

[Event "Linares"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Kamsky, G."]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6k1/5pp1/p3p2p/P3q3/4p2P/3bP3/6P1/2R1Q1K1 w - - 0 39"]
[PlyCount "31"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in March 1994 and published in 'Schach'. --- I
had recently been doing well against 'Kramsky' (Kamsky and Kramnik), when all
three of us were in a tournament together. Linares was the third time in a
year that I had beaten both of them in the same event (albeit because they
misplayed good positions!). On the other hand, when I only had to face one of
them in a tournament, my winning chances were close to zero! --- [AS - Later
on I managed to beat Kamsky in a tournament where Kramnik didn't play (Buenos
Aires 1994). With the latter things are more difficult, if one excludes rapid
chess.] --- Black has full compensation for the exchange. In order to drive
the black queen from her strong position I now offered a repetition of moves.} 
39. Qc3 Qg3 40. Qe1 Qg4 $2 {Kamsky incorrectly avoids the draw.} 41. Rc5 $1 {
Now that the black queen stands passively, White plays to win.} Kh7 (41... f6
42. Kh2 e5 {was better. Here Kamsky offered a draw, one move too late.}) 42.
Kh2 g5 43. hxg5 hxg5 44. Rc8 $1 (44. Qg3 Qxg3+ 45. Kxg3 Kg6 {only leads to a
draw.}) 44... Kg6 $2 {Playing into White's hands.} ({Black would also have had
a difficult position after} 44... e5 45. Rc5 f6 46. Qg3 $1 Qxg3+ 47. Kxg3 Kg6
48. Kh3 $1 Bf1 49. Rc1 $1 Bb5 50. g4 f5 51. Rc5 fxg4+ 52. Kg3 $1 {.}) ({His
best move was probably still} 44... f6 {.}) 45. Rh8 $1 {Preparing the decisive
incursion of White's queen.} f6 46. Qc1 Qe2 ({The ending after} 46... Qf5 47.
Qc7 Qe5+ 48. Qxe5 fxe5 49. g4 $1 {would have been hopeless for Black - White
places his rook on b6 and brings his king to the queenside.}) 47. Qc7 Kf5 48.
Qh7+ Ke5 49. Qa7 $1 Kf5 50. Rh6 $1 Qf2 (50... Qb2 51. Qh7+ Ke5 52. Qg7 Qf2 (
52... Kd6 53. Qxf6 {wins for White}) 53. Qa7 Kf5 {transposes to the game.}) ({
Now after} 50... Qf2 {it looks as though Black can hold on, for example} 51.
Qd4 Kg4 $1 {, but after some thought I found ...}) 51. Kh3 $3 {A beautiful
move!} (51. Kh3 {threatens both} -- 52. g4+ ({and} 52. Qc5+ e5 53. Qc8#) 52...
Ke5 53. Qc5# {.}) 51... g4+ 52. Kh2 ({Now after} 52. Kh2 -- {the threat is} 53.
Rh5+ Kg6 54. Qh7# {.}) 52... g3+ 53. Kh3 Qe2 ({I had been expecting} 53... Be2
{, when I had prepared} 54. Kh4 $3 -- {with the idea of} 55. Qc5+ e5 56. Qc8# {
.}) ({So after} 53... Be2 54. Kh4 {,} Bc4 {is forced, but then} 55. Rh5+ Kg6
56. Qh7# {mates in the style of a good problem!}) 54. Qg7 1-0

[Event "French League"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1994.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Mitkov, N."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "144"]
[EventDate "1994.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my
notes in 'Informator 60'. --- This is probably the only time in my career that
I was still in time-pressure despite having passed the time control.} 1. e4 c5
2. Nc3 e6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bf4 e5 8. Bg5 a6 9.
Na3 b5 10. Bxf6 gxf6 11. Nd5 f5 12. Bxb5 $5 axb5 13. Nxb5 Ra7 $5 {I ought to
admit that I was not very familiar with this bishop sacrifice and therefore
chose a move once suggested to me by Kramnik a long time ago.} ({Objectively} 
13... Ra4 {appears better but one should know a lot about it.}) 14. Nxa7 Nxa7
15. c3 Nb5 16. exf5 Nc7 17. Ne3 $1 {A strong novelty.} (17. O-O {would be the
old path.}) ({After} 17. Ne3 {, White's idea is to play} -- 18. Qf3 {with
advantage.}) 17... Bb7 $1 18. Qa4+ $6 {Now Black is at least equal.} ({My
opponent could get a very strong initiative by continuing} 18. Qb3 $1 Qa8 19.
O-O-O Bxg2 {(Black's last two moves are both forced)} 20. Nxg2 Qxg2 21. Kb1 $1
{, but he might not have been feeling very ambitious.}) 18... Qd7 19. Qb3 (19.
Qxd7+ Kxd7 20. Rd1 d5 $1 {, intending ...Bc5, is perfect for Black.}) 19... Na6
$1 ({Not} 19... Qc6 20. O-O-O {with an edge for White.}) 20. Nd5 Nc5 21. Nf6+
Ke7 {The only move.} (21... Kd8 $2 {fails to} 22. Nxd7 Nxb3 23. Nxe5 $3 {and
White is clearly better.}) 22. Nd5+ Ke8 ({Again} 22... Kd8 $2 {is bad because
of} 23. Qb6+ Kc8 24. O-O-O $1 {.}) 23. Nf6+ Ke7 24. Nd5+ Bxd5 $5 {Quite a
risky decision made after long thought.} (24... Ke8 {would be an immediate
draw, but then the curious ending in the game would never have come into being.
}) 25. Qxd5 Qxf5 26. O-O Ne6 $6 (26... Qe4 27. Qxe4 Nxe4 {was better,
intending ...d5, ...Ke6 and ...Bc5.}) 27. Rad1 Kf6 28. Rfe1 Rg8 (28... Nf4 {
would probably just transpose since after} 29. Qe4 {,} Qxe4 $6 {doesn't seem
very promising due to} 30. Rxe4 Rg8 (30... d5 31. Rxf4+ $1 exf4 32. Rxd5 {
gives White an edge}) 31. g3 d5 32. Ra4 $1 d4 ({not} 32... e4 $2 33. f3 $1 {
favouring White}) 33. Kf1 {with a slight plus for White.}) 29. Qe4 $1 Nf4 $1 {
When playing this, it was important to see that I would still be okay despite
being two pawns down in a rook ending.} (29... Qh5 $6 30. Rd3 $1 {intending}
Ng5 31. Qc6 $1 {looks better for White.}) 30. Qxf5+ Kxf5 31. g3 e4 32. Rd4 {
Otherwise Black is certainly not any worse.} d5 33. Kf1 Bc5 $1 34. gxf4 Bxd4
35. cxd4 Ra8 36. a3 ({Both players were in some time-pressure and White didn't
realize that he should just go for an immediate draw with a continuation such
as} 36. Rb1 Rxa2 37. b4 Kxf4 38. b5 e3 39. b6 Ra8 {(forced)} 40. b7 Rb8 41. Rb5
$1 exf2 42. Rxd5 Rxb7 43. Kxf2 {.}) ({A more complicated line which even
forces Black to play accurately is} 36. Ra1 $1 Ra4 37. b3 Rxd4 38. a4 Rd3 39.
Ra3 Rd1+ 40. Ke2 Rb1 41. a5 d4 42. a6 d3+ 43. Kd2 Rb2+ 44. Ke1 Rb1+ {leading
to a repetition of moves.}) 36... Ra4 37. Rd1 $6 {Passive defence is
completely wrong.} ({By playing} 37. b4 $1 Rxa3 38. Rb1 {White could still
have reached an easy draw.}) 37... Kxf4 {Now the black king is so close that
things are no longer easy for White.} 38. Ke2 f5 39. h3 $2 {Only weakening his
position.} ({The last chance lay in playing actively, e.g.:} 39. Rd2 h5 40. b4
$1 (40. Rd1 h4 41. Rd2 Kg4 {is slightly better for Black}) 40... Rxa3 41. Rb2
Kg4 $1 ({not} 41... Rh3 $2 42. b5 Rxh2 $2 43. b6 e3 44. Rb1 $3 exf2 45. Rb3 $1
{and wins}) 42. b5 Ra7 43. b6 Rb7 {and I don't believe that Black's winning
chances are real.}) 39... h6 (39... h5 {would have been even better for Black.}
) 40. Rd2 h5 {When the first time control finished I realized that my winning
chances were very good but there was a practical problem. I had to catch a
plane from Nice in just a few hours and it was not clear how long the game
would last as the time limit was 20 moves in one hour plus one hour for the
remainder of the game - this meant that eight hours could be played! Should I
mention that my plane was to Buenos Aires where I was going to have my
wedding? The best I could do in this situation was to try to use my opponent's
time and move quickly. Later on it spoiled the quality of my play and didn't
give me a chance to make this endgame a real wedding present. Still, I should
not complain as I did finally win and some time later it was really
fascinating to analyse it.} 41. Rd1 {Still playing passively.} ({However, after
} 41. b4 Rxa3 42. Rb2 Rxh3 {(this is why 39 h3 was a mistake!)} 43. b5 Ra3 44.
b6 Ra8 {Black should also win.}) 41... h4 $1 42. Rd2 Rc4 43. Rd1 Rc2+ 44. Rd2
Rxd2+ $1 {That's the point! The rook endgame turns into a pawn and then a
queen ending which is winning for Black.} 45. Kxd2 Kf3 46. Ke1 Kg2 $1 47. b4 f4
48. Ke2 $1 f3+ $1 {Both sides are making the only moves!} 49. Ke3 Kxh3 50. b5
Kg2 51. b6 h3 52. b7 h2 53. b8=Q h1=Q {This queen ending is winning for Black
despite the loss of two of his remaining three pawns.} 54. Qg8+ Kf1 55. Qxd5
Qh6+ $1 56. Kxe4 Qh4+ $1 57. Kd3 Kxf2 $4 ({I saw that} 57... Qxf2 {intending}
58. -- Qg2 ({or} 58... Kg1 {would win quite easily but I thought the text was
at least as good. If I had thought more about the game than about catching my
plane, I would probably have realized the difference. Now the game is drawn
but fortunately during the game neither player appreciated this.})) 58. a4 Qg3
$6 59. Qe4 $3 {It's odd, but I didn't realize during the game how strong this
move is; indeed, I was still convinced that my position was winning.} ({Other
moves would lose e.g.:} 59. Qc6 $2 Kg1 60. Qc1+ Kh2 $1 61. Qh6+ Qh3 $1 62. Qf4+
(62. Qd6+ $2 Kg1 63. Qg6+ Qg2 {wins}) 62... Kg2 63. Qe4 Kf1 $1 64. Qe3 Qf5+ 65.
Kd2 Kg2 {with the idea} 66. -- f2 {and wins.}) 59... Kg1 60. Qe3+ Kg2 61. Qe4
Kh2 62. d5 $1 f2+ 63. Ke2 Qg2 64. Qf4+ Kg1 65. Qd4 $1 {Centralization is the
clue of saving White's game.} ({Of course,} 65. Qe3 $2 Qg4+ {would be
different story.}) 65... Qf1+ 66. Kd2 $4 {Now White's king gets sidelined and
he finally loses the game.} ({Correct would be} 66. Kf3 Qh3+ 67. Ke2 Qh5+ 68.
Kd2 Qg5+ 69. Ke2 Qe7+ 70. Kd3 $1 (70. Kf3 $4 Qf6+ {wins}) 70... Qa3+ 71. Ke2
Qa2+ 72. Kf3 Qb3+ 73. Kg4 $1 {and Black cannot strengthen his position.}) 66...
Qe1+ 67. Kc2 Qe2+ 68. Kc1 (68. Kc3 {is the same in view of} Qf3+ 69. Kb4 Kg2
70. Qg7+ Qg3 71. Qb2 Kh3 {and the pawn queens.}) 68... Qf3 $1 {Very exact. Now
everything is in time - both promoting the pawn and arriving at the airport!}
69. d6 (69. Kd2 Kg2 70. Qg7+ Qg3 {wins.}) 69... Kg2 70. Qd2 ({Or} 70. Qg7+ Qg3
71. Qb7+ Kh2 72. Qh7+ Kg1 73. Qa7 Qxd6 {, winning.}) 70... Qa3+ 71. Kb1 Qb3+
72. Kc1 Kf3 0-1

[Event "Belgrade"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Shirov, A."]
[Black "Ivanchuk, V."]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "2r5/p6k/5P1p/2pnP3/3r4/1P4P1/P5RK/2R5 w - - 0 41"]
[PlyCount "22"]
[EventDate "1995.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made during the preparation of this book. --- The time
scramble had just finished and I had sadly come to the realization that my
position was very difficult. But then I found a nice combination.} 41. Re2 Kg6
{Playing quickly as he didn't see my intentions, but I doubt that Black's
winning chances would be very good any way.} 42. Rf1 Rc7 43. e6 $1 {White
sacrifices first one, then another passed pawn, but makes a funny repetition
of moves which Black cannot avoid.} Nxf6 44. e7 Ne8 45. Rf8 Rc8 46. Ref2 $1 Re4
47. Rg8+ Kh7 48. Rff8 Rxe7 49. Rh8+ Kg6 50. Rhg8+ Rg7 51. Rh8 $1 {This is the
point! I had already seen this when playing 41 Re2. Even my opponent couldn't
help whispering 'Very beautiful!'.} Re7 {. Otherwise Black has to give back
the piece.} 1/2-1/2

[Event "Dortmund"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1996.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Leko, P."]
[Black "Shirov, A."]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B08"]
[Annotator "Alexei Shirov"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Source "Everyman Chess"]
[SourceDate "1997.01.01"]

{These annotations were made in July 1996 and have not been published before.
--- Is it always easy to win with two rooks against a rook and three pawns?
After this game I doubt it.} 1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 {Getting into the middlegame
has recently become a difficult task for me and somehow these two solid moves
give me a certain confidence that the game will still be going after the
opening.} 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 d6 5. a4 Nf6 6. Be2 O-O 7. O-O Nbd7 ({I went for} 
7... Na6 {two rounds earlier but then had to suffer to make a draw.}) 8. Bf4
Re8 $5 {Surprisingly, this is a new move.} ({Black's idea after} 8... Re8 $5 {
is to continue his development by} 9. -- Qc7 {.}) ({The immediate} 8... Qc7 {
I didn't like because of} 9. e5 $1 Nh5 10. Bg5 dxe5 11. Bxe7 Re8 12. d5 $1 {as
I was not sure whether my compensation for the exchange after} Rxe7 13. d6 Qd8
14. dxe7 Qxe7 {would be sufficient. Later on I learned that all this has
already occurred in the game Levitina-Ioseliani, Beijing 1992, which Black won.
Still I am not convinced that Black is equal in this line.}) 9. Re1 {Now Black
can play his idea.} ({White could try to cross Black's plan with} 9. Nd2 $5 {.}
) 9... Qc7 10. e5 Nh5 $1 11. exd6 exd6 12. Be3 d5 {Black has equalized.} 13.
Qd2 Nf8 $1 {Tempting White's knight to e5 where it will not do a lot.} ({I
considered} 13... Nhf6 14. Bf4 {to be slightly inferior for me.}) 14. Ne5 Nf6
15. Bf4 Ne6 $5 {As often happens, I decided to go for complications at all
costs.} ({Had I seen everything, I would probably have preferred} 15... Qd8 {
with equality}) ({or} 15... Qa5 {which Leko was intending to answer with the
unclear} 16. Nd3 $5 {.}) 16. Nxg6 Qb6 $1 ({Not} 16... Nxf4 $2 17. Nxf4 Bh6 18.
Nfxd5 {and White wins.}) 17. Nh4 $1 (17. Ne5 $6 Qxd4 {is better for Black.})
17... Nxf4 $5 {Maybe not really bad, but certainly an extremely risky decision.
} ({The 'normal' line would be} 17... Qxd4 18. Qxd4 Nxd4 19. Bd3 Be6 20. Be5
Nd7 {with approximate equality.}) 18. Qxf4 Qxb2 19. Qd2 $1 {Of course, I saw
this move but underestimated it. As often happens, panic set in...} Ne4 $6 ({
There is nothing wrong with} 19... Qb6 {, since after} 20. Bd3 Bd7 21. Bf5
Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 Re8 {White has no advantage because of his stupid knight on c3.
The line} 23. Bxd7 Rxe1+ 24. Qxe1 Nxd7 25. Nf5 Bxd4 $1 26. Qe8+ Nf8 {only
supports this statement.}) 20. Nxe4 dxe4 $1 ({Too late I realized that} 20...
Rxe4 $2 21. Nf3 $1 {would be clearly in White's favour.}) 21. Rad1 Qa2 $1 {
Black has to be very accurate now.} ({My original intention} 21... Be6 $2 {
would fail to} 22. Bh5 $1 {.}) 22. Qf4 Qe6 {Black's position looks pretty
dubious but in fact things are not so clear because the bishop pair and the
position of the white knight yield Black certain counter-chances.} 23. c4 ({If
White wants to fight for an advantage then sharper play is required. I think} 
23. h3 {would be White's best chance. Black should then continue} f5 24. g4 Qf6
$1 25. Nxf5 (25. Bc4+ Kh8 26. g5 Qf8 {is amazingly unclear since White can't
mate Black}) ({the same is true after} 25. g5 Qf7) 25... Bxf5 26. Qxf5 Qh4 $1
27. Bc4+ Kh8 28. Qh5 Qxh5 29. gxh5 Bh6 {and although White is a pawn up the
game should be drawn.}) 23... Bd7 24. h3 $2 {Now it's simply too late.} ({It
was obligatory to play} 24. a5 $1 {with an unclear game.}) 24... Qf6 25. Qg3 c5
$1 {Now Black is not only better but winning! The a-pawn will be worth a piece.
} 26. dxc5 Bxa4 27. Rd6 Qc3 $1 28. Rf1 $1 {Leko, however, puts of a stiff
resistance.} Qxg3 29. fxg3 Be5 30. Nf5 $1 (30. Rh6 Bd7 31. Nf5 (31. Bh5 Kg7 $1
32. Rd6 Be6 {wins for Black}) 31... Bxf5 32. Rxf5 f6 {would be hopeless. By
sacrificing the exchange, Leko sets several traps, into one of which I fell.})
30... Bxd6 31. cxd6 Bd7 $1 32. Nh6+ (32. Ne7+ Kf8 33. Nd5 Re5 {is good enough
for Black.}) 32... Kg7 33. Rxf7+ Kxh6 34. Rxd7 Red8 $1 35. Rxb7 Rxd6 36. Bg4
Rf6 $2 {What can be more natural then parrying White's only threat and moving
the rook away from White's passed pawn?} ({However, now things become much
more tricky, while Leko's suggestion} 36... Kg6 $1 {(centralizing the king is
one of the primary endgame rules!) would have won fairly easily, for example}
37. c5 (37. Bd7 e3 38. Kf1 Rd2 {also wins}) 37... Rc6 38. Rb5 a6 39. Ra5 Rd8
40. Be2 Rd5 {.}) 37. c5 a5 38. c6 $3 {Amazingly, White gives up his only asset
- the passed pawn.} ({However, there was no time to promote it, e.g.} 38. Bd7
a4 39. c6 a3 40. c7 a2 {.}) 38... Rxc6 39. Bf5 Rca6 $3 {The only way to win.} (
39... e3 40. h4 Rh8 41. Re7 $1 {would yield White too many chances.}) 40. Rxh7+
({Now} 40. h4 $2 {loses to} R8a7 {.}) 40... Kg5 41. Bxe4 R8a7 42. Rh8 ({All
forcing lines were lost for White, for instance} 42. Bb7 a4 43. h4+ Kg6 44.
Be4+ Kf6) ({or} 42. h4+ Kg4 $1 43. Bb7 Kxg3 $1 44. Rg7+ Kxh4 45. g3+ Kh5 {.
With the text, Leko tries to put up a more stubborn defence and makes it
tricky until the very end.}) 42... a4 43. Rc8 a3 44. Rc1 a2 45. Ra1 Rd6 46. Kh2
Rd2 47. h4+ Kg4 48. Bf3+ Kf5 49. Kh3 Ra5 50. Bg4+ Ke5 51. Bh5 Kf6 52. Bf3 Ra4
$1 {Black has taken control of all the squares from which the white bishop can
attack the pawn, so now White has to give it up. But, astonishingly, it's not
yet the end of the story!} 53. Bc6 Rb4 54. Bd5 {Forced.} Rxd5 55. Rxa2 {It's
not so easy to win the game because when Black activates his rooks, White gets
a lot of checks which drive the black king far away; then he can push his
pawns. However, Leko didn't notice my simple plan, stood passively by and
threw the game away immediately.} Rd6 56. Rf2+ $6 ({White's best chance would
be} 56. g4 $1 {and although it seems to me that Black is winning after} Rd3+
57. g3 Rbb3 58. g5+ (58. Ra6+ Ke7 59. Ra7+ Kd6 60. Ra6+ Kc7 61. h5 Rxg3+ 62.
Kh4 Rh3+ 63. Kg5 Rb4 $1) 58... Ke6 59. Ra6+ Kd7 60. Ra7+ Kc6 61. Kg4 Rxg3+ 62.
Kh5 (62. Kf5 Rb4) 62... Rb4 $1 {, I am not one hundred per cent sure about it.}
) 56... Kg6 57. Ra2 Rb3 58. Ra8 $2 ({White could still reach a similar
position by playing} 58. Kh2 Rb4 59. Kh3 Kh6 60. g4 Rd3+ 61. g3 Rbb3 62. Ra6+ (
62. g5+ Kh5 63. Rg2 Rb4 {wins}) 62... Kg7 63. Ra7+ Kf8 64. Ra8+ Ke7 {but, as I
already indicated, I think that Black should still win.}) 58... Kh7 {Now it's
all over.} 59. Ra7+ Kh6 60. Rf7 Rdd3 0-1

