1.e4
e6
2.d4
d5
3.Nc3
Nf6
4.e5
Nfd7
5.f4
c5
6.Nf3
Nc6
7.Be3
cxd4
8.Nxd4
Bc5
9.Qd2
0-0
10.g3!?
Played by Dominguez before against Glek. We also saw Kasparov win with this variation against Shirov. It seems that this quiet g3 has more sting on a long term than one would think. After 0-0-0 black has a clear plan: counterplay on the queen flank. In this line it seems hard to decide what to do. Future games will give a more exact evaluation of this rare move
10...Nxd4
[10...Qe7
Ftacnik The novelty after less frequent move 10.g3, Shirov is defending against attack and reserves the option to exploit the c4 weakness with the help of Nb6 move. 11.0-0-0
(11.Bg2
Ftacnik 11...Nb6
xc4) 11...Nb6
12.Nb3
Bxe3
13.Qxe3
Bd7
14.Kb1
Rfc8
(14...f6
Ftacnik 15.exf6
Qxf6
16.Bb5!
Rac8
17.Rhe1+/=
; 14...Rac8
Ftacnik 15.Nb5!
Na4
16.Nd6+/=
) 15.g4
(15.Nb5
Ftacnik 15...Nb4
16.Nd6
Rxc2
17.a3+/-
) 15...Nb4!
(15...f6
Ftacnik 16.exf6
Qxf6
17.Be2+/=
) 16.Nd4
Rc5
(16...Qc5
Ftacnik 17.Rd2
Nc6
18.Ncb5!
Na5
19.Nd6+/=
) 17.a3
Nc6?
It is a small mystery why both players have accepted this artificial move, since it hopelessly closes the rook on c5. (17...Na6!
Ftacnik 18.Ncb5
Bxb5
19.Nxb5
Rc6
20.h3
Nc5<=>
) 18.Ncb5?!
(18.Nb3!
Ftacnik 18...d4
(18...Rc4
19.Bxc4
Nxc4
20.Qd3+-
) 19.Nxd4
Nxd4
20.Rxd4
Rac8
21.Qd3+/-
) 18...Nxd4
19.Nxd4
Rac8
20.Bd3
Nc4
21.Qh3
(21.Bxc4!?
Ftacnik 21...Rxc4
22.f5
Ba4<=>
) 21...h6!
(21...g6
Ftacnik 22.Nf3+/-
) 22.g5
(22.Nb3
Ftacnik 22...Nxa3+
23.bxa3
Rc3
24.Kb2
a5
25.Ra1
Bb5->
) 22...Nxa3+!
Shirov com es with a strong counterplay in the twelfth hour, optically his chances on the kingside looked very bad. 23.bxa3
(23.Kc1
Ftacnik 23...Nc4
(23...Nxc2
24.Bxc2
Ba4
25.b3
Rxc2+
(25...Rc3
26.Rd3
Qa3+
27.Kd2
Qc5
28.Rxc3
Qxd4+
29.Qd3
Qxf4+
30.Kd1+/-
) 26.Nxc2
Qa3+
27.Kb1
Rxc2
28.Kxc2
Qa2+
29.Kc1
Bxb3
30.Qc3+/-
) 24.gxh6
g6~~
) 23...Rc3
24.gxh6
g6
(24...Rxa3
Ftacnik 25.Nb3
Qb4
26.Qg2
g6
) 25.Qg2
(25.Kc1
Ftacnik 25...Rxa3
26.Kd2
Rc4!
27.Nb3
(27.Nf3
Qc5
) 27...Ba4
28.Bxc4
dxc4
29.Ra1
cxb3
30.Rxa3
Qb4+
31.Qc3
Qxf4+=
; 25.Qg3
Ftacnik 25...Rxa3
(25...Qxa3?
26.Qh4!
R8c4
27.h7+
Kh8
28.Qf6+
Kxh7
29.Qxf7+
Kh8
30.Qf6++-
) 26.Nb3
Qb4
27.Bxg6!
Rc3!
28.Bh7+
Kf8
29.Qg7+
Ke7
30.Qf6+
Ke8=
) 25...Rxa3
26.Nb3
Qb4!
27.Bxg6
(27.Rhg1
Ftacnik 27...Rc3
28.Bxg6
Raxb3+
29.cxb3
Rxb3+
30.Kc1
Kh8!
31.Bc2
(31.Bd3
Qc5+
32.Bc2
Qa3+=
) 31...Qa3+
32.Kd2
Qb4+
33.Kc1
(33.Ke2
Bb5+
34.Rd3
Bxd3+
35.Bxd3
Rb2+-+
) 33...Qa3+=
) 27...Rxb3+
28.cxb3
Qxb3+
29.Qb2
Qxb2+
30.Kxb2
fxg6
In this endgame white can not underestimate the body of black's pawns on the queenside. 31.h4
(31.Ra1
Ftacnik 31...a6
32.Rhc1
Bc6<=>
) 31...Kh7
32.h5
Kxh6
33.hxg6+
(33.Rdg1
Ftacnik 33...gxh5
34.Rg5
Be8
35.Rg8
Bd7
36.Rg5
Be8=
) 33...Kxg6
34.Rhg1+
Kf5??
Shirov did not deserve to lose this game, but after this horribe move he will be mated. (34...Kf7
Ftacnik 35.Rh1
Kg6=
(35...Rg8?
36.Rh7+
Rg7
37.Rxg7+
Kxg7
38.Kc3+/=
) ) 35.Rd4
1-0 Kasparov,G-Shirov,A/Astana 2001/CBM 84/[Ftacnik] (35)]
11.Bxd4
Bxd4
[11...a6
Ftacnik 12.Bg2
b5
13.Ne2
a5
14.a3
Bxd4
15.Nxd4
Qb6
16.0-0
Nc5
17.g4
Bb7
18.Rad1
b4
19.f5
exf5
20.gxf5
Rae8
21.axb4
axb4
22.Qf4+/-
1-0 Gofshtein,L-Gurevich,M/Noyon 2001/ (39); 11...b6
12.Bb5
Bb7
13.Ne2
Bxd4
14.Nxd4
Nc5
15.0-0-0
Qc7
16.Kb1
a6
17.Bd3
Ne4
18.Qe3
1-0 Diaz,J-Alvarez Ibarra,R/Cuba 1993/ (37) (18.Qe3
b5
19.h4
b4
20.h5+/=
Diaz,J-Alvarez Ibarra,R/Cuba 1993) ]
12.Qxd4
Nb8
13.0-0-0
Nc6
14.Qc5
Bd7
15.Kb1
Rc8
16.Qd6
Na5
17.Bd3
Rc6
18.Qa3
a6
19.Ne2
b5
20.Nd4
Rc8
21.Rhe1
Re8
22.Nf3
Qb6
23.Qb4
Nb7
24.g4
Nc5
25.Qd2
b4
26.f5
Nxd3
27.f6!
Qc5
[27...Nxe5!?
28.Rxe5
(28.Nxe5
Ba4
29.b3
(29.Qg5
Bxc2+
30.Ka1
Bg6
) ) 28...Qc7
29.Rg5!?
g6
30.Re5
Ba4
31.Rc1
Qd8
32.Qf4
white has full compensation for the pawn]
28.cxd3
Qf8
29.Nd4
a5
30.Rc1
h6
31.g5
g6
32.h4
h5
33.Rxc8
Rxc8
34.Rc1
Ba4
35.Qe3
Qd8
36.b3
Bd7
37.Rxc8
Qxc8
38.Nc2
Bb5
39.Kc1
Qc3
40.Qd4
Qc7
41.Kd2
Bd7
42.Kc1
Kf8
43.Kb2
Ke8
44.a3
bxa3+
45.Nxa3
Kd8
46.Nc2
Kc8
47.Qc3
Kb7
48.Qxc7+
Kxc7
49.Kc3
Kb6
50.b4
a4
51.Nd4
Ka6
52.Kb2
Kb6
53.Ka3
Be8
54.Ne2
Bb5
55.Nc3
d4
56.Ne2
Bxd3
57.Nxd4
Bc4
58.Kxa4
Bd5
59.Ne2
Bc6+
60.Kb3
Bb5
61.Nf4
Be8
62.Kc4
Bb5+
63.Kd4
Be8
64.Ne2
Bc6
65.Nc3
Bg2
66.b5
1-0