[Event "London Chess Classic"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2011.12.10"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Short, Nigel"]
[Black "McShane, Luke"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C34"]
[WhiteElo "2698"]
[BlackElo "2671"]
[Annotator "Saunders,John"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2011.12.03"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "1"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceDate "2011.11.29"]

1. e4 e5 2. f4 {"Time to punt it... I did beat Garry Kasparov with it a few
weeks ago, so I thought it was worth a try" (Nigel Short). Nigel related an
anecdote of a conversation with Morozevich at the World Blitz Championship.
The Russian asked Nigel whether he should play the King's Gambit and Nigel
said '"why not?". Morozevich replied "but how do I equalise after 2...exf4?"
Luke McShane, for his part, thought the King's Gambit was the least likely
line he was going to face.} exf4 3. Nf3 h6 {The Becker Defence - but, as Nigel
helpfully pointed out, not named after the tournament's recent visitor Boris
Becker, but the Austrian IM Albert Becker (1896-1984).} 4. d4 g5 5. Nc3 d6 ({
Viktor Korchnoi joined the commentators during the early stages of the game
and gave some interesting asides on a violent line beginning} 5... g4 6. Ne5
Qh4+ 7. g3 fxg3 8. Qxg4 g2+ 9. Qxh4 gxh1=Q 10. Qh5 Rh7 11. Bg5 d6 12. O-O-O {
where White obtains compensation for the rook sacrifice. He was merely
exemplifying the range of things players have to know before embarking on such
a dangerous line in an elite tournament. There was more than an element of
disapproval about the grand old man's comments on the subject.}) 6. g3 {Viktor
was scathing: "Nigel Short is playing like a beginner. g3... what is the point
of g3?} fxg3 ({Viktor went on:} 6... g4 7. Nh4 f3 8. Be3 {"I'm not sure Nigel
Short knew this line... whether he had played it before" (VK)}) 7. hxg3 (7. h4
$5 {was the line suggested by tournament director Malcolm Pein. "I didn't
think of it," admitted Nigel. Of the King's Gambit in general: "I slept well
last night so felt fresh and ready for action." The continuation of Malcolm
Pein's line was} g4 8. Ng1 Be7 9. Bg2 {which is give as advantageous to Black
by analysis engines but may give White some practical chances.}) 7... Bg7 8.
Be3 (8. Bc4 {was another more direct possibility. Having expressed something
close to outrage about his choice of opening, Viktor  went on to say how his
relations with Nigel Short were good, and also with Luke McShane "even though
he has beaten me a couple of times - he's OK!".}) 8... Nf6 9. Qd3 Ng4 10. O-O-O
c6 11. Re1 ({Nigel got excited by} 11. e5 $5 {but then spotted the reply} Bf5
$1 {which takes the sting out of it.}) 11... Nd7 12. e5 ({"I just got too
excited here." (NS)} 12. Bh3 {is a steadier alternative. The players quickly
looked at} Nb6 13. Bg1 Qe7 14. Nd5 {but there may be better moves.}) 12... dxe5
13. Bh3 (13. Nxg5 $5 {looks aggressive but} hxg5 14. Rxh8+ Bxh8 15. Qh7 Qf6 {
and Black can enjoy his extra material.}) 13... Nxe3 {Hikaru Nakamura joined
the commentary around here. Lawrence Trent asked him as a joke "who's
winning?". But Hikaru was perfectly happy to answer seriously and state that
Black was winning. He felt that Nigel Short had gone into the game with the
'devil may care' attitude that Hikaru himself displayed against Anand in their
epic King's Indian Defence game, but that Nigel had become tentative as early
as move seven in the opening.} 14. Rxe3 O-O {Now that the dark-squared bishop
is off the board, Luke feels he can risk castling.} 15. Ne4 {[diag]} Nf6 $1 ({
Luke rejected} 15... exd4 $5 {because of} 16. Nfxg5 dxe3 17. Bxd7 {but now the
amazing} f5 $1 {was found in the VIP room and corroborated by Garry Kasparov 
(yes, the great man is in town, ready for his booksigning tomorrow). The text
move may not be as objectively strong but it is more practical and prevents
all the flashy tactics.}) 16. Bxc8 (16. Nfxg5 Nxe4 17. Nxe4 Bxh3 18. Rxh3 exd4
19. Re2 Qd5 {and now the desired deflection} 20. Rxh6 {with a view to forking
king and queen on f6 doesn't work because} Bxh6+ {is check.}) 16... exd4 17.
Bxb7 dxe3 18. Bxa8 Nxe4 19. Qxe4 Qb6 $1 {A useful intermezzo, threatening
Qxb2+. The commentators concluded Black was winning, though both players only
had around 12-15 minutes for their remaining 21 moves.} 20. Ne5 ({Luke McShane
wondered about} 20. b3 $5 {for his opponent here, and} Rxa8 21. Re1 Qc5 22.
Rxe3 Qa3+ 23. Kd2 Qxa2 24. Qxc6 {, etc.}) 20... Rxa8 21. Qxc6 Qxc6 22. Nxc6 Re8
$1 23. c3 Re6 24. Nxa7 (24. Nd4 {is the last chance but "pretty grim" (Short)}
Bxd4 25. cxd4 Kg7 26. Kc2 f5 {and it is easy to see that the kingside pawn
avalanche will be fatal.}) 24... Be5 $1 {"Badnewsville, Tennessee! Harry the
horse disappears." (Short) The principal threat is Bxg3, facilitating the
advance of the e-pawn.} 25. Nb5 ({After} 25. Kd1 {, Black has} Bb8 $1 {,
preparing e2+ and Bxg3 winning.}) 25... e2 26. Kd2 Bxg3 27. Re1 {Playing on to
entertain the crowd only.} Bxe1+ 28. Kxe1 h5 29. Nd4 Ra6 30. a3 h4 31. Kxe2 g4
32. c4 h3 33. Kf2 h2 34. Kg2 Rh6 35. Kh1 g3 36. Nf5 g2+ 0-1

