Instructive Lesson
Bravo to the Spanish Chess Federation (FEDA) for continuing to hold OTB tournaments, despite the omni-present threat of Covid-19. The Spanish Team Championship (Honor division) is taking place this week in Linares and will continue until the 29th.
The Honor division is an 8-team all play all event. Pairings and related information can be found HERE .
Shirov gives a chess lesson
The round two encounter on board two between gm Alexi Shirov (Silla-Bosch) and gm Bartosz Socko (Solvay) saw some cat and mouse manoeuvring leading up to the critical position where Shirov decided to trade two minor pieces for Rook and 2-pawns.
Generally, this kind of asymmetric exchange is one of the most difficult decisions to evaluate correctly in chess, often leading to unclear and dynamic play where subtle finesses are so important.
But Shirov knew what he was doing in this game.
The exposed position of the Black King was the most important factor, and with excellent play Shirov prevented the Black minor pieces to coordinate.
Shirov won an important point for his team, which narrowly won the match 3.5 – 2.5
gm Shirov,A – gm Socko,B Linares 24.9.2020 1-0
1.e4 c6 2.Nf3 d5 3.d3 Qc7 4.Nc3 dxe4 5.dxe4 e5 6.Bc4 h6 7.O-O
Nf6 8.b3 b5 9.Bd3 Bc5 10.a4 b4 11.Ne2 Bg4 12.Ng3 Nbd7 13.h3 Be6
14.Qe2 O-O 15.Bc4 Rfe8 16.Bb2 Bf8 17.Rad1 a5 18.Nf5 Bxc4 19.Qxc4
Nb6 20.Qd3 c5 ({<strong style="color:black;">In retrospect, Black should play </strong> } 20...Nbd7$5 21.Nd2 g6$14 {<strong style="color:black;"> with a tough fight in progress</strong> }) {[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} 21.Nxe5!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Of course a strong grandmaster like Socko had forseen this move, but his evaluation of the consequences were different from Shirov’s.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Much too tame for Shirov would be </strong> } 21.Nd6 Qxd6 22.Qxd6
Bxd6 23.Rxd6 Nc8!{<strong style="color:black;">with only a small advantage for White. </strong> } )
Rxe5 22.Nxh6+!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A subtle finesse that exposes the Black King, a factor that soon becomes significant.</strong>} ( 22.Qg3 Re7! ) gxh6{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 22...Kh7? 23.Bxe5 Qxe5 24.Nxf7$18 )
23.Qg3+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Ng4$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">The most resistant line of defence.</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">The alternative is not very attractive: </strong> } 23...Kh7 24.Bxe5
Qe7 25.Qf4! Bg7 ( 25...Ne8 26.Qf5+ Kg8 27.f4 f6 28.Bb2 Bg7 29.e5$16 )
26.Bxf6 Qxf6 27.Qxf6 Bxf6 28.Rd6 Bd8 29.Rfd1 Bc7 30.Rc6 Ra7 31.Rxc5$16{<strong style="color:black;">Black’s pieces are really useless. </strong> } )
24.Bxe5 Qxe5 25.Qxg4+ Bg7 26.Rd3!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">A very nice move! Keeps the option of doubling (followed by Rd8+ , perhaps) or shifting to the attack with Rg3. It is here worth taking toll of what White has achieved: His position is without weakness; he has a small material advantage; he has the initiative, which Black struggles to contain. Conclusion: Black should have avoided this earlier by not allowing White the option to trade 2 minor pieces for the Rook and pawns. </strong>} h5$5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black decides to not let Shirov any more attack on the Kingside</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">After </strong> } 26...c4 27.Rg3! Rd8 28.f4!
Qc5+ 29.Kh2 Qf8 30.f5 {<strong style="color:black;"> White’s attack is really scary.</strong> } )
27.Qd1!{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Re8
( 27...Qxe4 28.Rd6! Qb7 29.Qxh5$16 )
28.Rd6!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Shirov plays precisely, driving the Knight to a useless square</strong>} Nc8 (28...Re6? 29.Rxb6!) 29.Rd5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Qxe4 30.Rxc5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">All of Black’s pawns are easy targets for White’s pieces. In the absence of any Black counterplay, the game is already decided. Never the less, Socko continues to put up resistance, waiting for an opportunity…</strong>} h4$5 31.Rxa5 Qc6 32.Rb5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
( 32.Re1$5 ) Nd6{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Socko decides that he best hope is to activate his Knight </strong>}
( 32...Bc3 33.Qg4+ )
33.Rxb4 Ne4{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black has finally got his pieces activated, but he is down too many pawns to make much of a difference. It is worth noting here that the lack of weaknesses in White’s position denies Black’s pieces targets.</strong>} 34.Qf3! Qd5 35.Re1!{[#] <strong style="color:red;">It is clear that Shirov has nothing against trading pieces and winning with his pawns.</strong>}
f5$5 (35...Bd4 36.Re2) 36.Rb5{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Apples!</strong>} Qd2 37.Rd1 Qxc2{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Socko is doing the best he can, but the task is too much already</strong>} 38.Rxf5{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Nc3
( 38...Nf6 39.a5! )
(38...Nxf2? 39.Qd5!)
39.Rd7{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>}
Re6 {[#] <strong style="color:red;">Adding to Black’s woes, he is probably already short of time. The end is near.</strong>}
( 39...Ne2+ 40.Kh2 Be5+ 41.Rxe5! )
( 39...Qc1+ 40.Kh2 Qh6
41.Qg4 Ne4 42.Rff7! )
40.Rxg7+{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Shirov’s only imprecision of the game, but it is forced mate in 8 anyway!</strong>}
({<strong style="color:black;">Even faster is </strong> } 40.Rf8+! Kh7 41.Qh5+ Rh6 42.Rxg7+
Kxg7 43.Qf7# )
Kxg7 41.Qg4+ Rg6 42.Qd4+ Kh7 43.Qxh4+{[#] <strong style="color:red;"></strong>} Kg8 44.Qd8+
Kh7 45.Qe7+ Kh8 46.Qf8+{[#] <strong style="color:red;">Black throws in the towel. An instructive game!</strong>} 1-0
You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization.
