Winning In Style
Ha, ha! Very cute! But of course I am talking about playing fair and still winning! Below is a nice Shirov game that was played earlier today and I think the reader will enjoy it and find worthwhile playing it over several times. Enjoy!
Shirov crushes Ju Wenju
Shirov, Hort and Ju Wenjun Played today at the Prague Festival. Though Shirov has been having a tough time in the tournament up to now, he looked pretty good in this game, winning in just 24 moves against the current Women’s World Champion.
gm Shirov,A – gm Ju Wenjun Prague 12.3.2019 (1-0)
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bd6 {<strong style="color:black;">I have always considered this artificial </strong> } 6.Nc3 c6 7.Qc2! {<strong style="color:black;">Shirov is never one to castle short if he can castle long! </strong> }
O-O 8.e4! dxe4 9.Nxe4 Nxe4 10.Qxe4 Nd7 11.Bd3 Nf6 12.Qh4{<strong style="color:black;"> Curiously, all this has been played numerous times before. I am not sure why, since it looks as though Black should want to avoid this position. White has a ready made attack. </strong> [#]} Re8 13.O-O-O!
b5 14.c5!{[#]} Bxc5 {<strong style="color:black;">If this is the best that Black has, then he is already lost. </strong> } ( 14...Be7$6 15.Ne5! ) 15.g4!
( 15.dxc5$6 Qxd3 16.Ne5 Qd5 )
( 15.Bg5$5 Be7 16.Bxf6 Bxf6 17.Qxh7+ Kf8 18.Ne5 Qc7 19.f4$16 )
Bxd4$6 ({<strong style="color:black;">Tougher resistance, but also insufficent, is offered by playing </strong> } 15...Qd5$5 16.Bg5 Qxf3 ( 16...Be7$6 17.Bxf6 Bxf6 18.Qxh7+
Kf8 19.Be4 Qxa2 20.g5! {<strong style="color:black;">crushing </strong> } ) 17.Bxf6 Qf4+ 18.Kb1 gxf6 19.Qxh7+ Kf8
20.dxc5 e5 21.f3 Be6 22.Be4 Rad8 23.Rd6 {<strong style="color:black;"> and Black has many problems to solve</strong> } ) ( 15...h6$2 16.g5! )
16.g5 {[#]}
({<strong style="color:black;"> Surprising, but probably not best. Why not play </strong> } 16.Bc3! c5 ( 16...Bxc3 17.Bxh7+! ) ( 16...e5 17.g5 ) 17.g5 {<strong style="color:black;"> with a crushing game. Black can probably resign right here. </strong> } )
Bxb2+$5 17.Kc2! Qd5$2{[#]} ( {<strong style="color:black;">Not pretty, but Black can still fight with </strong> }17...g6! 18.Bb4 Nd5 19.Kxb2 Qc7 20.Bc5 e5 {<strong style="color:black;"> with a bit of play still left</strong> } )
18.gxf6 {<strong style="color:black;"> Now the game ends quickly </strong> } Bxf6 19.Qxh7+ Kf8 20.Bb4+ c5 21.Qh8+ Ke7 22.Qxe8+ Kxe8
23.Bxb5+ Kd8 24.Bc6 1-0
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