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[#]1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.¤c3 ¥b4 4.e5 ¤e7 5.a3 ¥c3 6.bc b6 7.£g4 ¤g6 8.h4 h5 9.£g3 ¥a6 10.¤e2 ¦h7 [Once Ehlvest managed to hold the ground with 10...£d7 11.a4 ¥c4 12.¤f4 ¤f4 13.¥f4 ¦h7 14.¥c4 dc 15.O-O £d5 Draw. However, his opponent was not Shirov: Smirin - Ehlvest, Biel 1993. 16.¥g5] 11.¥g5 £d7 12.£f3 This is an interesting novelty, simple and logical - the white knight attacks the black h5-pawn from the g3-square, while avoiding contact with the black g6-knight (which was the case after his move to f4). [Previously happened 12.a4] 12...£a4 13.¤g3 ¥f1 14.¢f1 c5 One should evaluate this move with a question mark but I just cannot do that! Who, except Shirov, could now that the black king was already doomed at that moment? [14...¢f8 may be considered, as long as nobody has yet lost in this way.]
[In the event of 15.¤h5 ¤c6!black stands better , the white center is going to fall apart.] [After 15...ef 16.£d5 ¤c6 17.e6 ¢f8 18.ef , White obtains rich compensation for the material, mainly thanks to the black h7-rook's pitiful position.] 16.¢g1 ef 17.£f5 White threatens with the checkmate in one move by £c8, and also with the e5-e6 breakthrough. Black's g6-knight cannot help him being pinned. And all these threats are created by a couple of white pieces! 17...¤d7 18.e6! [Some amateurs of a positional humiliation over a helpless opponent might have suggested 18.¦h3 ¤df8 19.¦f3 ¤h8 20.a4 - Black cannot untangle a ridiculous knot of his pieces on the kingside and must perish. All the royal cavalry is in a miserable condition, and neither it, nor the black queen may help Humpty-Dumpty on e8.] However, Shirov deals it quickly.
18...¤f6 19.¦e1 £c3 20.ef ¢f7 21.£e6 ¢f8 [23.c3 £g4 24.£d6 ¢g8 25.¥f6+-] 23...¤h4 Black could have already resigned but instead the black villains kill an innocent white pawn. [23...£g4 24.£d6 ¢g8 25.¥f6 ¦f8 26.£d5 ¢h8 27.¦e4+-] 24.¦f4 £c3 25.¥h4 ¦h6 26.¦e5 £d2 27.¥f6 And then Black resigned, after all his cavalry had perished. [1:0] |
