Chess: A little lunacy in Linares
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Your support makes all the difference.WE CANNOT say goodbye to Linares without looking at the craziest game of the tournament - Shirov's win against Kramnik in round 11.
The opening is a Shirov special, 2 . . . Bf5 in the Queen's Gambit. Getting the bishop out is all very well, but it leaves the Q-side pawns vulnerable. Indeed, after 5. Qb3, Black has a problem. 5 . . . Qc8 encourages 6. Bf4 and 7. Rc1, 5 . . . Qc7 can still be met by 6. Bf4 (when Qxf4 loses to Qxb7), and 5 . . . Qb6 allows the space-gaining 6. c5. After 6 . . . Qxb3 7. axb3, White will continue with b4 and b5, forcing pawn weaknesses.
Kramnik's 7. Bf4] repeated the trick previously mentioned and confirmed White's advantage. Shirov had to free his game with e5, so removed one guard on that square with Be4 and Bxf3, then contorted himself with Bd8 and Bc7 to challenge the bishop on f4. With 20. b6 and 21. a5, Kramnik buried the black Q-side pieces, which is when the fun began.
After 24. g3, Black can hardly consider Bb8, when his rook will never emerge from a8, so the piece sacrifice is forced. 30 . . . Rf6] is a delightfully cheeky move, planning to meet 31. Rh3 with 31 . . . Rg6] 32. Rxh2 Nxh2+ 33. Kg1 Nf3+. Black's next move, 31 . . . Re4] is quite astounding. After 32. fxe4 fxe4 33. Rh3 Rxf4+ 34. Ke1 Qg1+ Black is winning, while 32. Nxe4 fxe4 looks equally dangerous.
Kramnik created a diversion with 32. Nxd5]? and 33. c6, Shirov again forked his own pieces with 34 . . . Re4] and the whole thing came to a head two moves later. After 36. Rc8 Qg3] 37. b8=Q Nh2+ 38. Kg1 Re1+ 39. Qxe1 Qxe1+ 40. Kxh2 Qh4+ 41. Bh3 Qf2+ the game must end in a draw. Playing 36. b8=Q, Kramnik must have underestimated 37 . . . Qh2] With 40. Rf2 losing to Rxg2 and Qh1+, White is lost. At the end, Black picks up the b-pawn and wins easily.
----------------------------------------------------------------- White: Kramnik ----------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Shirov 1 Nf3 d5 23 Qc2 Qd7 2 d4 Bf5 24 g3 Qxh3 3 c4 e6 25 Bg2 Qh5 4 Nc3 c6 26 gxf4 Ng4 5 Qb3 Qb6 27 Rfd1 Rae8 6 c5 Qc7 28 Rd3 Qh2+ 7 Bf4 Qc8 29 Kf1 f5 8 e3 Nf6 30 Qd2 Rf6 9 Qa4 Nbd7 31 f3 Re4 10 b4 a6 32 Nxd5 cxd5 11 h3 Be7 33 c6 Rxf4 12 Qb3 0-0 34 cxb7 Re4 13 Be2 Be4 35 Rc1 Kh7 14 0-0 Bxf3 36 b8=Q Qxb8 15 Bxf3 Bd8 37 fxg4 Qh2 16 a4 Bc7 38 Rf3 Rxg4 17 Bg5 h6 39 b7 Rfg6 18 Bxf6 Nxf6 40 Rc2 Rxg2 19 b5 e5 41 Qxg2 Rxg2 20 b6 Bb8 42 Rxg2 Qh1+ 21 a5 exd4 43 Kf2 Qb1 22 exd4 Bf4 White resigns -----------------------------------------------------------------
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