CHESS

Shirov shines Raymond Keene

ALEXEI SHIROV has qualified for a world championship match against Garry Kasparov. There have been some doubts expressed, not least in this column, about Kasparov's method of selecting his chal- lenger. However, the brilliant and convinc- ing manner of Shirov's victory will go a long way towards dispelling dissent. Before this match started I, along with most other commentators, firmly believed that Kram- nik was the favourite, and might even go on to defeat Kasparov. That Shirov should annihilate him, controlling the match at every stage and not losing a single game, establishes the brilliant ex-Latvian as a match player of the very front rank, and a worthy contender to Kasparov's throne.

The final game of the contest was partic- ularly impressive. It was Kramnik's last scheduled White of the event and he pulled out all the stops in an effort to seize the ini- tiative and land a decisive blow. In such a tense situation the natural tendency is to retire into one's shell, minimise the dam- age and hope for a draw which would bring the ultimate match goal of 51/2 points that much closer. Instead, Shirov launched a vicious counter-attack, sacrificing a whole rook in order to pin White's king down in the centre. When the smoke cleared, Kramnik faced an endgame which might just have been tenable, given a perfect defence, but which in the practical struggle would always prove too difficult to hold. So often, important matches finish in anti-cli- max. Here, in contrast, is how Shirov ended things, not with a whimper, but with a bang.

Kramnik-Shirov: Candidates Match, Cazorla 1998; Grunfeld Defence.

1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 g6 3 f3 Unable to discover anything convincing against the main lines of Shirov's habitual Grunfeld Defence, which commence 3 Nc3 d5, Kramnik resorts to a variation popu-

larised by Nimzowitsch and Alekhine in the late 1920s. The idea is to strengthen White's centre, chase Black's king's knight round the board, but prevent the trade on c3. 3 ...d5 An alternative is 3 Bg7 4 e4 d6 5 Nc3 0-0 6 Be3 Nbd7 7 Nh3 as in Nimzowitsch–Tartakower, Carlsbad 1929. Such a transposition to the King's Indian Defence would presumably have suited Kram- nik, but not Shirov, who wanted a more open battle. 4 cxd5 NxdS 5 e4 Nb6 6 Nc3 Bg7 7 Be3 0- 0 Black should avoid 7 ...Nc6 8 d5 Ne5 9 Bd4 f6 10 f4 with a clear advantage to White as in Alekhine–Bogoljubow, World Championship 1929. 8 Qd2 e5 9 d5 c6 Positively encouraging White to create a giant passed pawn on d6. In compensation, Shirov opens fresh perspectives for his queen. 10 h4 h5 11 Bet cxd5 12 exd5 N8d7 13 d6 Nf6 14 Bg5 Re8 15 Rdl Be6 One might expect 15 ... Bd7 to keep White's passed pawn firmly blockaded. It is extraordinary in this game that Shirov treats such a mighty weapon with utter disdain. 16 Nh3 Nc4 17 Bxc4 Bxc4 18 b3 Ba6 19 Nd5 e4 20 Nxf6+ Bxf6 21 d7 White's strategy appears to have triumphed, with his passed pawn scything through Black's vitals, but Black's next move, presumably prepared long in advance, reveals the true situation. 21 ... Qb6 (Diagram) Amazingly, since White's king is Position after 21 . . . Qb6 pinned down in the centre, Black can sacrifice a whole rook. 22 dxe8Q+ Rxe8 23 Qe3 White must immediately bale out against the terrible threat of ... exf3+. 23 ...Bxg5 White's 11V3 i move admits that in the long run his cause s hopeless. However, if he tests Black's idea to the full with 24 QxgS, retaining his extra rook, then it is mate after 24 ... exf3+ 25 Kd2 Qd4+ 26 Kcl Qal + 27 Kc2 Rc8+ 28 Kd2 Qc3. 24 Qxb6 Bxb4+ 25 Kd2 If 25 Qf2 exf3+ wins easily. 25 ...axb6 26 fxe4 Rxe4 27 Kc2 Rg4 28 Rd2 Bel 29 Rgl Kg7 It is remotely possible, given that this endgame is formally equal on material (bishop plus two pawns equals five points, same as White's rook), that a divinely inspired defence might just save White. In the practical struggle, though, his situation is hopeless. Black's ranging bishops are bound to snare more material at some point, when the game will be up. 30 NO Rf4 31 Nd3 Re4 32 Rgdl Bb5 33 a4 Bc6 34 Rel Rxel 35 Nxel Bb4 (Diagram) That's it. White Position after 35 . . . Bb4 has stumbled into a tactical trick which means that the last vestige of his kingside is now eradi- cated. 36 Re2 Bxe1 37 Rxel Bxg2 38 Kd2 b4 39 Ke3 Bd5 40 b4 h3 41 Re2 f5 42 Rd2 Be4 43 Kf4 Bg2 44 Rd7+ Kf6 45 Rh7 If 45 Rd6+ Ke7 and Black's h-pawn will promote. 45 g5+ 46 KO f4+ 47 Kg4 Ke5 48 h5 White resigns.

Final Crosstable

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Shirov

1/2 1/2 1/2

1

1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 51/2

Kramnik

1/2 1/2 1/2

0

1/2 1/2

I/2 I/2

0

31/i