(1) Shirov,A (2755) - Anand,V (2799) [B96]



1.e4 c5 Anand usually replies 1.e4 with either 1...e5 or 1...c5. In the last decade he lost with 1...e5 extremely rare and won almost every fourth game (in average, naturally). Sicilian is a much riskier choice for the World Champion: he lost considerably more games after 1...c5 than after 1...e5. Nevertheless his winning quota with Sicilian is also much higher. Considering Anand's large plus score against Shirov, the choice of Sicilian was expectable - the World Champion intended to play for a win right from his very first game in Morelia!

2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 Shirov has played many games with 6.Be3 against Najdorf, but he switched to 6.Bg5 lately, so Anand was certanly well prepared to meet it.

6...e6 7.f4 Nbd7 [Other examples from Shirov's recent practice in this variation are: 7...Qb6 8.Qd2 Qxb2 9.Rb1 Qa3 10.e5 h6 11.Bh4 dxe5 12.fxe5 Nfd7 13.Ne4 Qxa2 14.Rd1 Qd5 15.Qe3 Qxe5 16.Be2 Bc5 17.Bg3 Bxd4 18.Rxd4 Qa5+ 19.Rd2 0-0 20.Bd6 Nc6 21.0-0 f5 22.Bxf8 Nxf8 23.Nd6 b5 24.Bf3 Bd7 25.Nxf5 exf5 26.Rxd7 Nxd7 27.Bxc6 Rd8 28.Bxd7 1-0 Shirov,A (2715)-Guliyev,N (2545)/Calatrava (rapid) 2007; 7...Qc7 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.Be2 Nc6 10.Qd3 h5 11.0-0-0 Bd7 12.Nf5!? exf5 13.Nd5 Qa5 14.Nxf6+ Kd8 15.Nxd7 Kxd7 16.Qb3 with a complete mess, Shirov,A (2739)-Akopian,V (2713)/Khanty-Mansiysk 2007]

8.Qf3 Qc7 9.0-0-0 b5 10.Bd3 Shirov remains true to his style. He prefers to go for complicated battle rather than make short draws, which is very appealing to spectators. The drawback of this style is that sometimes his opponents are trying to take advantage of Shirov's fighting mood. [The chess theory is so much developed, that even in the sharpest variations there are often forced draws. Take a look at the following game: 10.e5 Bb7 11.Qh3 dxe5 12.Nxe6 fxe6 13.Qxe6+ Be7 14.Bxb5 axb5 15.Nxb5 Qc6 16.Nd6+ Kd8 17.fxe5 Kc7 18.Qxe7 Rxa2 19.exf6 Ra1+ 20.Kd2 Qd5+ 21.Kc3 Qa5+ 22.Kd3








Now draw by repetition: checks on d5 and a5. The entire variation is more or less forced: after 10.e5 Black should objectively go for it and repeat moves in the end. The diagram position is from the game Nisipeanu,L (2584)-Shirov,A (2734), Las Vegas 1999, where the Romanian Grandmaster quite unexpectedly forced such a draw with the white pieces in the first game of their mini-match. Normally this should have meant a psychological victory for Shirov, who made an easy draw with black, but on the other hand it provoked him to play the second game even more aggressive than usual. Nisipeanu won it with Black, cleverly using Shirov's hyper-aggressive play...]

10...Bb7 11.Rhe1 Qb6 [Anand is not willing to wait for Shirov's improvement over his loss against Van Wely last year: 11...Be7 12.Qg3 b4 13.Nd5 exd5 14.exd5 Kd8 15.Nc6+ Bxc6 16.dxc6 Nc5 17.Bc4 Nfe4 18.Qe3 f5 19.g4 g6 20.gxf5 gxf5 21.Rd5 Bxg5 22.fxg5 Rf8 23.Rf1 Qxc6 24.Rdxf5 Rxf5 25.Rxf5 Qe8 26.Rf7 Rc8 27.Rxh7 Qe5 28.g6 Na4 29.g7 Qxb2+ 0-1 Shirov,A (2699)-Van Wely,L (2674)/Foros 2007.]

12.Nb3 Rc8 A rare move. [In December 2007 Shirov obtained a promising position against the more popular 11...b4: 12...b4 13.Nb1 Be7 14.N1d2 Qc7 15.Qh3 e5 16.Nc4 0-0 17.Nba5 Bc8 18.Qg3 Re8 19.Kb1 but with accurate defense Black achieved a draw, Shirov,A (2739)-Karjakin,S (2694)/Khanty-Mansiysk 2007.]

13.Qh3 In the only available game with this position White continued 13.Kb1.








The first critical position.

13...Rxc3! Thanks to this quite typical Sicilian positional exchange sacrifice Black break opponent's pawn structure and build good attacking perspectives.

14.bxc3 Qc7 15.Kb1 [15.Kb2 is weak in view of 15...Nb6 followed by a check on a4.]

15...Be7








It turns out that Black's play is easier (Nb6-a4, 0-0 and Rc8, or at some moment d6-d5), while it is not easy to indicate a clear plan for White. Shirov starts active actions in the center.

16.e5 Without the knight on c3 this advance has the obvious drawback that allows Black's knight to come to d5.

16...dxe5 17.f5 [After 17.fxe5 Black has a rather pleasant chopice between 17...Nxe5 (or 17...Nd5 ) 18.Qg3 Bd6 19.Bxf6 gxf6 ]

17...Nd5 [Stronger than 17...exf5 18.Bxf5 Nb6 19.Qg3 ]

18.Bxe7 Kxe7 19.fxe6 fxe6 20.Qg3 g6 [Again Anand's play is better than 20...Nxc3+ 21.Ka1 Nxd1 22.Qxg7+ Kd6 23.Rxd1 when it is White who has the initiative.]

21.Rd2 Rc8








The second critical position. Notice that Anand cleverly postponed taking on c3 with the knight. Thus he first of all keeps the d-file closed and secondly puts more pressure on Shirov, who must always calculate more variations for Black.

22.Qg5+? Up to this point both opponents played strongly, but now Shirov loses the thread. [Necessary was 22.Qh4+ forcing the knight to come to f6. Then 22...N7f6 23.Rf2 would have kept the position double-edged.]

22...Ke8 23.Qg4 [Nothing brings 23.Bxg6+ hxg6 24.Qxg6+ Ke7 25.Qg7+ Kd6 with advantage for Black.; 23.Qh4 is also not the same anymore, although it was preferable to the game. Black keeps better chances after 23...N7b6 ]

23...Nxc3+ 24.Ka1 Bd5 Right in time. Black has everything protected and his pieces coordinate perfectly.

25.Re3 Nf6 26.Qh4 Qe7 27.Bf1










27...Bxb3! 28.cxb3 [28.axb3 is mate in one: 28...Qa3# ]

28...Nce4 29.Rb2 Rc1+ 30.Rb1 Qc5 [The mate is inevitable: 30...Qc5 31.Rd3 Qc2 A great victory for Anand.] 0-1