Jul-09-07
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| notyetagm: From http://www.chessninja.com/dailydirt... Position after 41  d5-f5
click for larger view<But the real show was Gelfand-Shirov in round seven, which reached a position worthy of one of our rare diagrams. The position is black to move. Shirov got the right brilliant idea but in the wrong order, although it was still enough to win easily. He played 41..Qf4+!!? 42.gxf4 Bf2+ 43.Qg3 Bxg3 and Gelfand struggled on for a while with a rook a pile of pawns against the queen and the rapidly advancing b-pawn. Gorgeous.But there was an even more convincing and spectacular line available. 41..a1Q! 42.Qxa1 Qf4+ 43.gxf4 Bf2#. Or, and this is really cool, 42.Rxf6+ Qxf6 43.Qxf6+ Qxf6 (three consecutive Qxf6 can't be very common...) 44.gxf6 looks like a fairly simple endgame win for Black, but he doesn't need no stinkin' endgame: 44..Be3 and it's forced mate in one on g5 or f2! Get Horwitz and Kling on the line. [Ryan points out in the comments that on the previous move for White, instead of 41.Rd5-f5 leading to the diagram, he had the sensational try 41.Rxc5! bxc5 42.Qe5!! with stalemate if Black takes the queen. Black plays on with 42..fxg5+ 43.Qxg5+ with a few dozen checks, although it looks like they should run out eventually.]
>
So here Shirov played the stupendous 41 ...  f2-f4+!!? 
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Jul-09-07
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| notyetagm: This Shirov combination is a study in <OVERWORKED PIECES>. The White c3-queen is <OVERWORKED> having to <DEFEND> the a1-promotion square and also <DEFEND> the g3-blocking square. The White f5-rook is <OVERWORKED> having to <DEFEND> the g5-mating focal point and also <DEFEND> the f4-checking focal point. And finally the White g3-pawn is <OVERWORKED> having to <BLOCK> the line e1-h4 to the White h4-king (<SHIELDING> the king) and also <DEFEND> the f4-checking focal point. White c3-queen: <DEFENDING> two squares (g3-,a1-squares) White f5-rook: <DEFENDING> two squares (g5-,f4-squares) White g3-pawn: <BLOCKING> line e1-h4, <DEFENDING> f4-square So the White c3-queen and f5-rook are <OVERWORKED> trying to <DEFEND> two different squares while the White g3-pawn is <OVERWORKED> trying to <BLOCK> a line and <DEFEND> a square |
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Jul-09-07
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| TheBB: <notyetagm> I'm getting really <TIRED> of this. I would put you on ignore if not your other, more normal posts were so good. |
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| Jul-09-07 |
| syracrophy: <TheBB> C'mon, man! Let the guy do his thing. It's great to have all the combination clearly explained. In fact, I ignored that 41...a1=!! was better than the played 41...f4+!! Nice analysis <notyetagm>! Keep on doing your thing! |
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Jul-09-07
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| TheBB: <syracrophy> Of course, but I'd rather have it explained in normal font. It's just being exagarrated to the point of sillyness. |
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Jul-09-07
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| notyetagm: <syracrophy: ... Nice analysis <notyetagm>! Keep on doing your thing!
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Not my analysis, Mig's from www.chessninja.com. |
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Jul-09-07
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| WarmasterKron: 38...Kg6!, 41...Qf4!? good old Shirov! It's a pity he missed 41...a1Q!! - what's better than sacrificing a queen? Sacrificing two, obviously. Brilliant line. |
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Jul-09-07
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| notyetagm: <WarmasterKron: 38...Kg6!, 41...Qf4!? good old Shirov! It's a pity he missed 41...a1Q!! - what's better than sacrificing a queen? Sacrificing two, obviously. Brilliant line.> Yes, 41 ... a2-a1=!! is stupendous. And then you have the great line given by Mig: Position after 41 ... a2-a1=!!
click for larger view<Or, and this is really cool, 42.Rxf6+ Qxf6 43.Qxf6+ Qxf6 (three consecutive Qxf6 can't be very common...) 44.gxf6 looks like a fairly simple endgame win for Black, but he doesn't need no stinkin' endgame: 44..Be3 and it's forced mate in one on g5 or f2! Get Horwitz and Kling on the line.> 
click for larger view44 ...  c5-e3! and mate cannot be avoided!
This line would have been the combination of the year if Shirov had played it. If only he had changed the <MOVE ORDER> and played ... a2-a1=!! first and =then= played the queen sacrifice ... f2-f4+. |
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| Jul-09-07 |
| jon01: Great game, I surely wouldn't like to be white king in that position. |
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Jul-09-07
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| notyetagm: <jon01: Great game, I surely wouldn't like to be white king in that position.> Yes, a very stark reminder that the single most important thing in chess is <KING SAFETY>. The king being <STALEMATED> or <TRAPPED> on the edge of the board as it is here creates all =kinds= of incredible tactical opportunities, such as the ... a2-a1=!! idea seen in this game. Too bad for Shirov that he couldn't get Aronian into a position like this last month so that we could see his great tactical genius when it counted the most. |
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| Jul-09-07 |
| BipolarChessorder: Why didn't Gelfand play 40. Qxf6+ ? How does black win from there? |
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| Jul-10-07 |
| syracrophy: <<BipolarChessorder: Why didn't Gelfand play 40. Qxf6+ ? How does black win from there?>> 40.xf6+ xf6 41.gxf6 a2 42.d1 d4  and "That's all, folks...!" |
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Jul-10-07
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| benveniste: What a wild sequence after move 40!
I don't see a win for black after 41. xc5.
After 41. f5, a1= creates a truly amusing situation. If white takes either "hanging" queen, mate follows immediately. White can escape immediate mate with 42. b3. |
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| Jul-10-07 |
| Jim Bartle: Straight into the "Fire on Board 3" file. |
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| Jul-10-07 |
| kingsindian2006: have people forgot this is a RAPID game...!!!!
For shirov to have played this combo under the time control and situation in the game is no doubt the combo of the year...
Forget about museums if you want to see a masterpiece here you go for free...:) |
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| Jul-10-07 |
| Jim Bartle: No, I haven't forgotten it's a rapid game...because I didn't know that until now. |
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| Jul-11-07 |
| syracrophy: <benveniste> <...I don't see a win for black after 41.xc5> After 41.xc5 bxc5 and now White has to stop 42...fxg5#, and if 42.xf6+ xf6 and the  promotes, or 42.gxf6 xf6+ exchanges s and promotes |
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Jul-14-07
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| benveniste: <syracrophy>, if black plays bxc5, white responds 42. e5, giving black the choice of a stalemate (fxe5) or a perpetual check. |
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| Jul-14-07 |
| syracrophy: <benveniste: <syracrophy>, if black plays bxc5, white responds 42. e5, giving black the choice of a stalemate (fxe5) or a perpetual check.> Don't take it too serious. It was just a blitz game anyways ;-) |
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| Jul-14-07 |
| Kublo: where is the perpetual check on 42. e5? 42.e5 fxg5 43.Qxg5. and then?
However awesome play , well played by both. Obviously 41...a1=Q would have been much better. |
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| Sep-04-07 |
| znprdx: Perhaps all this analysis is a bit too much hot air :)? Couldn't Shirov have forced the winning theme earlier with 37...Kh6 which seems to oblige 38.Qf8 (to stop Qxf4 > Bf2 combo) unless somehow R or Q to d3 is a spoiler which I don't see. After ...Be3 it is all over before time control. |
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| Nov-22-07 |
| miguel12: This was a rapid game?!? Wow, I wouldnt have seen this combo in a 2 hr game. |
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Dec-30-07
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| An Englishman: Good Afternoon: The whole game is interesting. The first original move is White's 19th; Last year Gelfand tried the immediate Rook capture and drew quickly against van Woely <sp?>. Those two outside passed pawns don't look like much, but Black's position seems to be a pretty tough fortress to crack. Perhaps White needs to blockade the pawns sooner. |
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Feb-07-08
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| hitman84: Simply brilliant! |
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| May-22-08 |
| addiction to chess: Simply Genius! |
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