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Anish Giri vs Alexey Shirov
European Team Championship (2015), Reykjavik ISL, rd 8, Nov-21
Sicilian Defense: Nezhmetdinov-Rossolimo Attack. Fianchetto Variation (B31)  ·  1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Nov-21-15  luzhin: 31.Rd1! was a neat trick, but very suprising that such a supreme tactician as Shirov should have missed it.
Nov-21-15  Atking: <luzhin> Tactic belongs to the youth, GM Shirov is of course still brilliant but at the end of a tough tournament he could be a bit tired.
Nov-21-15  Pulo y Gata: Shirov won this for Giri. 30...Rd3??? one of those moves you make in one of those days...
Nov-21-15  Mehem: <Shirov won this for Giri> Moves like 30... Rd3 are to a great extent the result of a constant stress exerted by the opponent. Shirov surely saw that after 30... Qb4□ White got the initiative on the K-side (Ng5, Rh1) so he wanted to prevent this kind of danger. If not the small tactics with 31.Rd1 it would've been a good move.
Nov-21-15  Pulo y Gata: 30...Qb4 is of course the only correct move. 31. Ng5-Rh1 is a phantom threat. I think <Atking> is closer to the truth: Shirov must be tired to have blundered like this.
Nov-21-15  truefriends: < Pulo y Gata: 30...Qb4 is of course the only correct move. 31. Ng5-Rh1 is a phantom threat.>

Your engine will tell you those are very real treats. The position after <30... Qb4> is probably also close to winning for white at this level.

So I believe Shirov must have seen he was in big trouble after <Qb4> and so saw <Rd3> as "only" move...

Nov-21-15  Pulo y Gata: I don't use any engine. Can you post your findings here? I can't see a forced win for White after Qb4.

So Shirov saw a long line that will possibly be losing and decided to play a lemon and resigned immediately. That's kind of a great explanation.

Nov-23-15  truefriends: On chess24.com you can play trough the game with analysis... just move the pieces and the analysis will update... also if you play moves that are not in the game
Nov-23-15  Pulo y Gata: Thanks, truefriends. But that defeats the purpose of analysis imo. I don't analyze with engines unless I am using it for preparation. I thought you ran QB4 in one of your engines and was curious about your findings coz I just can't see a forced win or a " close to winning" position for white as you claim.
Nov-24-15  truefriends: I claimed "close to winning for white <at this level>"... A very important detail!

In the analysis on the live broadcast by Giri (on chess.com after the game) he also called the position after Qb4 very difficult for black.

Nov-24-15  Pulo y Gata: Indeed, a very important detail. At his level, Shirov, a very strong player, played 30...Rd3 and gave up the ghost. My friend, I was just requesting some lines in support of your post. Maybe I sounded offensive? My apology, but let's not underestimate the ability of the human mind to fail at any level because we think it will perform like the engines we are using.
Nov-25-15  Nova: 31. ? would make a great puzzle!
Nov-25-15
Premium Chessgames Member
  tpstar: Nice cross-pin.

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