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Alexey Shirov vs Ulf Andersson
"The Swedish Inquisition" (game of the day Mar-22-2022)
Biel (1991), Biel SUI, rd 5
Zukertort Opening: Sicilian Invitation (A04)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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sac: 44...Bxh4 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

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Kibitzer's Corner
Mar-06-04  refutor: i was reading an old Chess Life and they were talking about Shirov's remarkable 47. ... Bh3!! in Topalov vs Shirov, 1998 and apparently he was inspired by Andersson's 44. ... Bxh4! in this game...

"Alexei...deflected some of the credit to another player who is renowned for his endgame play...GM Ulf Andersson. After Topalov's 47th move, Alexei recalled how he was racking his brain trying to find the winning method, when in a moment of inspiration he remembered a game he had lost to Andersson some years before."

Jun-08-04  Rowson: The original i think is the best. Bxh4!! hard to see.
Apr-19-07  neill: intuition plays a big role in this game!
Sep-29-07  sanyas: If you feel uncomfortable in an opposite color ♗ ending, just sack the ♗!
Jul-10-08  WickedPawn: <sanyas: If you feel uncomfortable in an opposite color B ending, just sack the Bishop!> This is certainly the quote of the year.
Sep-14-09  LuckyBlunder: @Rowson: IMO Black's move #49(Kb4) is more difficult to execute .. even that 44 Bxh4 is not an obvious move, it is intuitively easier to find. (easier does not mean easy :P).
Oct-05-09
Premium Chessgames Member
  Mateo: Well, well, well, what about 45.Bc2?...
Apr-02-11  CKT73: What a fantastic endgame tactic! How has this game not been featured as a game of the day? So much to learn from this one.
Apr-02-11  SimonWebbsTiger: 45. Bc2 receives the following note in Informator 53/2, by Ulf:

45. Bc2 Be1 46. Bd1 Bd2 47. Kf3 Kg5 48. Bc2 Bc3 49. Kg3 Bd4 50. Kf3 Kh4 51. Bd1 Kh3 52. Bc2 Kh2 53. Bd1 Kg1 54. Ke2 Kg2 55. Bc2 Kg3 56. Bd1 e4

Oct-06-19  RookLifter: 44. ...Bx44!! Witty and inspiring, indeed a useful lesson :-)
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Interesting that at the end, Black left b5 as a shield for a4.
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  catlover: In the end, Andersson's queenside pawns looked like a swarm of angry bees.
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  An Englishman: Good Evening: "No one expects the Swedish Inquisition!"
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: I don't understand 43. g4. What does black do after 43. Bg2 ? There's no way for the black ♔ to get past the picket line.
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: I'm liking these historical puns. Bad pawn play by white on the kingside?
Mar-22-22  goodevans: <16.Bxa5> seems reckless. Can't Black just take the rook?


click for larger view

After 16...Bxa1 17.Qxa1 I want to play 17...Nxd2 18.Bxd2 Bxf3 but of course that doesn't work because of 19.Bh6.

So what if I change the move order? <16...Nxd2 17.Bxd2 Bxf3 18.Bxf3 Bxa1> looks winning to me.


click for larger view

But if Andersson had found that then we'd have been deprived of 44.Bxh4!

Mar-22-22  Brenin: <al wazir>: <What does black do after 43. Bg2 ?> This is not a legal move. Did you mean 43 Bc2 (or possibly Kg2)? In either case, 43 ... e4(+) creates a gap in the picket line for the Black K to exploit.
Mar-22-22
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: <Brenin: Did you mean 43 Bc2 (or possibly Kg2)? In either case, 43 ... e4(+) creates a gap in the picket line for the Black K to exploit.>

Yes, I meant 43. Bc2. Thanks for the correction.

You're right, as usual. After 43. Bc2 e4+! 44. Bxe4, black plays 44...Bxg3!! and wins as in the game line. The black ♔ breaks through, gobbles a ♙ or two, and now the white ♗ can't stop all of black's Q-side ♙s in time to promote his own h-♙.

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