chessgames.com
Members · Prefs · Laboratory · Collections · Openings · Endgames · Sacrifices · History · Search Kibitzing · Kibitzer's Café · Chessforums · Tournament Index · Players · Kibitzing

Chessgames premium membership fee will increase to $39 per year effective June 15, 2023. Enroll Now!

Sergei Tiviakov vs Alexey Shirov
Oakham YM (1992), Oakham ENG, rd 5, Mar-28
Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan. Sveshnikov Variation Chelyabinsk Variation (B33)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Click Here to play Guess-the-Move
Given 1 time; par: 53 [what's this?]

explore this opening
find similar games 12 more Tiviakov/Shirov games
sac: 29...Bxg2 PGN: download | view | print Help: general | java-troubleshooting

TIP: Olga is our default viewer, but we offer other choices as well. You can use a different viewer by selecting it from the pulldown menu below and pressing the "Set" button.

PGN Viewer:  What is this?
For help with this chess viewer, please see the Olga Chess Viewer Quickstart Guide.
PREMIUM MEMBERS CAN REQUEST COMPUTER ANALYSIS [more info]

A COMPUTER ANNOTATED SCORE OF THIS GAME IS AVAILABLE.  [CLICK HERE]

Kibitzer's Corner
May-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  Phony Benoni: Sneaky! 29. ...Nh3+ 30.gxh3 Rg6 doesn't work because of 31.Nxg6 is check..

On to Plan B!

May-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  gawain: I thought I saw something starting with 29...Nh3+ 30 gxh3 Rg6 If I were in hurry that's what I would have tried.
May-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  al wazir: I tried this line first: 29...Bf3 30. Nxf3 (30. gxf3/Re1 Rg7) Nh3+ 31. gxh3 Rg6 32. Qxg6 hxg6 33. Nxe5 Qf6. But white gets too much material in exchange for the ♕.

I eventually opted for the combination played in the game.

May-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  agb2002: Black is a pawn down.

The position of the white queen looks rather unfortunate and the bishop blocks the rook on a7. Therefore, 29... Bxg2, with the double threat Nh3+ and Rg7:

A) 30.Bxg2 Rg7

A.1) 31.Ng6+ Rgxg6 32.Qh4 Nxg2 wins decisive material.

A.2) 31.Qxg7+ Kxg7 looks very good for Black. For example, 32.Rxa6 Rf7 33.Nf3 Nxg2 34.Kxg2 Qc8 35.Raxd6 Qg4+ 36.Kf1 Qxf3, etc.

A.3) 31.Qxf6 Qxf6 wins decisive material.

B) 30.Nxg2 Nh3+ wins.

C) 30.Ng6+ Nxg6

C.1) 31.Kxg2 Rxf2+ 32.Kxf2 Qxg5 wins.

C.2) 31.Bxg2 Nf4 followed by Rg7 wins a piece at least.

C.3) 31.Qxg2 Rg7 looks very good for White. For example, 32.Kh1 Nf4 33.Qf3 Qg8 34.Bxa6 (34.Bh3 Rh6 followed by Rg2) 34... Rh6 35.Bb7 Rgg6 36.Ra8 Rxh2+ 37.Kxh2 Rh6+ and mate next.

D) 30.Qg3(4) Rg7 wins decisive material.

May-20-20  saturn2: I found 29...Bxg2 with the idea of letting Rg8 or Nh3 follow. But black has also to take care of Rxe5 or Qxe5

Apart from lines already mentioned I also looked at

30. Qxe5 Nh3+ 31. Kxg2 Qg8+ and now black can take the queen.

May-20-20  mel gibson: I didn't see it yet it looks so easy once you're shown.

Stockfish 11 agrees with the text:

29... Bxg2

(29. .. Bxg2 (♗b7xg2 ♗f1xg2
♖a7-g7 ♖a5xe5 ♖g7xg5 ♖e5xg5 ♘f4-e2+ ♔g1-h1 ♖f6xf2 ♖g5-g4 h7-h5 ♖g4-e4 ♘e2xc3 ♖e4-e7 ♖f2xg2 ♖d1-e1 ♖g2-g8 ♘h4-g6+ ♖g8xg6 ♖e7-e8+ ♕d8xe8 ♖e1xe8+ ♔h8-g7 ♖e8-e7+ ♔g7-h6 ♖e7-e3 ♘c3-b5 ♖e3-d3 ♖g6-g4 ♖d3-d2 ♖g4xb4 ♖d2-a2 ♘b5-c7 ♖a2-c2 ♘c7-d5 ♖c2-a2 ♘d5-e3 ♔h1-g1 ♖b4-b6 ♔g1-f2 ♘e3-c4 ♔f2-e2 d6-d5 ♖a2-a1 ♔h6-g5 ♔e2-d3) +6.82/38 154)

score for Black +6.82 depth 38

May-20-20  SlowBishop: 31. Qxe5 Nh3+
A) 32. Kh1 Nxf2+ 33. Kg1 Nxd1
B) 32. Kf1 Rxf2+ 33. Ke1 Qxh4
May-20-20
Premium Chessgames Member
  OhioChessFan: Awful tough for a Wednesday...
May-20-20  malt: Freeing the Rook, with 29...B:g2
30.B:g2
(30.N:g2 Nh3+ )

30...Rg7 31.Q:e5 Nh3+ 32.Kf1
(32.Kh1 Nf2+ 33.Kg1 N:d1 )

32...R:f2+ 33.Ke1 Q:h4 )

(34.R:d6 Rf5+ )
(34.Qe8+ Rf8+ )

May-20-20  Brenin: On the face of it, White found the best defence to this combination, avoiding mate and coming out with R+B+P for the Q he rashly exposed to attack with 27 Qh5. However, his position at the end of it was a complete mess, giving Black plenty of opportunities to renew his attack. Playing 35 Bd5+ didn't help: it exposed the K along the g-file, and left the B hanging, allowing a neat finish by Black.
May-20-20  TheaN: Ah. Botched this one with the Nh3+ line. I did see Nxg6+ is check but somehow only envisioned it after Qxg6. Weird.
May-20-20  landshark: I found the first few moves ok but the resulting position after White's 32.Rxe5 is just the kind I have trouble with - I chose 32... Qf8 (-1.5 ish) instead of the much more precise Qc8 (about -5).
May-20-20  Damenlaeuferbauer: After long pondering, the then just 19 or 20 years old great Latvian chess player Alexey Shirov, who is the only legal inheritor of the immortal "wizard of Riga" and 8th world champion Mikhail Tal, finally found 29.-,Bxg2! 30.Bxg2 (30.Nxg2,Nh3+ -+) 30.-,Rg7 -+. Contrary to other variations of the Sicilian, the Sveshnikov is so popular among players and dangerous, because black (and not white) attacks on the king side.
May-20-20  Predrag3141: It's an advantage to have a queen for a rook and minor piece if the other side has weak pawns. So once White's queen was gone, I looked at ways to pick off the b and c pawns. Totally wrong plan! For example, the difference between the evaluations of 32 ... Qc7 (thinking only of White's pawns) and 32 ... Qc8 is about 3 pawns.
May-20-20  zb2cr: Did not get this.

NOTE: Create an account today to post replies and access other powerful features which are available only to registered users. Becoming a member is free, anonymous, and takes less than 1 minute! If you already have a username, then simply login login under your username now to join the discussion.

Please observe our posting guidelines:

  1. No obscene, racist, sexist, or profane language.
  2. No spamming, advertising, duplicate, or gibberish posts.
  3. No vitriolic or systematic personal attacks against other members.
  4. Nothing in violation of United States law.
  5. No cyberstalking or malicious posting of negative or private information (doxing/doxxing) of members.
  6. No trolling.
  7. The use of "sock puppet" accounts to circumvent disciplinary action taken by moderators, create a false impression of consensus or support, or stage conversations, is prohibited.
  8. Do not degrade Chessgames or any of it's staff/volunteers.

Please try to maintain a semblance of civility at all times.

Blow the Whistle

See something that violates our rules? Blow the whistle and inform a moderator.


NOTE: Please keep all discussion on-topic. This forum is for this specific game only. To discuss chess or this site in general, visit the Kibitzer's Café.

Messages posted by Chessgames members do not necessarily represent the views of Chessgames.com, its employees, or sponsors.
All moderator actions taken are ultimately at the sole discretion of the administration.

This game is type: CLASSICAL. Please report incorrect or missing information by submitting a correction slip to help us improve the quality of our content.

<This page contains Editor Notes. Click here to read them.>

Featured in the Following Game Collections[what is this?]
Shirov again showing a killer Sveshnikov.
from My Sicilians part I:Sveshnikov by Nikita Smirnov
Game 38
from Fire on the Board by Alexey Shirov by suenteus po 147
Instructive Tactical Finishes
by Easy Point
29...? (Wednesday, May 20)
from POTD Sicilian Defense 7 by takchess
MKD's Sicilian Defense Black 2
by MKD
Game 38
from Fire on the Board by Alexey Shirov by Wladneto
29...? (May 20, 2020)
from Wednesday Puzzles, 2018-2022 by Phony Benoni
Game 38
from Fire on Board 1 (Shirov) by Qindarka
Game 38
from Fire on Board 1 (Shirov) by isfsam
0ZeR0's Favorite Games Volume 4
by 0ZeR0
29...? (Wednesday, May 20)
from Puzzle of the Day 2020 by Phony Benoni
Game 38
from Fire on Board 1 (Shirov) by Okavango
Game 38
from Fire on Board 1 (Shirov) by Popaluap

Home | About | Login | Logout | F.A.Q. | Profile | Preferences | Premium Membership | Kibitzer's Café | Biographer's Bistro | New Kibitzing | Chessforums | Tournament Index | Player Directory | Notable Games | World Chess Championships | Opening Explorer | Guess the Move | Game Collections | ChessBookie Game | Chessgames Challenge | Store | Privacy Notice | Contact Us

Copyright 2001-2023, Chessgames Services LLC