Shirov's plan was quite risky, but apparently he could have gotten equality - even if not a win - with 22...Qg4.>

After 21 Ng3 fxg5 it seems that the move ...Bg4 must still be regarded as a threat. In that case instead of 22 Re1, waiting for ...Bg4, 22 Nf5 at once offers a pawn on f5 in order to open the central e file against Black's position . On 22...Bxf5 23 exf5 Nxf5 24 Re1 White's central counterattack may win.

I argue that the attacking plan begun by 13...Kh8 is unsound because in the position before 13...Kh8 it is White who has a positional advantage and not Black. The writings of Steinitz and Lasker - taken together with other things- seem adequate reason for believing that if Black has a positional disadvantage, the attacking plan is unsound.

Again, that's making weaker moves for Black than necessary. Much better is to capture on f5 the other way around - 22...Nxf5 23.exf5 Bxf5 - where Black can continue with e4. I don't think you'll find the win for White that you're looking for in the 21.Ng3 fxg5 line - White probably has nothing better than 22.Nd2 here.

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This position results from the principal variation from the final position of the game.

White (Kamsky) has just played a sequence of 5(!) consecutive checks, forcing the Black king from h8 to d7 and into a <PAWN FORK> alignment with the Black f7-rook.

This game continuation is a great illustration of the value of <FORCING MOVES>. By simply calculating a sequence of five <CHECKS>, to which Black each time has only a single response, White is able to create a winning <PAWN FORK>.

Use <FORCING MOVES> to make your opponent <LINE UP> his pieces! Use <FORCING MOVES> to make your opponent's pieces <LOOSE>!

Kamsky vs Shirov, 2007

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39. Rgxg8+ Kh7 40. Rh8+ Kg7 41. Rdg8+ Kf6 42. e5+ Ke7 43. Re8+ Kd7 44. e6+

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The sequence of <FORCING MOVES> 39. Rgxg8+, 40. Rh8+, 41. Rdg8+, 42. e5+, 43. Re8+ <FORCE> the Black h8-king to d7 and into a <PAWN FORK> alignment with the Black f7-rook.

<15.d4! The stock advice about meeting a flank attack with play in the center exists for a reason: it works!>

after 17.Nf3

17...Nf4, 18.Nxf4, fxf4 19.Qxe5,Qxe5, 20. Nxe5, Bxh3! forcing rook + pawn capture in exchange for two pawns

if 19.Nxe5, Rg5 wins a piece

better I think for white is
19. Qh4, Qxh4 20. Nxe4, Bxh6 21. Kh2 but 21...Bxg2, 22.Nxg2, Ng4+, 23. Kh1, Rg6 looks very uncomfortable for White

if 19.Nxe5, Rg5 wins a piece>

Assuming you mean 18...gxf4 - it's true that 19.Qxe5 isn't good for White, but after 19.Nxe5 Rg5 he can play 20.Qxh6!; and if Black tries 19...Qg7 then 20.g3/g4 fxg3 21.f4! - in both cases White has a clear edge. Another possibility for White, which might be even stronger, is to take the time for playing 19.Kh1/h2 so as to neutralize Black's tactics on the g file - e.g. 19.Kh1 Re8 [19...Qg7 20.Rg1] 20.R(c/f)d1, aiming for d5.

Btw, I'm not so sure that 29...Ng4+ (or the same knight check a move earlier) indeed saves Black, though it's probably better than what was actually played in the game - White's two powerful connected passed pawns in the center should still give him an advantage. But again - 22...Qg4 was probably good enough.>

On 21 Ng3 fg 22 Nf5 Nxf5 23 exf5 Bxf5 24 Re1 e4 25 Nd2 Re6 26 Rad1 Rd8 27 Nc4 prepares to occupy the d file and Black may fail to find safety. This warrants looking at further.

In this line Black can play 25...Rh6, and after 26.Qe2 Qc7 27.g3 Re8 (or 27.Nf1 Qf4) it appears that White is the one who may fail to find safety.

<Another question is whether White can improve on this. The capture 19 Bxe6 frees Black's QB. 19 Rad1 ties the Ne6 to the defence of the point d8, as on 19...Nf4 20 Rd8+ the move 20..Ng8 the N no longer supports a B on g4.>

I suppose you mean 19.Rcd1 - this might be an interesting alternative (I mentioned in earlier post that Kamsky pointed out this move in the press conference after the game). Of course 19...Nf4 loses on the spot to 20.Rd8+ Ng8 21.Nxf4 followed by 22.Nxe5 or Nxg5; but Black has two other options which may lead to many tactical complications - 19...gxh4 or 19...Nd4(!), blocking the d file and threatening Bg4.>

In the first line one possible improvement on 24 Re1 is 24 Qh2 because sfter 24...Re8 25 Re1 e4 26 Nd2 Rh6 27 Qg3 Black lacks the resource of ..Qc7.

In the second line I do mean 19 Rcd1.On 19 Rcd1 gxh5 allows 20 Qxe5 On 19...Nd4 20 Nxe5 Nxe2+! 21 Qxe2 Qxe5 22 hxg5 Qxg5 23 f4 Qh4! threatening ..Ng4 and the White R does not seem so effective on d1, as on Rd8+ Black has ..Rg8. This suggests 19 Kh1 with the idea that on 19...Nd4 20 Nxe5 the move ...Nxe2 won't come with check. On 19 Kh1 Nd4 20 Nxe5 Qxe5 21 cxd4 Qxe4 22 Nc3 Qxh4+ 23 Qxh4 gxh4 24 dxc5 with some advantage.