Analyzed by IM Maxim Notkin (chesspro.ru)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2
A continuat ion of a theoretical duel, started by Radjabov and Van Wely in the first round. Alexei has not been very successful in these kind of discussions lately - in the Tal Memorial his attempts at improving White's play in actual variations proved to be quite harmless in his games with Mamedyarov, Leko en Aronian. By the way, this move is an improvement on Loek's game, in which White quickly got a bad position after 17. g4 Ng7 18. Bc4 Nc6 19. cxd6 cxd6 20. Ne2 Rc8 In the current game White does not prematurely relieve the pressure on f4, and Black employs his other knight for the annihilation of pawn e6, using a roundabout way and giving White the opportunity to direct his pieces to active positions.
17... Nc6 18. cxd6 cxd6 19. Nd5 Nd4
19... Ng7 might be an alternative. Transferring the knight to e6 would not be a bad idea and black need not worry about taking on f4, for example 20. e7 Bxe7 21. gxf4 Ne6 , with nice views on d4 and f4. However, Teimour most probably studied this position at home and drew some specific conclusions.
Forcing Black's pieces to maximally uncomfortable positions. After immediately 21. Nxf6 Black would have the additional possibility of 21... Nxf6
Here and subsequently Shirov plays rather naively, according to the principle of 'catch as catch can'. Less forced play would result after 22. Bc4 , but maybe Alexei did not like 22... Bh4 23. Re2 h5 , after which Black would develop an initiative on the king's wing, with an active role for the bishop which White was kind enough to spare.
22... Rxf6 23. Qd5 Qe7 24. Red1 Rd8 25. Qa5
An interesting but time-consuming manoeuvre. Maybe he should have considered letting his opponent do the work:
25. Rac1
or 25. b5
or even (with hindsight) 25. Kh1 , and then watch how Teimour will regroup his forces. By provoking b7-b6 white creates a field for future invasion, on the other hand b7 is now under attack and white first needs to take care of it before sending his queen out to battle on the king's wing. Either he will have to play b7-b6 without provocation, or he will have to play his rook to f7 instead of f8, but in that case his rooks are less solidly placed than in the game.
Note that White cannot lock the king's wing by 25. g5 Rff8 26. h4 because of the answer 26... h6 27. gxh6 Nh5
In case of 25. b5 Rff8 (After 25... Rf7 the attack on d6 by 26. Ba3 leads to nothing because of(26. Kh1 might be worth trying.) 26... Qg5 with the idea of 27. Bxd6 Rfd7 28. Qxe5 Rxd6!) 26. Rac1 Black will hardly go for 26... h5 27. gxh5 Qh4 28. h6 Qxh6 29. Qxb7 Now that we have sketched some of the ideas in this position, let us take a look at the events in the actual game: a much more interesting experience.
26... Rf7 also deserves attention, in order to be able to defend the most vulnerable point of the black position by Rfd7. That would, however, be a cowardly line of play. At no moment in this fight can Teimour be blamed for lack of courage.
Much more energetic than 27... Qg5
The weak-hearted 28... Qg5+ 29. Kh1 Qxh5 30. Rg1 Rg1 would only force White to take up a favorable defensive position on the king's wing. After 30... Ng5 white could then quietly continue his plan with 31. Rc6 , since Black would hardly dare to take pawn f3.
29. Rc6
29. hxg6 Rf6 would have been a mistake. Apparently Alexei already underestimated his opponent's threats.
However, I could not say whether 29. Rg1 would have been better than the move played in the game. After e.g. 29... g5 30. Kh1 Rf6 31. Rg4 Qxh5 (31... Qh3 32. Qd1) 32. Bf1 Rh6 33. Rc2 the position would have remained complicated.
29... g5!
Teimour splendidly develops his initiative.
An attempt at a piece attack by 29... Ng5 would be met by two surprising bayonet attacks by rook pawns: 30. h6 Qxh6 (In case of 30... Qh3+ 31. Kg1 Qxh6 32. Rxd6 black has no compensation for his annihilated center)
31. h4 Nf7 ( there simply is nothing else: 31... Qxh4 32. Rh1)
32. Rc7 Kg8 33. Rxf7! Rxf7 34. Bc4 Rdd7 (34... Rdf8 35. Qxd6 Qxh4 36. Qxg6
)
35. Qa8+ Kh7 36. Bxf7 Rxf7 37. Qd8 and white wins.
30. Rxd6?
Now Black can start a decisive attack.
Here it was of vital importance to show some respect for the opponent. A position with mutual chances would result from 30. Kh1 g4 (30... Rf6 31. Rxd6 Rxd6 32. Qxd6 Rh6 33. Rd2 (or 33. Bc4) ) 31. Rg1 gxf3 32. Bxf3 Qf2 33. Qb3 Computer analysis shows a feverishly varying evaluation, but objectively the chances are probably about equal. In some variations a perpetual shows up.
The curious variation 30. h6 Qxh6 31. h3 Qh4 32. Rh1 Rc8 33. b5 Rfd8 34. Bc3 Qg3+ 35. Kf1 Qh4 Qh4 does not seem to offer any advantage.
30... g4!
With the simple threat of Qh3+ and g4-g3.
31. Rxe6
White loses immediately after 31. fxg4 f3+ 32. Bxf3 Nf4+ with loss of the queen
or 31. Bxe5 Qh3+ 32. Kg1 g3! 33. Bxg7+ Kxg7 and all that is left for White is a few checks.
After 31. Qxe5 Qh3+ 32. Kg1 Black should first exchange on d6 before executing the winning g4-g3, since the immediate 32... g3 leads to a fantastic draw: 33. Qxg7+ Nxg7 34. Rh6+ Kg8 35. Bc4+ Ne6 36. Rh8+ Kf7 37. Rh7+ Kg8 38. Rh8+ ( The most interesting is that after 38. Rg7+ White is defenseless! It is unbelievable that there is no perpetual here, but after 38... Kh8 39. Rf7+ (39. Rgd7+ Ng7!) (After 39. Rxg3+ Kh7 the hanging position of the rook on d1 leaves White with a large material deficit.) 39... Nd4! the harmony of the white attacking forces is disrupted and there is no time for re-establishing it: his king is about to be mated.)
31... Rxd5 32. Rh6+ Kg8 33. Bc4 gxf3+ 34. Kh1 Nxh5
The computer treats the lover of chess magic to the variation 34... Qh3! 35. Bxd5+ Rf7 36. Rg6 f2 37. Rg2 Qd3!! , but Teimour's solution is also unusually elegant.
(three checks in a row!)
Of course White can pick up a rook with check: 37. Bxd5+ Kg7 38. Rxh4 Unfortunately this gives up the control over f1: 38... g2+ 39. Kg1 f2+
37... g2+ 38. Kg1 f2+ 39. Kxg2
Looking at the position after White's 33rd move it is hard to believe that the rook on d5 will play a role in this game, except that of food for the bishop. However, It manages to stay alive and even capture one of the bishops.
39... f1=Q+ 40. Bxf1 Rd2+ 41. Kg3 Rxb2
The rest needs no comment.
42. Bc4+ Kg7 43. Bb3 Rb1 44. Kg2 Rc8 45. Kf3 Rc3+ 46. Kg4 Rf1 47. Kh5 Kf6
White resigns. A splendid creative performance by Teimour. (Translated from Russian by Paul Janse.)
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