These annotations were made during the preparation of this book, based on my notes in lnformator 49.
The Rilton cup in Stockholm was the first of two Scandinavian events where I came to make my final GM norms. I re
member having a strict routine in both tournaments with total concentration to
wards achieving the goal - something which I now lack sometimes.
1 d4 e6 2 c4 i..b4+ 3 ttJc3 ttJf6 4 f3 d5 5 a3 i..e7 6 e4 c5 7 cxd5
A few months later I tried 7 dxc5 .i.xc5 8 b4 against Yudasin (Lvov 1990) but my position after 8 ... i..xg1 9 l:xg1 'V/Iic7 was just worse.
7 ••• exd5 8 dxc5
This idea came to me in the second half of 1989 and in this game I had an oppor
tunity to test it. 8 e5 had been the main line before.
8 ••• i..xc5
8 ... d4 is also possible but I think that Black's compensation for the pawn is in
sufficient if White continues 9 t2Ja4 b6 10 cxb6 axb6 11 b4.
9 e5!? ttJfd7
9 ... ttJh5 10 'ti'xd5 is clearly better for White.
10 'ii'xd5 0-0!? (D)
Black had an interesting possibility: to sacrifice a bishop without committing him
self to castling with 10 ... t2Jc6!? 11 f 4 'ii'b6 12 ttJf3 i..f2+ 13 �e2 ttJc5!? 14 b4 i..e6 15 bxc5 i..xc5! But I am not sure whether this works, because of 16 �d3! (not 16 'tWe4 0-0-0! with attacking chances) 16 ... l:d8 17
�c2.
1 1 f4 'VIIib6
Probably best. One month later the Lat
vian IM (now GM) Igor Rausis played
Shirov - Eingorn, Stockholm 1989 45
11...i.xg1!? 12 l:Ixg1 'i'b6 13 l:Ih1 �c6!
against me (Daugavpils 1990), and after 14 i.c4? tbdxe5! 15 fxe5 i.e6 16 'iVe4 (16 'i'b5 .i.xc4 17 �xb6 axb6 is terrible for White) 16 ... i.xc4 17 'iVxc4 �xe5 he had a strong attack, although the game was drawn in the end. Instead of 14 i.c4?, however, I could have obtained a certain advantage with 14 'iVb5! �d4 (14 ... �d4 15 'i'xb6 axb6 16 <it>f2! is clearly better for White) 15 'ii'c4! �b6 (15 ... tbc5 16 tbb5!
'i'xc4 17 i.xc4 is also better for White) 16 'i'xd4 �xd4 17 i.d3.
12 tbf3 i.f2+ 13 �e2 tbc5! 14 b4 14 �xf2? is bad due to 14 .. J::td8.
14 ••• l:Id8
Black must finally sacrifice a piece since after 14 ... �e6 15 �e4 he would have had nothing for the pawn.
15 bxc5 i.xc5 16 'iVe4!?
With this move White gives back the material and creates a totally irrational game. In any case passive defence such as 16 'i'a2?! �c6 17 l:Ib1 �a5 18 i.d2 i.g4! 19
�e1 i.xf3 20 gxf3 �d4 21 i.e2 (21 i.g2 'i'a6!) 21. .. �xe2 22 �xe2 (22 �xe2? l:.xd2 23 �xd2 i.f2+ 24 <it>d1 l:Id8 is clearly bet
ter for Black) 22 ... �a6+, when Black's at
tack can be sustained, would not be my style.
16 ••• �b3!
Obviously the right continuation. Try
ing to keep the flames of the attack burn
ing with 16 ... �c6?! would be tempting but probably incorrect in view of 17 �a4!
'ii'a6+ 18 <it>e1 'iVa5 + 19 i.d2 l:Ixd2 (forced)
20 �xd2 i.d4! 21 l:Ib1! g6 (also forced, as 21. .. 'ii'xa4 22 i.b5 wins) 22 'ii'c2! i.f5 23 i.d3 i.xd3 24 'iVxd3 �xa4 25 l:Ixb7 l:Id8 26 'ii'b3! i.f2+ 27 <it>xf2 �xf4+ (27 ... l:Ixd2+
28 <it>g3! wins) 28 tbf3 l:Id2+ 29 <it>fl tbd4 30 'iVb4 :d1+ 31 �f2 and it's Black who gets mated.
17 i.d2 Forced.
17 ••• l:Ixd2 + ! 18 <it>xd2
18 �xd2? 'i'xc3 is clearly better for Black.
18 .•. 'iVb2 + 19 �d3 Not 19 'ii'c2?! i.e3+!
19 •• .'ti'xa1
20 e6!!
Although this move doesn't win the game by itself, it's so astonishing that I have to give it two exclamation marks.
Besides there were no other practical win
ning tries, for example 20 �g5 �c6! (not 20 ... g6? 21 �d5! i.f5+ 22 <it>c4 b5+ 23
�xb5 and White wins) 21 'iVxh7+ (21 e6?
is bad because of 2l. .. g6! 22 �d5 [22 exf7 +
<it>g7 is the same] 22 ... 'iVxa3! 23 exf7+ �f8 24 �xh7+ �g7 and it is Black who wins, hence e5-e6 has to be played on move 20!) 2l. .. �f8 22 �h8+ (22 i.e2? �xa3 23 l:Ia1
�b4+ 24 <it>c4 'iVxa1 25 'iVh8+ <it>e7 26 �xg7 i.e6+ 27 �xe6 'ii'a6+ and Black wins) 22 ... <it>e7 and I don't think that White has anything more than 23 �d5 + <it>d 7 24 'ii'h3 + <it>e8 25 'iVh8 + leading to perpetual check.
20 .•• fxe6
20 . .. i.xe6 !? would have been extremely complicated but probably not better for White at the end. He should now play 21 ltJg5! (21 'ii'xb7 i.f5+ 22 <it>d2 i.e3+! 23
�xe3 'ifxc3 + 24 �f2 'ifc5 + 25 <it>g3 'ii'c6 is equal) 21 ... 'iVxa3 (necessary) 22 'i:Vxh 7 + (22 ltJxe6? i.b4 is clearly better for Black) 22 ... <it>f8 23 'ifh8+ �e7 24 ltJxe6 leaving Black with a choice between:
a) 24 ... i.b4!? The most natural but probably not the strongest move since if White now plays not 25 'ti'd8 +? �xe6 26 'tid5+ �e7! 27 'tixb7+ �d6! (27 ... ltJd7? 28 'ifxb4+! wins) 28 'ifxa8 'ifxc3+ 29 �e2 (29
\t>e4 ltJc6 with a strong attack) 29 ... ltJc6 and Black's attack is very strong, but 25
�e4!! ltJd7! (25 ... 'ti'xc3? 26 'ifd8+ �xe6 27 f5 mate, while 25 ... f5+ 26 �xf5 wins) 26 'ifxa8, it seems that Black cannot create enough threats after either:
al) 26 ... ltJf6+ 27 <it>f5! fxe6+ (forced) 28 \t>g5 'i¥xc3 29 'iVxb7+ ltJd7 30 �g4! (30 i.b5? 'iVf6+ 31 �g4 'i¥g6+ 32 <it>f3 'i¥h5+
is only slightly better for White) 30 ... �d6 31 g3! (31 i.b5?! ttJf6+ 32 <it>h4 g5+!! 33
\t>xg5 'ti'c5 + 34 <it>xf6 i.c3 + 35 <it>g6 'i¥f5 + 36 <&t>h6 'ii'xf4+ and 31 'ii'f3 ltJf6+ 32 <&t>h3 'tixf3+ 33 gxf3 ttJd5! are again only slightly better for White) 31 ... 'tic5 32 i.d3! when White is clearly on top; even with the tougher
a2) 26 ... 'ifxc3!, as brute force should fi
nally have the last word in the line 27 'ifxb7 �xe6 28 'ti'd5+ �e7 29 'i:Vc4! ltJc5+
30 �f5! (30 �d5? 'ifd2+ 31 'ti'd4 'iVa2+ 32
<&t>c6 'tie6+ 33 �b5 'tib6+ 34 �c4 a5! with an attack) 30 ... 'iff6+ 31 �g4 'ti'g6+ 32
<it>f3 'ti'c6+ 33 <&t>e3 a5! 34 h4! However, Black does have a way to draw:
b) 24 ... 'ti'a6+! 25 �c2 'ii'xe6 26 i.b5!!
(strong but still insufficient) 26 ... 'ii'g6+
27 �b3 'iVe6+ 28 i.c4 'tib6+ 29 ttJb5 'ti'a5 (29 ... a6 30 l:Iel + i.e3 [forced] 31 'tih3! axb5 32 l:Ixe3+ �d8 33 i.xf7 wins) 30 'tih4+
<it>f8 31 'iVh8+ �e7 and I don't see how White can improve his position.
21 ltJg5 g6 22 'iVe5!
Another interesting attempt would have been 22 f5!?, but it seems that Black can hold his own in the line 22 ... i.e7! 23 fxg6
i.xg5 24 gxh 7 + �g7 25 'ti'e5 + �xh 7 26 'i¥xg5 ltJc6.
22 ••• i.e7 23 ttJxe6
23 ••. <it>f7?
The only mistake of the game but one that loses immediately! There would have been nothing wrong with Black's position after 23 ... i.f8! 24 ltJxf8 ltJc6 25 'ii'f6 'ifxa3!! (not 25 ... i.f5+? 26 �e3 l:Ie8+ 27
�f3 and White wins) 26 �d2! (forced, as 26 ltJxg6? i.f5+! 27 'ifxf5 Ild8+ 28 <&t>e4 'ii'b4+ wins for Black) 26 ... 'ifb2+ 27 <&tel 'ii'cl +, and the ending after 28 �f2 'ifd2 + 29 ltJe2 (29 i.e2 'ti'd4+) 29 ... 'iVd8! 30 'tixd8 ttJxd8 31 ltJxg6! hxg6 32 ttJd4 �g7 is ap
proximately equal.
[AS-This statement was based on my old analysis and the stronger alternative 28 �e2! (D) was missed. In fact it yields White a huge advantage, since Black can
not regain the piece immediately.
Shirov- King, Gausdal 1990 47
His best chance is 28 . . . V!Iib2+ (White wins after 28 ... i.g4+ 29 �/2 "VJiid2+ 30 <J;;g3) 29 �{3 V!lib4!, but even then White has practically a forced win with 30 0xg6! (30 C£Je6 i..xe6 31 V!llxe6 + �g7 might give Black some counter-chances) 30 .. . ti'Jd4 +
(30 . . . hxg6 31 V!llxg6+ �{8 32 ti'Jb5! ti'Jd4+
33 0xd4 V!lixd4 34 i.e2 is clearly better for White) 31 c3;f2 hxg6 32 V!llxg6+ c3;f8 33
"fiif6+ �g8 34 ti'Jd5! "VJiid2 + 35 c3;g1 ti'Jf3+
36 gxf3 "fixd5 3 7 c3;f2! 'Wic5+ 38 �g3 i.f5 39 fig5+ c3;h8 40 'Wih5+ ! �g7 41 i.d3 ':f8 42 'f!e1! '!1f6 43 Lf5 :Xf5 44 'Wig4+ �h7 45 fih4+ �g6 46 '11e6+ <J;;f7 47 '11h6 and the attack should soon finish the game.
Thus I must conclude that the main (and not the only!) Black mistake was 20 .. .fxe6, since 20 . . . i.xe6 would probably have en
sured the draw. ] 24 'iVg7+ !
Now it's all over.
24 .•. c3;e8
24 ... �xe6 loses to 25 c3;c2! 'iVxa3 26 i.b5! (26 i.c4+? �d7 27 '11d1+ c3;c6 is not so clear) 26 ... ti'Jc6 27 i.c4+ <J;;d7 (27 ... �f5 28 'iif7 + i.f6 29 V!l/d5 + i.e5 [forced] 30
"fiid3+ c3;f6 31 ti'Jd5+ also wins for White) 28 'f!d1 + V!l/d6 29 '11xd6+ <J;;xd6 30 ti'Je4+
�c7 31 i.b5.
25 ti'Jc7 + c3;d8 26 "fibS + !
Preventing Black's development.
26 ••• c3;d7
Or 26 ... �xc7 27 ti'Jd5+.
27 ti'Jxa8 'ti'xa3 28 c3;c2 1-0
This game gave me one of the best feel
ings I have ever had from chess.