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Alexander Grischuk - Alexei Shirov 6.4
White's last move (Ra4) appears to ask unanswerable questions along the a2-g8 diagonal, but Shirov has an amazing idea planned. 29...Nb2!! This shouldn't quite work, but a combination of ingenuity and (I guess) time trouble rewards this clever move fully. 30.Bxf7+? 30.Bxb2! Be7! and black has counterplay, though white has a choice of ways to keep some material advantage - 31.g3!? c1Q 32.Bxc1 Rxc1 33.Ra2 is perhaps the safest way for white to continue. 30...Kf8 31.Bxb2?! 31.Rxb2 Kxf7 32.Raa2 Be7! and again the check on h4 guarantees concessions - white's king position is so poor that black should hold this without trouble. 31...c1Q 32.Bxc1 See next diagram.
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32...Rc2+! White doubtless forgot about this in-between move which gives black perpetual. 33.Kf1 Rxc1+ 34.Kf2 Rc2+ 35.Kf1 Rc1+ ˝-˝ |
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Qin Kanying - Xie Jun 6.4
After starting as a solid Spanish/Ruy Lopez, Xie has managed to make her position look and feel like her favorite King's Indian ... 34...f5! 35.exf5 35.Bxf5 Qg3+ 36.Kh1 Bxf5 37.exf5 Nxf3! 38.gxf3 Rg8 mates. 35...h5 36.Rxc7 hxg4 37.hxg4 Bxf5! 38.Nc4! 38.gxf5 Nxf3+! 39.gxf3 Rg8 wins again. 38...Rxb4!? 38...Bxg4!? is probably better, but Xie's choice is certain to lead directly to the goal of at least perpetual check. 39.Nxe5! dxe5 40.Qxb4 See next diagram.
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By sacrificing the knight white has prevented a later deadly check on e4. 40...Nxf3+ 41.gxf3 Qh4+ 42.Kg1 Qg3+ 43.Kh1 Qh3+ Earlier black could have removed the f3 pawn first and then mated with Bd3 or Be4, but now e4 is guarded so a draw will do nicely. 44.Kg1 Qg3+ 45.Kh1 Qh3+ ˝-˝ |
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