The match is approaching the end and you are trailing. What do you do? Play carefully and try to limit the damage, or bang your head against the wall one more time? That was the dilemma both Alexey Shirov and Jan Timman were facing today. Their solutions differed.
After an opening variation in which he hadn’t achieved much, Shirov took what was probably the wisest decision: he went for a forced draw. But this was highly uncharacteristic of the great fighter from Riga, and Shirov himself was visibly unhappy with his decision.
Shirov - Giri
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.e3
Deviating from 5.Bg5 in Game 3.
5...0–0 6.Bd3 c5 7.0–0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 cxd4 9.exd4 b6 10.Bg5 Bb7 11.Ne5
A pretty straightforward approach. Other plans are 11.Rc1, 11.Qe2 or 11.Re1.
11...Bxc3 12.bxc3 Nbd7
Here Shirov took a long think: should he enter the well-known liquidation to a draw that follows?
13.Nxd7
The alternative is 13.Qe2, which of course has been played quite often. But Shirov didn’t expect anything good to come from this. ‘It makes no sense to try this against such a well-prepared opponent. I saw not a single way to set him any traps. It’s been a preparation problem, this whole match. At crucial moments I always had the feeling that I would only take a risk against him if I deviated. It’s a very embarrassing situation. I hope that tomorrow with white he will fight and we will have a good game.’
The remaining moves were:
13...Qxd7 14.Bxf6 gxf6 15.d5 Bxd5
15...exd5? 16.Bd3 is very dangerous, as is well-known.
16.Qg4+ Kh8 17.Qh4 Bxc4
For a moment Shirov hoped for 17...Qd8 18.Rfd1 Rc8 19.Ba6 Rxc3 (19...Rg8 20.Bxc8! Rxg2+ 21.Kf1 – this is why White played the f-rook to d1 on move 18) 20.Bd3 and now White wins the exchange because 20...f5 is not possible due to 21.Qd4+. But of course Giri had no reason whatsoever to go for this kind of scenario.
18.Qxf6+ Kg8 19.Qg5+ Kh8 ½–½
Match winner Anish Giri had the following explanation: ‘We were both bluffing. He hoped I would not go for this line. I didn’t remember it exactly, but saw it during the game. He seems to be not so well prepared. In his best days he could compensate this with his ideas behind the board, now this has become much more difficult, against players who use a strong computer.”
Foto: Peter Doggers
Jan Timman went for the other option: head against the wall.
Timman - Jobava
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 c5 3.e4
Perhaps both players were surprised to find themselves in a Sicilian. In any case Jobava thought for a long time here.
3...cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bd3 Bb7 7.0–0 Nc6 8.Nxc6 Bxc6 9.Qe2 Ne7
Shirov said he didn’t entirely trust the knight manoeuvre to g6.
10.Be3 Qc8!?
And this made Anish Giri frown. What is Black’s plan? Jobava wanted to carry through 11...d5 and for this purpose he moved his queen from the d-file.
An alternative was 10...b4 11.Nb1. Now Timman prevents this.
11.a3 d5!?
If White exchanges on d5 now, the queen is well-placed on c8. But now Timman comes up with a no less remarkable idea:
12.f3?!
Creative, but it couldn’t be right in Giri’s opinion: ‘After 12.Bd4 or also 12.Bc5 or one of the rooks to d1 White is fine.’
12...dxe4 13.fxe4 Ng6 14.Rad1
14.Bd4!? looks interesting. Possibly Timman didn’t trust 14...e5.
14.a4 b4 15.Nd5 doesn’t work either: Black can just play 15...exd5 16.exd5 Bxd5 and then he can interpose the bishop on e6 if necessary.
14...Be7 15.Qh5 Qc7 16.Bd4 0–0 17.Rf3 h6
18.Rxf7!?
Possibly Timman thought that 18.Rdf1 Rad8 19.Be3 Qe5 was too slow. In any case the audience had something to enjoy again. But soon the consensus was that Timman had gone too far.
18...Rxf7 19.Qxg6 Rd8
19...Qd6 20.Be2 Be8 was also possible, but it doesn’t really look comfortable. Shirov suggested 19...Bf6. Jobava was afraid of 20.e5, but after 20...Bxe5 21.Ne2 Rf6 22.Qh7+ Kf7 White has no way of continuing the attack.
20.Nd5!
The only way to make something out of this – and, of course, spectacular.
20...Bxd5
Not 20...exd5? 21.e5! and now White has a winning attack after 21...Kf8 22.Qh7 Bxa3 23.e6 Qf4 24.Bb6.
21.exd5 Bc5 22.c3
22.dxe6 Bxd4+ 23.Kh1 Rf4 is winning for Black.
22...Rxd5 23.Qxe6 Bxd4+ 24.cxd4 Qd6 25.Bf5!?
Artistry in chess, Timman knows all about it. The attempts 25.Bh7+ Kf8 26.Qc8+ Qd8 and 25.Qe3 do not offer much.
25...g6!
But this way Black remains an exchange up. White had to exchange queens and didn’t get a chance in the endgame.
A quite abrupt end to both matches. In any case the players can go all out tomorrow, and let’s hope, as Alexey Shirov hoped, that this will produce an attractive final round.
