[Event "FIDE Grand Chess Prix 1 All Pools 2022"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2022.02.10"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C55"]
[WhiteElo "2752"]
[BlackElo "2704"]
[Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2022.??.??"]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 h6 {A modern, aggressive line with which
Shirov scored quite well.} 5. O-O ({Here is Black's latest successful effort
in the line.} 5. c3 d6 6. Nbd2 g5 7. h4 g4 8. Nh2 h5 9. Qb3 Qd7 $146 10. Nhf1
Na5 11. Qc2 Nxc4 12. Nxc4 d5 {and Black eventually prevailed in Esipenko,A
(2720)-Shirov,A (2652) Struga 2021}) 5... d6 6. c3 g5 {That is the modern
treatment—when Black is in fact currently scoring better than the usual 6...
g6.} ({Although, of course, Black can always switch to the normal lines with:}
6... Be7 7. Nbd2 O-O 8. a4 Be6 9. a5 a6 10. Re1 Bxc4 11. dxc4 b6 12. axb6 cxb6
13. Nf1 {as in Firouzja,A (2759)-Le,Q (2709) chess24.com INT 2021}) 7. Nbd2 {
So far Dominguez is confidently executing his moves.} ({One more blitz game of
Shirov was quite short} 7. Re1 Bg7 8. Nbd2 g4 9. Nh4 Nxe4 10. dxe4 Qxh4 11. Nf1
f5 12. exf5 Bxf5 13. Ne3 Bd7 14. Nd5 O-O-O 15. Be3 g3 {0-1 (15) Salem,A (2682)
-Shirov, A (2647) Chess.com INT 2020}) 7... Bg7 8. Bb3 g4 {In a fierce battle
for the center, Black is trying to stop the opponent from his central break
with d3-d4.} 9. Ne1 {The problem with this approach is obvious—Black is
burning his bridges on the kingside and his king might become vulnerable in
the center.} h5 10. f4 {Therefore, White is aiming for the f7-pawn.} exf4 11.
Rxf4 d5 (11... Be6 $5) 12. Rf1 $146 {Dominguez's first major expenditure on
the clock produces a novelty.} ({But he was certainly aware of the predecessor
between the young American GMs:} 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Rf1 f5 14. Nc4 O-O 15. d4 f4
16. Ne5 Nxe5 17. dxe5 Be6 {Burke,J (2538)-Yoo,C (2479) Saint Louis 2021}) 12...
Be6 ({After} 12... dxe4 {White can temporarily sacrifice a piece with} 13. Nxe4
Nxe4 14. Bxf7+ Kf8 {when the simplest solution is} (14... Ke7 15. Qe2) 15. dxe4
Qxd1 16. Bb3+ {with a solid extra pawn.}) 13. d4 ({Also} 13. exd5 $5 {looks
like a good attempt for an edge} Bxd5 (13... Nxd5 14. Ne4) 14. Nc4 $1 O-O 15.
d4 {when White looks prettier.}) 13... dxe4 14. Qe2 Qd7 {Shirov hurries to
castle long.} ({However, it made sense to slow down a bit before regaining the
pawn with} 14... Bxb3 15. axb3 Qe7) 15. Nxe4 Nxe4 16. Qxe4 O-O-O {The king is
safe, or so it seems.} 17. Nc2 $1 {A nice move that solidifies the center.} ({
The more obvious} 17. Bg5 $5 Bxb3 18. axb3 Rde8 19. Qd3 {also looks good for
White at first sight; however, there might be some future problems with his
d4-pawn, like in this line} h4 20. Qc4 Nxd4 $3 21. cxd4 b5 22. Qc2 Bxd4+ 23.
Kh1 Rh5 24. Bf4 Rc5 25. Qd2 Rd5 {and it is extremely messy, exactly what
Shirov would have loved.}) 17... Bxb3 18. axb3 Rde8 ({The strange computer
suggestion} 18... Qe6 {can be simply met with} 19. Qxe6+ $1 ({Or as in the game
} 19. Qf5 $1) 19... fxe6 20. b4) 19. Qf5 {White firmly follows his policy of a
better endgame with no tactical chances at all.} (19. Qd3 $5 {also looks fine.}
) 19... Qxf5 20. Rxf5 f6 {Not a desirable move, but what else $2} ({The
side-defense} 20... Re7 21. Bg5 Rd7 22. b4 {cannot succeed.}) 21. Bf4 $1 {
Even though this is not objectively the best move, the concept that Dominguez
was heading for was extremely powerful and beautiful.} (21. b4 $5 {would have
been en edge for White.}) 21... Re2 {Shirov would not miss a chance to
demonstrate activity, but as we shall see, this works nicely into White's plan.
The key to the position is the proper coordination of the rooks, and Black's
last move leaves them separated.} ({The amazingly beautiful} 21... Ne7 $3 {
would have equalized in full as the obvious pawn gain} 22. Rc5 (22. Rfa5 a6 {
yields nothing to White.}) 22... c6 23. Rxa7 Nd5 {would not leave the white
rooks uncoordinated and Black may even take over the initiative after} 24. Bg3
Re2) 22. Ne3 $1 {Separating the black rooks while heading to the optimal
d5-square..} ({Not} 22. Rc1 $2 Ne7) 22... Rxb2 23. b4 b6 ({After} 23... a6 24.
Re1 {looks like the neatest reply, with Ne3-d5 to come.} ({Although} 24. Nd5 {
also looks great for the first player as Black cannot counter-attack quickly
enough with} Re8 25. Rxh5 Ree2 26. Rh7 Rxg2+ 27. Kh1 Bf8 28. Rh8 {trapping the
bishop.})) 24. Nd5 {Complete domination $1} h4 {The last active try.} ({
Otherwise, the second white rook will occupy the open e-file anyway—as in
the line} 24... Rc2 25. b5 Na5 26. Re1 $1) ({Or} 24... Rb3 25. Re1 Kb7 26. Nxc7
Rxc3 27. Nb5 Rc2 28. d5 {winning a piece.}) 25. Re1 {With the inclusion of the
last piece into the attack, Dominguez is ready for the final infiltration.} h3
26. gxh3 Rxh3 ({Nothing changes.} 26... gxh3 27. Ne7+ Nxe7 28. Rxe7 Rg8 29.
Rxc7+ Kd8 30. Rxa7 Bh6+ 31. Bg3) 27. Bg3 $1 {The neatest move. The black rooks
will never be connected.} a5 ({Or} 27... Rb3 28. Nxc7 $1 Rxg3+ 29. hxg3 Kxc7
30. b5) 28. bxa5 bxa5 29. Ne7+ $1 {Now the white rook will occupy the seventh
rank.} Nxe7 30. Rxe7 Bh6 31. Rxc7+ Kb8 ({Or} 31... Kd8 32. Rd5+ Ke8 33. Rxa5)
32. Re7+ Rxg3+ 33. hxg3 1-0
