[Event "13th World Teams Pool A"] [Site "Jerusalem ISR"] [Date "2022.11.21"] [Round "4.1"] [White "Shirov, A."] [Black "Kovalenko, I."] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2666"] [WhiteTeam "Spain"] [BlackElo "2674"] [BlackTeam "Ukraine"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B41"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Maróczy Bind, Réti Variation"] [StudyName "World Team Championships 2022 Group Stage"] [ChapterName "Shirov, A. - Kovalenko, I."] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/rflcZzaJ/JrTyLjm1"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Qc7 7. a3 b6 8. Be3 Bb7 9. f3 Nc6 10. Na4 Rb8 11. b4 Bd6? 12. Ne2! { An important strategic point. White reveals a second attacker on the thematically vulnerable b6-pawn while also repositioning the knight to trap Black's bishop if it captures on h2. } 12... Be7 (12... Bxh2 { The bishop is a goner! } 13. f4) 13. Bxb6 Qe5 14. Be3 Qc7 15. Nec3 O-O 16. Be2 Ne5 17. Bb6 Qc6 18. c5! { Depriving Black of any central activity. } 18... Ng6 19. Qd2 d5! { Black understands that it is necessary to fight back in the center, even if objectively this seems unlikely to work out. } 20. exd5?! { White concedes key squares in the center. } (20. cxd6 Bxd6 21. Rd1 Be5 22. Bc5 { By keeping control of the d5-square, White secures a lasting advantage. }) 20... Nxd5 21. Nxd5 exd5 22. Nc3 Bh4+ 23. g3 Bf6 24. Rd1 d4?! { In an attempt to activate his own pieces, Black gives White a lifeline for both his knight and his light-squared bishop. } (24... Bxc3! 25. Qxc3 { Black's isolani is a liability, but White's dark-squared bishop is not much to look at, either. }) 25. Ne4 Be5 26. O-O Rbe8 27. Bc4 Kh8 28. Qd3 f5 29. b5 axb5 30. Bxb5 Qe6 31. Ng5 Qf6 32. Bxe8 { White fearlessly accepts weakened light squares around his king, concluding the danger is not really there. Shirov has survived hotter boards than this. } 32... Rxe8 33. f4 h6 34. fxe5 Qxg5 35. Rxf5 Qg4 36. Re1 Nh4 { An energetic attempt! } 37. Rf4 Qh3 (37... Nf3+ { Presumably, Shirov saw the classy } 38. Qxf3! { which was the only way to an advantage. } 38... Qxf3 39. Rxf3 Bxf3 40. e6 d3 41. Ba5!) 38. Qf1 Ng2 39. Rf2 d3 40. Rxg2 Bxg2 41. Qxg2 Qd7 42. c6 { 1-0 White wins. } 1-0