Chess
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Your support makes all the difference.THE PHENOMENAL Alexei Shirov completed a famous victory at the Archa theatre in
Prague on Sunday as he defeated Judit Polgar yet again - albeit this time starting from a
dubious position in his own time trouble - to produce a final Eurotel match result of 5.5-0.5.
Building on a pre-match lifetime score against Polgar of just 6.5-11.5 at a normal time limit (though he did lead 3.5-0.5 at rapidplay), Shirov nevertheless blitzkrieged her to settle the contest by 3.5-0.5 in four games - the minimum possible number.
His efforts won him the lion's share, $65,000, of the prize fund as compared to Polgar's $35,000; and he had not only repaired the lifetime score to 12-all by the close but also gained more than 20 rating points which would, if a new list were issued today, propel him above Morozevich into fourth.
With this superb victory Shirov has reiterated his claim as, apart from Kasparov himself, the best match player of the day; and, no doubt a considerable part of his motivation, highlighted the iniquity of Anand's getting a shot at Kasparov after he, Shirov, had qualified for one by beating Kramnik last June.
Although the expected announcement about their "Ultimate World Championship Match" didn't materialise during the Eurotel match, Kasparov and Anand will no doubt meet later in the year - another climbdown would be simply too embarrassing. Shirov, instead, is off to the Fide knockout world championships where, in their absence, he will be one of the very top favourites.
Usually thought of as utterly manic, Shirov is very much at home in quiet positions too, as he showed in the fifth game. 20 bxc3 is noteworthy, keeping up the pressure. Not 25...Bg2 26 Rxh5 Bxf3 (26 ...Rxf3 27 Rh8+ Bf8 28 Rxd6) 27 Rh8+ Bf8 28 Nd5! Whereas 36 ...Rxa5 lost the exchange to 37 Bb6.
White: Alexei Shirov
Black: Judit Polgar
Prague 1999 (Game 5)
Sicilian Najdorf
1 e4 c5
2 Nf3 d6
3 d4 cxd4
4 Nxd4 Nf6
5 Nc3 a6
6 Be3 e5
7 Nb3 Be6
8 Qd2 Nbd7
9 f3 h5
10 a4 Nb6
11 a5 Nc4
12 Bxc4 Bxc4
13 Na4 Rb8
14 Nb6 Be6
15 0-0-0 Be7
16 Qc3 Nd7
17 Nc5 Nxc5
18 Bxc5 Qc7
19 Bb4 Qxc3
20 bxc3 Rd8
21 Rd3 Rh6
22 Rhd1 Rg6
23 g3 Rf6
24 h3 Bxh3
25 Rh1 Be6
26 Rxh5 Rh6
27 Rxh6 gxh6
28 g4 f6
29 c4 Kf7
30 Kb2 Kg6
31 Nd5 Kf7
32 Kb3 Rc8
33 Rd1 Bf8
34 Rh1 Kg6
35 Bd2 Rc5
36 Be3 Rc8
37 Rh5 Rc6
38 Rh2 Rc8
39 Rh1 Rd8
40 Kc3 Rd7
41 Kd3 Rh7
42 Rb1 Rd7
43 Bb6 Kg7
44 Ne3 Kf7
45 Rh1 Re7
46 Nf5 Rd7
47 Nxh6+ Bxh6
48 Rxh6 Ke7
49 Bf2 Rc7
50 c5 Rc6
51 Bh4 Rxc5
52 Bxf6+ Kd7
53 Rh7+ Kc8
54 Rh8+ Kd7
55 Rh7+ Kc8
56 Rh8+ Kd7
57 Rd8+ Kc7
58 Be7 Rxa5
59 Rxd6 Ba2
60 Rh6 Rb5
61 g5 a5
62 Rh8 Kd7
63 Ba3 Rb1
64 Rh7+ Kc6
65 Rh6+ Kd7
66 Rd6+ Kc7
67 Rf6 Kd7
68 g6 b5
69 Bc5 b4
70 g7 Rd1+
71 Ke2 Rh1
72 Rd6+ Kc7
73 Rd5
1-0
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