Short loses in 20 with the white pieces

[Javier]

Sorry for the title, it's hard to grab attention nowadays...

Anyway, the game speaks for itself:

 

[Event "53° Tornei di Capodanno"]

[site "Reggio Emilia/Italy"]

[Date "2011.01.03"]

[Round "6"]

[White "Short, Nigel D"]

[black "Movsesian, Sergei"]

[Result "0-1"]

[ECO "B40"]

[WhiteElo "2690"]

[blackElo "2723"]

[Annotator "Javier Gil"]

[PlyCount "40"]

[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

[TimeControl "40/5400+30:1800+30"]

 

 

[pgn]

 

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. Qe2 d6 6. d4 {Taking on d4 is normal

now. Sergei s move is a bit risky.} Nf6 7. e5 Nfd7 8. Bg5 Qc8 {A bit odd.} (

8... Be7) 9. d5 {A very interesting pawn sacrifice by Short!} Bxd5 10. Nc3 Bc6

11. exd6 h6 {Black has played some odd moves, but not particularly bad ones.} (

11... Bxd6 12. O-O-O Bc7 13. Nb5 {Was probably what Short had in mind. If

black takes on b5, then white s bishop on g2 becomes very powerful.}) 12. O-O-O

{A very creative move by Nigel!} (12. Be7 Bxe7 13. dxe7 Kxe7 14. O-O-O Rd8) (

12. Bf4 g5 13. Be5 Nxe5 (13... f6 {This would be much worse.} 14. Nb5 Bxb5 15.

Qxb5 fxe5 16. Nxe5 a6 17. Qe2 {And white is winning.}) 14. Qxe5 Rg8 15. O-O-O

Qb7 16. Qe2 {And now if...} g4 17. Ne5 {And white is better.}) 12... Qa6 {It

was easy to predict that black wouldn t take that bishop. However, Nigel

should switch to reasonable mode now and do something about his bishop!} (12...

hxg5 13. Nxg5 Bxg2 14. Nb5 {This is the whole point of the sacrifice. The

threat is Nc7.} Na6 15. Nxe6 fxe6 16. Qxe6+ Kd8 17. Rhe1 {And white wins.}) 13.

Qe3 {Unfortunately, I dont think this works...} hxg5 14. Nxg5 Bxg2 15. Nxe6

fxe6 16. Qxe6+ Kd8 {Unlike the variation that we saw earlier on, the big

difference here is that now c8 is available for black s King. BIG.} 17. Rhe1

Kc8 18. Nd5 (18. Qe8+ {Maybe this.} Kb7 19. Qd8 Qc4 20. Qc7+ Ka6 21. Rd3 {But

its hard to believe.}) 18... Kb7 (18... Bxd5 19. Qxd5 {And now Qb7 would fail

to Re8 mate.}) 19. Nc7 Rh6 20. Qg8 Qa4 {And Short resigned. His attack has run

out of steam and he doesnt have too many pieces left...} 0-1

[/pgn]