[Event "12th ECC final"]
[Site "Budapest HUN"]
[Date "1996.11.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Greenfeld, Alon BESH"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei EMBE"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "2555"]
[BlackElo "2685"]
[ECO "B13"]
[EventDate "1996.??.??"]
[Annotator "Shirov"]
[PlyCount "126"]

1.c4 c6 2.e4 {First time Caro Kann with Black.} 2...d5 3.exd5 cxd5 4.d4 
Nf6 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.Qb3 Bxf3 9.gxf3 Nb6 {The endgame 
which has been studied through (after 9...e6) is, of course, not my style.
} 10.d5 Nd4 11.Qd1 e5 12.dxe6 Bc5 $5 {I found this pawn sacrifice over the
board not being familiar with the well-known complications arising after} 
    ( 12...fxe6 13.Be3 
        ( 13.Bg2 {, which used to be played by my opponent against Kuijf 
        in 1992, is another idea} )
    13...Bc5 14.b4 O-O 15.bxc5 Nxf3+ 16.Ke2 Qh4 $44 {and so on.} )
13.exf7+ {Of course, White must take the pawn. The game Eising-Kuijf, 
Amsterdam 1984 (the only one I found in the database with 12...Bc5) saw} 
    ( 13.Bb5+ Kf8 14.Be3 Nxe6 {and Black was already slightly better.} )
13...Kxf7 14.Be3 
    ( 14.Ne4 $2 Bb4+ )
14...Re8 15.Bd3 $5 {The most ambitious continuation. After} 
    ( 15.Be2 {Black can force draw with} 15...Qh4 16.Ne4 Rxe4 
        ( 16...Rad8 17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.Qb3+ Kf8 19.O-O-O $14 )
    17.fxe4 Qxe4 18.O-O Nxe2+ 19.Qxe2 Qg6+ 20.Kh1 Qe4+ $10 )
15...Qh4 $1 {The exchange sacrifice would be wrong-after} 
    ( 15...Rxe3+ $2 16.fxe3 Qh4+ 17.Kd2 $1 $16 {White parries all the 
    threats.} )
16.Ne4 $1 {Not} 
    ( 16.O-O $2 Bd6 )
16...Rad8 $1 {A serious problem for Black is the position of his king on 
f7 and therefore} 
    ( 16...Bb4+ 17.Kf1 Qh3+ $2 18.Kg1 Nxf3+ $4 {fails to} 19.Qxf3+ Qxf3 
    20.Ng5+ $18 {. Meanwhile White was already threatening to castle and 
    therefore Black has to be quick bringing pieces into the game.} )
17.Bxd4 
    ( 17.O-O Bd6 $1 18.Nxd6+ 
        ( 18.Ng3 $2 Rxe3 19.fxe3 Bxg3 $19 )
    18...Rxd6 {yields Black sufficient compensation for the pawn.} )
17...Rxd4 $1 {Black should prevent White from castling long where his king
would feel more comfortable than his opponent's as in the line} 
    ( 17...Bxd4 $6 18.Qb3+ Kf8 19.O-O-O $14 )
18.O-O {Now} 
    ( 18.Qb3+ Kf8 19.O-O-O $2 {is wrong because of} 19...Rb4 $1 $17 )
18...Bd6 19.Qb3+ Kf8 20.Nxd6 
    ( 20.Ng3 g6 $44 )
20...Rxd6 {# Black has got a nice counterplay for the pawn but, of course,
White is not worse at all. However now he allows an endgame which is 
although objectively equal, still requires a certain accuracy from him.} 
21.Rae1 {More ambitious would be to put the other rook on e1 e.g.} 
    ( 21.Rfe1 {Now if Black plays like in the game it doesn't give the 
    same effect as after} 21...Red8 
        ( 21...Qg5+ {White has} 22.Kf1 Rxe1+ 
            ( 22...Red8 23.Bxh7 Nd5 24.f4 Qxf4 25.Be4 $16 )
        23.Rxe1 {and his position looks better. Probably the right 
        continuation for Black is} )
    22.Re4 Qf6 {and his compensation for the pawn still looks reasonable.}
    )
21...Qg5+ {Again} 
    ( 21...Red8 {would be interesting but I wanted to play for a win 
    without risk. I should also admit that I somewhat overestimated my 
    chances thinking that I would get more than what actually happened.} )
22.Kh1 Rxe1 23.Rxe1 Qd2 $5 
    ( 23...Qd5 $44 {was very interesting too.} )
24.Rd1 Qxf2 25.Bxh7 Nc4 $1 26.Rg1 $1 {Here I realised that White's threats
might also become dangerous. Fortunately there is still the way to change 
queens and win back the pawn.} 26...Rh6 27.Qb4+ Nd6 28.Qf4+ Rf6 29.Qg3 
Qxf3+ 30.Qxf3 Rxf3 31.Kg2 {The endgame is drawn. But for the moment I 
continue playing because of his time-trouble.} 31...Rf4 
    ( 31...Re3 32.Rf1+ Ke7 33.h4 $10 {is easier for White.} )
32.Re1 Rg4+ 33.Kh3 Rb4 
    ( 33...Rd4 34.Bg6 Rd2 35.Re6 Nf7 36.Re3 $10 {would be another forced 
    drawing variation which I wanted to avoid.} )
34.Re2 Kf7 35.Bd3 Kf6 36.Kg3 Rd4 37.Bc2 g5 38.Rf2+ Ke5 39.Re2+ Kf6 40.Rf2+
Ke5 41.Re2+ {The first time control was over and here I sank into a thirty
minutes thought. In fact, I had already convinced myself to call it a day 
and repeat the position for the third time, but the team competitions 
sometimes require different decisions. I looked at the other games of the 
match just to see that the Berlin team was in a big danger of losing. 
Having figured that I am not risking at all, I continued.} 41...Kd5 $5 42.
Re3 {Greenfeld tries to be as safe as possible.} 
    ( 42.Bb3+ Kc6 {with the idea . ..b5...a5 might have given Black some 
    additional chances.} )
42...a5 
    ( 42...Rd2 43.Rd3+ Rxd3+ 44.Bxd3 {would be dead drawn.} )
43.Bd3 {Now the rook exchange is not so simple e.g.} 
    ( 43.Rd3 Nf5+ 44.Kf2 Ke5 $1 {and Black keeps trying.} )
43...b5 
    ( 43...Rf4 44.Rf3 $10 )
44.Kf2 Rh4 45.h3 Kd4 46.Rg3 b4 47.Ke2 Nf7 48.Bf5 Rh6 49.Kd1 Rf6 50.Bh7 Rf2
51.Kc1 {White's king has come to defend the queenside pawns and there are 
practically no winning chances left. However my opponent again went into 
the time-pressure and soon started to err.} 51...Rh2 52.a3 {Objectively 
this move doesn't spoil anything but it weakens the b3 square to allow 
mate ideas later on.} 
    ( 52.Rg4+ $10 {should have been preferred.} )
52...Ne5 53.axb4 axb4 54.Bf5 
    ( 54.Rxg5 {would let Black to win the bishop after} 54...Rh1+ 
        ( 54...Rxh3 55.Bf5 $10 )
    55.Kc2 b3+ 
        ( 55...Rxh3 56.Bg8 $10 )
    56.Kxb3 Rxh3+ $15 {but normally draw is not so difficult to make in a 
    R vs. R+N endgame.} )
54...Rf2 55.Rxg5 $2 {Finally messing up in the time-trouble, although not 
losing the game yet.} 
    ( 55.Bc2 {would still be an easy draw.} )
55...b3 $1 {These are mate threats I was talking about.} 56.Rg3 {The 
position is very difficult for White when flag is hanging. Typical losing 
variations are} 
    ( 56.Kd1 Ke3 )
    ( 56.Bh7 Rf1+ 57.Kd2 Nf3+ 58.Ke2 Nxg5 59.Kxf1 Nxh7 60.Ke2 Nf6 61.h4 
    Nh5 62.Kd2 Nf4 63.Kc1 Ke3 64.Kd1 Kd3 65.Kc1 Ke2 66.Kb1 Kd2 67.Ka1 Kc1 
    68.h5 Ne2 69.h6 Nd4 70.h7 Nc2# {or the text. However} )
    ( 56.Bg6 $1 {would probably save the game.} )
56...Nf3 $1 {Taking the piece with} 
    ( 56...Rxf5 $2 57.Rxb3 $15 {is, of course, not enough anymore. Black 
    goes for bigger fish - the king.} )
57.Rg4+ {Giving up the exchange doesn't help e. g.} 
    ( 57.Rxf3 Rxf3 58.Bg4 Rf1+ 59.Bd1 
        ( 59.Kd2 Rb1 $19 )
    59...Kd3 60.h4 Re1 61.h5 Rh1 62.h6 Kc4 63.Kd2 Rxh6 64.Be2+ Kd4 65.Bd1 
    Rh2+ 66.Kc1 Kc4 67.Bg4 Kd3 68.Bf5+ Ke3 $19 )
57...Kc5 $3 {Only this move wins!} 
    ( 57...Ke5 $2 58.Bd3 Rh2 59.Bf1 Rc2+ 
        ( 59...Rh1 60.Kd1 Rxf1+ 61.Ke2 Nh2 62.Rg3 $10 )
    60.Kd1 Rxb2 $15 {would not be sufficient.} )
58.Kd1 {Now} 
    ( 58.Bd3 {doesn't help because after} 58...Rh2 59.Bf1 Rh1 60.Kd1 Rxf1+
    61.Ke2 Nh2 62.Rg3 {Black has} 62...Kb4 {(that's why 57...Kc5 was 
    necessary!)} 63.Rg2 Rc1 $19 )
58...Rd2+ 59.Kc1 Rh2 60.Kd1 Rh1+ 61.Ke2 Nd4+ 62.Kd3 $6 
    ( 62.Kf2 {would require Black to find} 62...Nxf5 63.Rg5 Rh2+ 64.Ke1 
    Rxb2 65.Rxf5+ Kb4 66.Kd1 Rc2 $1 $19 {while the text loses in spot.} )
62...Nxf5 63.Rg5 Rxh3+ {and White resigned because the endings arising 
after} 
    ( 63...Rxh3+ 64.Ke4 
        ( 64.Ke2 Re3+ 65.Kd2 
            ( 65.Kf2 Re5 $19 )
        65...Rf3 66.Ke2 Rf4 67.Kd3 Kb4 {or} )
    64...Kc4 65.Rxf5 Rh2 66.Rf8 Re2+ 67.Kf3 Rxb2 {are hopeless.} )
0-1

