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In the harsh world of competitive sport the winner is always right.  The voice of the vanquished is seldom heard.  This is a pity as often the embarrassed silence of the loser conceals more truth than the undisguised glee and bravado of the winner. It is indeed a learning experience to read the thoughts of the loser as he relives the trauma of defeat recounting the missed opportunities, dashed hopes and lost illusions.  [Ed. See Chessville's Lessons Learned column for just this kind of analysis.]

In this issue of the Informant Gagunashvili, an experienced Georgian GM, analyses his defeat from a won position at the hands of Magnus Carsen, the Norwegian prodigy.

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 e6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.a5 dxc4 8.e4 h6 9.Bh4 Bb4 10.Qa4

Gambiting the e-pawn.  Otherwise he would play 10.Qc2.

10...Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 g5 12.Bg3 Nxe4

13.Qxc4

A TN according to Gagunashvili, but not entirely successful:  13.Bxc4 Nxg3 (13...Nxc3 14.Qc2 with compensation) 14.hxg3 b5 15.axb6 Nxb6 16.Qa2 (16.Qxc6?+ Bd7 17.Qc5 Rc8 18.Qe5 f6-+) is better.

13...Nxg3 14.hxg3

Now if 14...g4 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.dxe5 Qd5 17.Qf4 and White has a more comfortable position.

14… c5

Sharply calculated. 15.dxc5 Qc7 16.c6( not 16. Ng5? Qe5 17.Ne4 f5) bxc6 17.Bd3 is unclear.

15.Be2 cxd4 16.Rd1

Seeking a lead in development.

16...dxc3

16...Qxa5 17.Qxd4 e5 18.Qd2 and White has compensation.

17.Qxc3 Qf6 18.Qb4 Qe7

19.Rd6!

19.Qc3 Qf6 (19...e5) 20.Qb4 Qe7 leads to repetition of moves.

19...Nf6 20.Qd4

20.Nxg5? Nd5

20...e5

20...Bd7? 21.Rxd7 Qxd7 22.Qxf6

21.Nxe5 Be6

Now White should play 22.Bf3 and the weakness of the queen’s side pawns can bring about a win in the long run. - NSH

22.f4 Rd8

Not 22...g4 23.f5 Bxf5 24.Nc4 0-0 (24...Be6 25.0-0) 25.Qxf6.

If 22...gxf4 23.gxf4 with the same threat of f5.

Position after 22...Rd8

23.Qa4+?

Gagunashvili prefers 23.Rxd8+ Qxd8 24.Qxd8+ Kxd8 25.fxg5 Ne4 26.gxh6 Nxg3 27.Rh2 with the better chances in the ending.

23...Kf8 24.Rxd8+ Qxd8 25.fxg5 Nd5 26.gxh6 Qg5 27.Qa3+ Ke8

Not 27...Kg8 28.Rh5

28.Rh5 Qf6 29.Bd1

29...Ne7

If 29...Rxh6 30.Ba4+ Kd8 31.Qf8+ wins.

30.Qf3 Nf5

31.Ba4+?

The turning point. White misses 31.Ng4! Qe7 (31...Qd4 32.Rxf5 Bxf5 33.Qxf5) 32.Qc3 !! Bc4+ (32...f6 33.Nxf6+) 33.Kf2 .Rxh6 ( 33… Qc5+ 34.Ne3 wins.)34.Nxh6 Qc5+ 35.Ke1 Qe7+ 36.Kd2 Qd6+ 37.Kc1.  The King walks away and celebrates victory.

31...Kf8 32.Qa3+

White is pursuing an attack that has petered out.

32.Qf4 Rxh6 33.g4 Rxh5 34.gxh5 = is safer.

32...Kg8 33.Ng4?

White should have opted for the lesser evil with 33.Qc3 Rxh6 34.Rxh6 Qxh6.

33...Qd4! 34.Bd1

If 34.Rg5+ Kh7

34...Kh7 35.Be2 Re8

36.Qd3

36.Qf3 !? is the last chance to fight for a draw.

36...Qg1+ 37.Kd2 Rc8 38.Bf1

If 38.Bd1 Qc5.

38...Qc5 39.Ne3

39.Nf6+ Kh8 does not help White either.

39...Qc1+ 40.Ke2 Rc3 41.Qxc3 Qxc3 42.Nxf5 Bc4+ 43.Kf2 Qd2+ 44.Kg1 Bxf1 0-1

The main menu of this volume includes important games from major tournaments like Linares, Sarajevo (won by Shirov) and Poikovsky (won by Grischuk).  Aficionados of rapid tournaments would enjoy games from Reykjavik (won By Kasparov) and Melody Amber tournament won by Morozevich and Kramnik.  It is a pity that very few games from Melody Amber are included in this volume.

Although the Linares super-tournament was won by Kramnik, it was other players like Shirov and Kasparov who won accolades for their fighting spirit.  The following game is a chess feast:

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Nbd7 9.Qd2 b5 10.a4 b4 11.Nd5 Bxd5 12.exd5 Nb6 13.Bxb6 Qxb6 14.a5 Qb7 15.Bc4 g6 16.Ra4 Rb8 17.Qd3 Ra8

Agreed drawn in Shirov-Kasparov, Frankfurt 2000.  But this time they want to fight!

18.Qd2 Rb8 19.Nc1 h5 20.Nd3 Bh6 21.Qe2

Kasparov mentions 21.Qxb4 as an alternative, but without giving any variations.  After 21.Qxb4 Qc7 22. Qa3(Not 22. Qc3 ? Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Qxc3+ 24.bxc3 Rb1+ 25.Ke2 Rxh1… 0-1  Ivanchuk-Gelfand, Melody Amber 2002) 23.Nf2 Bc1 24. Nd3 Be3 the position is unclear.

21...0-0

 22.Nxb4

22. Rxb4 ? Qc7 23.Ra4 e4 24.fxe4 Nxe4 and Black has initiative for the pawn. After the game continuation White has won a pawn and looks to be winning another on a6. But practice shows that Black will gain dangerous compensation on the dark squares, particularly on the kingside. White's king will have difficulty finding a comfortable home.

22...Qd7!? TN

22...e4 is a sharp alternative.

23.Nc6!

Perhaps Shirov did not like the variation 23.b3 e4 24.0-0 Rbe8.

23… Qxa4!? 24.bxa4 Rxb4 25.Bb3 Ra8 26.0-0 Nd7 is interesting, but Black may not have sufficient compensation for the queen.

23...Rxb2 24.0-0 h4

24...e4 is also possible.

25.Bb3!

Imprisoning the rogue elephant the and preparing to swing his own rook over to the king’s side.

Not 25.Bxa6?.Nxd526. Rc4 h3-+

25...h3 26.g3

Not 26. Qxa6 Be3+ 27. Kh1 hxg2+ 28.Kxg2 Nxd5 -+

26…e4! 27.fxe4

After 27.f4!? .Re8 Black should have sufficient counterplay.

27...Qg4!?

Or 27...Ng4!? 28.e5! Be3+ 29.Kh1 Nf2+! 30.Kg1! =

Not 30.Rxf2? Bxf2 31.Ra1.dxe5! 32.Qxf2 Rxb3 33.Ne7+ Qxe7 34.cxb3 Rd8

28.Qd3!

Not 28.Qe1?Rb1!! 29.Qxb1 Be3+ 30.Rf2 Qf3 31.Qf1 Ng4-+;

Nor 28.Qxa6? 28...Be3+ 29.Kh1 Rb1! 30.Ne5! (30.Rxb1?? Qf3#) Qd1 31. Bc4 Qd2 32.Be2 Rxf1+ 33.Bxf1 Qf2 34. Nf3 Qxf3+ 35.Bg2 hxg2#

28.Qxg4 Be3+! 29.Kh1 Nxg4 and with Ng4-f2+ to follow, Black will have at least a draw.  But Shirov is playing for a win!

28...Qg5

29.Qxa6?? Qd2 30.Qe2 Qxe2 31.Ne7+ Kh7 32. Rf2 Rb1+ 33.Rf1 Rxf1#

29.e5! dxe5 30.Rh4!

Attack is the best form of defence.

30.Qc3 e4 31.d6 Bg7 32.Rd4 Nd7 33.Qxb2 Qe3+ 34.Rf2= is too tame for Shirov.

But not 30.d6? e4 31.Qd4 .Ng4! 32.d7 Qe3+ 33.Qxe3 Bxe3+ 34.Kh1 Nf2+ 35.Kg1 Nd1+ 36.Kh1 Rb1 37.Ne7+ Kg7 38.Nd5 Bc5 39.Rc4 Nf2+ 40.Kg1 Nd3+ 41.Rxc5 Rxf1+ 42.Kxf1 Nxc5 wins

30...e4 31.Qd4

Ambitious as ever, Shirov rejects 31.Rxe4 Nxe4 32.Qxe4 Qd2 33.Qf3 Kg7 34.Rd1 Be3+ 35.Kh1 Re8! 36.d6 Bf4 37.Ne7 (37.Qf1 Qc3!) 37...Qg2+ 38.Qxg2 hxg2+ 39.Kxg2 Bxd6 40.Rxd6 Rxe7 41.Rxa6 Rb1=

31...Ng4

31...Qe3+ 32.Qxe3 Bxe3+ 33.Kh1 Bd2! 34.d6 Kg7 35.g4 e3 36.g5 Ne8 37.d7 Nd6 38.d8Q Rxd8 39.Nxd8 e2 40.Rg1 e1Q 41.Rxe1 Bxe1 42.Rxh3 Bxa5 43.Rd3 Bxd8 44.Rxd6 Bxg5 45.Rxa6=

32.Rxh6!

32.Qxb2 Qe3+ 33.Kh1 Qe2 34.Ne7+ Kh7 35.Rxf7+ Rxf7 36.Rxh6+ Nxh6 37.Qh8+ Kxh8 38.Nxg6+ Kg7 39.Nf4 Qe1#

32.Rxg4?? Qxg4 33.Qxb2 Be3+34.Kh1 Qe2 -+

32. Rf4?? Rb1+ 33. Rf1 Qe3+ 34.Qxe3 Bxe3+ 35.Kh1 Rxf1#

32.Re1 is met by 32...Qe3+!! 33.Qxe3 Bxe3+ 34.Kh1 Nf2+ 35.Kg1 Nd3+ 36.Kf1 Nxe1 37.Kxe1 Rb1+ and Black is better.

The very tempting 32.Ne7+ might have ended tragically for White:  32.Ne7+ Kh7! 33.Qxe4

Analysis Diagram: after 33.Qxe4

33...Qxh4!! 34.Rxf7+ (34.gxh4 Be3+ 35.Qxe3 Nxe3 36.Rc1 Rb8-+) 34...Kh8!

Now Kasparov gives only 35.Nxg6+ .Kg8 36.d6 Rb1+ 37.Rf1+ Kg7 38.Rxb1 Qg5 and Black is winning.  If 39.Nf4 then 39...Qc5+ -+.

But why not 35.Qd4+?

Analysis Diagram: after 35.Qd4

There follows 35...Qf6!! 36.Rxf6 (36.Qxf6+ Nxf6 37.Nxg6+ Kg8 38.Rxf8+ Bxf8-+) 36...Rxf6-+

32...Nxh6!

Not 32...Qxh6 ? 33.d6! (rather than 33.Qxb2 Qe3+) Qe3+ 34.Qxe3 Nxe3 35.Rc1±

33.Qxb2!

After 33.d6? Nf5! 34.Qxb2 fails to Nxg3! 35.Rf2 Nf5+ 36.Kf1 e3 37.Ne7+ Kh7 38.Nxf5 gxf5 -+

34.Ne7+ Qxe7 35.Rxf5 (35. dxe7 Nd4 36.ef8=Q Kxf8 37.Rf7+Ke8) Rb1+ 36.Kf2 e3+ 37.Ke2 Qb7 38.Rd5 Rd8 is favorable to Black.

33...Qe3+ 34.Rf2 Qe1+ 35.Rf1 Qe3+ 1/2-1/2

Even the final position is intriguing.36. Rf2 Ng4 is tricky and lead to a draw after 37. Qd4 Qe1+ 38. Rf1 Qe2 39.Rf2 Qe1+  =

But not 37. c3? Nxf2 38.Qxf2 Qxc3 39.Bd1Re8 40.Be2 Qc1+! 41.Qf1 Qc5+ 42. Qf2 Qxd5+-

A battle of giants.

The present volume also offers a profile of Judit Polgar with 15 complete games, 11 theoretical novelties, 18 combinations and 9 endings.

Apart from trademark sections on middle game combinations and endings, it also carries a feature on studies selected and edited by Yochanan Afek.  There are nine prizewinners from recent composing tourneys by eminent composers like Matous and Nestorescu.  The following study combines elegance and subtlety:

K. Konovalov
2^nd Prize Sidorov-65 JT 2002