This is the position after 26.Rd1?? which made a bad position hopeless. All Black had to do was to play 26…Nd4+ and the game is basically over. Unfortunately, Shulman played 26…e2??, followed by 28…Qh3+??, which gave the game to Shirov.
Here is the full game until 35…Rxg1
GM Shirov (2739) – GM Shulman (2616) [C18]
28.11.2007
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 cxd4 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 Qc7 10.Ne2 Nbc6 11.f4 Bd7 12.Qd3 dxc3 13.Rg1 0–0–0 14.g4 d4 15.h4 Be8 16.h5 f6 17.exf6 Nd5 18.Bh3 Kb8 19.g5 Bxh5 20.Bxe6 Bxe2 21.Kxe2 Rge8 22.f5 Qe5+ 23.Kf3 Qh2 24.Qf1 Ne3 25.Bxe3 dxe3 26.Rd1 e2 27.Qxe2 Ne5+ 28.Ke3 Qh3+ 29.Kf4 Nc6 30.Qg4 Qh2+ 31.Qg3 Qxc2 32.f7 Rh8 33.g6 Rxd1 34.g7 Rhd8 35.f8Q Rxg1 +-
That’s a terrible miss for Shulman. That’s really too bad.
How can one be sure that the game score is correct ?
This should teach Shulman a lesson for not playing in any tournaments throughout the year.
What does he think? He can just waltz in and advance?
Kamsky has been the most active. Onischuk has played a few events.
Kudrin was a joke – he should have given up his spot to Nakamura who would have had a real chance.
Becerra should have given his spot to Ben Finegold.
Shabalov learned his lesson of meeting non-US GM’s after so long of playing weak US GM’s.