Shirov’s spectacular results continue while Ivanchuk’s woes linger on. Today, Shirov defeated Ivanchuk to obtain the sole lead at the 2009 Mtel Masters.
GM Shirov (2745) – GM Ivanchuk (2746) [C80]
Mtel 2009 (6), 19.05.2009
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Nxe4 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 d5 8.dxe5 Be6 9.Nbd2 Be7 10.Re1 Nc5 11.c3 d4 12.Bc2 0–0 13.cxd4 Nxd4 14.Nxd4 Qxd4 15.Nf3 Qxd1 16.Rxd1 Rfd8 17.Nd4 Bd5 18.Nf5 Bf8 19.Bg5 Rd7 20.Ne7+ Bxe7 21.Bxe7 Rxe7 22.Rxd5 Ne6 23.g3 g6 24.f4 c5 25.Kf2 Kg7 26.Rad1 c4 27.Ke3 f6 28.Rd7 Kf7 29.Be4 Rae8 30.Rxe7+ Rxe7 31.exf6 Kxf6 32.Rd6 Kg7 33.f5 gxf5 34.Bxf5 Nf8+ 35.Kd2 Re5 36.g4 a5 37.Ra6 a4 38.Rb6 Ng6 39.Kc3 Ne7 40.Rb7 Kf6 41.Bxh7 Kg5 42.h3 Kf4 43.Rd7 Re2 44.a3 Nc6 45.Rf7+ Kg3 46.g5 Re3+ 47.Kd2 Rb3 48.g6 Rxb2+ 49.Kc1 White wins 1–0
Click here to replay the game.
Nice game.
Chucky=#30 in the world now. A precipitous drop.
Shirov had his bad days also. It is natural to have periods of bad preformance. After all they are not only great chess players but also human beings. One can compare chess players to football clubs. If Barcelona for example loses a couple of games, it does not mean that it has lost its power.
On the other hand, as an Ivanchuck fan I am a bit worried. Is he over the peak of his career ? In top level he is a relic of the old generation so to speak. IT is mysterious.. the mysterious Ivanchuck… Maybe he has some kind of blockage in his chess development. I mean, in his creativity. After all it is hard to produce new ideas especially in high level.