[Event "New Delhi "] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "Paragua, M."] [Black "Debashis, D."] [Result "1-0"] [Annotator "Kasparov,G"] [WhiteElo "2522"] [BlackElo "2389"] [ECO "D45"] [TimeControl "0"] 1. d4 {This may not be a game between famous players, but a move like the one we are about to see would be a unique guest even on chess Olympus. I had never seen anything like it in my chess career and the only qualification is that it did not actually take place over the board. As often happens, the brilliancy remained just off stage, but we can enjoy it just as well.} d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 {The spike that took the world by storm after being introduced by Shirov 1992. I faced it first with black against Adams that year and was greatly surprised, but I took on c4 and won quickly. After testing it against computers several times I took up the move.} h6 {Considered best.} (7. ... O-O 8. g5 Nh5 9. Bd2 f5 10. gxf6 Nhxf6 11. Ng5 Qe8 12. O-O-O h6 13. h4 $40 {Shirov,A 2655 - Thorhallsson,Th 2425, Reykjavik 1992 Ue 54/428} ) (7. ... dxc4 8. e4 e5 9. g5 exd4 10. Nxd4 Ng4 11. h3 Nge5 $15 {Adams,Mi 2620 - Kasparov,G 2780, Dortmund 1992 Ue 54/429} ) 8. h3 (8. Rg1 {Black still plays ...e5.} e5 9. cxd5 cxd5 ) (8. Bd2 dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Be2 Bb7 {The dangers for White can be seen in the game Carlsen,M 2776 - Aronian,L 2750, Linares 2009} 11. e4 Be7 12. g5 hxg5 13. Nxg5 b4 (13. ... c5 ) ) e5 9. Bd2 O-O 10. g5 exd4 11. exd4 Re8+ 12. Be2 hxg5 13. Nxg5 dxc4 $5 $146 (13. ... Nf8 {Svidler,P 2750 - Gelfand,B 2750, Nice (blindfold) 2010} ) 14. O-O-O Nb6 15. Rhg1 Be6 {Both sides have completed development and White must attack.} 16. Bh5 (16. h4 {Too slow.} Qd7 17. Nxe6 Qxe6 (17. ... Rxe6 {This is also fine.} ) ) Qd7 17. Nce4 Nxe4 $2 (17. ... Nbd5 $1 {This could lead to another fiery exchange, leading to a draw.} 18. Nxf7 Bxf7 19. Bxf7+ Kxf7 20. Nxf6 Kxf6 (20. ... Nxf6 21. Qg6+ Kg8 (21. ... Kf8 22. Bh6 ) 22. Qxf6 Rf8 23. Qh4 $13 ) 21. Qh7 $1 Bf8 22. Rg6+ Ke7 $1 23. Bg5+ Kf7 24. Rg1 Re6 25. Rxg7+ Bxg7 26. Bh6 Re1+ 27. Rxe1 Rg8 28. Rg1 Qxh3 29. Rxg7+ Rxg7 30. Qxg7+ Ke6 $11 ) 18. Qxe4 Bf5 19. Qh4 $2 {Who among us has not let a superior simplification pass by while chasing a brilliant sacrificial win? 19.#CCf7 was better, but I cannot blame White for missing Black’s spectacular defense.} (19. Bxf7+ Qxf7 20. Nxf7 Bxe4 21. Nxd6 Re6 22. Nxb7 $16 ) Re7 20. Nh7 $1 {This sacrifice launches the combination White was planning with his 19th move.} Bxh7 (20. ... Nd5 {Equality is in view here, but Black alllowed fireworks.} 21. Rxg7+ (21. Nf6+ Nxf6 22. Qxf6 Bg6 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. Rxg6 Bh2 $13 ) Kxg7 22. Rg1+ Bg6 23. Bxg6 fxg6 24. Qh6+ Kg8 25. Rxg6+ Rg7 26. Ng5 Rxg6 27. Qxg6+ Qg7 28. Qe6+ Kh8 29. Nf7+ $11 ) 21. Rxg7+ Kxg7 22. Bh6+ {The king is lured up the board by a steady diet of pieces.} Kxh6 (22. ... Kg8 23. Rg1+ Bg6 24. Bxg6 Re1+ (24. ... fxg6 25. Rxg6+ Rg7 26. Rxg7+ Qxg7 27. Bxg7 Kxg7 28. Qg5+ $11 ) (24. ... Bf4+ 25. Qxf4 fxg6 26. Qf6 Rae8 27. Qxg6+ Kh8 28. Qf6+ $11 ) 25. Rxe1 fxg6 26. Qf6 Qh7 27. Qe6+ Kh8 28. Qf6+ $11 ) 23. Bxf7+ $6 {Remarkably, a mistake after which Black should have the advantage! Again, it is unkind to chastise White for believing this is completely winning and indeed, it did lead to a quick mate in the game. Unfortunately, there is no room for justice on the chessboard, only truth. It is a minor tragedy that White did not play the superior 23.#CBg1. Minor because it is unlikely that Black would have found the spectacular rejoinder considering he misses the same move in the game a move later.} (23. Rg1 {As in the game, this leads to mate unless Black finds...} Qg4 $3 {I have searched my memory and my database without finding a move of such startling beauty. This queen of easy virtue offers herself up to no fewer than four captures, including a discovered check that leads to another discovered check, and yet White can do no better than draw. No matter how long one looks, it seems impossible. More on this sacrifice after White’s 24th move.} 24. Bxg4+ (24. Rxg4 $4 Re1+ 25. Kd2 Bb4# {This mate is the icing on a cake that is already quite sweet enough!} ) (24. Qxg4 $4 Rg8 $19 ) Kg7 25. Bf5+ Bg6 26. Bxg6 fxg6 27. Qg4 Kh8 28. Qh4+ (28. Qxg6 Bf4+ 29. Kc2 Rf8 30. Rg4 Rh7 31. Rxf4 Rxf4 32. Qe8+ Kg7 $11 ) Kg7 $11 ) Kg7 24. Rg1+ Kf8 $4 {Missing his chance for a win, or at least a draw -- and missing a chance at immortality! Now mate is forced and White eventually gets the job done.} (24. ... Qg4 $3 {The queen steps into the line of fire on an empty square where she can be captured by three pieces, two with check. The point is clearance of the d7 square for the black king. Composers will recognize the move as a distant relative of the theme known as Mitrofanov’s Deflection, named for the fine Russian composer Leopold Mitrofanov’s gold-medal study from 1967. (White: #C8a5; pawns - a6, b5, d5, g6, h5 Black: #C8a7, #CDe1, #CDe5, #CCd6; pawn - h2. ) In the study, the queen steps in to block a check on a squoare where she can be freely captured, but so capturing removes Black’s ability to check on the diagonal. (1.b6+ #C8a8 2. g7 h1#CA 3.g8#CA+ #CCb8 4.a7 #CDc6 5.dc6 #CAh5+ 6.#CAg5!! #CAg5+ 7.#C8a6 #CCa7 8.c7!! with inevitable mate. An unforgettable masterpiece.) But here the goal is more one of clearance than of deflecting any of the white pieces. It is a pity Black missed this incredible resource. Not only would he have contributed to chess compendiums of spectacular moves for all time but he may well have gone on to win the game. The shock value alone would have been immense. Of course the computer sees ...#CAg4 instantly as it is the only move. A less spectacular thematic precursor from master play comes from Topalov - Polgar, Novgorod 1996. In similar fashion White interposed his queen to create an escape path for his king.} 25. Rxg4+ Kxf7 26. Qxh7+ Ke8 27. Rg7 Kd7 28. h4 Nd5 29. h5 Kc7 30. h6 Kb6 $15 ) 25. Qh6+ Kxf7 26. Qxh7+ Ke6 27. Qe4+ Be5 28. Qxe5+ Kf7 29. Qh5+ (29. Qf4+ $1 Ke6 30. Re1+ Kd5 31. Re5+ Kd6 32. Rf5+ Ke6 33. Qe5# ) Kf8 30. Qh8+ Kf7 31. Qh7+ (31. Qg7+ $1 Ke6 32. Qe5+ Kf7 33. Qf4+ {Ue 29.#CAf4!} ) Ke6 32. Qe4+ Kd6 33. Qf4+ Kd5 34. Rg5+ Ke6 35. Qe5+ Kf7 36. Qg7+ 1-0

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