The Greatest Chess Game You've Never Seen?
Today's game is the most brilliant chess game I'd never seen until just recently. As a massive Alexei Shirov fan (His "Fire on Board" is one of my FAVORITE books.), I couldn't believe I'd missed this rapid game against Boris Gelfand which features many amazing ideas for both players and a stunning winning move. To give a taste of the ideas on display, the game features exchange sacs, intermezzos, connected passed pawns (for both sides), stalemate defense, multiple queen sacrifices, mating nets, and decoys!
Lessons:
- The exchange isn't worth much if your rooks lack targets.
- Black's dark-square bishop is kingly when supporting queenside passers.
- Know. Your. Checkmates.
My annotations are below. Do NOT miss the lines behind the scenes.
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I'm the Head of Community for Chess.com. I earned the National Master title in 2012, and in 2014, I returned to my home state of South Carolina to start Strategery: Chess and Games. In late 2015, I began working for Chess.com and haven't looked back since.
You can find my personal content on Twitch , Twitter , and YouTube where I further indulge my love of chess.
