1.d4
d5
2.c4
e6
3.Nc3
Be7
4.Nf3
Nf6
5.Bf4
0-0
6.e3
c5
7.dxc5
Bxc5
8.Qc2
Nc6
9.a3
Qa5
10.0-0-0
This is a very aggressive decision by Shulman. By castling queenside, White signals that he is ready to launch a pawn storm on the kingside.
10...Be7
11.h4
Right on cue, here come the pawns. Shulman is following the game Kasparov-Ehlvest, Novgorod 1995.
12.Nd2
was Topalov's choice against Kramnik at Corus/Wijk aan Zee, 2007. Kramnik drew
without too much fuss.
12...Bd7
This is the first completely new move of the game. Here Kasparov-Ehlvest deviated with 13...dxc4
14.Bxc4
Rac8
15.g5
Nh5
16.Bd6
g6
17.Be2
Bxd6
18.Rxd6
Ne7
and the game was eventually drawn on move 43.
14.g5
Ne4
15.Nxe4
dxe4
16.Nd2
Qb6
17.Ka1
Na5
18.Be2
Rxd2
This simplifying combination is made possible by the weakness at b3.
19.Rxd2
Nb3+
20.Ka2
Nxd2
21.Qxd2
a5
22.Be5
Ba4
23.Bd4
Bb3+
24.Kb1
Bc5
25.Qc3
Bxd4
26.exd4
a4
27.Bd1
Bxd1
27...Rd8
28.Bxb3
axb3
29.Rd1
e5
30.c5
(30.d5
Qxf2=
Black has ...e3 coming up.) 30...Qc6
31.d5
Rxd5
32.Qxb3=
28.Rxd1
Rd8
29.Qb4
Qc6
30.h5
Rc8
31.d5
Qd7?!
32.Rd2
h6?
32...exd5
33.Rxd5
is worrisome, but at least Black has some counterplay after 33...Qh3
34.Qxa4
Qxh5
35.Qd7
Rf8
36.Qxb7
Qe2
33.gxh6!
Of course. Add an exposed King to Black's list of woes.
33...gxh6
34.Qc3
34.d6
is very tempting.
34...Kf8??
But this is the blunder that really gives away the game. Black had to try 34...exd5
35.Rxd5
Qe6
when it is not clear how White can make progress.
35.Qf6
I suspect both players were in time pressure, scrambling to make it to move 40.
35.Qh8+!
looks like a clean kill, e.g. 35...Ke7
36.Qxh6+-
35...exd5
36.Qxh6+
Ke8
37.Rxd5
Qc6
38.Qxc6+
Here is more evidence of a time scramble: White deliberately cashes in his chips and heads for the Rook ending -- a very favorable ending, but still an ending that must be won.
38.Re5+!
Kd8
39.Qg5+!
f6
40.Rd5+
Ke7
(40...Kc7
41.Qf4+
Kb6
42.Rd6+-
) 41.Qg7+
Ke8
42.Rd4!+-
and Black has no satisfactory way of stopping White's plan of h6-7-8=Q.
38...Rxc6
39.Re5+
Of course White wants to pick off the e-pawn with a gain of time.
39...Kf8
40.Rxe4
Black has emerged from what could have been a nightmare late middlegame into what is, in truth, a pretty bad endgame. White has two extra pawns, and in the long run those are going to carry the game. But Rook endings are notoriously drawish and full of subtleties, so it is not unreasonable for Goldin to play on, hoping to trick his younger and less experienced opponent.
40...Rc5
41.Rh4
Rf5
42.f4
Rc5
43.h6
Kg8
44.Rg4+
Kh8
45.Rg7
Rf5
46.Kc2
Rxf4
There is one pawn back.
47.Kc3
Rf2
48.Kb4
Rxb2+
49.Kxa4
Rf2
50.Kb5
f5
50...Rf6
51.a4
Rf2
52.a5
Rb2+
53.Kc5
f5
54.Rf7
Rb1
55.Rxf5+-
51.Kc5
Rb2
52.Rf7
b6+
53.Kd4
Rd2+
54.Kc3
Rf2
Black's f-pawn is the only thing that is keeping White's Rook on the f-file.
55.Rf6
Rf3+
56.Kd4
Rxa3
57.Rxb6
A lot of pawns have come off in the last few moves, and Black is very grateful for every pawn that has disappeared. But with all of that progress, Black still has a problem: his King is far from the c-file, and he really needs his King over there to help stop the pawn.
57...Ra1
58.Rf6
Rd1+
59.Ke5
Rc1
60.Rc6
60.Kd5
looks like a simpler alternative, leaving the Rook to take care of the f-pawn while the King helps the c-pawn forward. The game might continue 60...Rd1+
61.Kc6
Rf1
62.Rf7
Kg8
63.h7+!
A little tactical joke. 63...Kh8
64.c5
f4
65.Kd6
f3
66.c6
f2
67.Kc7!+-
and Black is in Zugzwang and has to move his Rook, losing his f-pawn and the
game.
60...Rf1
Now Black makes White work very hard for the full point.
61.Rc7
f4
62.c5
f3
63.Kf4
f2
64.Kf3
Rh1
65.Kxf2
Rxh6
Black's King is horribly cut off -- tied to the back rank and stuck on the long side of the pawn. And yet, if it were Black's turn to move here, he could draw with ...Kg8. That is how close Goldin's endgame technique came to drawing this game!
66.Ke3
Kg8
67.Kd4
Kf8
68.c6!
This is the only move that wins! The point becomes clear in a moment.
68...Ke8
69.Rc8+!
Once again, this is the only move that wins. White is taking advantage of a small wall.
69...Ke7
Black hopes to sneak in over the top of the wall.
70.Kc5!
And yet again, this is the only move that wins. White's King contributes to the wall, keeping Black's King at bay.
70...Rh1
71.Kb6
Now we have a standard position where Black's King is on the long side -- the wrong side! -- of the pawn. 71.Kb6 Now White's King can shelter in front of his pawn should Black check from behind with his Rook. 71...Kd6 Black tries to prevent White from finding shelter. 72.Rd8+! This is the only way to win, but it is not difficult to find. White uses the opposition "through" the pawn to drive away Black's King, creating a one-file cutoff. With the pawn this far advanced, that is sufficient for the win. 72...Ke7 Now there are many ways to win. One of them is 73.Rd7+ Ke8 74.Kc7 etc.
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