chess

Kasparov and Kramnik both won in the fifth round at Tilburg, leaving the field now well stretched out. Scores are: Kasparov 41/2; Kramnik 4; Svidler 31/2; Adams and Leko 3; Shirov and Polgar 21/2; Onischuk and van Wely 2; Lautier and Piket 11/2; Shaked 0.

In round five, Kasparov played Black against the highly imaginative young Latvian, Alexei Shirov. Perhaps Shirov is an opponent Kasparov would prefer to play Black against. His death-or-glory style guarantees that with the white pieces he will unbalance the position enough to minimise the chance of a draw.

Adopting an aggressive formation against Kasparov's Sicilian Defence, Shirov sacrificed a pawn with 23.g5 to open lines against the black king. After 26.Rh4, the natural continuation seemed to be 26...Qxd5 27.Rxb4 with a wild position in which Black's extra pawn gives him the better chances. White might, however, prefer 27.Be2 with designs on the d6-pawn and keeping open the possibility of a Rxh6 sacrifice.

Kasparov avoided all this with a deep sacrifice of his queen. After 27...Qxc4! Black's grip on the position made it difficult for White's queen to develop any threats. White exchanged a pair of rooks, but had an impossible choice at move 32. After 32.Qxe4 Rh8 Black's back-rank mating threats are too strong, while after32.fxe4, it was the passed g-pawn that won the game. At the end, 41.Qc5 Bh2 regains the queen and leaves Black a piece ahead.

White: Alexei Shirov

Black: Garry Kasparov

Tilburg 1997

1 e4 c5 22 Bd3 Kf8

2 Nf3 d6 23 g5 hxg5

3 d4 cxd4 24 hxg5 Bxg5

4 Nxd4 Nf6 25 Qf5 Bh6

5 Nc3 a6 26 Rh4 Ke7

6 Be3 e5 27 Rc4 Qxc4

7 Nb3 Be6 28 Bxc4 Rxc4

8 f3 Be7 29 Qd3 Rac8

9 Qd2 Nbd7 30 Re1 Bf4

10 g4 h6 31 Re4 Rxe4

11 0-0-0 b5 32 fxe4 g5

12 h4 Nb6 33 a3 bxa3

13 Kb1 b4 34 Qa6 Rd8

14 Bxb6 Qxb6 35 Qb6 g4

15 Nd5 Bxd5 36 c4 g3

16 exd5 a5 37 c5 g2

17 Qd3 0-0 38 cxd6+ Rxd6

18 Nd2 a4 39 Qc7+ Kf6

19 Ne4 Rfc8 40 Qxd6+ Kg7

20 Nxf6+ Bxf6 White resigns

21 Qe4 Qc5

The newly-crowned world junior champion, Tal Shaked of the United States has yet to score, though he could complain that fortune has not smiled on his efforts. The diagram sets the scene for his disaster as White against Shirov in round four.

The weaknesses on d6, f7 and h5 give White the advantage, but play continued 1.Kg3 h4+ 2.Kg4? Nc2! 3.Rf2? Ne1! 4.g3 Rb8! and suddenly White was in a mating net. The threat is Rg6+ followed by Rf6+ or Rh8 mate. 5.Rf5 is met by 5...f6 when 6.Rf1 Rg6+ 7.Kf5 Re8! forces mate. Shaked was reduced to 5.Rxf7+ Kxf7 6.Nxd6+ Rxd6 7.Rxb8, but Black's extra piece won the game.