Alexei Shirov

Kamsky – Shirov · 1993 · 0–1

World Team Championship, Lucerne 1993, in the razor-sharp Semi-Slav Botvinnik Variation that Shirov did so much to explore: after Gata Kamsky's 9.Nxg5 piece sacrifice Shirov steers the chaos as Black, his queenside pawns and pieces (22…c3, 23…Nxb2, 25…Qxa3) crashing through to the white king first.

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Kramnik – Shirov · 1994 · 0–1

Linares 1994 — the year Shirov climbed to world No. 2: a Black win over the young Vladimir Kramnik, a future World Champion, in a double-edged race where Shirov's 24…Qxh3! sacrifice and kingside initiative break through faster than Kramnik's queenside passed pawns.

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Shirov – Anand · 1994 · 1–0

Buenos Aires 1994: a model English Attack against the Najdorf Sicilian of Viswanathan Anand — the future undisputed World Champion — with the thematic g4–g5 storm and f-file pressure, the exchange sacrifices 16.Rf6 and 22.Rf7 tearing open Black's king before 25.Rxg7+.

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Shirov – Piket · 1995 · 1–0

From his 1995 match with Jeroen Piket, the Semi-Slav Botvinnik Variation wielded from the White side this time (9.Nxg5): a fantastically complex struggle of mutual promotions that Shirov steers into a won endgame — the very system his book *Fire on Board* singles out as his signature.

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Shirov – Timman · 1995 · 1–0

Biel 1995, a romantic revival of the 19th-century Evans Gambit (4.b4): Shirov even snatches 9.Qxg7, then a whirlwind attack on the black king (18.a5, 19.Qa6, 26.Bxb6) forces Jan Timman's resignation in 28 moves.

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Shirov – Polgar · 1996 · 1–0

Tilburg 1996: a brilliancy against Judit Polgár in the Classical Scheveningen — 13.Nxe6! rips open her king and a marching, promoting g-pawn (24.g6, 26.f6, 27.fxg7+) forces mate by move 30 (29.gxf8=Q+, 30.Qf1+).

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Topalov – Shirov · 1998 · 0–1

Linares 1998, home to one of the most celebrated moves in chess history: from a Grünfeld simplified to opposite-coloured bishops, Shirov's 47…Bh3!! gives up the bishop so his passed d-pawn and marching king overwhelm White's helpless bishop. John Emms placed it first in *The Most Amazing Chess Moves of All Time*.

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Shirov – Kramnik · 1998 · 1–0

The decisive game of the 1998 Cazorla Candidates match, which Shirov won +2−0=7 over Vladimir Kramnik to earn the right to challenge Garry Kasparov for the World Championship — a match that, for want of sponsorship, was never played. Here Shirov grinds a Petrov into a won bishop endgame.

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Shirov – Reinderman · 1999 · 1–0

Wijk aan Zee 1999: a textbook Sicilian demolition — the Greek-gift sacrifice 22.Bxh7+! Kxh7 23.Qh4+ drags the king into the open, and 24.Ng5, 28.f5 and 29.e6 finish a relentless mating attack.

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Shirov – Topalov · 2001 · 1–0

Corus (Wijk aan Zee) 2001, a 24-move Sicilian miniature in the ultra-sharp Perenyi Attack: Shirov's 8.Nf5 piece sacrifice and 14.gxf6 shred Veselin Topalov's kingside, 22.Rd6 and 23.f6 sealing it.

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Shirov – Ivanchuk · 2002 · 1–0

Linares 2002: against Vassily Ivanchuk in an Anti-Marshall Ruy Lopez, Shirov breaks through with the exchange sacrifice 19.Rxe4 and the 20.Bxf7+ deflection, dragging the king out and converting the attack against one of the game's great talents.

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Shirov – Radjabov · 2004 · 1–0

Linares 2004: Shirov meets Teimour Radjabov's King's Indian head-on with the knight thrust 14.Ne6 and a later sacrificial king-hunt (30.Bxh6+, 31.Qh4+), converting the exposed king in a long, sharp queen ending.

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Shirov – Carlsen · 2007 · 1–0

Tal Memorial, Moscow 2007: a win over the 16-year-old Magnus Carlsen — six years before Carlsen became World Champion — in the Open Ruy Lopez, Shirov's passed c-pawn (16.dxc5, 19.c6) and piece activity deciding.

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Shirov – Carlsen · 2009 · 1–0

MTel Masters, Sofia 2009: a second classical win over Carlsen, now 18 and world top-five, in the Sveshnikov — Shirov's kingside build-up (15.Qh5, 27.Qh6, 29.Nd5) crashes through, 30.Rxe4 winning.

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Shirov – Kramnik · 2010 · 1–0

Shanghai Masters 2010, Shirov's first win over Vladimir Kramnik since 2003 and a reminder of his enduring class: a Nimzo-Indian in which the central pawn break 13.e6 and 20.Rxa7 seize the initiative against the former World Champion.

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