Skip to content
TheChessWorld.com
TheChessWorld Facebook TheChessWorld Twitter TheChessWorld Pinterest TheChessWorld YouTube
  • Start Here
  • Play
  • Learn
    • Training Techniques
    • Openings
    • Middlegame
    • Endgames
    • General Information
  • Tournaments
  • Academy
  • 21-Day Course
  • Store
    • TheChessWorld
    • TCW Academy
    • iChess
    • Chess-Teacher
    • Modern Chess
    • Roman Chess Lab
    • Foxy Chess
    • Grandmaster Magazine
    • ChessLecture
    • ICC
    • Rules Chess Strategies
    • Improve My Chess
    • Others
  • Contact
TheChessWorld.com
Close

3 Greatest Wins from Alexei Shirov

WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
WGM Raluca Sgîrcea, IM Renier Castellanos
01.20.2018
Category: General Information
Tags: Alexei Shirov, chess, endgames, games, grandmaster games, learn, middlegames, Mikhail Tal, openings,
3 Greatest Wins from Alexei Shirov

Alexei Shirov is one of the most imaginative and aggressive players of our times. Born in Riga, his playing style has been often compared to that of fellow Latvian and former World Champion Mikhail Tal. He has played many spectacular games and going through them can be a great way of training your own tactical and imaginative skills. We have only selected a few for this article, but if you’d like to see more, make sure to check out Shirov’s books “Fire On Board” that contain his best games, annotated by the Grandmaster himself.

Just to mention a few of his achievements to the day, Shirov became the world champion under 16 in 1988 and placed 2nd in the World Championship under 20 in 1990.

In the same year, he was granted the Grandmaster title and was ranked 2nd in the world in 1994. In 1998, while he was world number 4, he beat Vladimir Kramnik in a 10 games match that was meant to select the next challenger for Garry Kasparov. However, for financial reasons, the match never came through. In the year 2000 he reached the final of the FIDE World Championship, but he lost to former World Champion Vishwanathan Anand 3 ½ – ½. In 2007 he made it to the final of the World Cup where he lost to Gata Kamsky 2 ½ to 1 ½.

He reached his highest rating in 2008 (2755) and continues to be one of the strongest players of the world up to this day, delighting chess fans all over the globe with his original and sharp play. He is also a famous chess author who, besides writing the books mentioned above, has recorded many DVDs that contain original opening ideas and instructive games.

But, enough talking; let’s move on to facts! To show you some of Shirov’s over the board achievements, we have chosen three games that will get you familiar with his attacking style. However, don’t get us wrong; he is a complete player who masters all phases of the game.

We have chosen to start with one of the games played in the match against Kramnik in 1998, namely game 9. Having black against the Russian Grandmaster, he chose the Grunfeld Defense against white’s 1.d4.

As expected, the game quickly got sharp. White decided to delay his development in order to fight for the center, while black tried to prove his opponent wrong and punish this decision. It seemed like white was doing just fine, but a small imprecision allowed black a nice tactic that handed him the initiative.

Shirov didn’t waste it and went on to win the game in style.

The next game is a very famous win of Alexei Shirov with the white pieces against Veselin Topalov in one of the most prestigious chess festivals of all times, Wijk aan Zee. It was again “fire on board” right from the beginning, as Shirov used one his favorite lines against the Najdorf Sicilian, the Perenyi Attack. The arising positions are very sharp and any mistake can cost black dearly. Shirov won the game in only 24 moves, but a quick search in the database will reveal that Topalov was not his only “quick” victim in this variation.

To wrap things up, we decided to add a more recent game played in the traditional “Nutcracker” match – a match between two generations of top players. Shirov’s opponent was the talented Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev (with the black pieces). Although it was a rapid game, it is still very instructive to watch how, in a position with castles on the same side, white builds a dangerous attack on the H-file and achieves a much better position without any apparent mistake from black’s part.

It is difficult to choose between Shirov’s games, as he has many spectacular wins. However, we advise you to use the ones above as a starting point and continue the search by yourself. They are very instructive for any player who seeks to improve.

Thank you for reading!

Find this post useful? Share it?
Become a Chess Player You've Meant to Be!
TCW Academy is the fast, fun & convenient way to become a MUCH better chess player.
Join Academy Today!

Related Posts

  • 5 Must-Do Things to Prepare for Your Next Tournament5 Must-Do Things to Prepare for Your Next Tournament
  • 5 Things You Can Learn From the Classics5 Things You Can Learn From the Classics
  • 10 Classic Chess Principles You Need to Know10 Classic Chess Principles You Need to Know
Related Products
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Login
2 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
ayush gupta
01.21.2018 06:26

thanks alot sir you are the best as usual

0
Reply
Yury Markushin
Author
Reply to  ayush gupta
01.21.2018 21:40

Enjoy the article!

0
Reply
Join the FREE Road to 2200 Masterclass (and learn how to Attack Like a Chess Master)
We value your privacy
Supercharge Your Chess in 21 Days!
Join Academy Today!
TheChessWorld.com
http://pogonina.com/
Company
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.
  • Partnership
  • Blog
  • Grandmasters
  • Jobs
Chess Resources
  • TCW Academy
  • The Store
  • 21 Day Course
Top Resources
  • Opening Lab
  • Mastermind
  • Chess Mastery Series
  • Academy
100% Secure Purchase
Customer Support +1 (410) 656-9104
Email Us [email protected]
Contact Us
Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Youtube
Copyright 2007-2023 • TheChessWorld.com • All Rights Reserved
Cookie Policy | Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz
wpDiscuz