One of the great chess rivalries of the 1990s was Vladimir Kramnik vs. Alexei Shirov. Today Kramnik’s achievements are legendary, most notably defeating Garry Kasparov and becoming World Chess Champion in 2000. Many may not realize how dominant Shirov was in this period, being ranked third in the world. Shirov and Kramnik had many great battles, including a match won in 1998 by Shirov in which the winner was supposed to play a World Championship match against Garry Kasparov. That match fell through, but the games (including this incredible swindle) remain.
Lessons:
* Ignore the engine evaluation, pose problems for your opponent. (…Re4!!)
* It’s not over till it’s over.
* Don’t get complacent (…Qd7?); each move changes calculations.
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