Chuky on the crest of a wave

The Dortmund supertournament took a rest day, but this doesn’t mean there was no excitement today in the chess world. In Yalta, Ukraine, Ukrainian GM Vassily Ivanchuk beat Spanish GM Alexei Shirov with Black pieces and took sole lead in the Aerosvit supertournament: he is now on 7/10 with only one round to go. His young compatriot Sergey Karjakin follows on 6.5, Russian superGM Peter Svidler (unbeaten) and Shirov share the third place on 5.5. It's just a pity that Chuky won't play the next World championship tournament in Mexico City. He is playing at his best in this period and he should be a very tough opponent for everyone (and even a serious candidate to win the title). Top games of the 11th and final round will be Ivanchuk-Svidler and Jakovenko-Karjakin. Official site: http://www.ukrchess.org.ua/aerosvit2007/index_e.htm.
Sergei Tiviakov won the 2007 Dutch championship: he took the title by beating Daniel Stellwagen on a rapid tie-break (1.5-0.5), after both finished on 7.5/11. Ivan Sokolov and Friso Nijboer shared third place on 6.5, Jan Smeets and Erwin L’Ami were fifth on 6. GM Peng Zhaoqin dominated the Women’s event by scoring 8 points ou of 9 (unbeaten). Indian GM Humpy Konery took clear first in the main open with 7.5/9; Georgian GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili was placed second on 7. Official site: http://www.schaakbond.nl/nk2007/.
And now here is the brilliant win scored by Chuky today.

Shirov,A (2699) - Ivanchuk,V (2729) [C91], Yalta 28.6.2007
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 b5 6.Bb3 Be7 7.d4
Not the favorite move at top level. The immediate 7.Re1 is much more popular.
7...d6
7...Nxe4 8.dxe5 Nc5 9.Bd5 Bb7 10.Nc3 0–0 is the main continuation. With the text move Black tries to re-enter the main line.
8.c3 0–0 9.Re1
Shirov definitively deviates from the super-theoretical line 9.h3 Re8 10.Re1.
9...Bg4 10.Be3
10.d5 is more common; 10...Na5 11.Bc2 c6 12.h3 Bc8 13.dxc6 Qc7 14.Nbd2 Qxc6 15.Nf1 Nc4 16.Ng3 Re8 is quite a popular continuation.
10...exd4 11.cxd4 d5!?
11...Na5 12.Bc2 c5 is good as well.
12.e5 Ne4 13.Nc3 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Qd7 15.h3 Bh5 16.g4
An ambitious move. 16.Bc2 is the main alternative.
16...Bg6 17.Nd2 a5
This looks to be a new (and interesting) move. 17...f5, 17...Na5 and even 17...Bh4 have been played before.
18.f4 a4 19.Bc2 Bxc2 20.Qxc2 f5!?
The position is quite complicated now, but it looks like Black has completely equal chances.
21.exf6 Bxf6 22.Nf3 Rae8 23.Bf2
23.Ne5 was probably a better alternative.
23...h5
A strong and ambitious move. Black now has a dangerous initiative.
24.Qg6
Shirov spent a lot of time for this move, but 24.f5 hxg4 25.hxg4 g6 26.Bg3 gxf5 27.gxf5 looks more cautious.
24...Re4 25.Rxe4 dxe4 26.Nh2?
26.Ng5 Bxg5 27.Qxg5 hxg4 28.hxg4 leads to a complicated (but probably drawish) position. The text move is a serious mistake, after which Chuky wins almost by force.
26...Nxd4!
A nice end effective blow.
27.cxd4 Bxd4 28.Rb1 e3 29.Bg3
29.Be1 Rxf4 30.Kg2 h4! was not better.
29...h4!
The decisive blow. Now White is completely hopeless.
30.Bxh4 Rxf4 31.Qd3 Qd5 32.Nf1
32.Rb4 c5 33.Rxd4 cxd4 34.Bg3 Rf6 would only prolong White's agony some more moves.; while 32.Rxb5 e2+ loses on the spot.
32...Rf2! 33.Nxe3
33.Bxf2 exf2+ 34.Kh2 Be5+ 35.Qg3 Bxg3+ 36.Nxg3 Qxa2 would lose anyway.
33...Rg2+ 34.Kh1
If 34.Kf1 then 34...Qf3+ 35.Ke1 Bc3+ 36.Qxc3 Qe2#
34...Qf3 0–1
White's only chance to avoid mate is 35. Nxg2, but 35... Qxd3 36. Kh2 (36. Re1 Qxh3#) 36... Qxb1 is not very promising :-), so Shirov resigned. An impressive win by Chuky and one of the best games of the whole tourney!