A nice shot! Ok, let's review - 39 Re2 seems like a mistake. 39 ... Nxd5
in reply , utilizing the pin on the c-pawn, would have been a terrible idea
because White had 40 Qe5, unpinning the c-pawn and hitting the rook on b8 at
the same time. So the point of 39 ... a4 was that after 40 bxa4, which was
probably almost forced, 40 ... Nxd5 now works as 41 Qe5 is met by 41 ... Rb1
threatening mate. I am still not sure what happens then after 42 h4 as 42 ...
Qg1+ 43 Kh3 Nf6 is answered by 44 Rd2.
>Dear GM Rohde,
I think that Black has a better line starting with 40 ... h4! which
forces
Black to answer with 41 gxh4 when Rb4 looks strong. What do you think?
Cheers,
Michael Phipps
Michael,
40 ... h4 (in Shaked - deFirmian, game 1) certainly is to be
considered, but I think after 41 gxh4, White is the one who has
benefitted from the insertion of this move pair. For example, now 41 ...
Nxd5 would be totally unsound as after 42 Qe5, 42 ... Rb1 would not
threaten mate. After 40 ... h4 41 gxh4, 41 ... Rb4 is no better now than
it would have been on Black's fortieth, and White can answer with 42 Rc2
(but not 42 Rb2 Nxd5) and if 42 ... Rb1, then 43 Rc1. I still like my
suggestion 40 ... Rb1. Interestingly, deFirmian's 40 ... Nxd5 was a
brilliant move but one which should have lost in strange fashion - 41
Qe5 Rb1 42 h4 Qg1+ (42 ... Qxc4 43 Qd6+ Kg8 44 Rxe4) 43 Kh3 Nf6 and now
Shaked's 44 Bxe4? Nxe4 is just a draw, but 44 Rd2!! should win. One
bizarre variation then is 44 ... Rd1? 45 Qd6+ Kg8 46 Rxd1 Ng4??! with
the idea of a perpetual after 47 Rxg1 Nf2+, but White has 47 Qd8+ Kh7 48
Bxe4+, winning.
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