The Najdorf in Corus: Part II

Last update saw Anand wheeling out 6.Bg5, a line that is less popular these days. Here we will examine another Round 9 matchup featuring the more "modern" English Attack. It would be easy to expect Alexei Shirov (white) to settle for a quick draw in this line, but the Latvian showed his fighting spirit.



In this position, Ponomariov (black) played 19...Bd8?!, a move I have always thought was inferior to 19...0-0. The turning point of the game was reached after the subsequent 20.b3! 0-0 21.Na2 e4!? 22.Nxb4! Re8 23.Kd1 e3



Where to put the queen? Tapan Sammalvuo makes a case for 24.Qe2! in his 2004 book "The English Attack," and I agree that this is probably best. Unfortunately, Shirov chose 24.Qc3?! and the game liquidated into a drawn opposite-colored bishop endgame.

You can download my CB notes to this game here.