Shirov at Eighteen

The game, move by move

The Muzio

1. 1. e4 King’s pawn
2. 1… e5 The same claim
3. 2. f4 The King’s Gambit
4. 2… exf4 Accepted
5. 3. Nf3 The knight out
6. 3… g5 g5, holding the pawn
7. 4. Bc4 The bishop at f7
8. 4… g4 g4, hitting the knight
9. 5. O-O Castling instead — the Muzio The knight on f3 is attacked and White castles. It is a whole piece, offered on move five, for an open f-file and three tempi.
10. 5… gxf3 Taken
11. 6. Qxf3 Recaptured with the queen Queen on f3, rook on f1, bishop on c4 — every white piece that has moved is pointed at f7.
12. 6… Qf6 The queen to f6, blocking

A bishop for the king

1. 7. e5 e5, hitting her
2. 7… Qxe5 The pawn taken
3. 8. Bxf7+ The bishop, on f7 The second piece given away, and this one is check. The king has to take it and step onto the file.
4. 8… Kxf7 Taken
5. 9. d4 d4, a third pawn Offered so that the bishop on c1 can come to e3 with a threat when it is taken.
6. 9… Qxd4+ Taken, with check

Two more pawns given

1. 10. Be3 The bishop to e3, gaining time
2. 10… Qf6 The queen back to f6
3. 11. Bxf4 The bishop takes f4 The gambit pawn recovered at last, on move eleven, with the bishop on the diagonal that ends at c7 — which is the square it mates on.
4. 11… Ke8 The king goes back to e8
5. 12. Nc3 The last piece out
6. 12… Nc6 Developing
7. 13. Nd5 The knight to d5 It covers c7 and e7 from here and it does not move again.
8. 13… Qg6 The queen to g6

The queen on f8

1. 14. Rae1+ The rook to e1, with check
2. 14… Be7 The bishop blocks on e7
3. 15. Bd6 The bishop to d6 Attacking the bishop on e7 through nothing and taking c7 and f8 into its diagonal. Black’s king has one square.
4. 15… Kd8 Kd8
5. 16. Qf8+ The queen, on f8 Given to the bishop on e7 — the only piece that can take her. Taking pulls that bishop off e7 and out of the way.
6. 16… Bxf8 Taken
7. 17. Bxc7# Checkmate, on c7 The other bishop takes the pawn, held by the knight on d5. The rook on e1 covers e8 and e7; the knight covers e7 and c7; and c8 and d7 are Black’s own bishop and pawn. A knight, a bishop, a queen and three pawns, all of them given away.