Re: This Second in Chess on the Final Round of Bosnia

Shirov blundered on the last move before time control, but there may have
been no salvation anyway.

Excellent game by Sokolov! Congratulations on sharing the first place too!

Fighter Sokolov succeeded in consolidating into a Q+N+3P vs Q+N+2P ending
where his 3 pawns are connected (f3, g2, h2) whereas Shirov's 2 pawns are
isolated (e5, h6). Sokolov has thus winning chances! An upset in the making!

Shirov does not want more out of the game, he played a Leko-like or
Kramnik-like move Qb6 for a Queen exchange which would suck the good spirits
out of the game (Boooo!), but Sokolov avoided the Queen exchange with Qc8!
Wow, what a fighter this Sokolov is!

Go, Sokolov, go! You could share first place!

Shirov bringing his Queen back into the action forcing Sokolov to spend time
taking the Rh8 with a Knight fork and displacing the Knight in that corner.
It looks like Shirov has a perpetual chasing Sokolov's King with his Queen
on the open board, but perhaps Shirov wants more out of the game?

Yaay! Shirov's Queen took Sokolov's Rh1! Now that Shirov's Queen is out of
play, Sokolov attacks Shirov's King with all of his remaining evil ghouls,
i.e. Q+B+N. Will it be sufficient? Shirov defends his King with B+N, his Rh8
is also out of play. 100% tactics like in a Nezhmedinov's game!

Oy, Black responded to the interesting soul sacrifice with a mass exchange
of ghouls for simplifying the position so that White has no compensation for
his lost soul, and has to consider himself lucky that there is a pretty
repetition available with Nc7!

Bologan thus at 6.5, and Sokolov could share first place if he wins his
exciting game against Shirov. Watch Sokolov offering a whole Rook with Qb7?!
at http://www.skbosna.ba/online2005/

Going into this final round are the leaders of the pack with Bologan at 6,
Sokolov at 5.5, and Shirov and Timofeev at 5. Divine intervention lets the
leaders play among themselves for first place.

Bologan vs Timofeev is a Sicilian Sveshnikov in which both players manoever
at the Queen's wing, with White having minor souls hanging at b3, c3 and
Black having a loner of a soul at a5. White interestingly sacrificed the
poor soul at b3 with Bc4-d3?!

Sokolov sacrificed a Knight at b5 against Shirov in a delayed accepted
Queen's Gambit with White playing e4, e5 and Black playing h6, g5. It is
thus Sokolov who is putting the board on fire, not Shirov. On the contrary,
the Firemeister is now offering to return the material for simplification!