White: GM Alexei Shirov Black: Tom Wamsley Internet Simultaneous, October 2000 Alekhine's Defense 1 e4 Nf6 2 e5 Nd5 3 d4 d6 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 Be2 e6 6 c4 Nb6 7 O-O Be7 8 exd6 cxd6 9 d5? This move gives up all White's advantage. He now has no pawn breaks on the queenside, and a minority on the kingside. It's hard to guess what Shirov was thinking. Any developing move, or even 9 h3, would have been better. 9 ... e5! 10 b3 O-O 11 Bb2 N8d7 12 a4 This allows Black to nail the queenside shut, but since the plan of pushing pawns to a3, b4, and c5 was so easily foiled, not much is lost. 12 ... a5 13 Nc3 f5 14 Nb5 Nc5 15 Nd2 Bxe2 16 Qxe2 Nbd7 17 f4 e4 18 Bd4 The last chance for an "interesting" pawn break was 18 g4. Black should not play 18 ... fxg4 19 Nxe4 Nxb3 20 Rae1 with interesting complications, or 18 ... g6? 19 gxf5 gxf5 20 Qg2+ Kf7 21 Qg7+ Ke8 22 Qxh7, but he would be OK after 18 ... Bf6; for instance, 19 Bxf6 Nxf6 20 gxf5 Qd7, followed by 21 ... Rad8 and 22 ... Qxf5. 18 ... Bf6 19 Qe3 Bxd4 20 Qxd4 Nf6 21 Rab1 Qd7 22 Rfd1 Ne8 23 Nf1 Nc7 24 Nc3 Rae8 25 Ne3 Rb8 26 Rd2 g6 27 g3 Qg7 28 Ne2 N7a6 29 Qxg7+ Kxg7 30 Nd4 Nb4 31 Nb5 Drawn