Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3 Bg7 7. Bb5+ c6 8. Ba4 O-O 9. Ne2 Nd7 10. O-O e5 11. f3 Qe7 12. Be3 Rd8 13. Qc2 Nb6 14. Bb3 Be6 15. Rad1 Nc4 16. Bc1 b5 17. f4 exd4 18. Nxd4 Bg4 19. Rde1 Qc5 20. Kh1 a5 21. h3 Bd7 22. a4 bxa4 23. Ba2 Be8 24. e5 Nb6 25. f5 Nd5 26. Bd2 Nb4 27. Qxa4 Nxa2 28. Qxa2 Bxe5 29. fxg6 hxg6 30. Bg5 Rd5 31. Re3 Qd6 32. Qe2 Bd7 33. c4 Bxd4 34. cxd5 Bxe3 35. Qxe3 Re8 36. Qc3 Qxd5 37. Bh6 Re5 38. Rf3 Qc5 39. Qa1 Bf5 40. Re3 f6 41. Rxe5 Qxe5 42. Qa2+ Qd5 43. Qxd5+ cxd5 44. Bd2 a4 45. Bc3 Kf7 46. h4 Ke6 47. Kg1 Bh3 48. gxh3 Kf5 49. Kf2 Ke4 50. Bxf6 d4 51. Be7 Kd3 52. Bc5 Kc4 53. Be7 Kb3
The game begins as a sharp Exchange Grünfeld and simplifies through repeated tactical exchanges. By move 44, Black has a bishop and connected queenside pawns against White’s bishop and kingside pawns.
Instead of moving the king directly, Shirov plays 47...Bh3!!, offering the bishop to the g-pawn. After 48.gxh3, the black king penetrates through f5 and e4 while the white bishop cannot stop both the d- and a-pawns.
The sacrifice is precise endgame calculation, not a mating combination. Its value lies in the resulting pawn geometry and king routes. This is an excellent replay for teaching players to analyze the position after a sacrifice rather than judge the move by the material lost.