19...Nc6 20.Ng4 Ne7 21.Qh5 (21.Nxh6+ Kh8 22.Nf7+ Kg8=) 21...Nf5 22.Rhe1, and White also keeps the initiative.

The black pawns are fixed on the same colour squares as his bishop, which is useful in the long term. White has also realised that after the exchange on g6, the white pawn appearing on that square is a strength, not a weakness. It seriously cramps Black, and cannot easily be attacked.

20...Be7 21.Qxf7+ (21.Ng4!? Qf3+ 22.Kh3 Qxc3 23.Nxh6+ Kh8∞) 21...Nxf7 22.Ng4±.

The g6-pawn disturbs Black and in the end, decides the game.

Surely Alexei Shirov isn’t counting on queening his pawn? No, of course not. By advancing to d7, the pawn cuts the black position into two halves, and is also prepared to lay down its life in due course. The other important thing is that he opens a group of squares for the attack – d5 for the knight, d6 for the white queen, and also the a2-g8 diagonal.

The knight heads for d4, but this does not bring great benefits, since the other black pieces are uncoordinated, especially his rooks.
It was stronger to open up the bishop with 14...e4, or stop the white pawn by 14...Nd7.

Thanks to the knights, a mating net is forming around the black king.

Black has no moves to strengthen his position, so White permits himself some prophylaxis – the king moves away from the knight check.

Black resigned.

Black threatens perpetual check, so White must seek a way to advance his pawn with tempo.