Winning in 18 moves counts no more than winning in 28. But masters strive for the faster win.
Nicolas Rossolimo White
Ivan Romanenko Black
Salzburg 1948
Sicilian Defense, Rossolimo Variation B31
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 g6 4 0-0 ♗g7 5 ♖e1 ♘f6 6 ♘c3 ♘d4? 7 e5!
Now 7...♘h5 8 ♗c4 0-0 is inferior but playable.
7...♘g8 8 d3 ♘xb5 9 ♘xb5
But 9...♕b6 10 c4 a6 11 ♘c3 and ♘d5 is clearly trouble for Black.
9...a6? 10 ♘d6+! exd6? 11 ♗g5! ♕a5
Clearly lost is 11...f6 12 exf6+. So is 11...♘e7 12 exd6.
12 exd6+ ♔f8
When he sacrificed his knight, White probably saw that 13 ♕e2 wins because of the threat of ♕e8+. For instance, 13...♘f6 14 ♕e7+ ♔g8 15 ♗h6! ♗xh6 16 ♘e5.
Prettier is 13...♗f6 14 ♕e8+ ♔g7 15 ♖e7! (15...♗xe7 16 dxe7 ♘xe7 17 ♗f6+! and mates).
Question 317: What about 15...♗xg5 ?
13 ♖e8+!
But this was also short and sweet.
13...♔xe8 14 ♕e2+ ♔f8
Even 14...♗e5 15 ♕xe5+ ♔f8 16 ♕xh8 mates in four.
15 ♗e7+ ♔e8
And here 15…♘xe7 16 ♕xe7+ ♔g8 17 ♘g5 mates.
16 ♗d8+! ♔xd8 17 ♘g5 resigns.
It’s 18 ♘xf7 mate (or 17...♘h6 18 ♕e7 mate).
Michel Wagner White
Milka Ankerst Black
Germany 1995
1 e4 c5 2 ♘f3 ♘c6 3 ♗b5 g6 4 0-0 ♗g7 5 ♖e1 ♘f6 6 ♘c3 ♘d4? 7 e5 ♘g8 8 d3 ♘h6 9 ♘xd4 cxd4 11 ♘d5 0-0 12 ♗g5 ♖e8 13 ♕d2 ♘f5 14 g4! h6 15 gxf5 hxg5 and now 16 ♕xg5! wins fastest, e.g. 16 …a6 17 f6 axb5 18 fxe7.