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Главная страница Шахматисты Шахматисты Израиля Борис Гельфанд

Борис Гельфанд

(0)

Gelfand, Boris
ФИО: Гельфанд Борис Абрамович
Звание ФИДЕ: GM (Гроссмейстер)
Федерация: Израиль
Дата рождения: 24.06.1968
Рейтинг стандарт: 2661
Рейтинг рапид: 2620
Рейтинг блиц: 2577
ФИДЕ ID

События

25.10.2021 - 08.11.2021 Большая швейцарка ФИДЕ Чесском 2021
11.09.2021 - 12.09.2021 Кубок Льва Толстого
10.07.2021 - 08.08.2021 Кубок мира 2021, Сочи
25.12.2019 - 31.12.2019 Чемпионат мира по рапиду и блицу в Москве
09.09.2019 - 04.10.2019 Кубок мира 2019, Ханты-Мансийск
02.09.2017 - 27.09.2017 Кубок мира 2017, Тбилиси
11.09.2015 - 05.10.2015 Кубок мира 2015, Баку
10.08.2013 - 05.09.2013 Кубок мира 2013, Тромсё
15.03.2013 - 01.04.2013 Турнир претендентов 2013
10.05.2012 - 30.05.2012 Матч за звание чемпиона мира 2012

[Event "Candidates FIDE f1"]
[Site "Sanghi Nagar"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Karpov, Anatoly"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B12"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2765"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "1995.02.??"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "IND"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 045"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1995.04.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1995.04.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 Bf5 4. Nf3 e6 5. Be2 c5 6. Be3 cxd4 7. Nxd4 Ne7 8. c4
$5 (8. O-O {Gelfand,B-Karpov,An/Sanghi Nagar FIDE sf (01)/1995/}) 8... Nbc6 (
8... dxc4 9. Qa4+ Qd7 $5 10. Qxc4 Nbc6) 9. Qa4 dxc4 10. Na3 Qa5+ (10... Qd5 $6
11. Nxc4 $1 Qxg2 12. Nd6+ Kd7 13. Bf3 $16) (10... Qd7 11. Nxc4) 11. Qxa5 Nxa5
12. Nab5 Nd5 13. Nxf5 exf5 14. Bd2 a6 (14... Bb4 $5 15. Nd6+ (15. Bxb4 Nxb4 16.
Nc7+ Kd7 17. Nxa8 Nc2+ 18. Kd2 Nxa1 $15) 15... Kf8 16. Bf3 Bxd2+ 17. Kxd2 Ne7
18. Kc3 $36) 15. Nd4 Bb4 (15... Nc6 16. Nxc6 bxc6 17. Bxc4 $16) 16. Nxf5 O-O $6
(16... Bxd2+ $5 17. Kxd2 O-O 18. Nd6 Rad8 19. Bf3 Nf4 $132) 17. Bxb4 Nxb4 18.
O-O b5 (18... Nd3 19. Bxd3 (19. f4 Nxb2 20. Rab1 Na4 $15) 19... cxd3 $1 20. Nd6
(20. Rad1 Nc4 21. Rfe1 Nxb2 22. Rd2 Nc4 23. Rxd3 Rfd8 $10) 20... Nc6 21. f4 $16
) (18... Rfd8 19. Rad1) 19. f4 Rfd8 (19... Nd3 20. Bxd3 cxd3 21. b3 $16 {xd3})
20. Rad1 Kf8 (20... Nd3 21. Bxd3 Rxd3 22. Rxd3 cxd3 23. Rd1 Rd8 24. b3 $16) 21.
Nd6 Rab8 (21... c3 22. bxc3 Nxa2 23. Ra1 Nxc3 24. Bf3 $18) 22. a3 Nbc6 (22...
Nc2 23. Kf2 $1 (23. Rd2 $2 Ne3 24. Re1 Nb3 $17) 23... Nc6 24. Bf3 N2d4 25. Be4
g6 26. g4 Rb6 27. Ke3 $16) 23. Bf3 Rd7 24. Rfe1 Rc7 (24... Rbd8 25. Bg4 Re7 26.
Nc8 $16) 25. f5 Rd8 26. Bg4 h5 $6 (26... Rcd7 27. f6 Rc7 28. fxg7+ (28. Nf5 $16
) 28... Kxg7 29. Nf5+ $16) (26... Nb3 27. e6 fxe6 28. fxe6 Ncd4 29. Nf5 $16)
27. Bxh5 Rcd7 (27... f6 28. exf6 gxf6 29. Re6 $18) 28. Bxf7 $1 Rxd6 (28... Rxf7
29. Nxf7 Kxf7 30. Rxd8 Nxd8 31. e6+ Ke8 32. Rd1 $18) (28... Nxe5 29. Rxe5 Rxd6
30. Rxd6 Rxd6 31. Bg6 $18) 29. Rxd6 Rxd6 (29... Kxf7 30. Rxd8 Nxd8 31. e6+) 30.
exd6 Kxf7 31. d7 Nb7 32. Re8 Nbd8 (32... a5 33. Kf2 b4 34. axb4 axb4 35. Ke1 $1
(35. Ke3 c3 36. bxc3 bxc3 37. Kd3 Nc5+ 38. Kxc3 Nxd7 $14) 35... c3 36. bxc3
bxc3 37. Kd1 Nbd8 38. Kc2 $18) 33. Kf2 a5 34. Ke3 Kf6 35. g4 (35. Kf4 b4 36.
axb4 axb4) 35... Kg5 36. h3 b4 37. axb4 axb4 38. Kd2 Kf6 (38... Kh4 39. Rg8
Kxh3 40. Rxg7 $18) 39. h4 g6 (39... Kf7 40. g5 g6 41. fxg6+ (41. f6 Ne6 $16)
41... Kxg6 42. Rf8 Kh5 43. Rg8 Kxh4 44. g6 Kg5 45. g7 Ne6 46. Rc8 $18) 40. fxg6
Kxg6 41. h5+ Kh6 (41... Kg5 42. Rh8 Kf6 43. Rg8 $18) 42. Kc1 Kg5 43. Rh8 Kf6 (
43... Kxg4 44. h6 Kg5 45. h7 Kg6 46. Rxd8 $18) 44. Rg8 Kf7 45. Re8 (45. Re8 Kf6
46. h6 Kg6 47. g5 Kh7 48. Kd2 Kg6 49. Rg8+ $18) 1-0

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "Dos Hermanas"]
[Date "1995.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B96"]
[WhiteElo "2715"]
[BlackElo "2710"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "137"]
[EventDate "1995.04.??"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 047"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1995.08.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1995.08.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 {Boensch Hecht} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6
7. f4 Nbd7 8. Qe2 Qc7 9. O-O-O b5 (9... Be7 {Boensch} 10. g4 (10. g3 O-O 11.
Bg2 Nb6 12. h4 e5 13. Nf5 Bxf5 14. exf5 Rac8 15. g4 exf4 16. Bxf4 Nc4 17. Rh3
$16 {Prie,E-Wians,C Brussels zt (10) 1993 1-0 26}) 10... h6 (10... O-O 11. Bxf6
Nxf6 12. g5 Nd7 13. Rg1 Re8 14. Kb1 b5 15. f5 Bf8 16. Bh3 Ne5 $132 {Matsuo,
T-Chumfwa,S Moskow olm (09) JPN-ZAM 1994 1-0 34 - EXP 44}) 11. Bh4 g5 12. fxg5
Nh7 13. Nf5 hxg5 (13... exf5 $1) 14. Bg3 Ne5 15. Nxe7 Kxe7 16. h4 $16 {Howell,
J-Timoshenko,G Hastings Challenger 1991 1-0 31}) 10. g3 (10. a3 {Boensch} Bb7
11. f5 e5 12. Nb3 Be7 13. Kb1 O-O 14. h4 h5 15. g4 hxg4 16. Bg2 Qc4 17. Qe1 $44
{Ginsburg,A-Karpman,V Ukraina-chT Simferopol 1991 1/2 41}) (10. g4 $5 {Boensch}
) 10... b4 11. Nd5 {Im Gegensatz zu Varianten mit der Q auf f3 soll dieses
Standardopfer mit mehr Kraft geschehen. Aber auch in der vorliegenden Partie
hat WeiЯ "nur" Initiative fьr den geopferten N.} exd5 12. Bg2 $5 $146 {WeiЯ
behдllt die Option e4-e5, spielt aber einen ruhigen Entwicklungszug in einer
sehr scharfen Stellung.} (12. exd5+ {Yudasin-Gelfand,1990}) (12. exd5+ {Boensch
} Be7 13. Nf5 Nc5 14. Nxg7+ Kd8 15. Re1 Rg8 16. Bg2 Nfe4 17. Bxe4 Rxg7 {
1/2 Yudasin,L-Gelfand,B Manila izt (12) 1990}) 12... Be7 13. Nf5 (13. exd5 O-O
$1) 13... Nb6 (13... g6 $2 {Boensch} 14. Nxe7 Kxe7 15. e5 dxe5 16. Bxd5 Rb8 (
16... Bb7 17. fxe5 $18) 17. fxe5 Qxe5 18. Qxe5+ Nxe5 19. Rhe1 $16) (13... h6 $5
{!Boensch Jetzt habe ich keine befriedigende Fortsetzung fьr WeiЯ gefunden. zB.
} 14. Nxe7 (14. exd5 Nc5 15. Nxg7+ (15. Bxf6 Bxf5 16. Bxg7 Rg8 $19) 15... Kf8
$17) (14. Nxg7+ Kf8 15. Bxf6 Nxf6 $19) 14... Kxe7 15. exd5+ (15. e5 dxe5 16.
Bxd5 Rb8 17. fxe5 Qxe5 18. Qxe5+ Nxe5 19. Bf4 Nfd7 $19) 15... Kf8 $19) 14.
Nxg7+ Kf8 (14... Kd8 $5 15. e5 Bg4 16. Qf2 (16. Bf3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 Ne8 (17...
Rc8 {Boensch} 18. Rd2 Ne4 19. exd6 Nxd6 $19) (17... dxe5 $2 18. fxe5 Qxe5 19.
Nf5 $44) 18. exd6 (18. Nf5 Bxg5 19. fxg5 Rc8 (19... dxe5 20. Rxd5+ Kc8) 20. Rd2
Qc4 21. Kb1 Qe4) 18... Nxd6 $15) (16. exf6 Bxe2 17. fxe7+ Kd7 18. Bh3+ (18.
Rde1 Bd3) 18... Kc6 19. Rde1 Bf3 $19) 16... Ne8 $1 (16... dxe5 {Boensch} 17.
fxe5 Bxd1 18. exf6 Bc5 $19) (16... Bxd1 $2 17. exf6 Bf8 18. Rxd1 $16) 17. exd6
(17. Bxe7+ Kxe7 $17) (17. Nxe8 Rxe8 18. Bxd5 Bxd1 19. Rxd1 Nxd5 20. Rxd5 Bxg5
21. Rxd6+ Ke7 22. fxg5 Kf8 $19) 17... Nxd6 (17... Qxd6 18. h3 Bxd1 19. Nf5) 18.
Bxd5 (18. Rde1 Bxg5 (18... f6 $5 19. f5 $5) 19. fxg5 Kc8 20. Qf6 Kb7 21. Re7
Bd7 22. Qd4 Rac8 23. Bxd5+ Nxd5 24. Qxd5+ Kb8 25. Qd2) 18... Bxd1 19. Rxd1 Nxd5
20. Rxd5 h6 21. Rxd6+ (21. Bxe7+ Kxe7 22. Qd4 (22. Qe3+ Kf8 23. Qe5 (23. Qd4
Rg8) 23... Rc8 24. Ne6+ fxe6 25. Qxh8+ Ke7 $17) 22... Rhc8 $19) 21... Qxd6 22.
Nf5 hxg5 23. Nxd6 Bxd6 24. Qb6+ Ke7 25. Qb7+ Kf6 26. fxg5+ Kg7 27. g6 Kxg6 28.
Qe4+ Kf6 29. Qf3+ $10) 15. Bh6 (15. Nh5 Nxh5 16. Qxh5 Bxg5 17. fxg5 dxe4 $17)
15... Kg8 (15... Qc4 16. Nh5+ Ke8 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Qxc4 dxc4 (18... Nxc4 19.
e5 $16 (19. e5 Ne3 20. exf6 Nxg2 $13)) 19. Rxd6 $13 {Boensch} Bd8 20. e5 Ra7
21. Rhd1 Bd7 $44) 16. Nh5 (16. e5 dxe5 (16... Ng4 17. Ne8 $5 (17. exd6 Qxd6 18.
Ne8 Qe6)) 17. fxe5 Ng4 18. Bf4 Qc4 $1 19. Qxc4 dxc4 20. Ne8 (20. Nh5 Nf2 21.
Bxa8 Nxd1 22. Rxd1 (22. Bf3 Nf2 23. Rf1 (23. Be3 Nxh1 24. Bxb6 Bg5+ (24... Nxg3
25. hxg3 Kf8 $19) 25. Kb1 Bf5 $19) 23... Nh3 24. Bh6 Bg5+ $19) 22... Bg4 $19) (
20. Bxa8 {Boensch} Kxg7 21. Bf3 Nf2 $19) 20... Bb7 (20... Ra7 21. Nf6+ Kg7 22.
h3 Nf2 23. Be3) (20... h5 21. Rhe1) (20... Nf2 21. Bxa8 Nxa8 22. Bh6) 21. Bxb7
Rxe8 22. Bc6 Rc8 23. Bb7 Rb8 24. Bxa6 Ra8 $19 (24... Nf2)) (16. exd5 {Boensch}
Ng4 $19) 16... Ng4 (16... Nxe4 17. Rxd5 $1 Nxd5 18. Bxe4 $18) (16... dxe4 {
Boensch} 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Bxe4 Na4 $1 19. c3 Bxc3 $1 20. bxc3 Nxc3 21. Qc2
Ra7 22. Rhe1 Nxe4 23. Rxe4 Qxc2+ 24. Kxc2 Bf5 $19) 17. Bg7 Qc4 18. Qxc4 (18.
Rd3 Qxa2 19. b3 Ne5 $1 $19) 18... Nxc4 {Auch nach dem Q-Tausch geht es
taktisch weiter.} 19. e5 $1 Nge3 20. exd6 Nxd6 (20... Bg4 $5 21. Bxd5 $1 {
[#] Schach wie vor hundert Jahren, beinahe alle Figuren hдngen.} (21. dxe7 Bxh5
22. Bxh8 Bxd1 23. Bd4 (23. Rxd1 Nxd1 24. Bxd5 Re8 25. Bf6 (25. Bxc4 Ne3 $19)
25... Nde3 26. Bc6 Nd6 27. Bxe8 Nxe8 $17) 23... Bg4 24. b3 Nxg2 25. bxc4 dxc4
$15) (21. Rxd5 Nxd6 22. Bxh8 Kxh8 23. Rxd6 Nxg2 $17) 21... Bxh5 (21... Bxd1 22.
Bxa8 (22. Rxd1 Nxd5 23. Rxd5 Nxd6 24. Bf6 $1 Bxf6 25. Nxf6+ Kg7 26. Rxd6 $10)
22... Bxh5 23. Bxh8 Bxd6 24. Bd4 $14) 22. Bxh8 (22. Bxa8 Kxg7 23. dxe7 Bxd1 24.
Bc6 Nd6 25. Re1 Rc8) 22... Nxd5 23. Rxd5 Bf3 (23... Nxd6 24. Rxh5 Kxh8 25. Re1
$14) 24. dxe7 Bxd5 25. Re1 (25. Rd1 Ne3 26. Re1 Kxh8 27. Rxe3 Re8 28. Re5 $15 (
28. Rd3 {Boensch} Bc6 29. Rd6 Bb5 $17)) 25... Re8 (25... Be6 26. Rd1) 26. Bd4 (
26. Bf6 Nd6 27. Rd1 Ne4) 26... f5 27. Bc5 $132) (20... Bxd6 {Boensch} 21. Rxd5
$3 Nxg2 22. Rg5 f5 (22... Be7 23. Nf6+ Bxf6 24. Bxf6+ Kf8 25. Bxh8 $16) 23.
Be5+ Kf7 24. Bxh8 $13) 21. Rhe1 $3 (21. Bxh8 Kxh8 (21... Nxd1 $2 22. Bf6 Ne3 (
22... Bxf6 $2 23. Nxf6+ Kg7 24. Nh5+ Kg6 25. Rxd1 $18) 23. Bxe7 Ndf5 24. Bf3
Nxe7 25. Re1 N3f5 26. g4 Kf8 (26... Nd4 $2 27. Rxe7 Kf8 28. Rxf7+ Kxf7 29.
Bxd5+ $18) 27. gxf5 Bxf5 $10) 22. Rde1 (22. Rhe1 {Boensch} Nxd1 (22... Nxg2 23.
Rxe7 Be6 $15) 23. Rxe7 Be6 24. Rxe6 fxe6 25. Kxd1 $17) 22... Nxg2 23. Rxe7 Be6
$17) (21. Rde1 Ndf5 22. Bxh8 Nxg2 23. Rxe7 Nxe7 24. Be5 Nc6 $17) 21... Ndf5 $6
(21... Bg4 $1 22. Rxe3 (22. Rxd5 Nxd5 23. Bxd5 Re8) 22... Bxd1 23. Rxe7 (23.
Kxd1 Nf5 24. Rxe7 Nxe7 25. Bf6 $143 $44) 23... Bxh5 24. Bxh8 Kxh8 25. Re5 $15 (
25. Bxd5 {Boensch} Rd8 $17) 25... Bg4 26. Rxd5 Rd8 27. Rd4 Be6 $15) 22. Bxd5 (
22. Bxh8 Nxg2 23. Rxe7 Nxe7 24. Be5 (24. Bf6 Bg4) 24... Nc6) 22... Nxd5 23.
Bxh8 (23. Rxd5 Nxg7 24. Rxe7 Kf8 $1 (24... Be6 $1 25. Rg5 (25. Ra7 Bxd5) 25...
Kf8 $19) (24... Nxh5 $2 {Boensch} 25. Re8+ Kg7 26. Rg5+ $16)) 23... Nfe3 24.
Nf6+ (24. Bf6 Nxd1 25. Bxe7 Bg4) 24... Bxf6 (24... Kxh8 {Boensch} 25. Nxd5 Nxd1
(25... Nxd5 26. Rxd5 Be6 $10) 26. Nc7 Ra7 27. Rxe7 Bg4 $13) 25. Rxd5 (25. Bxf6
$2 {Boensch} Be6 26. Rd3 Nxc2 $17) 25... Kxh8 (25... Nxd5 $4 26. Re8#) 26. Rxe3
Be6 27. Rd6 Kg7 $2 (27... h5 $1 {Boensch Verhindet g4 und entwertet die weiЯe
P-Majoritдt am Kцnigsflьgel.}) 28. a4 $2 (28. g4 $1 h6 29. b3 $14) 28... h5 29.
a5 Bf5 30. c3 bxc3 (30... Rc8 $5) 31. bxc3 Rc8 32. Kd2 $6 (32. Kb2 $5) 32...
Rc5 $6 (32... Rb8 $5 33. Rb6 (33. Rxa6 {Boensch} Rb2+ 34. Kd1 Rxh2 $17) 33...
Rd8+ 34. Kc1 (34. Ke2 Bg4+) 34... Bd3 $17) 33. Rxa6 Rb5 34. Ra8 (34. h4 $1 $10)
34... Rb2+ 35. Ke1 Rxh2 (35... Rc2 $5 36. Kd1 Bxc3 37. Rc8 $5 Rd2+ 38. Kc1 Bxc8
39. Rxc3 Rd8 $15) 36. a6 Ra2 37. a7 Ra1+ $138 (37... Bh3 $5) (37... Kh7 $5) 38.
Kd2 Ra2+ 39. Kc1 Kh7 40. c4 (40. Kd1 Bh3 $17 (40... Bh3 {Boensch} 41. c4 Bg2
$19)) 40... Ra1+ 41. Kd2 Ra2+ 42. Kd1 Kg7 (42... Bd4 $5 43. Re7 Kg7 44. Rg8+ (
44. Rb8 {Boensch} Bg4+ 45. Kc1 Bxa7 46. Rbb7 Bf2 47. Rxf7+ Kg6 $17) 44... Kxg8
45. Re8+ Kg7 46. a8=Q Bg4+ $19) 43. Rg8+ $8 (43. c5 Bd4 44. Re7 Bxc5 $19) 43...
Kxg8 44. Re8+ Kg7 45. a8=Q Bg4+ 46. Kc1 (46. Ke1 $5 Bc3+ 47. Kf1 Be2+ 48. Kg2
Rxa8 49. Rxa8 Bxc4 $17) 46... Rxa8 47. Rxa8 {Boensch: Auf Kosten des a-P ist
es WeiЯ gelungen einen R zu tauschen. Die schwarze Gewinnfьhrung ist sehr
kompliziert.} Bd4 {Hecht: 2B<->RP. Starke B. Bauernschwдche g3. Schwierige
Gewinntechnik.} 48. Kd2 Bf2 49. Ra3 Kf6 50. Rd3 Ke6 (50... Be6 $5 {Salov,/
\Kf5-g4}) 51. Kc3 Be2 52. Rd8 (52. Rd2 {Hecht} Be1 $19) 52... Ke7 53. Rd5 f6
54. Kd2 Bg4 (54... Bxc4 $6 55. Rxh5 Bxg3 56. Ke3 $15) 55. Rd3 Ke6 56. Ra3 (56.
Kc3 Be2 $19) 56... Kd7 (56... Kd6 57. Ra6+ Kc5 58. Rxf6 (58. Kd3 {Boensch} f5
$19) 58... Kxc4 59. Rd6 (59. Rg6 Kd4 $5 (59... Bxg3 60. Ke3)) 59... Bxg3 60.
Ke3 h4 61. Rg6 h3 62. Rxg4 h2 $19) 57. Ra6 (57. c5 $5 Kc6 (57... Bxc5 58. Ra6
Ke7 (58... Bf2 59. Rxf6 Bxg3 60. Ke3 Ke7 61. Ra6 h4 62. Ra7+ $10) 59. Ke1) 58.
Rc3 (58. Ra6+ Kxc5 59. Rxf6 Kd4 $19) 58... f5 $22 59. Kc2 (59. Kd3 Bxg3 (59...
Bxc5 60. Rc2 Kd5 61. Ra2)) 59... Bxc5 60. Kd2 Kd5 $19) 57... Bxg3 58. Rxf6 Ke7
(58... h4 $1 59. Ke3 h3 60. Rh6 h2 $19) 59. Ra6 h4 (59... Bxf4+ 60. Ke1 (60.
Ke1 {Boensch} h4 $19)) 60. Ke3 h3 61. c5 h2 62. Ra1 (62. Rh6 Kf7 $19 (62... Kf8
{Boensch} 63. c6 Kg7 $19)) (62. Ra7+ Bd7) 62... Kf6 $1 (62... Kd7 $2 63. Rc1
Kc6 64. Ke4 Be2 65. Ke3 Bh5 66. Ra1 $1 $10 (66. Ke4 $2 Bf2 67. Rh1 Bg1 68. f5
Bf7 $19)) 63. Rb1 (63. Ke4 Kg6 64. c6 Kh5 65. c7 Kh4 66. Ke3 Kh3 67. Rc1 Kg2
68. Rc2+ Kf1 $19) (63. c6 Ke7 64. Rc1 Kd8 65. c7+ Kc8 66. Ke4 Be2 67. Ke3 (67.
f5 {Boensch} Bxc7 (67... Ba6 $2 68. f6 $1 (68. Kf3 $2 Bd6 (68... Bxc7 $4 69.
Rxc7+ Kxc7 70. Kg2 $10) 69. f6 Bb7+ $19) 68... Bb7+ 69. Kf5 h1=Q 70. Rxh1 Bxh1
71. f7 Bd6 72. Kg6 Bf8 73. Kh7 Bd5 74. Kg8 Bc5 75. Kg7 Bd4+ 76. Kg6 $10) 68. f6
Kd7 69. f7 Bd6 70. Rh1 Ke7 71. Ke3 Bb5 $19) 67... Bh5 $22 68. Ke4 Bf2 69. Rh1
Bg1 70. f5 Be8 $19) 63... Kf5 64. c6 Bxf4+ 65. Kf2 Bh3 66. Kf3 Bc7 67. Rb5+ $2
Kf6 68. Rb1 Be6 (68... Bb6 {Hecht} 69. Rd1 {Hecht} (69. Rh1 {Hecht} Bc7 (69...
Bg1 70. Kg3 $10) 70. Rc1 Be6 71. Ke4 Kg5 $19) 69... Bg1 $19) 69. Rd1 (69. Rd1
h1=Q+ $19 (69... Bd5+ $19)) (69. Ke4 {Hecht} Bf5+ $19) 0-1

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "Dos Hermanas"]
[Date "1996.05.22"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2735"]
[Annotator "Huzman,A"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "1996.05.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 053"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.08.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1996.08.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 {Bologan Azmaiparashvili Ftacnik Gelfand} Nf6 2. Nf3 g6 3. c4 Bg7 4. Nc3
d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11.
Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O b6 (12... Bg4 $1 {Azmaiparashvili}) 13. Bg5 Re8 $6 $146 (13...
Bb7 14. Bd3 Qe6 15. Re1 Qd6 16. Qd2 e6 $13 {Miladinovic,I-Atalik,S,1992,
Vrniacka Bania,54/471} (16... e6 {Ftacnik} 17. e5 Qd7 18. Qf4 Rc8 19. Be4 Bxe4
20. Rxe4 Qd5 21. Rbe1 Rc3 $8 22. Bh6 Rxf3 $1 $8 23. gxf3 Bxh6 24. Qxh6 Nd7 25.
Rc1 Qb7 26. Re3 b5 {1/2-1/2 Miladinovic,I-Atalik,S/Vrnjacka Banja/1992/ (43)})
(16... Nc6 17. e5 Qd8 18. Be4 $36)) 14. Bb5 Bd7 15. Qd3 Qa5 (15... Rc8 16. Rfc1
) (15... Qe6 16. Bc4 Qd6 17. e5 Qc7 18. Rfc1 $44) (15... h6 16. Bc4 Qa4 (16...
Qa5 {Ftacnik} 17. Bd5 hxg5 18. Bxa8 $16) 17. Bd2 (17. Ra1 {Ftacnik} Qb4 18.
Rfb1 Qd6 19. e5 Qc6 20. d5 $44) 17... e6 18. Rfc1 Rd8 19. Ra1 Qc6 20. Ba6 Qd6
21. Bb7 $16) 16. Bc4 (16. Bxd7 Nxd7 17. Ra1 Qb4 18. e5 Rec8 (18... e6 19. Rfb1
Qf8 20. Qb5) (18... b5 19. Rfb1 Qc4 20. Qxc4 bxc4 21. Rb7 Nb6 22. Bxe7 $36) 19.
Rfb1 Qc4 20. Qxc4 Rxc4 21. Bxe7 a5 $13 {/\22...Rac8}) 16... Nc6 (16... e6 17.
Bd2 Qh5 18. d5) (16... h6 17. e5 hxg5 (17... e6 18. Bd2 Qa4 19. d5 exd5 20.
Bxd5 Bc6 21. Rb4 Qa5 22. Bxf7+) 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. Nxg5+ Kg8 20. Qxg6 Qd5 21.
Rfe1 Bc6 22. Re4 Qxe4 23. Nxe4) 17. Bd2 (17. Ra1 $5 Qb4 18. Bd2 Qd6 19. e5 Qc7
20. Ng5 e6 21. Rac1 $5 $36 (21. Rfc1 $5) (21. Ne4 Ne7 $13)) (17. Rb5 Qa4 (17...
Qa6 18. Bxf7+ Kxf7 19. Rf5+ Bxf5 20. Qxa6 Bxe4 21. Qe2 $16) 18. Bb3 Nb4 19.
Bxf7+ Kxf7 20. Qc4+ Kf8 (20... e6 21. Rxb4 Qc6 22. Qe2 Qd6 $13 23. Rbb1 $14)
21. Ne5 Bxe5 22. dxe5 Kg7 (22... e6 23. Rxb4 Qc6 24. Qd3 $16) 23. e6 (23. Rxb4
Qc6 $13) 23... Bxe6 24. Qd4+ Kf7 25. Rxb4 (25. Bh6 Red8) 25... Qd7 26. Qb2 $44)
17... Qh5 18. Rb5 e5 (18... Qg4 19. h3 $18) 19. Ng5 (19. Qb3 {Ftacnik} Nd8 20.
Rxe5 Bxe5 21. Nxe5 Be6 22. Qa4 Nb7 $17) 19... Nxd4 $6 (19... Rf8 20. f4 $5 (20.
dxe5 Nxe5 (20... Rad8 $5) 21. Rxe5 Bxe5 22. f4 Bg7 23. Qxd7 (23. Nxf7 $5) 23...
Rad8 $13) (20. Nxf7 Rxf7 21. dxe5 Rd8 $1 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. Qd5+ Be6 24. Qxc6
Rxd2) 20... Nxd4 21. Rxe5 Bxe5 22. fxe5 Ne6 23. Nxf7 $18 Nc5 (23... Bc8 24.
Nh6+ Kg7 25. Rxf8 Nxf8 26. e6 $18) 24. Qd6) (19... Re7 $142 20. d5 (20. Qa3 Bf8
21. d5 (21. Rxb6 axb6 22. Qxa8 Nxd4) 21... Nd4 22. Rxb6 $2 Ree8 23. Rd6 Bb5 $1
$19) (20. dxe5 Nxe5 21. Rxe5 Bxe5 22. f4 Bf6 23. Nxf7 Be6 24. Bxe6 Rxe6 25. f5
gxf5 26. exf5 Re2 $13) (20. Nxf7 Rxf7 21. dxe5 Rd8 22. Bxf7+ Kxf7 23. f4 (23.
Qc4+ Kf8 24. e6 Bxe6 25. Qxc6) 23... Be6 $15) 20... Nd8 (20... Nd4 21. d6 (21.
d6 {Ftacnik} Bxb5 22. dxe7 Be8 23. f4 $36)) 21. Rbb1 Bh6 (21... h6 $5) 22. Qg3
Qg4 23. Qxg4 Bxg4 24. f4 $44) (19... Nd8 20. Rd5 Be6 21. dxe5 $16 (21. dxe5 {
Ftacnik} Rc8 22. f4 $1 $16) (21. Nxe6 Nxe6 22. Be3 Rad8 23. dxe5 Bxe5 24. f4
$13)) 20. Bxf7+ Kh8 (20... Kf8 {Ftacnik} 21. Bb4+ (21. Bxe8 Kxe8 22. Qc4 Bxb5
23. Qg8+ Bf8 24. Qf7+ Kd8 25. Qxf8+ Kd7 26. Qxa8 Bxf1 27. Qb7+ Kd8 28. Nf7+ Ke8
29. Bg5 $18) 21... Re7 22. Rd5 Bc6 23. Bxe7+ Kxe7 24. Qa3+ Kf6 25. Rd6+ $18)
21. Bxe8 Bxe8 (21... Rxe8 22. Rd5 (22. Rb2 $16 {Ftacnik}) 22... Bc6 23. Rxd4
exd4 24. Qc4 $18) 22. Rb2 $1 $16 (22. Rd5 h6 23. Nf3 Bc6) 22... h6 (22... Qg4
23. h3 Qd7 24. Nf3) (22... Ne2+ 23. Kh1 Nf4 24. Bxf4 exf4 25. Qd5 $18) (22...
Bf6 23. Ne6 Nxe6 24. Qd5 Nc7 25. Qd6) (22... Bh6 23. Ne6 Nxe6 (23... Bxd2 24.
Qxd2 Nxe6 25. Qd5 Nc7 26. Qb7 $16) 24. Qd5 $16 (24. Bxh6 Qxh6 25. Qd5 Nc7 26.
Qb7 $16 (26. Qxe5+ Qg7)) 24... Nc7 25. Qb7) (22... Rd8 23. Nf3 $16) (22... Qe2
$1 {Ftacnik}) 23. Ne6 $3 (23. Nf3 Nxf3+ 24. Qxf3 Qxf3 25. gxf3 $16) (23. Nh3 {
Ftacnik} Bd7 $13) 23... Nxe6 24. Qd5 Nc7 (24... Rd8 {Ftacnik} 25. Qxe6 Qe2 26.
Bxh6 $1 Qxb2 27. Bxg7+ Kxg7 28. Qe7+ Bf7 29. Qxd8 $18) 25. Qb7 Qe2 (25... Qg4
26. Rc2) 26. Re1 (26. Rc2 $2 Rd8 27. Rxc7 Bb5) (26. Qxc7 Qxe4) 26... Qc4 27.
Rc1 Qd4 (27... Qe2 {Ftacnik} 28. Rbc2 Rd8 29. Be1 Qa6 30. Qxc7 $16) 28. Rbc2 (
28. Rxc7 Bc6 $5 (28... Qxb2 29. Qxa8 Qxd2 30. g3 (30. Qxe8+ Kh7 31. h3 Qe1+ 32.
Kh2 Qxf2 33. Qxe5 $18) 30... Kh7 31. Qb7 $18) 29. Qxc6 Rf8 30. h3 (30. Be1 Qxb2
31. Qxg6 Rg8 $132) 30... Rxf2 31. Be3 $18) 28... Rd8 29. Qxc7 Kh7 (29... Ba4
30. Qxd8+ Qxd8 31. Rc8 $18) (29... Rd7 {Ftacnik} 30. Qb8 Rd8 31. Qxa7 $18) 30.
Bc3 (30. Qxa7 Rd7 (30... Qxe4 31. Rc7 $18) 31. Qa8 Bf7 $18 (31... Rd8 32. Qa1
$18) (31... Bf7 32. Be1 $18)) 30... Qd7 31. Be1 (31. Bxe5 $4 {Ftacnik} Qd1+ 32.
Rxd1 Rxd1#) 31... g5 32. Qxd7 Rxd7 (32... Bxd7 {Ftacnik} 33. Rc7 $18) 33. Rc7 (
33. Rc7 {Ftacnik} a6 34. Rxd7 Bxd7 35. Rc7 Ba4 36. Bc3 $18) 1-0

[Event "Dos Hermanas"]
[Site "Dos Hermanas"]
[Date "1996.05.29"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D85"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2735"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "1996.05.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 053"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1996.08.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1996.08.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 {Ftacnik Bologan} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nxc3 6. bxc3
Bg7 7. Nf3 c5 8. Rb1 O-O 9. Be2 cxd4 10. cxd4 Qa5+ 11. Bd2 Qxa2 12. O-O Bg4 13.
Bg5 h6 14. Be3 Nc6 15. d5 Ne5 (15... Na5 {Bologan}) (15... Na5 16. Bc5) 16.
Rxb7 (16. Rb4 Bxf3 17. gxf3 b6 18. Ra4 Qb2 19. Bd4 Nxf3+ 20. Bxf3 Bxd4 21. Rxd4
Rac8 22. e5 Rc3 23. d6 exd6 24. Rxd6 Qb4 25. Qd5 Rc5 26. Rxg6+ Kh7 27. Qd6 {
1-0 Ruiz,R-Sion,M/Pamplona op/1995/}) 16... e6 17. d6 Rfd8 18. Re1 Bxf3 19.
gxf3 Qa3 20. f4 $1 (20. d7 Qe7 21. Bb5 Qh4 $1 $10 {Gelfand,B-Ivanchuk,V,Manila,
izt,1990} (21... Qh4 22. Bf1 {1/2-1/2/Gelfand,B-Ivanchuk,V/Manila izt (07)/
1990/})) 20... Rxd6 {[#]} 21. Qc1 $3 $146 (21. Qc2 Rc6 (21... Nc6 {Ftacnik} 22.
Bc5 Qa5 (22... Nd4 $2 23. Bxa3 Nxc2 24. Bxd6 Nxe1 25. Rc7 {xNe1}) (22... Qc3
23. Qxc3 Bxc3 24. Rc1 Rd2 25. Rxc3 Rxe2 26. Rc7 $13) 23. Bxd6 Qxe1+ 24. Kg2 Rd8
25. e5 $13) 22. Qd2 (22. Qb1 $5 {Ftacnik} Nc4 23. Rxf7 Qa5 24. Rd1 Kxf7 25.
Qb7+ Rc7 26. Qxa8 Nxe3 27. fxe3 Qc5 $15) 22... Rd6 (22... Nc4 $2 {Ftacnik} 23.
Qd7 $18) (22... Qa6 {Ftacnik} 23. Reb1 Nc4 24. Qd7 $14) 23. Rb3 Qxb3 (23...
Rxd2 {Ftacnik} 24. Rxa3 Rxe2 25. Rxe2 Nf3+ 26. Kg2 Nd4 27. Rd2 $16) 24. Qxd6
Nc4 25. Qc6 Nxe3 26. Qxa8+ Kh7 $10 {1/2-1/2 Solozhenkin,E-Daniliuk,S/RUS-ch
Elista (11)/1995/ (29)}) 21... Qxc1 22. Rxc1 Nc6 $8 (22... Rd7 23. Rb3 $18) (
22... Nd7 $4 {Bologan} 23. e5 Rd5 24. Bf3 $18) (22... Nd3 {Ftacnik} 23. Rcc7 a5
(23... Rf8 24. e5 Rd5 25. Rxa7 $16) 24. Rxf7 Bh8 25. Rfe7 $18) 23. e5 Nd4 (
23... Na5 {Ftacnik} 24. exd6 Nxb7 25. Bf3 Rd8 26. Bxb7 $18) 24. Rcc7 $3 (24.
exd6 $2 Nxe2+ 25. Kf1 Nxc1 26. Bxc1 Bf6) (24. Bf1 Rc6 $1 25. Rd1 Nf5 26. Rdd7
Rf8 $10) (24. Bg4 $5 {Bologan} Rc6 25. Rd1 h5 $1 26. Bxh5 gxh5 27. Rxd4 a5 28.
Rdd7 a4 29. Rxf7 Bf8 30. Rf6 a3 31. Rg6+ Kh8 32. Rg5 a2 33. Rxh5+ Kg8 34. Rg5+
$10) 24... Nxe2+ 25. Kf1 Rdd8 (25... Ra6 {Ftacnik} 26. Rxf7 Bf8 27. Kxe2 $16)
26. Rxf7 (26. Kxe2 Rdb8 $10) 26... Bf8 {Bologan: This natural move is just
loosing the game. It was very important to cover the 'f6' square.} (26... Bh8
27. Kxe2 a5 28. Rh7 (28. Rfe7 {Bologan} Re8 29. Rxe8+ Rxe8 30. Ra7 Bg7 31. Kd3
Bf8 32. Rxa5 Rd8+ 33. Ke4 Rd7 $14) 28... Rdb8 (28... Rab8 {Ftacnik}) 29. Rxb8+
Rxb8 30. Re7 Ra8 31. Rxe6 Kf7 32. Rc6 a4 33. Bd4 $16) 27. Kxe2 Rdb8 (27... a5
28. Rf6 a4 (28... Re8 {Ftacnik} 29. Rxg6+ Kh8 30. f5 $18) 29. Rxe6 (29. Rxg6+
Kh8 30. Rxe6 a3 31. Rb1 a2 32. Ra1 Rdb8 33. Rb6) 29... g5 (29... a3 30. Rxg6+
Kh8 31. Rg1 (31. Ba7 {Bologan} a2 32. Ra6 $18) 31... a2 32. Ra1 $18) 30. fxg5
a3 31. gxh6 a2 32. Bg5 (32. Rg6+ Kh8 33. Bg5 a1=Q 34. Bf6+ Bg7) 32... a1=Q 33.
h7+ Kh8 34. Bf6+ Bg7 35. Bxg7+ Kxh7 36. Rh6+ Kg8 37. Rh8#) 28. Rxb8 Rxb8 29.
Rf6 $1 (29. Rxa7 $10) (29. Rxa7 {Ftacnik} Rc8 $16) 29... Re8 (29... a5 30.
Rxg6+ Kf7 31. Rf6+ $18) (29... Kg7 {Ftacnik} 30. Rxe6 Rb2+ 31. Kd3 a5 32. f5 $1
$18) 30. Rxg6+ Kh7 (30... Bg7 {Ftacnik} 31. Bxa7 Kf7 32. Rg1 $18) 31. Rf6 a5 (
31... Kg7 {Ftacnik} 32. f5 $1 exf5 33. Bxh6+ Kg8 34. Rxf8+ Rxf8 35. Bxf8 Kxf8
36. f4 $18) 32. f5 $5 (32. Kf3 a4 33. f5 (33. Rf7+ Kg6 34. Ra7 a3 35. Ke4 Rb8
$132) 33... exf5 34. Kf4 Bg7) (32. Rf7+ {Bologan} Kg6 33. Ra7 Bb4 34. Kf3 $16 (
34. Bb6 {Ftacnik} Rf8 $132)) 32... exf5 (32... a4 {Ftacnik} 33. Rxe6 Rxe6 34.
fxe6 Kg6 35. Kd3 $18) 33. f4 Ra8 (33... a4 34. Rxf5 a3 (34... Ra8 {Ftacnik})
35. Rf7+ Kg6 36. Ra7 Kf5 37. Kf3 Rc8 38. Bd2 $1 (38. Ra6 Be7) 38... Bc5 $140
39. Ra6 Be7 40. Bb4 $18) (33... Kg7 $142 $1 {Bologan} 34. Ra6 Bb4 35. Bb6 Rc8
36. Bxa5 Rc2+ 37. Kd3 Ra2 38. Ra7+ Kg8 39. Bb6 Rxa7 40. Bxa7 Kf7 41. Be3 Ke6
$14 {I don't see any winning plan for White.}) 34. Rxf5 a4 35. Rf7+ Kg8 $2 (
35... Kg6 36. e6 a3 37. f5+ Kh5 38. Bd4 (38. e7 Bxe7 39. Rxe7 a2 40. Bd4 a1=Q
41. Bxa1 Rxa1 42. Rg7 Ra2+ 43. Ke3 Ra3+ 44. Ke4 Ra4+ 45. Kd5 Ra5+ 46. Ke6 Ra6+
47. Kf7 Ra7+ 48. Kg8 Ra6 $10) 38... a2 39. f6 (39. Rxf8 Rxf8 40. f6 Re8 41. f7
Rxe6+ 42. Kf2) (39. Ba1 $18) 39... Kg6 40. Rxf8 (40. Ba1 $18 {Ftacnik}) 40...
Rxf8 41. f7 $18) 36. Ra7 $1 $18 Rxa7 37. Bxa7 Ba3 (37... a3 {Ftacnik} 38. f5 a2
39. Bd4 Bc5 40. Ba1 $18) 38. Bd4 Bc1 39. f5 Kf7 (39... a3 {Ftacnik} 40. Kd3 $18
) 40. Kd3 a3 41. Kc2 Bf4 42. h3 (42. Kb3 $6 {Ftacnik} Bxh2 43. Kxa3 h5 44. Kb4
h4 45. Kc4 h3 $132) 42... h5 43. Kb3 Bc1 44. Bc5 Bb2 45. e6+ Kf6 46. Bxa3 Be5 (
46... Be5 {Ftacnik} 47. Kc4 $18) 1-0

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "Novgorod"]
[Date "1997.06.13"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E12"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2725"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "1997.06.11"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 060"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1997.09.29"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1997.09.29"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 b6 4. Nc3 Bb7 5. a3 d5 6. Bg5 Be7 7. Qa4+ c6 {
This move leads to a position which is a little bit passive, but nevertheless
very solid, similiar to QGD. Other moves are} (7... Bc6) (7... Qd7) (7... Nfd7
8. Bf4 dxc4 9. Qxc4 c5 10. d5 exd5 11. Nxd5 b5 12. Qe4 Bxd5 13. Qxd5 $16 {
1/2-1/2 Gelfand,B-Timman,J/Groningen (07) 1996 (60)}) 8. Bxf6 Bxf6 9. cxd5 exd5
10. g3 O-O 11. Bg2 c5 12. Rd1 Qe7 13. O-O Rd8 14. e3 Na6 15. Rd2 (15. Rfe1 Nc7
16. h4 (16. Qc2 Ne6 17. h4 Rac8 18. Rd2 a6 19. Qd1 b5 20. Ne5 b4 21. axb4 cxb4
22. Na4 a5 23. Nd3 Bc6 {1/2-1/2 Spraggett,K-Kortschnoj,V/Enghien Les Bains (5)
;CBM 58 1997 (62)}) 16... Ne6 17. Nh2 g6 18. Qb3 c4 19. Qc2 Bg7 20. f4 Nc7 21.
Nf3 b5 22. Ne5 f6 23. Nf3 a5 24. e4 dxe4 25. Nxe4 Qf7 26. h5 {1-0 Wells,
P-Almasi,Z/HUN-chT1 9495 (12) ;EXT 95ch 1995 (40)}) (15. Qb3 Rab8 16. Rd2 Nc7
17. Rfd1 g6 18. Qa2 Bg7 19. Ne5 b5 20. f4 b4 21. axb4 cxb4 22. Na4 f6 23. Nf3
Qxe3+ 24. Kh1 Qe6 25. Nc5 Qb6 26. f5 Bc8 {1/2-1/2 Tyomkin,D-Kortschnoj,V/Beer
Sheva16th (4) ;CBM 58 1997 (60)}) 15... Nc7 16. Rfd1 Ne6 $6 {I think that this
move is a mistake, as the Knight is better placed on c7, defending the pawn on
d5 and keeping control of e5} (16... g6) (16... c4 $5 {Poluljahov,A /\ a5, b5})
17. h4 g6 18. Qb3 $146 {Only this move is new.White has got a pleasent edge in
the following game} (18. Nh2 $5 {Poluljahov,A} cxd4 19. exd4 h5 20. Nf3 (20.
Nf1 $5 {Poluljahov,A /\ Ne3 ><d5}) 20... a6 21. Re1 b5 22. Qd1 Qd6 23. Bh3 Ng7
24. Ne5 Bc8 $1 25. Bg2 Be6 $2 (25... Bb7 $11 {Poluljahov,A}) 26. Ne2 $1 {
1-0 Poluljahov,A-Hjartarson,J/New York (open) 67/584 1996 (58) /\ Nf4+/-})
18... h5 $6 {This weakens g5, an important square . As h4-h5 is not a threat,
it was unnecessary.} (18... Bg7 19. Nh2 (19. Qa2 a6 20. Nh2 c4) 19... Nc7 {
The knight belongs to c7 square!} (19... c4 $5 20. Qc2 a6 21. Nf3 f5 $13) 20.
dxc5 $140 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc5) 19. Qa2 a6 $6 {Now White forces a welcome
simplification to achieve positional superiority} (19... Nc7 $5 {Was again
called for}) (19... c4 20. b3) 20. dxc5 $1 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc5 {The only way to
keep material equal,as after} (21... Nxc5 22. Ng5 {Black loses the d5 pawn, as
h7-h6 is not possible (pawns cannot go back!)} Na4 (22... Ne4 $4 23. Bxe4 $1)
23. Bxd5 (23. Qb3 b5 24. Bxd5 Rxd5 25. Rxd5 Bxd5 26. Rxd5 Rc8 27. Qb4 $16)
23... Rxd5 (23... Nxc3 24. Bxf7+ Kf8 25. Rxd8+ Rxd8 26. Rxd8+ Qxd8 27. Ne6+ $18
) 24. Rxd5 Bxd5 (24... Nxc3 25. Rd8+) 25. Qxd5 $16) (21... bxc5 22. Nh2) 22.
Nd4 Nxd4 (22... Qxc3 $2 23. Rc2 Qa5 24. Nxe6 fxe6 25. Rc7) 23. cxd4 (23. Rxd4
Qxc3 24. e4 Qc5 25. exd5 Qd6 $14) 23... Qd6 24. Rc1 {White establishes control
over the c-file} Rac8 25. Rdc2 Rxc2 26. Rxc2 $16 Bc6 $1 27. Rc3 (27. Bf1 Bd7 $5
28. Bxa6 $140 Ra8) 27... Bb5 28. Qb2 $6 {Too ambitious. I decided to play for
an attack, because I was not sure if} (28. Bf1 Bxf1 29. Kxf1 $16 {<->c,would
be enough for victory.In particular, I thought that Black could give up his
'a' and 'b' pawns for White's 'a', exchange a pair of pieces, and thereby keep
some drawing chances. All the same, I should have tried it.}) 28... Qe6 (28...
Bc4 29. e4 f6 {the attempt to prevent e4-e5 doesn't work} 30. Qc1 Kg7 31. exd5
(31. Re3 Re8 32. Qc3 (32. exd5 Rxe3 33. Qxe3 b5 $11) 32... b5 33. e5 $36) 31...
b5 (31... Bxd5 32. Rc7+ Rd7 33. Rxd7+ Qxd7 34. Bxd5 Qxd5 35. Qc7+ $18) 32. Re3
Bxd5 33. Bxd5 Qxd5 34. Re7+ $18) 29. Qc1 Bc4 (29... Kg7 30. Bf1 Bxf1 31. Kxf1
$16) 30. e4 b5 31. e5 Re8 {Black had alternatives leading to unclear positions
in all cases.} (31... Qg4 32. f4 (32. Rf3 Qxd4 33. e6 (33. Qg5 Rf8) 33... Rf8
34. Qg5 Qg4 $1 $11 (34... Qg7 35. Rf6 Kh7 36. Qf4 d4 37. Be4 Kg8 (37... Bxe6
38. Bxg6+) 38. e7 Re8 39. Qd6 $18)) 32... Qe6 33. Re3 a5 34. Kh2 $13) (31...
Qb6 32. Qf4 {-similiar to the game} (32. Qg5 Rf8 33. Rf3 Qxd4 34. e6 {-31...Qg4
})) (31... Rf8 $5 32. Re3 a5 33. Kh2 $13) 32. Kh2 {/\Bh3} (32. Re3 $5) 32...
Qb6 {My opponent misses a chance to equalize by} (32... f5 $1 33. exf6 Qxf6 34.
Qh6 (34. Rf3 Qxd4 35. Qg5 Kg7) 34... Rf8 (34... a5 35. Rf3 Qg7 36. Qg5 b4 37.
axb4 axb4 38. Rf6 Kh7 39. f4 Rf8 40. Rb6 $14) 35. Rf3 (35. Re3 Qg7) 35... Qg7)
33. Qf4 Rf8 34. Rf3 {White's task is to put all the pieces in attacking
positions and to breakthrough} (34. Bh3 f5 $5) 34... a5 (34... Kg7 35. Qe3 $1)
(34... Be2 35. Re3 Bc4 36. Bh3 Kg7 37. g4 hxg4 38. Bxg4 Qd8 (38... Rh8 39. e6)
39. h5 g5 (39... Rh8 40. e6) (39... f5 40. e6 Qf6 (40... Qh4+ 41. Rh3 Qxg4 42.
Qe5+ $18) 41. Bh3 $18) 40. Qf5 $16) 35. Bh3 {/\e6} Be2 36. Re3 Bc4 (36... Bg4
37. Bxg4 hxg4 38. Qxg4 $18) 37. Rf3 $138 (37. Qh6 $1) 37... Be2 38. Re3 Bc4 39.
Qg5 $2 {being short of time, I missed an easy win} (39. Qh6 Qxd4 40. e6 Qg7 41.
Qxg7+ Kxg7 42. e7 Re8 43. Bd7 $18 {I forgot about this last move.}) 39... Qxd4
40. e6 $6 {Mistakes normally come together. After I made this 40th move I
realised how Black could save the game.} (40. Rf3 $5 Qe4 (40... Qd1 41. Rf6 d4
42. Bf5 $18) 41. Rf4 $18 {Was still winning}) 40... Qb2 $4 (40... fxe6 $3 {
Believe it or not, but this move was leading to a draw} 41. Qxg6+ Qg7 42. Bxe6+
Kh8 43. Qxh5+ Qh7 44. Qe5+ Qg7 45. Bxd5 Rxf2+ 46. Kg1 Qxe5 47. Rxe5 Ra2 $11)
41. Rf3 {Now White is winning again} d4 (41... Qg7 42. e7 Re8 43. Bd7 f6 44.
Be6+ (44. Rxf6 Rxe7 45. Rxg6 Rxd7 46. Rxg7+ Rxg7 47. Qxh5 $18) 44... Kh7 45.
Rxf6 Rxe7 46. Rxg6 Qxg6 47. Qxe7+ $18) 42. Rxf7 (42. Rxf7 Rxf7 43. Qxg6+ Rg7
44. Qe8+ Kh7 45. Bf5+) 1-0

[Event "Novgorod"]
[Site "Novgorod"]
[Date "1997.06.20"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Topalov, Veselin"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A29"]
[WhiteElo "2725"]
[BlackElo "2700"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "58"]
[EventDate "1997.06.11"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 060"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "1997.09.29"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "1997.09.29"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 {Baburin,A Ribli} Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O e4
7. Ng5 (7. Ne1 $5 {Ribli}) 7... Bxc3 8. bxc3 Re8 9. f3 (9. d3 $5 {Ribli}) 9...
e3 {Ribli: Vor 10 Jahren war das Karpovs Neuerung in der 2.Partie
Kasparov-Karpov/Wch- Sevilla/1987/} (9... exf3 {Ribli} 10. Nxf3 d5 11. d4 $1
Ne4 12. Qc2 Bf5 13. Nh4 $36) 10. dxe3 {Ribli: Dieser Zug gefдllt mir nicht,
obwohl WeiЯ einen Bauern gewinnt. Er hat zwei Doppelbauern, die seine
Mцglichkeiten spьrbar einschrдnken.} (10. d4 {Ribli} Na5 (10... b6 $5) (10...
d6 $5 {/\ Qe7, Na5, h6, Be6 Dlugy,M}) 11. Qd3 b6 12. c5 (12. Bxe3 $1 Ba6 13.
Rfe1 Nxc4 14. Bf2 {/\ e4[+]}) 12... Bb7 13. Bxe3 Qe7 14. Bf4 {0-1 Olafsson,
H-Naumkin,I/Belgrade GMA 1988 (41)}) (10. d3 $1 {Ribli} d5 $8 11. cxd5 (11. Qb3
Na5 12. Qa3 c6 13. cxd5 cxd5 14. f4 Bg4 15. Re1 h6 16. Nf3 Nc6 17. Rb1 Qd7 18.
d4 Bh3 19. Bh1 Nh5 $1 20. Ne5 Nxe5 21. fxe5 Qg4 22. Bxe3 Nxg3 23. Bf3 Qg6 24.
hxg3 Qxg3+ 25. Kh1 Bg4 {0-1 Lautier,J-Illescas Cordoba,M/Dos Hermanas 1995 (40)
}) 11... Nxd5 12. Qb3 (12. Ne4 f5 13. c4 Nf6 14. Nxf6+ Qxf6 15. Rb1 f4 16. Bb2
Nd4 17. gxf4 b6 {0-1 Cuadras,J-Rodriguez,A/Terrassa open 1996 (40)}) 12... Na5
(12... Qxg5 13. f4 Qh5 14. Bxd5 Bg4 15. Bf3 Rab8 16. Rb1 h6 {0-1 Grant,
J-Timoshchenko,G/EU-chTM 1997 (29)}) 13. Qa3 b6 14. f4 Bb7 15. Bb2 (15. c4 Ne7
16. Bxb7 Nxb7 17. Bb2 c5 18. f5 f6 {1/2-1/2 Nielsen,P-Savchenko,S/Minsk 1996})
15... c5 16. c4 Nb4 17. Qc3 f6 18. Bxb7 Nxb7 19. Nf3 Nd6 20. g4 $5 Nc6 21. Kh1
{1/2-1/2 Gulko,B-Ivanchuk,V/Horgen 1995 (29)}) 10... b6 (10... Na5 {Ribli} 11.
e4 h6 12. Nh3 Nxc4 13. Qd4 d5 (13... Ne5 14. c4 d6 15. Nf4 b6 16. Nd5 c5 17.
Qc3 Nxd5 18. cxd5 b5 19. f4 b4 20. Qc2 Nd7 {1-0 Gulko,B-Illescas,M/ESP-tt
Oropesa del Mar ESP 1996 (41)}) 14. Nf4 c6 15. exd5 cxd5 16. e4 Qb6 {0-1
Kopilov,N-Raetsky,A/Voronezh 1990 (38)}) (10... h6 {Ribli} 11. Nh3 b6 (11...
Ne5 $5) 12. e4 Ba6 (12... d6 $5 13. Nf2 (13. f4 Nxe4 14. Qd5 Bxh3 {Und Weiss
hat viele Schwachungen.Ribli.}) 13... Ba6 14. f4 Na5 $13 {[%csl Rc4]}) 13. c5
bxc5 14. Ba3 d6 15. Qa4 (15. f4 $5) 15... Nb8 16. e5 dxe5 17. Rfd1 Qc8 {
1/2-1/2 Gulko,B-Timoshenko,G/2nd op, Nova Gorica SLO 1997 (32)}) 11. e4 (11. f4
{Ribli} h6 12. Nf3 Bb7 13. c5 Na5 14. Qd4 Qe7 15. cxb6 axb6 16. c4 Qe4 17. c5
Qxd4 18. exd4 Rxe2 {0-1 Fatin,T-Soffer,R/London Lloyds 1989 (34)}) 11... h6 (
11... Ba6 $6 {Ribli} 12. f4 h6 13. Nxf7 Kxf7 14. e5 $40) 12. Nxf7 $5 $146 {
Baburin: A dubious sacrifice. Ribli: WeiЯ opfert eine Figur fьr Aktivitдt. Es
ist wahr, daЯ er Initiative erhдlt, aber mit guten Zьgen kann sich Schwarz
verteidigen und den Angriff abwehren.} (12. Nh3) ({Baburin: Better was} 12. Nh3
{Baburin,A} Ba6 13. Nf2) 12... Kxf7 13. f4 {Ribli: WeiЯ hat schon zwei Bauern
fьr die geopferte Figur und das Lдuferpaar.} Kg8 14. e5 Nh7 15. Ba3 $2 {
Ribli: Beide weiЯen Lдufer kontrollieren wichtige Punkten. Der Textzug richtet
sich gegen Nf8.Trotzdem hat Schwarz eine feste Stellung ohne Schwдchen.} (15.
f5 $8 Qe7 (15... Kh8 16. f6 Nxe5 (16... gxf6 17. exf6 $40) 17. fxg7+ Kxg7 18.
Bxa8 c6 19. Bf4 $18) (15... Bb7 16. f6 Rxe5 17. Bd5+ Kh8 18. fxg7+ Kxg7 19.
Rf7+ Kh8 20. Bxh6 $18) (15... Ba6 16. e6) 16. f6 gxf6 (16... Qc5+ $5 17. Kh1
Kh8 {Huzman}) 17. Bd5+ Kg7 (17... Kh8 18. exf6 Nxf6 19. Bxc6 dxc6 (19... Qc5+
20. Qd4) 20. Qd4) 18. Qd2 Qxe5 19. Qxh6+ Kh8) 15... Bb7 $17 ({Baburin: Also
interesting was} 15... Kh8 {Baburin,A}) 16. Be4 (16. Qd3 Kh8) (16. Bd5+ Kh8 17.
Bf7 Na5 $17 (17... Nxe5 18. Bxe8 (18. fxe5 Rxe5) 18... Nxc4)) 16... Kh8 17. Bc2
(17. Bg6 {Ribli} Ne7 (17... Na5 {[%csl Rc4]} 18. Bxe8 Qxe8 $13 {[%cal Gb7h1]})
18. Bxe8 Qxe8 $13 {[%cal Gb7h1]}) 17... Nxe5 $1 {Baburin: This
counter-sacrifice reveals Gelfand's intentions - he wants to attack as well!
Ribli: Schwarz gibt das Material zurьck. Sein Lдufer auf b7 ist ohne Gegenpart
auf der Diagonalen sehr stark. Ich mцchte bemerken, daЯ die weiЯe
Bauernstruktur konisch ist.} (17... d6 18. Qd3 Nf8 19. exd6 cxd6 20. Bxd6 Na5
21. Bxf8 Qxd3 22. Bxg7+ Kxg7 23. exd3 $13) 18. fxe5 Rxe5 {Baburin: Now the
black bishop is excellently placed on the long diagonal and the knight is
ready to jump to g5, while the White bishop pair isn't particularly useful.} (
18... Ng5 19. e4 $17) 19. Bxh7 {Ribli: Die schwarze Drohung war Ng5. WeiЯ
sieht sich gezwungen das Lдuferpaar aufzugeben.} (19. Qd3 {Ribli} Be4) (19. Rf7
{Ribli} Ng5 20. Rf8+ Qxf8 21. Bxf8 Nh3+ 22. Kf1 Rxf8+ 23. Ke1 Ng1 $40 {[%csl
Re1]}) 19... Kxh7 {Ribli.Auf dem Brett gibtes nun ungleichfarbige Lдufer, aber
mit Tьrmen und Damen. Das hilft nur Schwarz, denn er hat Angriff.} 20. c5 {
Ribli: WeiЯ mцchte sich befreien von seinen Doppelbauern, aber wirklich guter
Rat ist teuer.} Qe8 (20... bxc5 21. Bxc5 $17) 21. Qd3+ (21. cxb6 {Ribli} axb6
22. Rf8 Qe6 23. Rxa8 Bxa8 $17) 21... Be4 $19 22. Qd2 (22. Qd4 $5) 22... Qe6 {
Baburin: Very simple - the attack on the light squares is unstoppable; as
usual in such positions the presence of opposite coloured bishops makes the
attack more deadly. Meanwhile the queen is aiming for the h3-square.} 23. Rf2 (
23. cxb6 axb6 24. Bb2 Qh3 25. Rf2 Rf8 26. Raf1 Ref5 27. Qe3 Qg2+ $1) 23... bxc5
{Baburin: Adding a material advantage to the existing positional plus.} 24.
Raf1 Re8 {Ribli: Schwarz hat eine ьberlegene Stellung. Er hat einen Bauern
mehr. Was noch wichtiger ist, er hat die entscheidende Herrschaft auf den
weiЯen Feldern.} 25. c4 Qh3 {Baburin: From this square the queen attacks the
kingside very comfortably, being absolutely undesturbed itself. A crash on the
g3-square is coming...} 26. Bb2 Rg5 27. Qc3 {Ribli: WeiЯ verteidigt sich gegen
27...Rxg3, und droht selbst auf g7. Aber der schwarze Angriff ist unaufhaltbar.
} Re6 28. Qe3 Rg4 {Ribli: Nach diesem Zug droht entscheidend 29...h5-h4 oder
29...Rg6 nebst 30...Rxg3.} (28... Reg6 $4 {Ribli} 29. Qxe4 {[%cal Ge4h7]} Rxg3+
30. hxg3 Qxg3+ 31. Rg2) 29. Rc1 h5 ({Baburin: Also possible was} 29... Rxg3+ {
Baburin,A} 30. Qxg3 Rg6 31. Rc3 Qe6 $19 {but 29...h5 is easier - White has no
counterplay and cannot prevent the collapse of the g3-square.}) 0-1

[Event "Astana"]
[Site "Astana"]
[Date "2001.05.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2712"]
[BlackElo "2749"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2001.05.20"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "KAZ"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 084"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2001.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2001.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 a6 5. a4 Bf5 6. Qb3 Ra7 7. a5 (7. Bf4) 7...
e6 $2 (7... dxc4 8. Qxc4 $14) 8. Qb6 $1 Qxb6 9. axb6 Ra8 10. c5 Nbd7 11. e3 (
11. b4 {Huebner,R} Be7 12. e3 O-O 13. Bb2 Bg4 $6 (13... Ne4 {Huebner}) 14. Nd2
e5 15. f3 exd4 16. exd4 Rfe8 17. Be2 Bf5 18. g4 (18. Nb3 {(Huebner,R) ist
genauer.}) 18... Bg6 (18... Bc2 {Huebner,R} 19. Rc1 Bg6) 19. Nb3 Nf8 20. Na5
Ne6 21. Rd1 Rab8 22. O-O {1-0 Gyimesi,Z-Magomedov,M/Koszalin 1999/CBM 73/
[Huebner,R] (32)}) (11. Bf4 Ne4 12. e3 Ndxc5 $1 13. dxc5 Bxc5 14. Nxe4 (14. Na4
Bb4+ 15. Ke2 O-O 16. Nh4 g5 $13) 14... Bxe4 15. Bc7 Bxf3 $1 16. gxf3 Kd7 17.
Rg1 g6 18. Rg4 Bd6 19. Bxd6 Kxd6 $14) 11... Be7 12. Be2 O-O 13. Nd2 $1 (13. O-O
Bg4 $1 14. Nd2 Bxe2 15. Nxe2 Nxc5 16. dxc5 Bxc5 $14) 13... e5 (13... a5 $5 14.
Nb3 (14. O-O Bc2 15. b3 (15. f4 Nxc5 16. dxc5 Bxc5 17. Nf3 Bxb6 $44) 15... e5
16. Ra2 Bf5 17. Bb2 (17. Ba3 Rfe8 18. Rfa1 exd4 19. exd4 Nf8 20. Bb2 Ne6) 17...
Rfe8 18. Rfa1 (18. dxe5 Ne4 19. Ncxe4 Bxe4 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Rd1 Nxc5) 18...
exd4 19. exd4 Bxc5 (19... Nxc5 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Na4 Rxe2 22. Nxc5 Rxd2 23.
Nxb7 (23. Bxf6 Rxa2 24. Rxa2 gxf6 25. Nxb7 (25. f3 $16) 25... Rb8 26. Nd6 Bd3
27. b7 Ba6 28. Rxa5 Bxb7 29. f4 d4 30. Kf2 (30. Ra7 d3 31. Kf2 Rd8) 30... d3
31. Ke1) 23... Rb8 (23... Nd7 24. Nd6 $16) 24. Nd6 Rxb6 25. Bxf6 Rxa2 26. Rxa2
$16) 20. dxc5 d4 21. Bf1 (21. Na4 Rxe2 22. Bxd4 Nd5 23. Nc3 Nxc3 24. Bxc3 Bd3
25. Bd4 $14) 21... dxc3 22. Bxc3 Nd5 (22... Nxc5 23. Rxa5 (23. Bxf6 gxf6 24.
Rxa5 Rxa5 25. Rxa5 Ne4 26. Nc4) 23... Rxa5 24. Rxa5 $14) 23. Bd4 $14) 14... Bc2
(14... a4 15. Rxa4 Rxa4 16. Nxa4 Bc2 17. Bd1) 15. Nxa5 Nxb6 16. Bd2 (16. cxb6
Bb4 17. Kd2 Bg6 18. Nb3 Ne4+) 16... Nbd7 (16... Nc4 17. Bxc4 dxc4 18. O-O Bd3
19. Rfc1 e5 20. Nxb7) 17. O-O Rfb8 18. b4 $16) 14. O-O Rfe8 15. Nb3 Bf8 (15...
exd4 16. exd4 Bc2 17. Na5 Bxc5 18. dxc5 d4 19. Be3 (19. Nxb7 dxc3 20. Bf3 Bd3
21. bxc3 Bxf1 22. Kxf1) 19... dxe3 (19... dxc3 20. bxc3 Nxc5 21. Bxc5 Rxe2 22.
Nxb7) 20. Nxb7) (15... Rab8 16. Na5 $140 exd4 (16... Nxc5 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. Na4
Bb4 19. Nb3 $16) 17. exd4 Nxc5 18. dxc5 Bxc5 19. Bf4 Bxb6 20. Bxb8 Rxb8 $16)
16. Bd2 $16 (16. Na5 $5 {Notkin,M.} exd4 17. exd4 Nxc5 18. dxc5 d4 19. Nxb7
dxc3 20. Bf3) 16... Bc2 (16... Re7 17. Na5 exd4 18. exd4 Rae8 19. Nxb7 Rxe2 20.
Nxe2 Rxe2 21. Bc3 $16) 17. Na5 exd4 18. exd4 Nxc5 (18... Bxc5 19. dxc5 d4 20.
Bf3 dxc3 21. Bxc3 Be4 $16 (21... Nxc5 22. Rac1 Bd3 23. Bxf6 Bxf1 24. Kxf1 gxf6
25. Rxc5 $16)) 19. dxc5 d4 (19... Bxc5 20. Rfc1) 20. Bf3 $1 dxc3 (20... Bxc5
21. Na4) 21. Bxc3 Ne4 (21... Rab8 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Nxb7 $1 Rxb7 24. Bxc6) (
21... Bxc5 22. Bxf6 $1 gxf6 23. Rfc1) (21... Be4 22. Bxf6 (22. Nxb7 Bxf3 23.
gxf3 Rab8 24. Nd6 Bxd6 25. cxd6 Rxb6 $14) 22... gxf6 23. b4 Bxf3 24. gxf3 Re7
25. Rfe1 $18) 22. Rfc1 $18 Bd3 (22... Nxc3 23. Rxc2 Ne4 24. Nxb7 Rab8 25. Bxe4
Rxe4 26. Na5 $18) 23. Nxb7 Rab8 (23... Nxc5 24. Nxc5 Bxc5 25. Bxc6 $18) 24.
Bxe4 Rxe4 (24... Bxe4 25. Nd6 Bxd6 26. cxd6 $18) 25. Rd1 (25. Nd6) 25... Be2 (
25... Rxb7 26. Rxd3 Bxc5 27. Rd8+ Bf8 28. Rxa6) 26. Rd7 Bg4 (26... Re7 27. Rxe7
Bxe7 28. Re1 $1 Rxb7 29. Rxe2 Bxc5 30. Re8+ Bf8 31. Bb4 $18) 27. Rc7 Rc4 (27...
Re7 28. Nd6) 28. Rxa6 h5 (28... Bxc5 29. Nxc5 Rxc5 30. b7 Rb5 31. Ra7 Be6 32.
f4 f6 33. Bd4) 29. Ra7 Be6 30. Rxc6 Bd5 31. Rc7 Re8 32. h3 Rf4 33. Nd6 Re2 34.
f3 Rxg2+ 35. Kxg2 Rxf3 36. Kg1 1-0

[Event "EU-chT (Men) 13th"]
[Site "Leon"]
[Date "2001.11.15"]
[Round "9.1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Van Wely, Loek"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D79"]
[WhiteElo "2701"]
[BlackElo "2714"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2001.11.06"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "ESP"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 086"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.02.05"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2002.02.05"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Israel"]
[BlackTeam "Netherlands"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ISR"]
[BlackTeamCountry "NED"]

1. d4 {Wells. Ftacnik} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. cxd5 cxd5 6. Nc3 Bg7
7. Nf3 O-O 8. Ne5 e6 9. O-O Nfd7 10. f4 Nb6 $6 {Wells: 'I find this move
strange, and given how quickly black finds himself in very real difficulties,
I am rather inclined to lay the blame here initially. To be sure, if white
counters'} (10... Nc6 {Wells with} 11. Be3 {then} Nb6) 11. b3 f6 12. Nd3 Rf7 (
12... Nc6 13. e3 $14) 13. a4 Nc6 14. e3 Rb8 (14... f5 $14) 15. g4 {/\f5} (15.
Ba3 $14) (15. a5 {Ftacnik} Nd7 16. b4 b6 $11) 15... a5 16. Ba3 Bf8 17. Bc5 (17.
Bxf8 Rxf8 18. Rc1 $14) 17... Kg7 18. Rc1 (18. f5 $6 exf5 19. Bxb6 Qxb6 20. Nxd5
Qd8 21. gxf5 Bxf5 22. e4 Bc8 $13) 18... Bxc5 {'?!' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'This
exchange is strategically wrong, as white is getting stronghold on d6 and his
pawn structure comes to life. '} (18... f5 $14) (18... Bd7 {Ftacnik} 19. Rf2
$14) (18... Nd7 {Ftacnik} 19. Bxf8+ Rxf8 20. Rf2 $14) 19. dxc5 $1 (19. Nxc5 $14
) 19... Na8 (19... Nd7 {Ftacnik} 20. Nb5 (20. f5 {Ftacnik} Nde5 21. fxg6 hxg6
22. Nxe5 Nxe5 23. Nb5 $14) (20. e4 $6 {Ftacnik} d4 21. Nb5 e5 22. Nd6 Rf8 $11)
20... Re7 21. g5 $14) 20. Nb5 Nc7 21. Qe1 (21. Nd6 Rf8 22. f5 exf5 23. gxf5 g5)
(21. g5 $142 $5 fxg5 22. fxg5 $16) 21... Na6 (21... b6 $5 $132 22. Nd4 Nxd4 23.
exd4 Ba6 24. Rf3 Bxd3 25. Rxd3 bxc5 26. dxc5 Rb4 27. Qe3 Re7 28. g5) 22. e4 {
'!' Ftacnik.} dxe4 $6 (22... b6 $142) 23. Bxe4 Rd7 24. Qc3 $1 b6 {Diagram [#]}
(24... Nd4 25. Rce1 $16) (24... Kg8 25. Rce1 f5 $140 26. gxf5 gxf5 (26... exf5
27. Bxc6 bxc6 28. Nd6) 27. Re2 (27. Re3 Rg7+ 28. Bg2) 27... Rg7+ (27... Ne7 28.
Rg2+ Ng6 29. Ne5 fxe4 30. Nxg6) 28. Rg2 $18) (24... Ncb4 25. Nxb4 axb4 26. Qe3
$18) (24... Ne7 {Ftacnik} 25. g5 Nd5 26. Bxd5 exd5 27. Qd4 h6 28. c6 bxc6 29.
Rxc6 $16) 25. Ne5 $1 $18 {'!' Ftacnik. Ftacnik: 'Black was tying to be very
smart with 24..b6 move, but this fascinating idea refutes the defense. '} (25.
g5 Nd4) (25. Bxc6 $2 {Ftacnik} Rxd3 $17) 25... Nxe5 (25... fxe5 26. Bxc6 Rd2
27. Nd6 Rd4 28. Qe3 bxc5 29. Qxe5+ Kg8 30. Ne8 $18) 26. fxe5 Nxc5 (26... f5 27.
c6) 27. exf6+ Kf7 (27... Kg8 28. Rcd1) 28. Qh3 Qg8 29. Bc6 Rd3 30. Be8+ $3 {
Ftacnik: 'This impressive final combination is very original and neat, Gelfand
has played a great game.'} Kxe8 31. f7+ Qxf7 32. Nd6+ $1 Rxd6 33. Rxf7 Kxf7 34.
Qxh7+ Ke8 35. Qc7 $1 Rd4 36. Qxb8 Kd7 37. h3 1-0

[Event "Cannes NAO Masters"]
[Site "Cannes"]
[Date "2002.03.01"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[WhiteElo "2742"]
[BlackElo "2703"]
[PlyCount "92"]
[EventDate "2002.02.22"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "18"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 088"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2002.03.21"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2002.03.21"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4
c6 9. cxd5 cxd5 10. Nc3 Re8 11. Bxe4 dxe4 12. Ng5 Bf5 13. f3 e3 14. Nge4 Bf4
15. Ne2 Bh6 16. Qb3 Bg6 17. Qxb7 Nd7 18. b3 Nf6 19. Nxf6+ Qxf6 20. Bb2 Bd3 21.
Rfe1 Rac8 22. Rac1 Rxc1 23. Nxc1 Ba6 24. Qd7 Rd8 25. Qg4 e2 26. Qe4 Bd2 27.
Rxe2 Bxe2 28. Nxe2 Qa6 29. Qe7 Qc8 30. Qe4 Qe6 31. Kf2 Re8 32. Ba3 Qxe4 33.
fxe4 Rxe4 34. Bc5 a5 35. Ng3 Re1 36. Nf5 f6 37. Nd6 Rb1 38. Nc4 Bb4 39. Ke2 Kf7
40. Kd3 Ke6 41. Bb6 Rd1+ 42. Kc2 Rh1 43. Bc7 f5 44. a3 Be7 45. a4 Bb4 46. Kd3
Rc1 0-1

[Event "Enghien les Bains"]
[Site "Enghien les Bains"]
[Date "2003.06.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Polgar, Judit"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B49"]
[WhiteElo "2700"]
[BlackElo "2715"]
[Annotator "Ribli,Z"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2003.06.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "17"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 096"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2003.09.25"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2003.09.25"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 {Ftacnik. Eine Ьberraschung - GM Gelfand erцffnet gewцhnlich mit 1.d4.}
c5 2. Nf3 e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nc6 5. Nc3 Qc7 {Die beste weibliche Spielerin
der Welt spielt gern die Taimanov-Paulsen Variante.} 6. Be2 Nf6 7. O-O a6 8.
Be3 Bb4 {Dieser Lдuferzug ist von eigenstдndiger Bedeutung - statt dessen
konnte Schwarz mit 8...d6 in die Scheweninger Variante ьberleiten.} 9. Na4 Be7
10. Nxc6 bxc6 11. Nb6 Rb8 12. Nxc8 Qxc8 13. Bd4 O-O {Das ist eine relativ neue
Variante - die populдrere Fortsetzung ist 13...c5.} 14. e5 (14. Qd3 Qc7 15. b3
a5 16. Rad1 d5 17. exd5 Nxd5 (17... cxd5 $5) 18. Bf3 Rfd8 19. c4 Nf6 20. Qc3
Bd6 21. g3 c5 $5 22. Bxf6 gxf6 23. Qxf6 Be7 24. Qh6 Qe5 25. Rde1 Qf6 26. Qh5
Bf8 {1/2-1/2 Shirov,A-Anand,V/Linares 2002/CBM 88 (52)}) 14... Nd5 15. c4 {
Diese Spielweise erinner mich an die Variante 13.e5 Nd5 14.Bc1 Bc5 15.c4.} (15.
b3 f6 16. c4 Nf4 17. Bf3 Qc7 (17... c5 18. Bc3 Qc7 19. Re1 Ng6 $11) 18. Re1 Ng6
19. exf6 Bxf6 $11 {0-1 Khalifman,A-Anand,V/Dubai 2002/CBM 89/[Ribli] (48)})
15... Nf4 16. g3 (16. Bf3 Qc7 $5 17. Re1 (17. c5 f6 18. exf6 Bxf6 19. Bxf6 Rxf6
20. Qd2 a5 21. Rac1 Rb4 22. g3 Nd5 {1/2-1/2 Dolmatov,S-Kurajica,B/Istanbul
2003/CBM96 (31)}) (17. Qc2 c5 18. Bc3 d6 19. exd6 Bxd6 20. Rad1 Ng6 21. g3 Be5
22. Rd2 Rfd8 {0-1 Shomoev,A-Mastrovasilis,D/Istanbul 2003/CBM96 (55)}) 17...
Ng6 18. c5 f6 19. exf6 Bxf6 20. Be4 Nf4 21. Bxf6 Rxf6 22. Qc2 h6 (22... g6 23.
Rad1 Rbf8 24. a3 a5 25. Rd2 R8f7 26. Qc3 Nd5 {1/2-1/2 Hansen,C-Lindberg,B/
Malmoe SWE 2003/ (60)}) 23. Rad1 Nd5 24. g3 a5 25. a3 Rff8 (25... Rbf8 26. Re2
$14) 26. Re2 Qd8 27. Rd4 $5 Rb7 {1/2-1/2 Kasparov,G-Anand,V/Linares 2002/CBM
88/[Ribli] (42)}) 16... c5 (16... Nxe2+ 17. Qxe2 c5 18. Bc3 f6 (18... Qc6 $5)
19. Rad1 fxe5 20. Bxe5 Rb6 21. Rd2 Bf6 22. Bxf6 Rxf6 23. Rfd1 Rf7 24. Rd3 $14 {
1-0 Tseshkovsky,V-Tregubov,P/Krasnodar 2000/EXT 2001 (68)}) 17. Bc3 Ng6 $6 {
Ftacnik: 'Polgar has great affection for this system and independently
searches for her own ways.'} (17... Nh3+ 18. Kg2 Ng5 19. Qd3 f5 20. Rad1 Rb7
21. Bf3 Nxf3 22. Qxf3 $14 {WeiЯ hat Raumvorteil und ьbt positionellen Druck
auf der d-Linie aus.}) (17... Nxe2+ $5 18. Qxe2) 18. h4 $14 {[%csl Gc3,Ge2,Ge5,
Rg6][%cal Gh4h5][%mdl 4] WeiЯ hat Raumvorteil und das Lдuferpaar. Mit dem
Textzug bereitet er die Vertreibung des schlechten Ng6 vor.} f6 {Das ist die
einzige Chance auf etwas Gegenspiel.} 19. f4 (19. exf6 {Ftacnik} Bxf6 20. Bxf6
Rxf6 21. b3 Qc6 $15) 19... fxe5 20. h5 $1 Nh8 {[%csl Rh8] Man kann sich schwer
vorstellen, wo der Springer noch schlechter stehen kцnnte als in der Ecke -
aber Schwarz bleibt hier keine Wahl.} (20... Nxf4 {Ftacnik} 21. gxf4 exf4 22.
Qc2 Rf5 23. Bf3 $16) 21. Bxe5 {[%csl Ge2,Ge5]} (21. Bd3 Nf7 (21... exf4 22. Qc2
$16) 22. Qc2 h6 23. Qe2 {[%cal Ge2e4,Gd3h7]} d5 24. Bxe5 (24. Qg4 d4 25. Qg6 e4
26. Qxe4 Re8 27. Ba5 Rxb2 28. Rfb1 $44) 24... Nxe5 25. fxe5 $14) (21. fxe5 {
Ftacnik} Nf7 22. Bd3 Qc6 23. Qg4 Ng5 $11) 21... Rb6 (21... d6 22. Bc3 Bf6 23.
Bxf6 Rxf6 24. Qxd6 Rxb2 25. Qe5 $16) 22. Bd3 Nf7 (22... d6 {Ftacnik} 23. Bc3
Qe8 24. f5 $1 Bf6 25. fxe6 Bxc3 26. Rxf8+ Kxf8 27. bxc3 Qxe6 28. Qf3+ $16) 23.
Qg4 (23. Bc3 $14) (23. Qc2 {Ftacnik} h6 24. Qg2 Nd6 25. Rae1 Bf6 26. b3 Qe8 $14
) 23... Nxe5 24. fxe5 Qe8 $8 {Schwarz kontrolliert den Ph5, nach 25.Qe4 kцnnte
er 25...Qxh5 erwidern.} (24... Rxb2 {'?' Ftacnik.} 25. h6 Rxf1+ (25... g6 {
Ftacnik} 26. Bxg6 $18) 26. Rxf1 g6 27. Bxg6 $18) 25. b3 Rb8 (25... d5 {Ftacnik}
26. Rxf8+ Qxf8 27. Rf1 Qe8 28. h6 g6 29. cxd5 exd5 30. Qf3 $16) (25... a5 {
Ftacnik} 26. Rxf8+ Bxf8 27. Rf1 Rb8 28. Bg6 $1 Qe7 (28... Qd8 29. h6 hxg6 30.
Qxg6 Qe8 31. Rf7 Qxf7 32. h7+ Kh8 33. Qxf7 Kxh7 34. Qxd7 $18) 29. Rf7 Qd8 30.
h6 hxg6 31. Qxg6 $18) 26. Rxf8+ {'?' Ftacnik.} (26. Kg2 $1 {(Ftacnik) Gelfand
suspected, that his opponent will have a hard time defending the weak light
squares. In the heat of the fight he missed the fact, that he is nearly
winning due to the great motif with Bg6.} Rxf1 (26... Rb6 27. Rxf8+ Bxf8 28.
Rf1 Rb8 29. Bg6 $18) 27. Rxf1 Bf8 28. Bg6 $1 (28. Rh1 d5 29. cxd5 exd5 30. Qf5
g6 31. hxg6 hxg6 32. Qh3 $18) 28... Qe7 29. Rf7 Qd8 30. h6 $18) 26... Bxf8 (
26... Qxf8 $2 27. Qe4 $18) 27. Rf1 $16 {[%csl Gd3,Gf1,Gg4] WeiЯ hat viel
besseres Figurenspiel und ьbt spьrbar Druck am Kцnigsflьgel aus, vor allem auf
den weiЯen Feldern.} Kh8 28. Kg2 {[%cal Gf1h1,Gh1h8] Dieser Kцnigszug bereitet
Rh1 vor - auf 29.Qe4 folgt Qxh5.} d6 (28... Kg8 {Ftacnik} 29. Qe4 Qxh5 30. Rh1
Qg5 (30... Qf5 31. Qe3 Qg4 32. Bxh7+ Kf7 33. Rh4 Qd1 34. Rf4+ Ke7 35. Qxc5+ $18
) 31. Qxh7+ Kf7 32. Rf1+ Ke7 33. Bg6 Qxe5 34. Qg8 Qb2+ 35. Rf2 Qa1 36. Qf7+ Kd6
37. Rd2+ Kc6 38. Qxd7+ Kb6 39. b4 $18) 29. Qe4 Qxh5 (29... g6 {Ftacnik} 30.
exd6 Bxd6 31. Rf6 Kg7 32. Rxe6 Qd7 33. Qd5 Rd8 34. Bxg6 $1 $18) 30. exd6 (30.
Rh1 Qf5 31. Qxf5 (31. Rxh7+ Kg8 (31... Kxh7 $2 32. Qf3 $18) 32. Qxf5 (32. Rh8+
{Ftacnik} Kf7 33. Qc6 Qxd3 34. Qc7+ Be7 35. Qxb8 Qe2+ 36. Kh3 Qf1+ $11) 32...
exf5 33. Bxf5 dxe5 34. Kf3 $14) 31... exf5 32. Bxf5 dxe5 33. Bxh7 $16) 30...
Bxd6 31. Rh1 {[%csl Rh7][%cal Rh1h8]} (31. Qxe6 {Ftacnik} Qe5 $14) 31... Qf5
32. Rxh7+ $1 Kg8 (32... Kxh7 $2 33. Qf3 $18 g6 {Ftacnik} 34. Bxf5 exf5 35. Qc6
Rd8 36. Qxa6 $18) 33. Qe2 (33. Qxf5 exf5 34. Bxf5 Re8 $132 35. Rh1 (35. Kf3 $2
Rf8 $19) (35. Bd3 Re3) 35... Re2+ 36. Kf3 Rxa2 37. Rd1 Be7 $11) (33. Rh8+ {
Ftacnik} Kf7 34. Qxf5+ exf5 35. Rxb8 Bxb8 36. Bxf5 $11) 33... Qe5 (33... Qf6
34. Qh5 {[%cal Rh7h8,Rh8g8]} Kf8 35. Rh8+ Ke7 36. Rxb8 Bxb8 37. Qxc5+ $16) 34.
Qg4 Rf8 $2 {Ftacnik: 'Even though Judit is a fascinating chessplayer she is
also able to lose overwiev under the strain. The correct 34...Rd8! would
indirectly address the bishop on d3 and nearly equalize the chances. The game
move is robbing her own king of the fleeing square f8.' Ein Fehler in passive
Stellung. Dieser schablonenhafte Zug ist nicht die beste Fortsetzung fьr
Schwarz.} (34... Rd8 $142 {'!' Ftacnik.} 35. Rh5 (35. Qg6 {Ftacnik} Qxg3+ $1
36. Qxg3 Bxg3 $17) (35. Be4 {Ftacnik} Qb2+ 36. Kh3 Qf6 37. Qh5 Qf1+ 38. Kg4 Kf8
$13) (35. Qg6 Qxg3+ $1 36. Qxg3 Bxg3 $17) 35... Qf6 36. Qe4 Kf7 $16) 35. Qg6 $1
{[%csl Rg8][%cal Rh7h8,Rh8g8][%mdl 128] Die weiЯe Drohung ist 36.Rh8+! Kxh8 37.
Qh7#.} Rf5 36. Rh2 (36. Bxf5 $2 Qe2+ 37. Kg1 Qe1+ $11) 36... Kf8 37. Rh8+ (37.
Bxf5 $18) 37... Ke7 38. Bxf5 $18 (38. Re8+ Kd7 39. Rxe6 $1 $18) 38... Qe2+ 39.
Kh3 Qf1+ 40. Kh4 1-0

[Event "RUS-chT 11th"]
[Site "Sochi"]
[Date "2004.04.26"]
[Round "7.1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D34"]
[WhiteElo "2714"]
[BlackElo "2719"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2004.04.20"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2020"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Samara Termosteps"]
[BlackTeam "Ekaterinburg Max Ven"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. d4 {Ftacnik} d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2
Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 c4 10. Ne5 Be6 11. b3 Qa5 12. Qd2 $1 Rad8 (12... Bb4 13.
Bxf6 gxf6 14. Nxc6 bxc6 15. Rfc1 $14) (12... Qa6 13. bxc4 dxc4 14. Nxc6 bxc6
15. Qc2 $14) (12... Rfd8 $2 13. Nxc6 bxc6 14. bxc4 dxc4 15. Bxc6 {xRa8}) 13.
bxc4 $1 Bb4 {Ftacnik: 'Grischuk tries to improve on the older game with 13...
Nxe5, since it was clearly better for white.'} (13... Nxe5 14. Nxd5 $1 Qxd2 (
14... Rxd5 15. cxd5 Qxd2 16. Bxd2 Nc4 17. dxe6 Nxd2 18. Rfd1 $16) 15. Nxe7+ Kh8
16. Bxd2 Nxc4 17. Bb4 Rfe8 18. Bxb7 $1 (18. d5 $2 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd5 20. Rfd1
Be6 {O'Cinneide,M-Halkias,S/Leon 2001/`}) 18... Rd7 ({or} 18... Rb8 19. Bc6
Rxb4 20. Bxe8 Nxe8 21. Rab1) 19. Bc6 Rexe7 20. Bxe7 Rxe7 21. Rfc1 $16) 14. Nxc6
bxc6 15. Rfc1 (15. Rac1 dxc4 16. Bxc6 Qb6 17. d5 (17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. d5 $2 Qxc6)
17... Rxd5 (17... Bxc3 18. Qxc3 Nxd5 19. Qxc4 Ne7) 18. Bxd5 Nxd5 19. Nxd5 Bxd2
20. Nxb6 Bxc1 $11) 15... dxc4 16. Bxf6 (16. Bxc6 Qb6 17. d5 Ne4) 16... gxf6 17.
e3 (17. a3 {Ftacnik} Bxc3 18. Rxc3 c5 19. d5 Bxd5 20. Qc2 $14) 17... c5 18. d5
$1 Bxc3 19. Rxc3 (19. Qxc3 Qxc3 20. Rxc3 Bxd5 21. Bxd5 Rxd5 22. Rxc4 Rb8 23.
Rc2 Rb6 $14) 19... Bxd5 20. Bxd5 Rxd5 21. Qc2 $16 {'!' Ftacnik. Ftacnik:
'Gelfand doesn't want to give black excellent counterplay with active queen on
c3 supporting the dangerous c4 pawn.'} Rc8 (21... Rfd8 22. Rxc4 Qd2 $2 23. Rxc5
$18) 22. Rxc4 $6 (22. Rc1 $1 Rd3 $140 $2 23. Rxc4 Qd2 24. Rxc5 $1) (22. Rb1 $5)
22... Qd2 23. Rc1 (23. Qe4 Rcd8 {/\ Qe2 and Rd1}) 23... Qxc2 24. R1xc2 Rc6 (
24... Kg7 25. Rb2 Rc6 26. Rb7) 25. Kg2 $2 (25. Rb2 $6 Rb6) (25. Ra4 $1 Rc7 26.
Kg2 f5 27. Kf3 $16) 25... Ra6 $1 26. a4 (26. Kf3 Ra3 $11) 26... h6 $6 (26...
Kg7 $142 27. Kf3 Kg6 28. Ke2 (28. Rg4+ Rg5) 28... f5 29. Rd2 Rad6 (29... Re5
30. Rd8) (29... Rxd2+ 30. Kxd2) 30. Rxd5 Rxd5 31. Rc2 Kf6 32. Rb2 $16) (26...
f5 $2 27. Rxc5 Rxc5 28. Rxc5 Rxa4 29. Rxf5 $18 a5 30. Kf3 Ra1 31. h4 a4 32. Ra5
a3 33. h5 h6 34. g4 Kg7 35. e4 Ra2 36. Ke3 Ra1 37. Ra6 Ra2 (37... a2 38. Kf4)
38. e5 Ra1 39. Kf4 Rf1 40. f3 Ra1 41. Kf5 a2 42. f4) 27. Kf3 Kf8 28. Ke2 Ra5 $2
(28... Ke7 $2 29. Rxc5 Rxc5 30. Rxc5 Rxa4 31. Rh5 $18 Ra1 (31... Kf8 32. Rxh6
Kg7 33. Rh5 Ra1 34. h4 a5 35. Kf3 a4 36. Ra5 a3 37. g4 $1 (37. Kf4 $2 Ra2 38.
f3 Ra1 39. h5 a2 40. g4 Kh7 41. e4 Kg7 $11) 37... Rh1 (37... a2 38. h5) 38. h5
Ra1 39. Ra6) 32. Rxh6 a5 33. h4 a4 34. Rh8 a3 35. Ra8) (28... Rh5 $142 29. h4
Rd5 30. R2c3 $1 (30. Rb2 Rb6 31. Rb5 Rxb5 32. axb5 Kg7 33. Kf3 Rd6 34. Rxc5 Rb6
$11) 30... Kg7 31. Rd3 Rxd3 32. Kxd3 $16) 29. Rb2 $1 Rd6 30. Rb8+ Ke7 31. Rh4
$18 (31. Rc8 Rda6 32. Rc7+ Ke6) 31... Rb6 (31... Rc6 32. Re4+ Re6 33. Rb7+ $1
Kd6 (33... Kf8 34. Rh4 Rc6 35. Rxh6 Kg7 36. Rh4 c4 37. Rb4 c3 38. Rhc4) 34. Rf4
) 32. Rc8 Kd7 33. Rh8 Rb4 34. R4xh6 Rb6 (34... Raxa4 35. Rxf6 Rb2+ 36. Kf3 Raa2
37. Kg2 Ke7 38. Rf4) 35. R6h7 Rxa4 36. Rxf7+ Kc6 (36... Ke6 37. Rhf8) 37. Rxf6+
Kb5 38. Rxb6+ axb6 39. h4 Ra2+ 40. Kf3 c4 41. h5 Ra7 42. Rc8 Rf7+ 43. Ke2 Kb4
44. g4 Rh7 45. f4 Kb5 1-0

[Event "RUS-chT 12th"]
[Site "Sochi"]
[Date "2005.04.25"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D17"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2713"]
[Annotator "Huebner,R"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2005.04.19"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2020"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Saransk TPS"]
[BlackTeam "Samara Termosteps"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. d4 {Gelfand,B} d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7.
Nxc4 Qc7 8. g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 g5 12. Ne3 gxf4 13. Nxf5
O-O-O 14. Qc2 Nc5 15. O-O fxg3 16. hxg3 a5 17. Rfd1 (17. Ne4 Ne6 18. Rad1 Bb4
19. Rxd8+ Rxd8 20. Rd1 Kb8 21. e3 h5 22. Qe2 Ng4 23. Rxd8+ Qxd8 24. Bf3 Qg8 25.
Bxg4 hxg4 26. Nd4 $11 {0-1 Ruck,R-Van Wely,L/Panormo 2002/CBM 090 ext (66). 
(66)}) 17... h5 {'!?' Gelfand,B.} 18. Rxd8+ Qxd8 19. Rd1 Qf6 {'N!?' Gelfand,B.}
(19... Qc7 20. Ne4 Nxe4 21. Qxe4 Bb4 22. Qh4 Kb8 23. Qf6 Rg8 24. Qh6 Ng4 25.
Qxh5 Qe5 26. Bh3 Qxe2 27. Bxg4 Qxg4 $2 28. Qxg4 Rxg4 29. f4 $14 {1/2-1/2
Sasikiran,K-Sturua,Z/Dubai 2002/CBM 087 ext (51). (51)}) 20. e4 {Dies ist eine
interessante positionelle Entscheidung. WeiЯ befestigt den Springer auf f5 und
baut Potential zum Vorgehen im Zentrum auf.} (20. Qd2 Kb8 {ergibt nicht viel.})
20... h4 $6 (20... Ng6 {sieht plausibler aus.}) 21. f4 $6 ({Mir ist nicht klar,
wie Schwarz nach} 21. Nxh4 {Kompensation fьr den geopferten Bauern nachweist.}
Rxh4 $1 {(Gelfand,B)} 22. gxh4 Qxh4 23. Ne2 Ne6 (23... Ng4 24. Nd4 $1 $16 {
Dreev,A} (24. Ng3 $2 Qh2+ 25. Kf1 Qxg3)) 24. Qc3 $1 Bc5 (24... Ng4 25. Qg3) 25.
Qg3 Qxg3 (25... Qf6 26. Bh3) 26. Nxg3 Nf4 $44) 21... Ng6 22. e5 (22. Bh3 $5 {
Gelfand,B}) (22. Qd2 {Gelfand,B}) 22... Qe6 23. Nd6+ {'?' Gelfand,B. WeiЯ muЯ
vermeiden, daЯ die Dame des Schwarzen nach c4 kommt. Der Textzug verliert
nicht; es gab jedoch mehrere andere Mцglichkeiten.} (23. Ne2 {'!?' Gelfand,B.}
hxg3 {Gelfand,B: '-23.Ne2'} 24. Rd6 {'!' Gelfand,B.} (24. Nd6+ Bxd6 25. Rxd6
Qg4 26. Qxc5 (26. Bxc6 Kb8 {ist zu gefдhrlich fьr WeiЯ.}) 26... Qxe2 27. Rxc6+
{ergibt Remis.} Kb8 $11 {Gelfand,B} (27... bxc6 {Gelfand,B} 28. Qxc6+ Kd8 29.
Qb6+ Ke8 $11)) 24... Bxd6 (24... Qa2 {Gelfand,B} 25. Qxc5 Qb1+ 26. Qc1 (26. Nc1
Qxf5 27. Rxc6+ bxc6 28. Qxc6+ Kd8 29. Qb6+ Kd7 30. Bc6+ Kc8 $11) 26... Qxc1+
27. Nxc1 Bxd6 (27... Nxf4 28. Rf6 $16) 28. Nxd6+ Kc7 $13) 25. Nxd6+ Kb8 26.
Qxc5 {'+/-' Gelfand,B.} Qb3 27. Qd4 Rd8 {fьhrt zu einer undeutlichen Lage.}) ({
Zum Ausgleich genьgt} 23. Ne4 Nxe4 24. Bxe4 hxg3 25. Nxg3 {usw.} (25. Nd4 {
Gelfand,B} Qe7 $13) (25. Nd6+ {(Gelfand,B)} Bxd6 26. Rxd6 (26. Bf5 $2 Bc5+)
26... Qe7 $11)) (23. Bh3 $5 {(Gelfand,B)} Kc7 24. Qd2 $13) 23... Bxd6 24. Rxd6
$6 ({Besser ist} 24. exd6 hxg3 25. Nd5 Qg4 26. Re1 Nd7 27. Qc3 Kb8 28. Qxa5
Nxf4 {mit RemisschluЯ.}) 24... Qc4 {Jetzt fдllt der Kцnigsflьgel des WeiЯen
auseinander.} 25. Bf1 $2 ({Die Fortsetzung} 25. Qe2 {'>=' Gelfand,B.} Qb4 (
25... Qxe2 26. Nxe2 Nxa4 (26... hxg3 {Gelfand,B} 27. Rf6 $132) 27. b3 Nc5 (
27... Nb6 28. Be4) 28. Bxc6 {ist nicht ьberzeugend fьr Schwarz.}) 26. f5 Ne7 {
'-/+' Gelfand,B. Gelfand,B: ' '} (26... Nf8 27. Qe3 {sieht fьr Schwarz nicht
besonders gьnstig aus.}) 27. f6 Ng6 28. Bxc6 hxg3 ({Auf} 28... bxc6 {folgt} 29.
Rxc6+ Kd7 30. Rc7+) 29. Bg2 ({Nach} 29. Qe3 Nh4 {dьrfte der Angriff des
Schwarzen durchdringen.}) 29... Nf4 30. Qb5 {bot bessere Ьberlebensaussichten.}
) (25. Bxc6 {Gelfand,B} bxc6 (25... hxg3 26. Bg2 Nxf4) 26. Rxc6+ Kb7 27. Qg2
Qd4+ $19) 25... Qb4 {'-+' Gelfand,B.} 26. Na2 (26. Qf5+ Kb8 27. Qxf7 hxg3 {
'!' Gelfand,B. ьberlдЯt dem Schwarzen einen entscheidenden Angriff.} 28. Qxg6 {
Gelfand,B} (28. Rxg6 {Gelfand,B} Qd4+) 28... Qxf4) 26... Qb6 $19 27. Kh2 (27.
Qf2 {(Gelfand,B)} hxg3 28. Qe3 Nxf4) 27... hxg3+ {Gelfand,B: ' '} (27... Ne4 {
'!' Gelfand,B. ist zwingender.}) (27... Ne6 {Gelfand,B} 28. g4 Ngxf4) 28. Kxg3
Ne6 29. Qf2 Qxf2+ 30. Kxf2 Ngxf4 31. Rd2 Rh5 32. b4 Rxe5 33. Bc4 Kc7 34. Kf3
axb4 35. Nxb4 Rc5 36. Bf1 Rc1 37. Kf2 Ra1 38. Ra2 Rxa2+ 39. Nxa2 Kb6 40. Bc4
Ka5 41. Bb3 Nd5 42. Bxd5 cxd5 43. Nc3 d4 44. Ne4 Kxa4 45. Nd6 Kb3 46. Nxb7 d3
47. Na5+ Kc2 48. Nc4 d2 49. Ne3+ Kc1 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2005.12.09"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2717"]
[BlackElo "2720"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2005.11.27"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 111"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 {Gershon} Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3
c6 8. e4 d5 9. Qc2 (9. cxd5 {Gershon} Bxf1 10. Kxf1 cxd5 11. e5 Ne4 12. Qe2
Nxc3 13. Bxc3 Qc8 {with a French structure, but only without the french bishop
on c8. 0-1 Van Wely,L (2687) -Beliavsky,A (2630)/Minneapolis USA 2005/The Week
in Chess 550 (69)}) 9... dxe4 10. Nxe4 c5 $1 {Gershon: 'Technically, this is
not a novelty, but it's the first time this move is played between
Grandmasters. The plan is logical to open the long diagonal before the white
bishop gets there, hoping to disturb White's development.'} ({Another point of
Black's move is to prevent the idea played by Topalov in his game vs. Anand
earlied that year:} 10... Bb7 {Gershon} 11. Neg5 c5 12. d5 exd5 13. cxd5 h6 14.
Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 15. O-O-O $3 {1-0 Topalov,V (2778)-Anand,V (2785)/Sofia BUL 2005/
The Week in Chess 550 (52).}) ({The more passive:} 10... Nbd7 {Gershon doesn't
help Black in solving his opening problems either:} 11. Bg2 Nxe4 12. Qxe4 Bb7
13. Rd1 Nf6 14. Qe2 c5 15. O-O cxd4 16. Bf4 $1 O-O 17. Nxd4 {with advantage
for White. 1-0 Huzman,A (2577)-Bakker,S (2300)/Amsterdam 2005/CBM 107 ext}) 11.
dxc5 $2 Bb7 12. Bd3 bxc5 $2 (12... Nbd7 $1 13. O-O (13. b4 a5) 13... Nxc5 14.
Nxc5 Bxf3 15. Ne4 Qd7 $15) (12... Na6 $5 13. b4 (13. O-O Nxc5 {- 12...Nbd7})
13... bxc5 14. b5 Nb4 15. Bxb4 cxb4 $15) 13. Bc3 {Gershon: 'Black managed to
achieve quite a few things with the early c5, but White is still better - he
has better pieces and a better pawn structure.'} Qb6 ({in a previous game to
reach this position Black played} 13... Nbd7 {Gershon} 14. O-O-O Qc7 15. Rhe1
h6 16. Bb2 Nxe4 17. Bxe4 Bf6 {with advantage for White, and his loss
eventually had nothing to do with the opening. 0-1 Brkic,A (2403)-Huss,A (2347)
/Pula 2003/CBM 094 ext}) 14. O-O-O (14. Ne5 Nc6 $11 (14... Nxe4 15. Bxe4 f6 16.
Bxh7 fxe5 17. Qg6+ Kd7 18. O-O-O+ Kc8 19. Qxg7 $40)) 14... Nc6 (14... a5 $5 15.
Ne5 h6) 15. Rhe1 {Gershon: 'Like in the books - putting the pieces in the
center.'} Rd8 ({Gershon: Correct was} 15... Nd4 16. Nxd4 (16. Bxd4 {Gershon}
cxd4 17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 O-O {and Black has good play on the
queenside.}) 16... cxd4 17. c5 Bxc5 (17... Nxe4 18. cxb6 Nxc3 19. Be4) 18. Nxc5
dxc3 (18... Qxc5 19. Bxd4) 19. Nxb7 Qxb7 20. Be4 $1 Nxe4 21. Qxe4 $14) ({
Gershon: After} 15... O-O-O 16. Ne5 {Gershon: 'Black's king doesn't feel safe
on the queenside.'} (16. Neg5 Rhf8) 16... Nxe5 17. Bxe5 h6 $14 (17... Rd7 $5))
(15... Nb4 16. Bxb4 cxb4 $1 (16... Qxb4 17. Ne5 h6 18. Nxf6+ Bxf6 (18... gxf6
19. Nxf7 Kxf7 20. Bg6+ Kf8 21. Rxe6 $18) 19. Ng6 fxg6 (19... Rg8 20. Bf5) 20.
Bxg6+ Kf8 (20... Ke7 21. Rxe6+) 21. Rxe6 $40 h5 (21... Kg8 22. Rd7 Rf8 $2 23.
Rxf6 $18 {Ulibin,M}) 22. Rde1 Bc6 23. Qd3 Qc3+ 24. Qxc3 Bxc3 25. R1e3 $16) 17.
Ne5 (17. Nxf6+ Bxf6 18. Ne5 (18. Be4 Bxe4 19. Qxe4 O-O 20. Ne5 Bxe5 21. Qxe5
Qxf2 $13) 18... Qd4 19. f4 (19. c5 Ke7) 19... Qa1+ 20. Kd2 Qd4 $11) (17. c5
Bxc5) 17... Bxe4 (17... Qd4 18. Nxf7 Qa1+ 19. Kd2 Nxe4+ 20. Bxe4 Bxe4 21. Rxa1
Bxc2 22. Nxh8 Bf5) 18. Bxe4 Rc8 $132) 16. Ne5 Nb4 $2 (16... Nxe5 17. Bxe5 Bxe4
18. Bxe4 O-O (18... Nxe4 19. Rxd8+ Bxd8 20. Qxe4 O-O 21. Rd1 $14) 19. Bf3 Nd7
20. Bf4 $13) (16... h6 $5) (16... Nxe4 {Gershon} 17. Bxe4 Nd4 (17... Nb4 $2 18.
Rxd8+ Bxd8 19. Qd2) 18. Bxd4 cxd4 19. Bxb7 Qxb7 20. Qe4 $1 Qb4 21. Kb1 {
and White has a substantial advantage.}) 17. Bxb4 Nxe4 (17... Qxb4 18. Ng5) 18.
Ba3 {'!' Gershon.} ({Gershon: The is no point to exchange a potentially good
bishop for a knight with no future:} 18. Bxe4 Qxb4 19. Bc6+ (19. Rxd8+ {Gershon
} Bxd8 {with a perfectly decent position for Black.}) (19. Nc6 {Gershon} Qa3+
20. Kb1 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Bf6 {and Black is by no means worse.}) 19... Bxc6 20.
Nxc6 Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Qb7 22. Nxe7 (22. Ne5 Bf6) 22... Qxe7 $14) 18... Ng5 $2 (
18... Nf6 19. Bb2 a5 20. g4 a4 21. f4 $40) 19. Bb2 $2 (19. Qe2 $1 {Gershon:
'Preventing f6 and Nf3 was a much stronger alternative. Actually, White is
threatening to win a knight with f4 now. The next is pretty much forced:'} Qa5
(19... Rd4 20. Bb2) (19... O-O 20. f4 f6 21. fxg5 fxe5 22. Bxh7+ Kxh7 23. Qh5+
Kg8 24. g6 $18) (19... f5 {Gershon} 20. f4 Nf7 21. Nxf7 Kxf7 22. Bxf5 $1 {
with a decisive advantage.}) 20. Bb2 Qxa2 21. h4 $18) 19... Bf6 $2 {Gershon:
'Returning the favor.'} (19... Nf3 $142 20. Nxf3 Bxf3 21. Bxg7 Rg8 22. Bc3 Bxd1
23. Rxd1 $44) (19... f6 {Gershon} 20. h4 (20. Bg6+ hxg6 21. Qxg6+ Kf8 22. Nd7+
Rxd7 23. Rxd7 Rh6 $17) (20. f4 fxe5 21. fxg5 Bxg5+ 22. Kb1 Bf3 23. Bxh7 Rxd1+
24. Rxd1 Bxd1 25. Bg6+ Ke7 26. Qxd1 Rxh2) 20... fxe5 21. hxg5 Bxg5+ 22. Kb1)
20. Re3 {'!' Gershon. Gershon: 'A very strong move, realizing the importance
of the square f3 as a transfer point for Black's knight, on his way to d4.'}
Bxe5 21. Bxe5 f6 $2 {Gershon: 'White is ready to meet Nf3 now, but f6 creates
additional weaknesses in Black's camp.'} (21... O-O 22. f4 Nf3 23. Bxh7+ Kh8
24. Bd3 $16) 22. Bc3 $18 Nf3 23. Qe2 Ne5 24. Bxe5 fxe5 25. Qh5+ Kf8 26. Qxe5
Kf7 27. Rde1 Rd6 28. Qh5+ Kf6 29. Bxh7 Rf8 30. f4 Ke7 31. Qg5+ Rf6 32. Qxg7+
Rf7 33. Qg5+ Kd7 34. Bc2 Kc7 35. Qe5 Kd8 36. f5 Bc8 37. Rd3 1-0

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2006.01.16"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E09"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2707"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2006.01.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 111"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nf3 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4
Nbd7 9. Qc2 Nh5 10. Bc1 Nhf6 11. Nbd2 b6 12. e4 dxc4 {Adams is deciding for
the somewhat dubious change of the central pawn structure. The move 12...Bb7
is a well known solid alternative since white knight on d2 is a passive piece
and it is not easy for white to open up the game.} (12... Bb7 13. e5 Ne8 14. b3
Rc8 15. Bb2 Nc7 16. Rfd1 c5 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. a3 Be7 19. b4 a5 20. Bc3 axb4 21.
axb4 Ra8 22. Rab1 Qc8 23. Nd4 Nxe5 24. Nf5 Ng6 25. Nxe7+ Nxe7 26. Qb2 f6 27.
Bd4 dxc4 28. Bxb7 Qxb7 29. Nxc4 Ncd5 $17 {1/2-1/2 Beliavsky,A (2599)-Georgiev,
K (2666)/Gothenburg 2005/ (46)}) 13. Nxc4 Bb7 14. Bf4 c5 15. Rfe1 $1 {Gelfand
is cherrishing his center and supports the pawn e4 that controls the d5 square.
} (15. e5 $6 Nd5 16. dxc5 Nxc5 17. Rfd1 Rc8 18. Rd4 b5 19. Ncd2 Qb6 20. Rd1 Na4
21. Qb1 Bc5 22. Ng5 g6 $17 {0-1 Giffard,N (2393)-Shchekachev,A (2537)/Evry
2001/ (32)}) 15... cxd4 16. Nd6 d3 (16... Bxd6 17. Bxd6 e5 (17... Re8 18. e5
$14) (17... Rc8 18. Qd3 Nc5 19. Qxd4 e5 20. Bxe5 Qxd4 21. Bxd4 Nfxe4 22. Nh4
$14) 18. Bxf8 Kxf8 $14) 17. Qxd3 $1 Nc5 18. Qd4 Nh5 $2 {[%mdl 2048] The
exchange of the b7 bishop will be very expensive for black. The defender had a
chance to fight for equality with the best move 18...Ba6!?, but the
concentration of white pieces in the center would nevertheless promise some
advantage for Gelfand.} (18... Bc6 19. Rad1 Nb7 20. Qc3 Nxd6 21. Qxc6 Rc8 22.
Qa4 $16) (18... Ba6 $5 19. Rad1 Nh5 20. e5 (20. Be3 Qxd6 $1 (20... Nd3 21. e5
$1 Nxe1 (21... Bxd6 22. Rxd3 Bxd3 23. exd6 Bg6 24. Ne5 $16) 22. Nxe1 Bxd6 (
22... Rb8 23. Qg4 g6 24. Qa4 $16) 23. Qa4 $1 Qe8 24. Bc6 $16) 21. Qxd6 Bxd6 22.
Rxd6 Nxe4 23. Rdd1 Nhf6 24. Ng5 Bb7 25. Bd4 Nd6 26. Nxe6 fxe6 27. Bxf6 gxf6 28.
Rxd6 Bxg2 29. Kxg2 e5 $11) 20... Nxf4 21. gxf4 $14) 19. Nxb7 $1 Nxb7 (19...
Qxd4 20. Nxd4 Nxf4 21. gxf4 Nxb7 22. e5 Rad8 (22... Bc5 23. Nb5 Rab8 24. Nxa7
$16) 23. Nc6 Rd7 24. Red1 Rc7 25. Rac1 Na5 26. Nxe7+ Rxe7 27. b4 Nb7 28. Rc2
$16) 20. Bd2 Nf6 21. Rad1 Qe8 (21... Bc5 22. Qa4 Ng4 23. Rf1 $16) 22. e5 Nd5 (
22... Rd8 $2 23. exf6 $1 Rxd4 24. fxe7 $18) 23. Ng5 h6 $2 {Adams was feeling
the pressure of white pieces, but his defensive move is simply losing the pawn.
Much tougher task for Gelfand would present the best move 23...Nc5.} (23... Nc5
24. b4 (24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Qxd5 $2 Rd8 26. Qc4 Rxd2 $15) 24... Qa4 $1 25. Qg4
Rad8 26. Qh4 (26. Nxh7 Kxh7 27. Qh5+ (27. Qh3+ $2 Kg8 28. bxc5 Nc3 $1 $17)
27... Kg8 28. bxc5 bxc5 29. Be4 f5 30. Bf3 Qe8 31. Qh3 $14) 26... h6 27. bxc5
Qxh4 28. gxh4 hxg5 29. cxb6 axb6 30. hxg5 $16) 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. Qxd5 Bxg5 26.
Bxg5 Nc5 (26... hxg5 27. Qxb7 $16) 27. Be3 Ne6 (27... Rd8 28. Qxd8 Qxd8 29.
Rxd8 Rxd8 30. f4 $16) 28. Qe4 Qb5 29. b3 Rad8 30. Rd6 $1 {The first player is
completely occupying the center and black can only dream about counterplay.}
Rfe8 (30... Rxd6 31. exd6 Rd8 32. Rd1 Qe2 33. Rd2 $16) 31. Red1 Qe2 32. R1d2 (
32. Rxd8 Rxd8 33. Rxd8+ Nxd8 34. Qd5 Ne6 $16) 32... Qe1+ 33. Kg2 Rc8 (33...
Rxd6 34. exd6 Rc8 35. d7 $16) 34. Qg4 Rc1 (34... Kh8 35. Qh5 Kg8 36. Rd7 $18)
35. Rd1 Rxd1 36. Rxd1 Qa5 37. Bxh6 Qxa2 38. Rd6 {Gelfand has given up the pawn
on a2, but in the meantime achieved a huge progress on the kingside.} Re7 $2 (
38... g6 39. Qf3 Qb1 40. h4 $16) 39. Bxg7 $1 (39. Bxg7 $1 Nxg7 40. Rd8+ Kh7 41.
Qh4+ Kg6 42. Rh8 Kf5 43. Qf4+ Ke6 44. Qf6+ Kd5 45. Qd6+ Ke4 46. Rh4+ Kf5 47.
Qf6#) 1-0

[Event "Corus"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2006.01.17"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Bacrot, Etienne"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D17"]
[WhiteElo "2717"]
[BlackElo "2723"]
[Annotator "Huebner,R"]
[PlyCount "122"]
[EventDate "2006.01.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 111"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2006.04.04"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nxc4 Qc7 8.
g3 e5 9. dxe5 Nxe5 10. Bf4 Nfd7 11. Bg2 f6 12. O-O Nc5 13. Ne3 Bg6 14. b4 Ne6
15. b5 Rd8 16. Qb3 Nd4 17. Qb2 Bc5 18. Rfc1 (18. a5 O-O 19. a6 bxa6 20. bxc6
Ndxc6 21. Rxa6 Qc8 22. Ra4 {1/2-1/2 Riazantsev,A-Bareev,E/Kazan 2005/CBM 109 
(22).}) (18. Ne4 $4 Bxe4 19. Bxe4 g5 $19 {0-1 Zude,E-Sundararajan,K/Pardubice
2005/CBM 107 ext (37). (37)}) 18... Qe7 {Dies ist ein neuer, guter Zug. Der
Springer e5 wird entfesselt, die Dame aus der SchuЯlinie des Turms auf c1
gezogen und der Lдufer auf c5 gedeckt; zudem wird ihm ein Ankerplatz auf b4
gesichert.} (18... O-O 19. Ne4 Be7 20. Nd5 Rxd5 21. Nxf6+ gxf6 $6 (21... Bxf6
22. Bxd5+ Kh8 23. Qxd4 Qe7 {fьhrt zu unklarem Spiel.}) 22. Bxd5+ Kg7 $2 (22...
Kh8 {ist richtig; dann ist nach} 23. Qxd4 Qd7 24. bxc6 bxc6 25. Bxe5 fxe5 26.
Qxe5+ Bf6 27. Bxc6 {der Zug} Qg7 {mцglich.}) 23. Qxd4 Qd7 24. bxc6 bxc6 25.
Bxe5 fxe5 26. Qxe5+ Bf6 27. Bxc6 Qd8 28. Qd5 Qb6 29. a5 {1-0 Govciyan,P-Hanley,
C/Hyerois 2001/EXT 2002 (29).}) 19. bxc6 $6 (19. a5 {sieht besser aus. In der
Folge gerдt WeiЯ unmerklich mehr und mehr unter Druck. Ich vermag keine
wichtige Verbesserung bis zum 29. Zuge anzugeben.}) 19... bxc6 20. Ne4 Bb4 21.
Nc4 Nxc4 22. Rxc4 c5 23. e3 Ne6 24. Nc3 Nxf4 25. Bc6+ Kf8 26. Rxf4 Qe5 27. Rc1
a5 28. Bb5 (28. Be4 Bxc3 29. Qxc3 Rd1+ 30. Rxd1 Qxc3 31. Bxg6 hxg6 32. Rd8+ Kf7
33. Rxh8 g5 34. Re4 Qd3 {sieht unbequem fьr WeiЯ aus.}) (28. Bf3 Ke7 {macht
keinen wesentlichen Unterschied zur Partiefortsetzung.}) 28... Ke7 29. Qb3 $2 {
WeiЯ sollte den Turm des Schwarzen nicht auf d2 eindringen lassen.} (29. Bf1 {
ist umsichtiger, obwohl Schwarz klaren Vorteil behдlt: der Turm auf f4 bleibt
auЯer Spiel, und Schwarz entfaltet mit dem Lдufer b4 und dem Besitz der
d-Linie starken Druck.}) 29... Rd2 30. e4 {Damit wird der Turm f4 ganz aufs
Abstellgleis verschoben, aber} ({auch die Fortsetzung} 30. Na2 Rhd8 31. Nxb4
axb4 32. a5 Qd5 {fьhrt zu einer fьr WeiЯ hoffnungslosen Stellung, zum Beispiel}
33. Bc4 Rd1+ 34. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 35. Qxd1 Rxd1+ 36. Kg2 Bd3 {usw.}) (30. Bf1 Rhd8
31. Nb5 Rb2 32. Qc4 Bf7 33. Qe4 Qxe4 34. Rxe4+ Kf8 {ьberlдЯt dem Schwarzen
ebenfalls entscheidenden Druck. Ich sehe keine Rettung mehr fьr WeiЯ.}) 30...
Rhd8 31. Nd5+ Kf8 32. Qf3 Rd4 33. Rc4 (33. Nxb4 axb4 34. Bc6 c4 {ьberlebt WeiЯ
ebenfalls nicht.}) 33... Bd2 34. Rxc5 $6 (34. Rxd4 cxd4 35. Rg4 Bh5 36. Qa3+
Qd6 37. Qxd6+ Rxd6 38. Rh4 Bf3 {ist zдher, rettet aber natьrlich die Partie
nicht.}) 34... Bxf4 $6 (34... Rxe4 {gewann auf der Stelle ohne Umschweife.}) (
34... Bxe4 35. Rxe4 Qxe4 36. Qxe4 Rxe4 {ist ebenfalls einfacher. Jetzt muЯ
sich Schwarz noch lange plagen.}) 35. Nxf4 Qxe4 36. Bc6 $6 ({Nach} 36. Qxe4
Rxe4 37. Nxg6+ hxg6 38. h4 {ist die Gewinnfьhrung fьr Schwarz keineswegs
einfach. Jetzt behдlt Schwarz seinen wertvollen Lдufer.}) 36... Qxf3 (36...
Rd1+ 37. Kg2 Qe1 38. Nxg6+ (38. Kh3 Bf7 {ist hoffnungslos fьr WeiЯ.}) 38...
hxg6 39. Kh3 R1d2 40. Kg2 Rxf2+ 41. Qxf2 Rd2 {fьhrt wahrscheinlich auch eine
Gewinnstellung hebei, aber der Textzug ist einfacher.}) 37. Bxf3 Bf7 38. Rxa5
g5 39. Ne2 Rc4 40. h3 Rd1+ 41. Kg2 Ra1 42. Ra8+ Kg7 43. a5 Rca4 44. Rd8 Rxa5 {
Im allgemeinen gewinnt der Turm recht einfach gegen den Springer, wenn auf dem
Kцnigsflьgel drei gegen drei Bauern in normaler Formation vorhanden sind;
gegen den Lдufer kann der Gewinn bei manchen Konstellationen dagegen die
grцЯten Probleme geben.} 45. Nd4 f5 46. Rd7 Kf6 47. Rd6+ Ke5 48. Rd8 Rc5 49.
Nc6+ Ke6 50. Rh8 Kf6 51. Rxh7 g4 52. hxg4 fxg4 53. Be4 Re1 54. Nd8 Bd5 55. Rh6+
Ke7 56. Bxd5 Rxd5 57. Nc6+ Kd7 58. Rg6 Rdd1 59. Nb8+ Kc8 60. Rg8+ Kb7 61. Rxg4
Kxb8 {Gelfands Positionsspiel im Mittelspiel hat mich sehr beeindruckt.} 0-1

[Event "RUS-chT 13th"]
[Site "Sochi"]
[Date "2006.04.24"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C42"]
[WhiteElo "2719"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[PlyCount "130"]
[EventDate "2006.04.20"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2020"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Sverdlovsk Ural region"]
[BlackTeam "Samara Termosteps"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. O-O Be7 8. c4
Nf6 9. Nc3 Be6 10. cxd5 Nxd5 11. Re1 O-O 12. a3 Bf6 13. Be4 h6 14. Bc2 Nde7 15.
Be3 Nf5 16. Ne2 Re8 17. Qd3 g6 18. Qd2 Nxe3 19. fxe3 Bg4 20. Nc3 Na5 21. Qf2
Nc4 22. Bb3 Nd6 23. Rad1 Bf5 24. h3 Kg7 25. Rf1 c6 26. Ne5 Be6 27. Bxe6 Rxe6
28. e4 Rxe5 29. dxe5 Bxe5 30. Rxd6 Qxd6 31. Qxf7+ Kh8 32. Rd1 Rf8 33. Rxd6 Rxf7
34. Rd3 Kg7 35. b4 Kf8 36. Nd1 Ke7 37. Nf2 Ke6 38. g3 b6 39. Kg2 c5 40. bxc5
bxc5 41. Rd5 c4 42. Ng4 Bg7 43. Ra5 Bd4 44. Ra6+ Bb6 45. a4 c3 46. a5 c2 47.
axb6 c1=Q 48. bxa7+ Ke7 49. Ra2 Qf1+ 50. Kh2 Rf8 51. a8=R Rxa8 52. Rxa8 Qe2+
53. Kg1 Qe1+ 54. Kh2 h5 55. Ra7+ Kd8 56. Ra8+ Kc7 57. Ra7+ Kb8 58. Rf7 hxg4 59.
hxg4 Qxe4 60. Rf4 Qd5 61. Rb4+ Kc7 62. Rf4 Qd1 63. Kg2 Kd6 64. Rf6+ Ke5 65. Rf4
g5 0-1

[Event "Dortmund SuperGM 34th"]
[Site "Dortmund"]
[Date "2006.08.06"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2761"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2006.07.29"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 114"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.10.02"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2006.10.02"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{Since last August it was my 6th encounter with Levon Aronian. In the first 5
I had the black pieces. So, it was my first chance to try my luck with the
white colour. This game was already analysed in some sites and the best one
was done by Maxim Notkin in www.chesstoday.net. I have used some of his ideas
in these comments. Seit letztem August war dies meine sechste Begegnung mit
Levon Aronian. In den ersten 5 hatte ich die schwarzen Figuren. Dies war also
meine erste Chance, mein Glьck mit den weiЯen Figuren zu versuchen. Diese
Partie wurde bereits auf einigen Internetseiten analysiert, und die beste
Analyse war von Maxim Notkin auf www.chesstoday.net. Ich habe einige seiner
Ideen in den Kommentaren verwendet.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5.
Qc2 {For some reasons this move was least popular out of all the logical
options to protect c4 pawn (5.b3, 5.Nbd2, 5.Qa4, 5.Qb3). However, when in
January Shakhriyar Mamedyarov used it against me in Wijk aan Zee, I felt that
there is a potential in this line and started analyzing it together with
Alexander Khuzman Aus irgendwelchen Grьnden war dieser Zug von allen logischen
Mцglichkeiten zur Deckung des Bauern c4 (5.b3, 5.Nbd2, 5.Qa4, 5.Qb3) am
wenigsten populдr. Als jedoch im Januar Shakhriyar Mamedyarov dies gegen mich
in Wijk aan Zee anwendete, spьrte ich, dass es in diesem Abspiel ein Potential
gibt und fing an, es gemeinsam mit Alexander Khuzman zu analysieren.} Bb7 ({
I played Ich spielte} 5... c5 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 Bb7 8. e4 (8. Bg2 {transposes
to the game fьhrt zur Partie.}) 8... Qe7 9. Bd3 Nxd5 10. a3 Nc6 11. O-O Nc7 12.
Nc3 Ne6 13. Be3 Qd8 14. Rad1 Be7 15. Bc4 O-O 16. e5 Ncd4 17. Nxd4 cxd4 18. Bxd4
Qc8 19. Qe2 d6 20. exd6 Bxd6 $14 {1/2-1/2 Mamedyarov,S-Gelfand,B/Wijk aan Zee
NED 2006 (35)}) 6. Bg2 c5 7. d5 $5 {This is the most principled continuation.
Dies ist die prinzipiellste Fortsetzung.} ({Harmless is Harmlos ist} 7. dxc5
Bxc5 8. O-O Be7 9. Nc3 Qc8 10. b3 O-O 11. Bb2 Na6 12. Rac1 Nc5 13. Rfd1 Nce4
14. Nxe4 Bxe4 15. Qd2 Rd8 16. Qf4 Qb7 {0-1 Ristic,N-Gligoric,S/Kladovo 1991/TD
(61)}) 7... exd5 8. cxd5 $5 {This is the idea. It was first introduced into
top level by Vallejo in his game vs Macieja in the Turin Olympiad. It looks
like that White is giving up a pawn for nothing, but he has a certain lead in
development and he is pinning his hopes to build up an initiative along the
central lines. Das ist die Idee. Auf Topebene eingefьhrt wurde sie von Vallejo
in seiner Partie gegen Macieja bei der Olympiade in Turin. Es scheint, als
gibt WeiЯ einen Bauern fьr nichts, aber er hat gewissen Entwicklungsvorsprung
und setzt seine Hoffnungen darauf, entlang den Zentrumslinien eine Initiative
zu entfalten.development and he is pinning his hopes to build up an initiative
along the central lines.} (8. Nh4 {was played before, but without much success.
wurde vorher gespielt, allerdings ohne groЯen Erfolg.}) 8... Bxd5 ({The
capture Das Schlagen} 8... Nxd5 {is waiting for a pioneer, as Maxim Notkin
wrote in Chess today. wartet noch auf einen Pionier, wie Maxim Notkin auf
Chess today schrieb.}) 9. Nc3 Bc6 ({Probably the most principled is Am
prinzipiellsten ist wahrscheinlich} 9... Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nc6 {even though White
had won the game in a complicated struggle. , wenngleich WeiЯ die Partie nach
kompliziertem Kampf gewann.} 11. Qa4 Rc8 12. Bf4 Be7 13. O-O-O O-O 14. Kb1 Nd4
$6 15. Bb7 b5 16. Qxa7 b4 17. Na4 Rc7 18. e3 Ne6 19. Bxc7 Qxc7 20. Qb6 Qe5 21.
Qa6 d5 22. f4 Qxe3 23. Rhe1 Qf3 24. Qd3 Qh5 25. Re5 Qh3 26. Bxd5 {1-0 Vallejo
Pons,F-Macieja,B/Turin ITA 2006 (42)}) (9... Bb7 10. e4 Nc6 11. O-O Be7 12. e5
Nb4 13. Qf5 g6 14. Qb1 Ng4 15. Re1 c4 16. Re4 f5 17. exf6 Nxf6 18. Rxc4 $16 {
1-0 Kostic,V-Nikolac,J/Bayern 2001/EXT 2002 (24)}) 10. e4 {I had a short look
at 9...Bc6 at home and decided that White has full compensation after short
castle. However, over the board I realized that castling long is even more
ambitious. Ich hatte mir 9...Bc6 zuhause kurz angesehen und beschlossen, dass
WeiЯ nach der Rochade volle Kompensation hat. Am Brett aber wurde mir klar,
dass die lange Rochade sogar noch ehrgeiziger ist.} (10. O-O Be7 11. Rd1 d6 12.
e4 Qc7 13. Nh4 g6 14. b4 Nbd7 (14... cxb4 $2 {Maxim Notkin (www.chesstoday.net)
} 15. Nd5) 15. Bb2 O-O 16. Nd5 Bxd5 17. exd5 Rfe8 $44 {1/2-1/2 Alexandrova,
O-Bojkovic,N/Belgrade 2001/CBM 84 ext (31)}) 10... Be7 (10... d6 11. Bf4) (
10... Nxe4 11. Nxe4 Qe7 12. Nfd2 d5 13. O-O dxe4 14. Nxe4 $18) 11. Bf4 O-O 12.
O-O-O Na6 13. Qe2 ({Probably, more precise was Genauer war womцglich} 13. a3 {
as in the game Black had the reasonable alternative 13...Nc7. However, during
the game it's not easy to choose between such subleties and you instinctively
are afraid to allow the b5-b4 advance somewhere. , denn in der Partie hatte
Schwarz die ordentliche Alternative 13...Nc7. Aber wдhrend der Partie ist es
nciht so leicht, zwischen solchen Feinheiten zu wдhlen, und instinktiv hat man
Angst, irgendwo den VorstoЯ b5-b4 zuzulassen.} Nb4 (13... Nc7 14. e5 Nfd5 15.
Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Ne1 Nxf4 17. Bxc6) (13... b5 14. Ne5) (13... Qc8 14. e5) 14. Qe2)
13... Nb4 (13... Qc8 14. Ne5 (14. e5 Ne8)) ({White has full compensation after
WeiЯ hat volle Kompensation nach} 13... Nc7 $5 {but probably not more, for
example , aber wahrscheinlich nicht mehr, zum Beispiel} 14. Ne5 Qc8 (14... Bb7
15. Nc4 Ne6 16. Nd6 Nd4 17. Rxd4 cxd4 18. Nxb7 Qc8 19. e5 Ne8 20. Kb1 (20. Nd6
Bxd6 21. Bxa8 Qxa8 22. Qe4 Qxe4 23. Nxe4 Bb8) 20... dxc3 21. Rc1 $44) 15. Rhe1
(15. Nc4 b5 16. Nd5 (16. Nd6 Bxd6 17. Bxd6 Re8) 16... Bxd5 17. exd5 Re8) (15.
Nxc6 $5 dxc6 16. Bxc7 Qxc7 17. e5 Nd7 18. Rhe1 $44) 15... Bb7 (15... Ne6 16.
Nxc6 dxc6 17. e5 Nd7 18. Qe4 Nd4 19. Ne2 $16) 16. Nc4 (16. Kb1 Re8 17. Qc4 Ne6
18. Bh3 Bf8) (16. Ng4 Nxg4 17. Qxg4 Ne6 18. Be5 $44 (18. Bh6 $5)) 16... Ne6 17.
Bd6 Nd4 18. Qf1 Qd8 19. e5 Bxg2 20. Qxg2 Bxd6 21. Nxd6 Ne8 22. Ndb5 $44) 14. a3
Qc8 (14... a5 15. Kb1) 15. Kb1 a5 {Black's concept is clear - he invites White
to take a piece on b4, when he will have a strong counterplay on the a-line.
Das Konzept von Schwarz ist klar - er lдdt WeiЯ ein, auf b4 eine Figur zu
schlagen, wonach er starkes Gegenspiel auf der a-Linie haben wird.} (15... Qa6
{(Maxim Notkin (www.chesstoday.net))  is somewhat faint-hearted. Black admits
that his attacking resources are inadequate and forces the queen exchange but
after ist etwas klдglich. Schwarz rдumt ein, dass seine Angriffsressourcen
nicht ausreichen und forciert den Damentausch, aber nach} 16. Rhe1 $1 (16. axb4
$2 Bxe4+ $1) 16... Qxe2 17. Rxe2 {the knight should finally retreat - sollte
der Springer endlich zurьckgehen -} Na6 18. Ne5 Rfd8 19. Red2 $16) 16. Ne5 (16.
axb4 $2 axb4 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Re8 {and Black would always have
counterplay, due to the weakened position of the white K. I didn't even
consider the idea to give the initiative to such a brilliant attacking player
as Levon. und Schwarz hдtte immer Gegenspiel aufgrund der geschwдchten
Stellung des weiЯen Kцnigs. Ich kam nicht mal auf die Idee, einem so
brillanten Angriffspieler wie Levon die Initiative zu ьberlassen.}) 16... Re8
$2 {A natural looking move, but urgent measures were called for: Ein natьrlich
wirkender Zug, aber es waren NotmaЯnahmen erforderlich:} (16... d6 17. Nxc6
Qxc6 (17... Nxc6 18. Nd5 $16 (18. Nb5 $16)) 18. Rhg1 $1 (18. g4 {is not so
clear: ist nicht so klar:} c4 19. g5 Nd7 20. axb4 axb4 21. Nd5 Rfe8 22. e5 Kh8
{and the white K is the target of an attack. und der weiЯe K ist ein
Angriffsziel.}) 18... Qc8 19. g4 $16) ({The critical line goes Das kritische
Abspiel verlдuft mit} 16... b5 $1 {Maxim Notkin} 17. g4 (17. Nxb5 Bxb5 18. Qxb5
d6 19. Nc4 Rb8) (17. Nxc6 dxc6 18. e5 Nfd5 $11) 17... c4 18. g5 Ne8 {with a
complicated game, where both sides have their chances. mit kompliziertem Spiel,
wo beide Seiten ihre Chancen haben.} 19. Bh3 $6 (19. h4 $5) 19... Bd6 $1 20.
Rxd6 Nxd6 21. Rd1 Nd3 22. Nxd3 cxd3 23. Qxd3 Nc4 $15) 17. Rhe1 {Centralisation
above all! Zentralisierung ьber alles!} (17. g4 $5 d6 18. Nxc6 ({The following
lines, indicated by Maxim Notkin, show that things are not clear after Die
folgenden Abspiele, angegeben von Maxim Notkin, zeigen, dass die Dinge nicht
klar sind nach} 18. Nc4 Qa6 (18... Qxg4 {Maxim Notkin} 19. Qxg4 Nxg4 20. Bg3) {
better is besser ist} 19. Bxd6 {Maxim Notkin (www.chesstoday.net)} (19. g5 Nxe4
20. Bxe4 Bxe4+ 21. Qxe4 (21. Nxe4 {Maxim Notkin (www.chesstoday.net)} d5) 21...
Bf8) 19... b5 20. Bxe7 Rxe7 21. Nd6 $13) 18... Nxc6 19. g5 Nd7 20. Nd5 Nd4 21.
Qg4 $16) 17... Bf8 (17... d6 18. Nxc6 (18. Nc4 $5) 18... Nxc6 19. Nb5) 18. g4
$1 ({Again weak is the impatient Schwach ist wieder das ungeduldige} 18. Qc4 $6
d5 (18... Re6 $140 19. Bh3) 19. exd5 b5 $1 20. Qe2 Bd7 21. axb4 axb4 22. Ne4
Qa6) 18... g6 ({If Falls} 18... d6 {, so} 19. Nc4 {with a double attack on b6
and d6 mit Doppelangriff auf b6 und d6} (19. Nxc6 {Maxim Notkin} Nxc6 20. g5
Nd4 $1 {is less convincing. ist weniger ьberzeugend.}) 19... Qxg4 20. Qxg4 Nxg4
21. Bg3 $16 (21. axb4 axb4 22. Nd5 Nxf2 23. Rd2 $16 {Notkin,Maxim})) ({After
the slow and passive Nach dem langsamen und passiven} 18... Re7 19. g5 Ne8 {
(Maxim Notkin )} {and let's say , und nun z.B.} 20. h4 {the white attack is
developing without much problems. entwickelt sich der weiЯe Angriff ohne groЯe
Probleme.}) 19. Bg3 $1 {/\ Qf3 White is bulding up pressure to force his
opponent to conceed d7-d6, when he'll be able to take on c6, followed by Nb5.
WeiЯ verstдrkt den Druck, um seinen Gegner zu dem Zugestдndnis d7-d6 zu
zwingen, wonach auf c6 nehmen kann, gefolgt von Nb5.} (19. Qc4 Re6 20. axb4
axb4 21. Nb5 Qa6 22. Bf1 d5 $19) ({It's not so strong to take on c6, while
Black's pawn is still on d7. Es ist nicht so stark, auf c6 zu nehmen, solange
der schwarze Bauer noch auf d7 ist.} 19. Nxc6 dxc6 20. e5 Nfd5) 19... Re6 (
19... Bg7 20. Nc4) (19... d6 20. Nc4) 20. f4 $1 d6 {There is no defence
against further advance, so Black allows the exchange on c6 in favourable
circumstances. Das weitere Vorrьcken ist nicht aufzuhalten, daher erlaubt
Schwarz den Abtausch auf c6 unter gьnstigen Umstдnden.} (20... Re7 21. Bh4 (21.
f5 $1) 21... Bg7 22. Nxc6 dxc6 23. e5) (20... Bg7 21. f5 Re8 22. Qc4) 21. Nxc6
Nxc6 22. Nb5 {Now it's clear that White's strategy succeeded. Black's position
is hopeless. Jetzt ist klar, dass die weiЯe Strategie aufgegangen ist. Die
schwarze Stellung ist hoffnungslos.} Ne8 ({Or Oder} 22... Nd4 23. Nxd4 cxd4 24.
Rxd4) 23. e5 ({I also considered Ich erwog auch} 23. f5 Re7 (23... Re5 {
" with a faint hope for blockade" (Maxim Notkin) " mit schwacher Hoffnung auf
Blockade" (Maxim Notkin)} 24. g5) 24. e5 Nxe5 (24... dxe5 25. Qe4 Qa6 26. Bh4)
25. Bxa8 Qxa8 26. Nc3) 23... dxe5 24. Bd5 ({Also strong was Stark war auch} 24.
fxe5 Nc7 25. Bxc6 $1 (25. Nd6 Bxd6 26. Rxd6 (26. Bxc6 Bxe5 27. Bd7 Bxg3 $13 {
Maxim Notkin}) 26... Nd4 27. Qf2 Ra7) (25. Nxc7 Qxc7 26. Bd5 Rae8 $14) 25...
Rxc6 26. Nd6 Qd7 $8 (26... Qe6 27. Qf3) 27. Qg2 Ne6 28. Nxf7 Qc7 29. Nd6) 24...
a4 $2 {Black fails to put any resistance. Schwarz versдumt es, Widerstand zu
leisten.} ({I was worried about Sorgen machte mir} 24... Nd4 $1 25. Nxd4 exd4
26. Bxe6 Qxe6 27. Qxe6 (27. Qf3 $5) 27... fxe6 28. Rxe6 Nc7 (28... Nd6 29. f5)
29. Rxb6 Nd5 30. Rb7 Ne3 31. Rg1 $16 {and White still has to show technique.
und WeiЯ muss noch Technik zeigen.}) (24... exf4 25. Bxe6 Qxe6 26. Qxe6 fxe6
27. Bxf4 {is hopeless. ist hoffnungslos.}) (24... Re7 25. fxe5) 25. fxe5 (25.
f5 gxf5 26. gxf5 Rh6 27. Qg2 $1 {was also convincing. war ebenfalls
ьberzeugend.}) 25... Ng7 26. Qf3 Rb8 27. Nd6 {Winning in spectacular way.
Gewinnt auf spektakulдre Weise.} (27. Rf1 Nd8 28. Bh4 $1 Be7 29. Bxe6 Qxe6 30.
Nc7 {was even simpler. war sogar noch einfacher.}) 27... Bxd6 28. exd6 Nd4 29.
Rxd4 $1 {A not so difficult, but nice combination. Keine sehr schwierige, aber
eine hьbsche Kombination.} Rxe1+ (29... cxd4 30. Bxe6 Nxe6 31. d7) 30. Bxe1
cxd4 31. Qxf7+ Kh8 32. d7 Qc5 (32... Qf8 33. Qxf8+ Rxf8 34. Bh4) 33. Bb4 1-0

[Event "Prague m1"]
[Site "Prague"]
[Date "2006.08.09"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Navara, David"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E17"]
[WhiteElo "2719"]
[BlackElo "2729"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "114"]
[EventDate "2006.07.29"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "4"]
[EventCountry "CZE"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 114"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2006.10.02"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2006.10.02"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 O-O 7. Qc2 c5 8. d5
exd5 9. Ng5 (9. Nh4 b5 $1 {and Black got good counterplay in Kamsky,G-Adams,M/
Wijk aan Zee 2006/ und Schwarz bekam gutes Gegenspiel in Kamsky,G-Adams,M/Wijk
aan Zee 2006/}) 9... h6 ({Of course, I was not in the mood to repeat the
famous blunder Natьrlich war ich nicht in Stimmung, den berьhmten Kurzschluss
zu wiederholen:} 9... Nc6 $6 10. Nxd5 g6 11. Qd2 $1 $146 Nxd5 $2 (11... Rb8 $5
{Matanovic,A} 12. Nxe7+ $14) (11... Re8 $5 {(Matanovic,A)}) 12. Bxd5 Rb8 $4 (
12... Bxg5 {Matanovic,A} 13. Qxg5 Qxg5 14. Bxg5 Na5 15. Bxb7 Nxb7 16. O-O-O $16
) 13. Nxh7 $1 $18 Re8 (13... Kxh7 {Matanovic,A} 14. Qh6+ Kg8 15. Qxg6+ Kh8 16.
Qh6+ Kg8 17. Be4 f5 18. Bd5+ $18) 14. Qh6 Ne5 15. Ng5 Bxg5 16. Bxg5 Qxg5 17.
Qxg5 Bxd5 18. O-O Bxc4 19. f4 {1-0 Korchnoi,V-Karpov,A/Moscow (m/21) 18/571
1974/[Matanovic,A] (19)}) 10. Nxd5 ({Victor Kortchnoj was less successful in a
later game Weniger Erfolg hatte Victor Kortchnoj in der spдteren Partie} 10.
Nh3 b5 11. Nf4 Nc6 12. cxd5 Nd4 13. Qd1 b4 14. Na4 Bd6 15. O-O Re8 16. e3 Nb5
17. a3 a5 18. Re1 Rc8 19. e4 Be5 {Kortschnoj,V-Stefansson,H/Reykjavik 2000/})
10... Bxd5 11. Bxd5 ({White could get 2 Bs vs 2 Ns advantage by WeiЯ hдtte
sich den Vorteil 2 B gegen 2 N verschaffen kцnnen, doch nach} 11. cxd5 hxg5 $1
12. d6 Nc6 13. dxe7 Qxe7 14. Bxg5 (14. Bxc6 dxc6 15. Bxg5 $11) 14... d5 $1 {
but Black is doing well. , steht Schwarz gut.} 15. e3 (15. Bxd5 $2 Nb4) (15.
Bxf6 Qxf6 16. Bxd5 Nb4 17. Qb3 Nxd5 18. Qxd5 Qxb2) (15. Rd1 Rad8 $5 {/\
Nd4-e6= Tiviakov,S} (15... Nd4 $5 16. Qd2 Rad8 17. e3 Ne6 18. Bxf6 Qxf6 $11))
15... Qe6 {/\ Ne4} 16. Bxf6 Qxf6 17. O-O Rad8 $5 18. Rfd1 Rd6 19. Rd2 (19. Bxd5
$2 Nb4 20. Qb3 Rxd5 21. Rxd5 Nxd5 22. Qxd5 Rd8 $17 {/\ 23... Qb2, 23... Rd2})
19... Rfd8 20. Rad1 Qe5 $11 {Balashov,Y-Tiviakov,S/Sankt_Peterburg (zt) 1993/
Inf 57 (20)} (20... Qe6 $5 {Tiviakov,S})) 11... Nc6 12. Bxc6 dxc6 13. Nf3 {
It seems that White is slightly better due to Black's doubled-pawns on the
queenside. That's why we can find this assessment in some annotated games in
the database. But I think that the chances are equal. Es scheint, als stьnde
WeiЯ afgrund der verdoppelten schwarzen Bauern am Damenflьgel leicht besser.
Deshalb finden wir diese Einschдtzung in manchen kommentierten Partien in der
Datenbank. Aber ich meine, die Chancen sind gleich.} Qc8 14. O-O Qe6 15. b3 ({
Black didn't face any problems also after Keine Probleme hatte Schwarz auch
nach} 15. Bf4 Rfe8 16. Rad1 Ne4 17. Nd2 Bf6 18. Nxe4 Qxe4 19. Rd2 g5 20. Be3
Qxc2 21. Rxc2 Bd4 {Loginov,V-Orlov,A/St Petersburg 1997}) 15... Ne4 16. Bb2 Bf6
17. Bxf6 Nxf6 {Of course, it would be better not to waste a tempo on retake on
f6 and then return the N to e4, but if Black would prepare it by 16...Rfe8,
then 17.Ne5 is unpleasant. Natьrlich wдre es besser, fьr das Wiederschlagen
auf f6 kein Tempo zu verschwenden und dann mit dem N nach e4 zurьckzukehren,
doch wenn Schwarz dies mit 16...Rfe8 vorbereitet, dann ist 17.Ne5 unangenehm.}
18. Rad1 Rfe8 {Black is building pressure along the e-line and this gives him
sufficient counterchances. Schwarz baut entlang der e-Linie Druck auf, und
dies gibt ihm ausreichende Gegenchancen.} ({I was hesitating how to place my
rooks, as Ich zцgerte, wie ich meine Tьrme platzieren sollte, denn} 18... Rae8
{is also interesting with idea ist ebenfalls interessant mit der Idee} 19. Rfe1
(19. e3 Ne4) 19... Ne4 20. Nd2 f5 $5 (20... Ng5)) 19. Rfe1 $6 {The rook will
have to return to f1 soon to protect the f2 pawn. Der Turm wird bald nach f1
zurьckkehren mьssen, um den Bauern f2 zu decken.} ({More precise was  Genauer
war} 19. e3 Ne4 20. Rd3) (19. Rd2 {allows erlaubt} b5) 19... Ne4 20. Rd3 (20.
Nd2 Ng5 21. h4 Nh7) (20. Nh4 Rad8 21. Rxd8 Rxd8 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Qxd1 g5 {
loses a pawn. verliert einen Bauern.}) 20... Qf6 (20... Qf5 $5 {also deserved
attention, building pressure on the b1-h7 diagonal. verdiente ebenfalls
Aufmerksamkeit, um entlang der Diagonalen b1-h7 zu drьcken.} 21. Re3 $140 $2
Nxg3) 21. Kg2 g5 $1 {Black is building up pressure and threatening g5-g4.
Schwarz erhцht den Druck und droht g5-g4.} 22. Rf1 ({I think it was worth to
include the h3 and h5 moves: Ich denke, es lohnte sich, die Zьge h3 und h5
einzuschalten:} 22. h3 h5 23. Rf1 Rad8 24. Nd2) 22... Rad8 23. Rxd8 ({It looks
tempting to exchange some pieces: Es sieht verlockend aus, ein paar Figuren zu
tauschen:} 23. Nd2 $5 Rxd3 (23... Nd6 24. Nb1 Nf5 25. e3) (23... Nxd2 24. Qxd2
Rxd3 25. Qxd3 Rd8 26. Qc2) 24. Nxe4 Rxe4 25. Qxd3 {but after , doch nach} Rd4
26. Qc2 Qd6 {the control of the only open line indicates that Black's chances
have to be preferred. deutet die Kontrolle der einzigen offenen Linie darauf
hin, das die schwarzen Chancen vorzuziehen sind.}) 23... Qxd8 24. Rd1 (24. e3
Qf6 25. Ne1 (25. Nd2 Qc3 26. Qxc3 Nxc3 27. Rc1 Rd8) (25. Rd1 $1) 25... Qc3)
24... Qf6 25. h3 h5 (25... b5 $5 {/\ b4 deserved attenton, fixing the weak a2
pawn and strengthening control on the c3 square. kam in Betracht, um den
schwachen Bauern a2 festzulegen und die Kontrolle ьber das Feld c3 zu festigen.
}) (25... Nc3 $6 26. Rd3 Nxe2 $2 27. Re3 Rxe3 28. fxe3 Nc3 29. e4 {loses a
piece verliert eine Figur.}) 26. Qd3 {After a long thought David finds an
incredible tactical recourse. However, it plays into Black's hands. Nach
langem Nachdenken findet David eine unglaubliche taktische Ressource. Aber sie
spielt Schwarz in die Hдnde.} ({The simple Das einfache} 26. e3 {seems
sufficient to keep the balance. scheint ausreichend, um die Balance zu halten.}
Qf5 (26... Kg7 27. Rd7) (26... g4 27. hxg4 hxg4 28. Nh4 $11) 27. Ne1 g4 28. h4
{But after the strong Doch nach dem starken} Kh7 $1 {/\ Re6-f6 Black's attack
can become strong. kann der schwarze Angriff stark werden.}) 26... Kg7 $1 ({
Of course, not Natьrlich nicht} 26... g4 $2 27. hxg4 hxg4 28. Qd7 Qe6 {the
only saving move Der einzig rettende Zug.} (28... gxf3+ 29. exf3 $16) (28...
Re6 29. Qc8+ Kg7 30. Rh1 gxf3+ 31. exf3 $18) 29. Qxe6 Rxe6 30. Nh2 $11) 27. Qd7
({The immediate Das sofortige} 27. Rf1 {was more stubborn. war hartnдckiger.})
27... Re6 28. Rf1 {Admitting that the queen advance was just a waste of time.
Rдumt ein, dass der DamenvorstoЯ nur Zeitverschwendung war.} (28. Qc8 Qb2 $1 (
28... Nd6 $15) 29. Rd8 Qxe2 30. Rg8+ Kf6 31. Qd8+ Re7 $19) (28. Qd8 g4 $19)
28... Nc3 29. e3 ({It was worth considering to look for counterplay, even
though after Ьbelegenswert war es, Gegenspiel zu suchen, wenngleich nach} 29.
h4 gxh4 30. Nxh4 Nxe2 31. Qxa7 Qe5 $1 {Black is better. Schwarz besser steht.})
29... Rd6 30. Qxa7 Ne4 $2 {A natural move, Ein natьrlicher Zug,} ({but
stronger was aber stдrker war} 30... g4 31. hxg4 hxg4 32. Nh2 (32. Nh4 Rd2 33.
Qc7 Nd1 $1) 32... Qe6 {and White is helpless against the mating threats, for
example und WeiЯ ist hilflos gegen die Mattdrohungen, zum Beispiel} 33. Qb8
Qe4+ 34. f3 Rd2+ 35. Rf2 (35. Kh1 Qh7 36. Qe5+ Kg6) 35... gxf3+ 36. Nxf3 Rxf2+
37. Kxf2 Qc2+ 38. Kg1 Qd1+ 39. Kg2 Qe2+ 40. Kh3 Qxf3 41. Qe5+ Kg6 42. Qxc3 Qh1+
43. Kg4 Qh5+ 44. Kf4 Qf5#) 31. Qc7 ({Or} 31. g4 hxg4 32. hxg4 Qe6 33. Nh2 (33.
Kh3 Rd8 $19) 33... Rd2 $19) 31... g4 32. hxg4 hxg4 33. Nh4 (33. Nh2 {is
unsufficient because of reicht nicht aus wegen} Qe6 $1 ({Not so good is Nicht
so gut ist} 33... Qf5 34. Kg1 Rd2 35. Qf4 (35. f3 Ng5) 35... Qxf4 36. exf4 f5
37. Re1 $1 Nxf2 38. Nf1 {with excellent drawing chances mit ausgezeichneten
Remischancen.}) 34. Kg1 Nd2 $19) 33... Rd2 34. Qf4 Qxf4 35. exf4 Kf6 36. Kg1 (
36. a4 Rb2 37. Kg1 Rxb3 38. Ra1 Ke6 $17 {also leads to a difficult ending.
fьhrt ebenfalls zu einem schwierigen Endspiel.}) 36... Rxa2 37. Ng2 Nd2 (37...
Ke6 $5) 38. Rd1 Ke6 (38... Nf3+ 39. Kf1 Ke6 $5) 39. Re1+ Kd7 40. Rd1 Kc7 41.
Ne3 Nxb3 42. Nxg4 {Despite the material balance, Black is close to winning, as
his pawns can run much quicker. Trotz des materiellen Gleichgewichts steht
Schwarz dicht vor dem Sieg, da seine Bauern viel schneller laufen kцnnen.} Nd4
$2 {It's natural to centralize one's N, but it allows some counterplay. Es ist
natьrlich, den eigenen N zu zentralisieren, doch dies lдsst Gegenspiel zu.} ({
Stronger was Stдrker war} 42... b5 43. Ne5 f6) ({Or Oder} 42... Rd2 43. Re1 b5)
43. Nh6 $1 f5 ({Probably I had to dare to play Vermutlich musste ich} 43... b5
44. cxb5 cxb5 {wagen} {but I was not sure that I'll win after , aber ich war
nicht sicher, dass ich nach} 45. Nxf7 b4 46. Ne5 {gewinne.}) 44. Kg2 $2 {
Too slow. Zu langsam.} ({White is missing an excellent chance: WeiЯ verpasst
eine ausgezeichnete Chance:} 44. g4 $1 fxg4 45. f5 Ra3 (45... g3 46. fxg3 Ne2+
47. Kf1 Nxg3+ 48. Kg1 {The king is cut on the 1st rank, but Black has to take
care of the f-pawn. Der Kцnig ist auf der ersten Reihe abgeschnitten, aber
Schwarz muss auf den f-Bauern aufpassen.}) (45... Rc2 46. f6 Rxc4 47. Kg2 Ne6
48. Re1 $132) (45... Ra8 46. f6 Rf8 47. f7) 46. f6 Rf3 47. f7 $17 b5 48. Ra1
Kd6 49. Kg2 (49. Ra8 Ne6) 49... bxc4 (49... b4 50. Ra7) 50. Rc1 {with good
drawing chances. mit guten Remischancen.}) 44... Ra8 (44... b5 $5 {was also
interesting, but I decided to prevent the above-mentioned counterplay first.
war ebenfalls interessant, doch ich beschloss, zuerst das oben erwдhnte
Gegenspiel zu verhindern.}) 45. Rc1 (45. g4 fxg4 46. Nxg4 Rf8 {winning the
f-pawn. mit Gewinn des f-Bauern.}) 45... Rf8 46. Ra1 (46. f3 Rf6 (46... Kd6 47.
Kf2 b5 48. Ke3) 47. Rh1 b5 48. g4 {seems to be White's last chance. scheint
die letzte Chance fьr WeiЯ zu sein.}) 46... b5 47. cxb5 (47. Nf7 bxc4 {doesn't
leave much chances to save the game as well. bietet ebenfalls keine groЯen
Ьberlebenschancen.}) 47... cxb5 48. Nf7 b4 ({I saw that also winning is Ich
sah, dass auch} 48... Rxf7 49. Ra7+ Kc6 50. Rxf7 b4 {, but prefered the
simplest way. gewinnt, bevorzugte aber den einfachsten Weg.}) 49. Ne5 b3 50. f3
Kd6 51. Ra6+ Kd5 52. g4 Rb8 53. Nd7 b2 54. Nb6+ Kc6 55. Na4+ Kb5 56. Ra7 b1=Q
57. Nc3+ Kb6 0-1

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 1st"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2006.11.14"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "85"]
[EventDate "2006.11.06"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 116"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.02.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.02.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 {During recent years in my White games against Peter Svidler we have
had a theoretical discussion in the main Gruenfeld 8.Rb1 system. However,
during the recent European club cup, my friend and teammate Alexander
Khalifman had told me about some interesting ideas in the Anti-Gruenfeld,
which he published in his recent book "Opening for White according to
Kramnik-1a", which went out of print in August 2006. Unfortunately, I managed
to buy this book only just at the very end of the Tal Memorial... So, the day
before this game my second Alexander Khuzman and I had to work hard to develop
the ideas mentioned by Khalifman. In meinen WeiЯpartien gegen Peter Svidler in
den letzten Jahren hatten wir eine theoretische Diskussion im 8.Tb1-System der
Grьnfeld-Hauptvariante. Doch wдhrend der letzten europдischen
Clubmeisterschaft hatte mir mein Freund und Mannschaftskollege Alexander
Khalifman von ein paar interessanten Ideen im Anti-Grьnfeld erzдhlt, die er in
seinem aktuellen Buch "Opening for White according to Kramnik-1a"
verцffentlicht hatte, das im August 2006 in Druck ging. Leider konnte ich das
Buch erst kurz vor dem Ende des Tal-Memorials kaufen. Am Tag vor dieser Partie
mussten daher mein Sekundant Alexander Khuzman und ich hart arbeiten, um die
von Khalifman erwдhnten Ideen zu entwickeln.} Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Qa4+
Bd7 5. Qb3 dxc4 6. Qxc4 {The bishop on d7 is placed worse than on c8 and this
is a point of White's setup. Auf d7 steht der Lдufer schlechter als auf c8,
und das ist eine Pointe des weiЯen Aufbaus.} a6 7. d4 {The most natural
continuation in the main line of the Anti-Gruenfeld Die natьrlichste
Fortsetzung im Hauptabspiel des Anti-Grьnfeld.} ({I had tried an experimental
idea Vor 6 Jahren hatte ich gegen Peter die experimentelle Idee} 7. e4 b5 8.
Qe2 $5 {against Peter 6 years ago. You can still see this position from time
to time in tournament practice nowadays. erprobt. Diese Stellung ist
heutzutage noch immer von Zeit zu Zeit in der Turnierpraxis zu sehen.} c5 9. e5
Nh5 10. Ne4 Nc6 11. Nxc5 Bf5 12. d3 e6 13. Ne4 Bb4+ 14. Bd2 Nf4 15. Qe3 Nd5 16.
Qh6 Bf8 17. Nd6+ Qxd6 18. exd6 Bxh6 19. Bxh6 f6 $13 {Gelfand,B-Svidler,P/Haifa
rapid 2000}) 7... b5 8. Qb3 c5 ({Peter had shown the potential of Black's
position in the following game: In der folgenden Partie hatte Peter das
Potential der schwarzen Stellung gezeigt:} 8... Be6 9. Qc2 c5 10. dxc5 Bg7 11.
g3 $6 (11. e4 {transposes to the annotated game geht zur kommentierten Partie
ьber}) 11... Nc6 12. Bg2 Nb4 13. Qd1 Qxd1+ 14. Kxd1 O-O 15. Bd2 Rac8 16. Nd4
Ng4 17. Nxe6 Nxf2+ 18. Kc1 fxe6 {Van Wely,L-Svidler,P/Warsaw rapid 1999}) 9.
dxc5 Bg7 10. e4 O-O 11. Be2 Bc6 $5 {A new try. Ein neuer Versuch.} (11... Be6
12. Qc2 Nc6 13. O-O Qc7 14. h3 {leads to a favourable position for White which
was proven, for example, in Volkov,S-Khalifman in Dagomys 2005. fьhrt zu einer
gьnstigen Stellung fьr WeiЯ, was beispielsweise in Volkov,S-Khalifman in
Dagomys 2005 bewiesen wurde.}) 12. e5 $1 {I had to find this strong move over
the board, even though it is analysed in Khalifman's book. I had to understand
the difference in the bishop's position. The black bishop is on c6, while in
the theoretical line of the 5.Qb3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Qb3
dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Bb7) variation it is on b7.
And it is an important difference. The B is taking the important c6 square
from his N and blocking its way to d4. Thus, Black has to develop his pieces
more passively and White has time to create weaknesses in his opponent's camp
by a2-a4. Diesen starken Zug musste ich am Brett finden, obwohl er in
Khalifmans Buch analysiert wird. Ich musste den Unterschied in der Postierung
des Lдufers versteht. Der schware Lдufer steht auf c6, wдhrend er im
theoretischen Abspiel der Variante 5.Qb3 (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Nf3 Bg7
5.Qb3 dxc4 6.Qxc4 0-0 7.e4 a6 8.Be2 b5 9.Qb3 c5 10.dxc5 Bb7) sich auf b7
befindet. Und dies ist ein wichtiger Unterschied. Der B nimmt seinem N das
wichtige Feld c6 und blockiert dessen Weg nach d4. Somit muss Schwarz seine
Figuren passiver entwickeln, und WeiЯ hat Zeit, durch a2-a4 im Lager seines
Gegners Schwдchen zu schaffen.} (12. O-O Nxe4 13. Nxe4 Bxe4 {transposes into
one of the main positions of the 5.Qb3 system, where I have only a general
knowledge. I think that it was Peter's idea to get me out of the lines which I
normally play. geht ьber zu einer der Hauptstellung des 5.Qb3-Systems, wo ich
nur allgemeine Kenntnisse besitze. Ich glaube, es war Peters Idee, mich aus
den Abspielen, die ich normalerweise anwende, herauszulotsen.}) 12... Nfd7 ({
Insufficient is Ungenьgend ist} 12... Nd5 $2 13. O-O Nd7 14. Nxd5 Nxc5 15. Qc2
Qxd5 16. Be3 $18 (16. Rd1 Qe4)) 13. Be3 {White is playing for his long term
trumps - the advanced c-pawn and the harmoniously placed pieces. WeiЯ spielt
auf seine langfristigen Trьmpfe - den vorgerьckten c-Bauern und die harmonisch
platzierten Figuren.} ({I even didn't consider Ich verschwendete keinen
Gedanken an} 13. e6 $2 Nxc5 14. exf7+ Rxf7 (14... Kh8 $5) 15. Qc2 Bxf3 $1 (
15... Nbd7 {is also fine ist ebenfalls gut.}) 16. Bxf3 Nc6 $1 17. Bxc6 $140
Nd3+) 13... Nxe5 (13... e6 14. O-O) 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. O-O e6 (15... Ra7 $5) (
15... Nd7 16. a4) (15... Qc7 16. f4 Bg7 17. a4 (17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. Qxd5 Nc6 $11 {
Yemelin,V}) 17... bxa4 18. Nxa4 Nd7 19. Nb6 Qb7 20. Rf2 {leads to a position,
similiar to the one, which occured in the game. fьhrt zu einer дhnlichen
Stellung wie in der Partie.} (20. Bf3 $5 {Yemelin,V})) 16. a4 $1 ({In his book
Khalifman gave this illustrative line:  In seinem Buch gab Khalifman dieses
Musterabspiel an:} 16. Rad1 Qc7 17. f4 Bg7 18. a4 bxa4 19. Nxa4 Nd7 20. Nb6
Nxb6 (20... Qb7 21. Rd6 Nxb6 22. Qxb6 Bxg2 23. Qxb7 Bxb7 24. c6 Bc8 25. c7 $16)
21. Qxb6 Qxb6 22. cxb6 a5 23. b3 $14 {I used the same ideas (they are the most
natural and obvious ones), but probably a bit more precise. Still, I am amazed
that such a deep analysis of an interesting novelty could be found in an
opening book. Well done, Alexander, and thanks! Ich nutzte dieselben Ideen 
(die die natьrlichsten und offensichtlichsten sind), aber womцglich ein wenig
genauer. Dennoch finde ich es verblьffend, dass eine derart tiefe Analyse
einer interessanten Neuerung in einem Erцffnungsbuch zu finden war. Gut
gemacht, Alexander, und danke!}) 16... bxa4 17. Nxa4 Qc7 (17... Nd7 18. Nb6
Nxb6 19. cxb6 $16 {and White has a clear advantage due to the advanced b-pawn.
However, it is hard to say if White's winning chances are bigger than Black's
defensive ones. und WeiЯ hat klaren Vorteil dank des vorgerьckten b-Bauern. Es
ist allerdings schwer zu sagen, ob die weiЯen Gewinn- grцЯer als die schwarzen
Verteidigungschancen sind.}) 18. f4 Bg7 19. Nb6 Ra7 20. Rfd1 {Here I had to
think over a plan. I decided not to hurry and to improve the position of my
pieces. I thought that I shouldn't hurry, as I didn't see a clear way how
Black can develop his N. Hier musste ich mir einen Plan ьberlegen. Ich
beschloss, nichts zu ьberstьrzen und meine Figurenstellung zu verbessern. Ich
dachte, dass ich mich nicht beeilen sollte, da ich keinen klaren Weg sah, wie
Schwarz seinen N entwickeln kann.} ({Premature is Voreilig ist} 20. Rad1 a5 21.
Bd4 Bxd4+ 22. Rxd4 Nd7 $14) 20... Re8 ({Black has no time to develop his
pieces comfortably: Schwarz hat keine Zeit, seine Figuren bequem zu entwickeln.
} 20... Qb7 21. Bf1 a5 22. Qa3 Nd7 23. b4 $1 Bxa1 24. Rxa1 {/\b5} Nxb6 25. cxb6
Raa8 26. bxa5 {and White is winning. und WeiЯ gewinnt.}) 21. Bc4 {White is
making a prophylactic move against the potential breakthrough e6-e5. WeiЯ
macht einen prophylaktischen Zug gegen den potentiellen Durchbruch e6-e5.} (21.
Rd6 Bf8 22. Rd2 e5) 21... Bh6 ({Weak is Schwach ist} 21... e5 22. Rf1 exf4 23.
Rxf4 {hitting the weak f7 square. mit Angriff auf den Schwachpunkt f7.}) 22.
Rf1 $6 ({More natural and precise was Natьrlicher und genauer war} 22. Rd6 Bf8
23. Rd2 e5 $140 24. Rf1 exf4 25. Rxf4) 22... Qb7 23. Rf2 Nd7 $2 {My opponent
didn't want to defend patiently and gives up a pawn in the hope of creating a
counterattack. Mein Gegner wollte sich nicht geduldig verteidigen und gibt
einen Bauern in der Hoffnung, einen Gegenangriff aufzuziehen.} ({White had to
find how to break through after the natural Nach dem natьrlichen} 23... Bg7 24.
Rd2 a5 $14 {hдtte WeiЯ einen Weg finden mьssen, um durchzubrechen.}) ({Bad is
Schlecht ist} 23... Rd8 $2 {wegen} {because of} 24. f5 $1 Bxe3 25. Qxe3 exf5
26. Rxf5 gxf5 27. Qg5+ $18) 24. Nxd7 ({Here Hier ist} 24. f5 $2 {is not so
convincing: nicht so ьberzeugend:} Bxe3 25. Qxe3 Nxb6 26. cxb6 exf5) (24. Bd4
$5) 24... Qxd7 25. Rxa6 Rxa6 26. Bxa6 Bg7 ({I was more worried about GrцЯere
Sorgen bereitete mir} 26... Ra8 27. Bf1 (27. Qb6 e5) 27... Bg7 ({or} 27... Ra1
28. Qb8+ Bf8 29. Rd2 Bd5 (29... Bb5 30. h3 $1 Rxf1+ 31. Kh2 Qc6 32. Rd8 $18)
30. Kf2 $16) 28. Rd2 $16 {when White still has to work to convert his extra
pawn into a victory. All the black pieces are ideally placed and I didn't
expect it to be an easy task. , wonach WeiЯ noch arbeiten muss, um seinen
Mehrbauern zum Sieg zu verwerten. Alle schwarzen Figuren stehen ideal, und ich
erwartete keine leichte Aufgabe.}) 27. Rd2 (27. Qb6 Qd5 28. Bb5 Bxb5 29. Qxb5
Ra8 30. Rd2 Qe4 $16) 27... Qa7 ({Hopeless is Hoffnungslos ist} 27... Bd5 28.
Qb5 Qxb5 29. Bxb5 Rb8 30. c6 Rc8 (30... Rxb5 31. Rxd5 Rxd5 32. c7) 31. Rc2) 28.
Qb6 Qa8 29. Bb5 $1 {White is exchanging an important barrier in the way of his
c-pawn. WeiЯ tauscht eine wichtige Barriere im Weg seines c-Bauern.} Bxb5 30.
Qxb5 Rb8 $2 ({During the game I noticed the possibility of Wдhrend der Partie
bemerkte ich die Mцglichkeit} 30... e5 $1 {but Peter made his move quickly and
I didn't have time to think it over, so I had to do it when annotationg the
game at home. Black is getting his R into the game. It was clearly Black's
best chance and it's far from clear if I would had managed to find a path to
victory over the board: , doch Peter machte seinen Zug schnell und ich hatte
keine Zeit, darьber nachzudenken, daher musste ich es tun, als ich die Partie
zu Hause kommentierte. Schwarz bringt seinen R ins Spiel. Es war eindeutig
seine beste Chance, und es bei weitem nicht klar, ob ich am Brett einen Weg
zum Sieg gefunden hдtte:} 31. h3 $5 (31. Rd1 Rd8 $1 (31... Bh6 32. c6 Bxf4 33.
Bxf4 exf4 34. c7) 32. Rxd8+ Qxd8 33. Kh1 exf4 34. Bg1 Qd1 {/\f3 with
counterplay /\f3 mit Gegenspiel} (34... Qd5 35. Qe2)) (31. fxe5 Bxe5) ({
A tempting try looks to be Ein verlockender Versuch scheint} 31. c6 exf4 32. c7
$1 Bf6 (32... fxe3 33. Qxe8+ Qxe8 34. Rd8) ({with the help of a computer you
can find mit der Hilfe eines Computers findet man} 32... Bf8 33. Bxf4 Qa1+ 34.
Kf2 Qe1+ 35. Kf3 Qe4+ 36. Kg3 Qe1+ 37. Kh3 Qe6+ 38. g4 h5 39. Qd7) 33. Rc2 (33.
Bb6 Kg7 34. Rd1 f3 35. Qd5 Qa6 (35... Re1+ 36. Rxe1 Qxd5 37. c8=Q Qd2 38. Bf2
Bd4 39. Bxd4+ Qxd4+ 40. Kh1 fxg2+ 41. Kxg2 Qd2+ 42. Kf1 Qf4+ 43. Ke2 Qxh2+ 44.
Kf3 Qxb2 45. Qc5 $18) 36. Bd4 Rc8 37. Rc1 fxg2 38. Qd8 Bxd4+ 39. Qxd4+ Kg8 40.
b4 Qe2 $132) 33... Rc8 (33... fxe3 34. Qxe8+ Qxe8 35. c8=Q Bd8 36. Re2) 34. Bb6
Qa1+ 35. Qf1 Qa4 {and things are far from clear und die Lage ist bei weitem
nicht klar}) 31... exf4 32. Bxf4 Qe4 33. Bg3 $18 {and White should convert the
extra pawn into the victory und WeiЯ sollte den Mehrbauern zum Sieg verwerten}
Qe3+ $140 $6 34. Kh2 Qxd2 $2 35. Qxe8+) 31. Qc4 $1 {Now White has complete
control and nobody can stop the c-pawn. Nun hat WeiЯ absolute Kontrolle und
niemand kann den c-Bauern aufhalten.} (31. Qd7 Qe4 32. Kf2 Bf6 $16 {would get
Black back into the game. wьrde Schwarz wieder in die Partie lassen.}) 31...
Qa1+ (31... Qc6 32. b4) 32. Kf2 Rxb2 (32... Bxb2 33. c6 Bf6 34. c7 Rc8 35. Qc6
$1 {is equally bad ist ebenfalls schlecht.} ({not so clear is nicht so klar ist
} 35. Qb5 Bh4+ 36. g3 Qh1 37. gxh4 Qxh2+ 38. Kf3 Qh1+ 39. Ke2 Qg2+)) 33. c6
Rxd2+ 34. Bxd2 Qa7+ 35. Ke2 Qc7 36. Ba5 $1 {The last finesse. The white pawn
gets to c7. Die letzte Feinheit. Der weiЯe Bauern erreicht c7.} Qc8 (36... Qxa5
37. c7 Qh5+ 38. Kf2 Qh4+ 39. Kf1) 37. c7 Bf8 38. Qc6 f5 39. Bc3 Kf7 40. Be5 Be7
41. Kd3 g5 42. g3 gxf4 43. gxf4 1-0

[Event "Candidates final"]
[Site "Elista"]
[Date "2007.06.08"]
[Round "2.3"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D02"]
[WhiteElo "2705"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow,M"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2007.06.06"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 119"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.08.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.08.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 {Ftacnik} Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. Bf4 {GM Gata Kamsky, after his comeback to
chess, often opts for quiet, rather harmless openings, to avoid theoretical
battles.} c5 4. e3 Nc6 5. Bb5 {A rare move. White will have to play an awkward
Nc3 in reply to ...Qa5+.  Ftacnik: 'Kamsky has spent whole 26 minutes for this
rare continuation, but it did not make it any stronger.'} (5. c3 {is normal.})
5... cxd4 {Here are two GM games played with this line:} (5... Qb6 6. Nc3 cxd4
7. Qxd4 Qxd4 8. exd4 Bd7 9. Ne5 e6 10. Nxd7 Kxd7 11. Na4 Ne4 12. c3 Bd6 13. Be3
Kc7 14. Nc5 Nf6 15. Be2 Na5 16. Nd3 Nd7 17. O-O a6 18. Rfe1 b5 19. Reb1 Nc4 20.
Bc1 Rhb8 $11 {1-0 Mitkov,N-Krush,I/Schaumburg 2006/CBM 111 ext (77)}) (5... Bg4
6. Nbd2 cxd4 7. exd4 Qb6 8. c4 a6 9. Ba4 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 e6 11. O-O Be7 12. Qb3
Qa7 $6 (12... Qxb3 13. axb3 O-O 14. Bxc6 bxc6 15. Ra4 Ra7 16. Rfa1 Rfa8 17. Nf3
Nd7 $11 {A.Finkel}) 13. c5 O-O 14. Bxc6 $5 bxc6 15. h3 Nd7 16. Qa4 Rfc8 17. b4
Bd8 18. Rab1 Bc7 19. Bxc7 Qxc7 20. Nf3 f6 21. Qc2 e5 22. a4 $14 {0-1 Nogueiras,
J-Bruzon Bautista,L/Santa Clara 2005/CBM 107/[Finkel,A] (47)}) (5... Qa5+ $5 6.
Nc3 Ne4 7. O-O Nxc3 8. Bxc6+ bxc6 9. bxc3 Qxc3 10. Rb1 $5) 6. exd4 Qa5+ 7. Nc3
Bg4 (7... Ne4 {is now less logical than in the line without ...c5xd4 e3xd4.} 8.
Qd3 $1 Bf5 9. Ne5 $36) 8. O-O e6 9. h3 Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Rc8 11. Rfd1 Be7 12. Bf1
O-O 13. Ne2 {[%mdl 32] White is trying to transfer this knight to a better
square but it takes a lot of time.} b5 {Ftacnik: 'Gelfand is enjoying a
pleasant minority attack for free, on top of it Kamsky was already struggling
with time.'} (13... Qb6 $5 {[%cal Yc6a5,Ya5c4]}) 14. c3 $6 {White concluded
that he could not do without this move, e.g.} (14. Ng3 Qb6 15. Be3 Nb4 16. c3
Nc2 17. Rac1 Nxe3 18. fxe3 Rc7 {[%csl Rg1][%cal Yf8c8,Yb5b4] with initiative
for Black.}) ({However,} 14. a3 $142 {in order to exchange more queenside
pawns.}) 14... b4 15. Qd3 Qb6 16. cxb4 $5 Nxb4 17. Qb3 Ne4 18. a3 Nc6 19. Qxb6
axb6 $15 {[%csl Rd4][%cal Rc6a5]} 20. b4 $6 {Further weakening his position.} (
20. Rac1 Na5 21. Ng3 $5) 20... g5 21. Be3 Nd6 $17 22. Nc1 f5 23. Nb3 Nc4 24. b5
Nd8 25. a4 Nb7 26. Bc1 f4 27. Be2 Bb4 {The black pieces comfortably walk on
the weak squares in White's camp.} 28. Ra2 Nbd6 29. Bd3 Ra8 {Winning the b5
pawn.} 30. Kf1 Nxb5 31. Rc2 Nbd6 32. Bd2 Rxa4 33. Bxb4 Rxb4 34. Nc1 Nf5 35.
Bxf5 Rxf5 36. Nd3 Rb3 37. Ra2 Rf7 38. Ke2 Nd6 39. Rda1 Nb5 40. Kd2 Nxd4 41. Rc1
Rb5 42. Rc8+ Rf8 43. Rc7 Ra5 44. Rb2 Rf7 45. Rc8+ Kg7 46. Ne5 Rb7 47. h4 gxh4
48. Rb4 Ra2+ 49. Kd3 Nf5 50. Rxf4 Rba7 51. Rc3 R7a3 52. Rxa3 Rxa3+ 53. Ke2 b5
54. Rg4+ Kf6 55. Nd3 Ra8 56. Kd2 e5 57. Rb4 e4 58. Nc5 Rg8 0-1

[Event "Candidates final"]
[Site "Elista"]
[Date "2007.06.11"]
[Round "2.5"]
[White "Kamsky, Gata"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B52"]
[WhiteElo "2705"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2007.06.06"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 119"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.08.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.08.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 {Given Kamsky's tendency to
avoid topical lines, this looks like a safe choice of opening. In the
Rossolimo variation White cannot claim an objective advantage, but obtains
more space in a relatively stable position. Judging from the further course of
the game, Kamsky did not anticipate how "relative" this evaluation really is...
} Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 O-O {Black has delayed the
development of his queen's knight, but could still transpose to the old main
lines with 10...Nc6. However, Gelfand had other plans.} 10. f3 Rc8 11. b3 d5 $3
{Boom! Forget about stability in the centre; with this "delayed Grьnfeld" blow
Black gives the position an open character. Judging from Kamsky's long
thinking starting with this moment, he must not have been aware of the fact
that this move had been played in several dozens of games already...} {Black
has no problems after} 12. exd5 ({Personally, I would be more concerned about} 
12. e5 {, but the move played by Kamsky belongs to main stream of "theory"
still. For further details about the advance of the e-pawn, see the comments
to Vescovi,G (2633)-Areshchenko,A (2564)/Moscow 2004/CBM 100/[Psakhis] (1-0,
29)}) 12... Nxd5 13. Nxd5 e6 14. Bh6 $1 exd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. c5 ({This had
been played just once before. Most of the games went} 16. Nb5 {with equal play.
Here is a recent example:} dxc4 17. Nd6 Rd8 18. Nxb7 Qxd1 19. Raxd1 Rxd1 20.
Rxd1 cxb3 21. axb3 Nc6 22. Rd7 {1/2-1/2 Boidman,Y (2438)-Savchenko,S (2545)/
Metz 2007/CBM 117 ext}) 16... Na6 17. Nc2 ({This is a strong novelty
maintaining... equality! After} 17. Qd2 Nxc5 {Black was a pawn up in
Kovalevskaya,E (2469)-Kosintseva,N (2459)/Krasnoturinsk 2005/CBM 107 ext (0-1,
36)}) 17... Nxc5 18. Qd4+ f6 19. Ne3 Ne6 20. Qh4 $2 ({With so many short draws
around, Kamsky probably felt like proving his fighting spirit, but he will
never get even a faint shadow of compensation for the pawn.} 20. Qxd5 {would
have most probably led to a draw.}) 20... Rc5 21. Rad1 d4 22. Ng4 Rf8 $17 23.
Rfe1 Rh5 24. Qg3 Rd5 25. Rd2 Qd6 26. Qh4 h5 27. Nf2 g5 28. Qe4 Re5 29. Qb1
Rxe1+ 30. Qxe1 Rd8 31. g3 Nc5 32. Qe2 a5 33. Qb5 b6 34. a3 Qe6 35. Rb2 d3 36.
b4 axb4 37. axb4 Nb3 38. Qa4 Nd4 39. Kg2 Nc2 40. Rxc2 {In view of the threat ..
.Ne3+, this exchange sacrifice was virtually forced, but it is much less
effective than the sacrifice from the yesterday's game between the same
players.} dxc2 41. Qxc2 g4 42. fxg4 hxg4 43. Kg1 Rd4 44. Qc7+ Kg6 45. Qc2+ f5
46. Qc3 Rc4 47. Qd2 Kh7 48. h3 gxh3 49. Nxh3 Qc6 50. Qe3 Rc1+ 51. Kf2 Qc2+ 52.
Kf3 Rf1+ 53. Nf2 {According to the server, Gelfand took his time before
delivering the deadly blow} Rxf2+ $1 {with mate on e4 to follow.} 0-1

[Event "World-ch Tournament"]
[Site "Mexico City"]
[Date "2007.09.18"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A60"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "95"]
[EventDate "2007.09.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "MEX"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 120"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. g3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 b5 {Aronian had some previous
experience with this slightly exotic continuation, in the spirit of the
Blumenfeld Gambit. In their rapid chess match earlier this year, Kramnik
played the unexpected 6.Nd2 and eventually emerged with a clear advantage
after a complicated sequence of moves. Generally, many players who do not play
the Benoni against other move orders prefer 5...d6 followed by ...g6 here,
because the fianchetto system is supposed to put Black under less pressure
than others. However, Aronian seems to be of a different opinion. In his
semi-final Candidates' match against Carlsen, he obtained one of his victories
with White precisely in the fianchetto Benoni...} 6. Nf3 $5 ({White almost
authomatically develops his bishop with} 6. Bg2 {, but Gelfand believes that
the bishop can be useful on the f1-a6 diagonal still.}) 6... d6 $146 ({This
natural move is a novelty. In the few previous games where White played 6.Nf3,
Black reacted with} 6... Bb7 {. White will most probably lose his d5-pawn, but
this will lead to positions similar to those arising from the 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2
Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.d5 variation. For the time being, there is no relevant
practical material available.} 7. e4 $5 {(Never played before)} (7. d6 Qb6 8.
Bf4 Nd5 $15 {Raedeker,B (2241)-Happel,H (2213)/Dresden 2007/CBM 117 ext (1/2-1/
2, 13)}) (7. Bg2 Bxd5 8. Nc3 Bc6 9. O-O Be7 10. Bf4 b4 11. Na4 d6 {Garcia
Martinez,F-Llames Prado,R/Asturias 1996/EXT 2001 (1/2-1/2, 27). and White has
no compensation for the pawn.}) 7... Nxe4 8. Bxb5 Qa5+ 9. Nfd2 Bxd5 (9... Nxd2
$2 10. Qe2+ Be7 11. Bxd2 $16) (9... Qxb5 10. Nxe4 $36 {[%cal Gb1c3,Gc1f4,Gd1h5]
}) (9... Nxg3 10. Rg1 $5 Nf5 11. Nc3 $32) 10. O-O Qxb5 11. Nxe4 Qc6 12. Nbc3
$44 Be6 13. f4 $5) 7. e4 $5 a6 {In case of the exchange of pawns, White would
develop very quickly, which would suit Gelfand's enterprising style quite well.
} (7... Nxe4 8. Bxb5+ Bd7 (8... Nd7 $2 9. Qe2 Qe7 10. O-O $18) 9. Bxd7+ Nxd7
10. O-O Be7 11. Re1 Nef6 12. Qe2 $5 Nxd5 13. Nc3 {(Golubev)} N7b6 14. Nxd5 Nxd5
15. Bg5 f6 16. Rad1 $16) 8. a4 b4 $2 {But this is a huge strategic concession.}
({Black should have played} 8... Nxe4 9. axb5 Be7 {in the spirit of one of the
main lines of the Blumenfeld Gambit: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 b5 5.Bg5
exd5 6.cxd5 d6 7.e4 a6 8.a4 Be7, threatening ...Nxe4. (For further details,
see also my survey on this line in CBM 118) In our position, it is hard for
White to justify the move g3.}) 9. Bd3 {Now that the c4-square has been
weakened, the bishop belongs on this diagonal. The relative weakness induced
by the move g3 does not put White in danger, but could restrict his active
possibilities at a later stage.} g6 10. Nbd2 Bg7 {In order to understand
better where we are, I would resort again to a comparison with a well-known
variation, this time from the Benoni: 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.
cxd5 d6 6.Nc3 g6 7.Bf4 a6 8.e4 b5 9.Qe2 Be7 10.Qc2, followed by a4 (...b4)
Nb1-d2. This line developed mainly by Yakovich, puts Black under serious
pressure. In our position, Black does not need to lose 2 tempi (Bf8-g7) to
activate his bishop, but White saves even more time: the queen's knight's
jumps and the queen's chaotic moves. True, he has lost an additional tempo
with g3, but this still leaves him in a better situation than in the BI.} ({
If Black provokes the strategically desirable exchange of dark-squared bishops
with} 10... Bh6 {, he risks remaining far behind in development after} 11. Nc4
Bxc1 12. Qxc1 {followed by Qf4.}) 11. Nc4 O-O 12. Bf4 Ne8 13. a5 {The further
course of the game suggests that this generally desirable move should have
been delayed until after castling.} ({Gelfand might have disliked that after} 
13. O-O Bg4 {he does not have the possibility of chasing away the bishop with
h3 anymore (one drawback of the move g3).However, after} 14. Re1 {it would not
be easy for Black to complete his development. White could later play Be2 or
simply Qe2-e3 in order to get rid of the pin.}) 13... Bh3 14. Ng5 {The only
way to get castled, but the knight is awkwardly placed here.} Bd7 15. O-O Bb5
16. Qd2 h6 {Probably best. Black drives the enemy minor pieces away, which
helps him complete his development.} (16... Bxc4 $6 17. Bxc4 Nd7 $2 {fails to}
18. Ne6 $1 $16) ({However,} 16... Nd7 {seems to work out well tactically:} 17.
Nxd6 $6 Bxd3 (17... Nxd6 18. Bxd6 Bxd3 19. Bxf8 {leaves Black with an
unpleasant choice regarding which piece to misplace in order to capture the
bishop.}) 18. Qxd3 (18. Nxe8 Bxf1 19. Nxg7 Bb5 20. N7e6 fxe6 21. Nxe6 $44 {
offers White compensation for the sacrificed material, but Black is not
without chances either.}) 18... Nxd6 19. Bxd6 Qxg5 20. Bxf8 (20. f4 Qh5 21.
Bxf8 {is strongly met by the intermediate} Bd4+ $1) 20... Rxf8 21. f4 Qh5 {
[%cal Yg7d4]} (21... Bd4+ $2 22. Qxd4 $1 $18) 22. e5 Nxe5 $1 23. fxe5 Qxe5 $44)
(16... Nd7 {is best answered by} 17. Nf3 $1 {, taking the e5-square under
control and renewing the threat against the d6-pawn by removing the knight
from the vulnerable position. Besides, Black would not be able to drive the
f4-bishop away with h6 and g5.}) 17. Nf3 g5 18. Be3 {At the cost of weakening
his kingside, Black has managed to eliminate the annoying pressure against the
d6-pawn.} Bxc4 19. Bxc4 Qf6 {It is hard to say whether the final consequences
of this queen incursion favour Black or not.} ({The immediate} 19... Nd7 {
deserves attention. White would have no direct way of taking advantage of the
weakness of the enemy kingside, for instance:} 20. h4 $6 g4 21. Nh2 Ne5 22. Be2
Nf6 {and Black has little to complain about.}) 20. Qd1 Nd7 ({Aiming to
complete his development.} 20... Qxb2 {would be risky because of} 21. e5 {
, when chaos would be reigning in Black's army.}) 21. Rb1 Qe7 (21... Qd8 $5)
22. Nd2 {We can see that White's queen retreat to d1 has been useful by
clearing the d2-square for the knight, which casts some doubt over Aronian's ..
.Qf6.} Nef6 23. Re1 Rfe8 (23... Nxe4 $2 24. Nxe4 Qxe4 {[%csl Yc4]} 25. Bd3 $1
Qe7 (25... Qxd5 $2 26. Bh7+ $1 $18) 26. Bxc5 $16) 24. f3 {White has managed to
maintain his blockade on the light squares, but his pawn centre is not easy to
advance. In the meantime, Black has completed his development and could think
about ways to take advantage of the slight weakness of White's kingside.} Qd8
25. Ra1 g4 $5 ({Aronian hurries to give further meaning to the previous
advance of his g-pawn, but, with hindsight, his last move might be premature.
He could also have strengthened his position with} 25... Ne5 26. Be2 Qc8 {
followed by ...Ra7-e7, keeping the threat ...g4 in reserve.} 27. Kg2 Ra7 28. h3
Rae7 29. Nc4 Nxc4 30. Bxc4 Nxe4 31. fxe4 Rxe4 32. Qd3 (32. Qb3 Bxb2 33. Qxb2
Rxe3 34. Rxe3 Rxe3 35. Qf6 Qe8 36. Rf1 Rc3 $44) 32... Bxb2 $44) 26. fxg4 Ne5 $6
{After this move, White will manage to consolidate.} ({It is hard to say why
Aronian refrained from} 26... Nxe4 {, re-establishing the material equality
and maintaining sufficient initiative to compensate for the strategic
drawbacks of his position. White could try to maintain his material advantage
with} 27. Bxh6 $5 Nf2 $1 (27... Bd4+ $6 28. Kg2 Nf2 29. Qf3 $1 Ne5 30. Rxe5 $1
dxe5 (30... Rxe5 31. Rf1 $18) 31. Rf1 e4 32. Nxe4 Rxe4 33. Rxf2 Qe8 34. d6 $5
Bxf2 35. d7 Qe7 36. Bd3 Rd8 37. Bxe4 Bd4 38. Qf5 $40) (27... Bxh6 28. Nxe4 $14)
28. Kxf2 Bxh6 {leaves the white king more exposed than after the immediate
capture on h6, a detail that counts in variations such as} 29. Ne4 Bg7 30. Qd2
Nf6 31. Nxf6+ Qxf6+ {[%csl Yb2,Yf2]}) 27. Be2 Qd7 28. g5 Nfg4 29. Bf4 hxg5 30.
Bxg5 f5 31. Rf1 Rf8 32. exf5 Rxf5 33. Bf4 {White has the pair of bishops, a
safe position of his king and an extra-pawn. The relatively exposed b2-pawn
and Black's queenside majority cause the position to be not entirely clear yet,
but Aronian will fail to obtain adequate counterplay.} Nf6 34. g4 Rxf4 35. Rxf4
Nf7 36. Nc4 Re8 37. Qd3 Qe7 38. Bf3 Ne5 39. Nxe5 Qxe5 40. Rf5 Qxb2 41. Rf1 b3
42. Kh1 Nd7 43. Bd1 c4 44. Qxc4 Nc5 45. Qf4 Ne4 46. Rf7 Bf6 47. Rb7 Qd2 48.
Qxd2 1-0

[Event "World-ch Tournament"]
[Site "Mexico City"]
[Date "2007.09.19"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E17"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2007.09.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "MEX"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 120"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 {The development of
this knight before castling was submitted to thorough investigation at a high
level for the first time during the final Candidates' match between Karpov and
Kortschnoj, back in 1974. Playing with white, Kortschnoj managed to unearth
several interesting ideas, but suceeded in winning a game with this line only
towards the end of the match. Sadly for him, this did not change the course of
history and Karpov won the match with a minimal difference and was soon to be
proclaimed World Champion after Fischer's refusal to defend his title. El
desarrollo de este caballo antes del enroque has sidom sometido a una
examinaciуn atenta durante el encuentro final de los Candidatos de 1974, en el
que se enfrentaban Karpov y Kortschnoj. Jugando con blancas, Kortschnoj
conseguiу relevar varнas ideas interesantes, pero solo ganу una partida con
esta variante hacнa el final del encuentro. Tristemente para йl, este logro no
cambiу el curso de la historнa: Karpov gano el encuentro por una diferencia
mнnima y fue proclamada Campeуn del Mundo tras el rechazo de Fischer de
defender su tнtulo.} Ne4 7. Bd2 f5 8. d5 Bf6 9. Qc2 {We can see here a first
difference induced by this move order. In the position with castles inserted,
Black could win a pawn with ...Bxc3 followed by ...exd5, but here this is
impossible because the g7-pawn would be hanging. There has been some intense
theoretical and practical discussion in this line some 10 years ago. Later,
the systems based on 4...Ba6 became increasingly popular and little progress
has been made in this variation. Aquн vemos una de las diferencнas inducdas
por este orden de jugadas. En la posiciуn similar con los enroques efectuados,
las negras ganarнan un peуn con ...Axc3 seguнdo por ...exd5, pero esto no vale
aquн porque el peуn de g7 quedarнa indefenso.} Qe7 10. Nxe4 {This move was
introduced into practice by none other than an already aged but ever young
Kortschnoj.} ({Against} 10. Rd1 {, the developing move} Na6 {is considered best
} (10... exd5 {Khalifman,A (2650)-Kortschnoj,V (2635)/St Petersburg 1997/CBM
059/[Khalifman] (1-0, 47)}) {and after} 11. O-O {theory holds} Nd6 $1 {to
offer best chances for equality, Olafsson,H (2520)-Rozentalis,E (2595)/Lyon
1994/CBM 045 (1/2-1/2, 32)} (11... O-O $6 12. Nxe4 fxe4 13. Qxe4 {Romanishin,O
(2590)-Rozentalis,E (2595)/Malmo 1993/CBM 036/[Dautov] (1-0, 27)})) 10... fxe4
11. Qxe4 Bxb2 (11... exd5 $2 {(! acording to Tyomkin)} 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Ng5
h6 (13... Bxb2 14. Rb1 Bf6 15. cxd5 $16) 14. cxd5 $1 Ke8 (14... Kf8 15. Bb4+ $1
) 15. Ne4 $16) 12. Rd1 $1 {With the centre under tension, this move is very
logical. The rook indirectly consolidates the d5-pawn, which is essential in
order to keep the b7-bishop passive for the time being.} ({In the initial game
} 12. Rb1 {was played. Kortschnoj probably wanted to win a tempo because of
the forced} Bf6 {Kortschnoj,V (2635)-Rozentalis,E (2650)/Beersheba 1997/CBM
058/[Tyomkin,D] (0-1, 36). As we shall see, Black will more or less have to
retreat with the bishop even if not attacked.}) 12... Bf6 {We have reached a
strategically unbalanced position, which seems to suit both players' style.
Gelfand has obtained considerable advantage of space and some initiative,
while the b7-bishop is quite passive. Morozevich relies on the fact that after
the elimination of the b2-pawn, the c5-square has become an excellent outpost
for his knight. If in the long run his stability on the dark squares will
allow him extinguish the first wave of White's initiative, he might obtain a
pleasant endgame. As for the b7-bishop, it can always come back into play via
a6 or (after a preliminary ...d6) via c8-d7. Hemos llegado a una posiciуn
estrategiamente desequilibrada, que parece ajustarse al estilo de ambos
jugadores. Gelfand ha obtenido considerable ventja de espacio y algo de
iniciativa, mientras que el alfil de b7 se encuentra bastante pбsivo.
Morozevich confнa en que despuйs de la eliminaciуn del peуn de b2, la casilla
de c5 se ha vuelto muy comfortable para el caballo. Sн a largo plazo, su
estabilidad en casillas negras le permitirб extinguнr las prieras olas de
iniciativa blanca, se podrнa llegar a un final agradable para las negras. En
lo que a su alfil de b7 se refiere, queda siempre tiempo para volver en juego
por a6 o, tras un previo ...d6, por c8-d7.} ({The attempts to save a tempo by
leaving the bishop on b2 are risky.} 12... O-O 13. Qc2 (13. Ng5 $1 $16 {
is simpler, provoking the weakening of the black kingside.}) 13... Bf6 14. d6
$1 Qf7 (14... cxd6 $2 15. Ng5 $1 $18) 15. dxc7 Na6 16. Bf4 $14 (16. Ng5 $2 Bxg5
17. Bxb7 Qxf2#)) (12... Na6 13. Qc2 $1 (13. O-O {is also possible, when Black
can transpose below by retreating with the bishop. Otherwise,} Nc5 14. Qc2 Bf6
15. e4 $14 {allows White remove the queen from the centre with gain of time
and consolidate his d5-pawn, retaining considerable advantage of space.}) 13...
Bf6 14. e4 $1 $14 exd5 15. cxd5 Bxd5 {The only way to question White's
ambitious plan.} 16. e5 Bxf3 {Again the only move. Otherwise, too many black
pieces would be hanging after the simple 17.0-0.} 17. Bxf3 Qxe5+ 18. Kf1 O-O-O
19. Qa4 Nb8 20. Kg2 $40 {[%cal Yd2f4]}) ({Finally, the part played by the rook
on d1 becomes clear in the slightly cooperative variation} 12... exd5 $6 13.
Qxe7+ Kxe7 14. cxd5 Bxd5 $2 15. Bg5+ $1 {when the d5-bishop will be lost soon.}
) 13. O-O Na6 {White's queen is stuck in the centre. The d5-pawn is pinned and
under pressure and there is no obvious way to consolidate it with a further e4.
} 14. Nd4 (14. Ne1 $5 {would transpose to the game Atalik,S (2525)-Greenfeld,A
(2555)/Beijing 1996/CBM 054 ext/[Atalik] (1-0, 55), in which ...Qe7 and ...Na6
were played in reverse order.}) 14... Nc5 15. Qe3 $5 $146 (15. Qg4 O-O $6 (
15... h5 16. Qg6+ Qf7 17. Qxf7+ Kxf7 {allows Black exchange queens without
releasing the tension in the centre, but White would probably maintain an edge
with} 18. Be3 $14 {, when Black's position is not easy to hold together.}) (
15... O-O-O $5 16. Bb4 h5 17. Qg6 Bxd4 18. Rxd4 Rh6 19. Qc2 e5 20. Rd2 h4 $132)
16. Bb4 Bxd4 17. Qxd4 e5 18. Qc3 $14 a5 $2 19. d6 $1 axb4 20. dxe7 bxc3 21.
exf8=Q+ Kxf8 22. Bxb7 Nxb7 23. Rxd7 Rxa2 24. Rc1 Nc5 25. Rxc7 c2 26. Rxc5 bxc5
27. Kf1 $16 {Burmakin,V (2581)-Hernandez Carmenates,H (2544)/Albacete 2007 
(1-0, 79)}) 15... exd5 $5 {A creative reaction to Gelfand's novelty. Against
other moves, White would play Bb4, with similar play as in Burmakin-Hernandez
game.} 16. cxd5 (16. Nb5 $5) 16... Qxe3 17. Bxe3 O-O-O {Both sides have
completed the first wave of their development and the time has come for direct
contact. Ambas partes han finalziado su movilisaciуn y ha llegado la hora de
contactes directos.} 18. Rb1 $1 {This is not a loss of time. he rook has done
its job on the d-file and returns now to the queenside, in order to strengthen
the threat Nb5.} (18. Nb5 a6 19. Bxc5 bxc5 20. Na3 {does not look too
dangerous for Black, who has two bishops.}) 18... Rhe8 $5 {Very principled.
Black fights against the threat by indirect means, continuing the activation
of his forces.} 19. Nb5 {Threatening Bxc5, when Black would be deprived of one
of his main trumps. Amenazando Axc5, que privarнa a las negras del orgullo de
su posiciуn.} Rxe3 $5 {An exchange sacrifice in the style of Petrosian and
Andersson. Its main idea is to preserve the stability on the dark squares. Una
entrega de calidad en el estilo de Petrosian y Anderson. Su principal idea
estratйgica es conservar estabilidad en casillas negras.} (19... a6 $6 {
is what White has prepared for by re-directing his rook to b1.} 20. Bxc5 axb5 (
20... bxc5 $2 21. Na7+ Kb8 22. d6 $1 {The immediate 22.Nc6+ is also possible.}
c6 23. Nxc6+ $1 $18) 21. Be3 $16) ({An interesting variation can arise after} 
19... Kb8 20. Bxc5 $1 {The correct move order.} (20. d6 $6 c6 21. Nc7 Rxe3 $1
22. fxe3 Be5 {is far from clear.}) 20... bxc5 21. d6 c6 22. e3 $1 {Taking
advantage of the potential pin along the b-file in order to defend the e-pawn.}
Re6 23. Na3 Ka8 (23... Rxd6 $2 24. Nc4 Rd3 25. Na5 $18) 24. Rxb7 $5 Kxb7 25.
Rb1+ Ka8 (25... Ka6 $2 26. Bf1+ Ka5 27. Nc4+ Ka6 28. Nd2+ Ka5 29. Rb7 $40 {
[%cal Ya2a3,Gb7a7]}) (25... Kc8 $2 26. Bf1 Rxd6 27. Ba6+ Kc7 28. Rb7+ Kc8 29.
Rxa7+ $1 {[%csl Gb6] making the b6-square available for the knight with gain
of time.} Kb8 30. Rb7+ Kc8 31. Nc4 Rd1+ 32. Kg2 Rf8 33. Rb1+ Kc7 34. Rxd1 {
White has won a piece but it is not all over yet.} Ra8 35. Rxd7+ $1 Kxd7 36.
Nb6+ Kc7 37. Nxa8+ Kb8 38. Nb6 Ka7 {and now, if one does not feel like
calculating the consequences of the pawn ending, he can choose the safely
winning endgame arising after} 39. Nc4 Kxa6 40. a4 $18 {[%csl Ga5,Gb5][%cal
Re3e4,Rf2f4]}) 26. Nb5 a5 (26... Rc8 27. Nc7+ Rxc7 28. dxc7 Re8 29. Rd1 Kb7 30.
Rxd7 {/\Rd6} Rc8 31. Kf1 $16 {White has good chances to win even after the
exchange of rooks.}) 27. Nc7+ Ka7 28. Nxe6 (28. Bxc6 dxc6 29. Nxe6 Rxd6 30.
Nxc5 Rd2 $132) 28... dxe6 29. Rd1 Kb6 30. Bh3 e5 31. Rb1+ (31. Be6 c4 $1 32.
Bxc4 Kc5 $11) 31... Ka7 32. d7 $16 {Again, Wite has good winning chances.}) 20.
fxe3 a6 21. Nd4 Re8 22. Nf5 d6 23. Rb4 {With his disrupted structure, White
can hardly think about a favourable pawn break. Therefore, his only
constructive plan is to activate his pieces. The main threat is Rg4. Dado que
su estructura ha perdido toda flexibilidad, las blancas no pueden ni soсar con
una ruptura favorable de peones. Por esto, el ъnico plan constructivo que les
queda es la activaciуn desus figuras. La principal amenaza es Tg4.} h5 $6 ({
We can suppose that Morozevich was optimistic around this moment. If this is
true, he must have forgotten that he did not fulfil all his programmed tasks
yet. He still needs to activate his light-squared bishop. From this point of
view, more consequent would have been Cabe suponer que Morozevich estaba
optimista en este momento. De haber sido asн, el debe de haberse olvidado de
que no habнa efectuado todo sus "deberes" todavнa. Le quedaba por activar su
alfil de casillas blancas. En este sentido, era mas consecuente} 23... Kb8 {
preparing ...Bc8 and offering some indirect defence to his kingside at the
same time. preparando ...Ac8 y ofreciendo alguna defensa de forma indirecta al
flanco de rey al mismo tiempo.} 24. Rg4 Bc8 25. Nxg7 $5 {The only way to
maintain the initiative. In other cases, Black would exchange on f5, obtaining
a reliable fortress on dark squares. Later, he could consider advancing his
queenside pawns gradually, which could cause White certain problems. La ъnica
forma de mantener la iniciativa. En caso contrarнo, las negras cambнarнan en
f5, con una fortaleza muy estable. Mбs tarde, el avance gradual de los peones
del flanco de dama podrнa causar ciertos problemas a las blancas.} Rg8 26. Ne6
Rxg4 {At this moment we understand why the king could not go to d8 instead of
b8. En este momento comprendemos porque el rey no pudo ir a d8 en vez de b8.}
27. Rxf6 Ra4 28. Rf8 {Threatening Nxc5 followed by Bh3. Amenazando Cxc5
seguнdo por Ah3.} Nd7 29. Rh8 Rxa2 {White's position remains more active, but
the a- and b-pawns will start running soon. The position remains difficult to
assess. La posiciуn de las blancas es mбs activa, pero los peones de a y b se
pondrбn a correr en cualquнer momento. La situaciуn queda difнcil de evaluar.})
24. g4 $1 a5 25. Rbf4 {White's kingside initiative has become very dangerous
now. Ahora, la iniciativa de las blancas en el flanco de rey se ha vuelto muy
peligrosa.} Rh8 26. gxh5 Rxh5 27. Rg4 Rh7 28. Nxg7 $1 {An elegant tactical
blow, crowning White's previous play and taking advantage of the fact that the
b7-bishop is still a mere spectator. Un golpe tбctico elegante, coronando el
juego anterior de las blancas y aprovechando el hecho de que el alfil de b7
queda un mero espectador todavнa.} Rxg7 ({Or O} 28... Bxg7 29. Rf7 $18) 29. Bh3
$1 Rxg4+ 30. Bxg4+ Kd8 31. Rxf6 Bxd5 32. a3 {Both players were familiar with
this scenario from their games yesterday. Black is an exchange down and
searches for some desperate counterplay based on the advance of his queenside
pawns. Para ambos jugadores, el escenarнo era familiar desde sus partidas de
la ronda anterior. Las negras tienen calidad de menos y buscan un contrajuego
desesperado al avnzar los peones del flanco de dama.} b5 33. h4 b4 34. axb4
axb4 35. Rf4 b3 36. Bf5 Bf7 37. Kf2 Ke7 38. Ke1 Kf6 39. Bd3+ Kg7 40. Kd2 Be6
41. Kc3 Bf7 42. Bc4 Bxc4 43. Rxc4 Kg6 44. e4 Ne6 45. Kxb3 Kh5 46. e5 d5 47. Rb4
Kg6 48. Rb8 Nd4+ 49. Kb2 Nf5 50. Rf8 1-0

[Event "World-ch Tournament"]
[Site "Mexico City"]
[Date "2007.09.27"]
[Round "12"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2750"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2007.09.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "MEX"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 120"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2007.10.02"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 {By choosing a Slav move order, Gelfand avoids Aronian's
unusual setup from his earlier game against Grischuk. Al eligir el orden de
jugadas de Eslava, Gelfand evita enfrentarse con el experimento de Aronian en
su partida anterior con Grischuk.} 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6
7. e3 Nd7 8. Bd3 dxc4 ({A curious moment. This early release of the tension in
the centre is only apparently a concession. In the first round game
Kramnik-Svidler, Black played Un momento curioso. Este cambio temprano es solo
aparentemente una concesiуn. En la partida Kramnik-Svidler de la primera ronda,
las negras jugaron} 8... g6 {, which offered White the additional possibility
of winning space in the centre with , que ofreciу a las blancas la posibilidad
adicional de ganar espacнo en el centro con} 9. e4 dxc4 10. e5 $1 Qe7 11. Bxc4)
9. Bxc4 g6 10. O-O ({Now, Ahora,} 10. e4 {can always be met by puede siempre
ser contestada con} e5 $1) 10... Bg7 11. Rc1 O-O 12. Ne4 Qe7 13. Bb3 Rd8 (13...
b6 {has been tried in a few games and is considered to offer White chances for
an advantage after} 14. Ba4 {, although practice has not sustained this point
of view.} ({It is possible to justify the retreat of the bishop by employing a
pseudo-attacking plan:} 14. h4 Bb7 15. h5 g5 16. Ng3 Rad8 17. Bc2 c5 18. Qd3 {
However, it is not clear what the queen's rook is doing on c1, while Black's
development is very harmonious..} f5 19. Qa3 a5 $15 {Ragozin,E (2475)-Neverov,
V (2541)/St Petersburg 2000/CBM 076 (1-0, 79)}) 14... c5 (14... Ba6 15. Bxc6
Bxf1 16. Bxa8 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Rxa8 18. Qa4 Nf6 19. Nxf6+ Bxf6 20. Qc6 Rd8 21. Rc4
$14 {Moiseenko,A (2582)-Sedlak,N (2423)/Aviles 2000/CBM 077 ext (1/2-1/2, 30).
White's better control in the centre, his stability on the light squares and
the control of the only open file make the position theoretically better for
him, but Black is solid and in case of a break with ...e5 his bishop could
become active.}) 15. Bc6 Rb8 16. Qa4 Bb7 (16... Nf6 17. Rfd1 cxd4 18. Nxd4 Nxe4
19. Bxe4 Bxd4 20. exd4 Rd8 21. Rc3 a5 22. Qc2 $14 {Moiseenko,A (2573)
-Borovikov,V (2472)/Ordzhonikidze 2000/CBM 078 (1/2-1/2, 56). For once,
White's advantage, though minimal, is real here. He is better developed while
the enemy king is slightly vulnerable.}) 17. Bxb7 Rxb7 18. dxc5 bxc5 19. b3 {
White has conquered the c4-square for his pieces, but Black is well
coordinated.} f5 20. Ned2 g5 {It appears that White's stability on the light
squares is questionable.} 21. Rfd1 g4 $132 {Lutz,C (2550)-Knaak,R (2525)/
Baden-Baden 1992/CBM 033 (1/2-1/2, 44)}) 14. Qc2 {Aronian has chosen a rarely
seen setup, with his knight in front of the e-pawn, which deprives him of the
possibility of winning space in the centre. White's philosophy in the current
position is to prevent Black from completing his development or freeing his
position with the thematic ...c5 or ...e5, rather than starting active
operations himself. Aronian escogiу un sistema de desarrollo bastante poco
frecuente, basado en colocar el caballo en frente del peуn de e3, impediendo
asн una futura conquнsta de espacнo en el centro. La filosofнa de las blancas
en esta posiciуn se basa en primer lugar en impedir el desarrollo de las
negras y la realisaciуn de las rupturas temбticas ...c5 o ...e5 y en menor
medida en mejorar su proprнa posiciуn de forma rбpida.} e5 {Black usually
shies away from this move, preferring to jump with his knight to f6 or b6.
Normalmente, las negras se abstienen de esta jugada, prefiriendo un salto de
caballo a b6 o f6.} (14... Nf6 15. Nc5 $14 {Dautov,R (2620)-Dreev,A (2670)/
Reggio Emilia 1996/CBM 051/[Dautov] (0-1, 60)}) 15. Rfe1 {A subtle move. White
discourages the exchange on d4, which would leave the black queen vulnerable
after exd4. Una jugada sъtil. Las blancas quнeren quitar a las negras las
ganas de comer en d4, que, despuйs de exd4, dejarнa a la dama negra incуmoda
en la misma columna con la torre blanca.} Kh8 {Less subtle, but very strong.
Black threatens the brutal ...f5. Menos sъtil, pero muy fuerte. Las negras
crean la brutal amenaza ...f5.} (15... Kh7 $2 {is worse because of} 16. Bxf7)
16. g4 $5 {It is hard to give a final evaluation of this exotic move, since it
almost surely formed part of Aronian's preparation. It also bears strong
similarity with the advance of the g-pawn from his aforementioned game against
Grischuk. I get the feeling that, having been deprived of the possibility of
playing Nbd2!? in the opening, Aronian "transposed" to the familiar territory
with his last move. Anyway, White's main idea is the same: to ensure some
stability for the knights. However, there is a significant difference compared
to the previous game: Black's kingside structure is more flexible because the
g-pawn is on g6 instead of g5. This is clearly in Black's favour, since
White's kingside position remains shaky. Es difнcil dar una evaluaciуn
definitiva a esta jugada algo exуtica, especialmente que, casi seguramente,
formaba parte de la preparaciуn casera de Aronian. Notamos cierta similitud
con el avance del mismo peуn en la partida anterioremnte mencionada contra
Grischuk. me da la sensaciуn que, al no haber tenido la posibilidad de repetir
el experimento con Cbd2!? en la apertura, Aronian "transpuso" a un teritorнo
familiar con su ъltima jugada. De toda forma, la idea de las blancas es la
misma: asegurar estabilidad de los caballos en casillas blancas. Sin embargo,
hay una esencнal diferencнa con respecto a dicha partida: la estructura de las
negras en el flanco de rey es mбs flexible, porque el peуn de g se encuentra
en g6 en vez de g5. Este detalle favorece a las negras, porque la posiciуn de
las blancas en el centro y en el flanco de rey queda bastante inestable.} ({
Previously,} 16. Ned2 {had been played. I must say, this is not a shattering
move.} Re8 ({Now that there is no danger of a fork on g5, Black can simply
improve his position with} 16... Kh7 $5 {, when it would be difficult for
White to prove an active plan.}) 17. Nc4 e4 18. Nfe5 Nxe5 19. dxe5 Be6 (19...
f5 $5 20. exf6 Qxf6 21. Red1 Bf5 22. Nd6 Re7 $13) 20. Nd6 (20. Qxe4 $1 Bxc4 21.
Qxc4 {[%csl Gf7]}) 20... Bxb3 21. Qxb3 Rf8 22. Qxb7 Qxb7 23. Nxb7 Rab8 24. Na5
Rxb2 $11 {Roiz,M (2507)-Farakhov,R (2317)/Pardubice 2002/CBM 089 ext (1/2-1/2,
40)}) 16... Rf8 $1 {After the radical weakening of White's kingside, the rook
changes plans. From f8, it defends the f7-pawn, enabling ...Nb6, which attacks
the g4-pawn, while also supporting an eventual advance of the f-pawn to f5.
Despuйs de la debilitaciуn del flanco de rey blanco, la torre cambнa sus
intenciones. Desde f8, sobredefiende el peуn de f7, para habilitar ...Nb6, que
atacarнa el peуn de g4 y sosteniendo el avance del peуn f al mismo tiempo.} 17.
g5 $6 ({This new advance of the g-pawn will fail to stabilize the position.
Maybe it was time to think about safety with Este nuevo avance del peуn de g
no conseguнrб estabilizar el flanco de rey. tal vez era el momento de jugar
seguro con} 17. Ng3) 17... f5 $1 {I suppose that Aronian underestimated this
move. From structural point of view, it does not seem to make sense, but a
closer look at the position reveals the merits of Gelfand's decision. The
e5-pawn will remain isolated now, but in fact it is not a weak pawn (as would
be the case if the d4-pawn would be on d5 and the c6-pawn on c5). Also, the
e4-knight will not become more stable (refer to the same hypothetical
situation for comparison). Finally, the pressure exerted by the f8-rook
against the white kingside will be very annoying.} ({Aronian might have
expected} 17... hxg5 {when after} 18. Nexg5 {[%cal Yc2e4,Ye4h4]} Bh6 (18... f5
19. Ne6 $1) 19. h4 {White is not without ideas.}) 18. gxf6 Bxf6 ({This looks
slow, but} 18... Nxf6 {would lose a pawn to} 19. Nxe5 {, because the pinning
move} Bf5 {is not dangerous in view of} 20. Qc5 $1) 19. Kg2 Bg7 20. h4 $6 {
Strategically correct, but, with queens on the board, very risky.
Estrategicamente corecto, pero con damas en el tablero - muy arriesgado.} ({
White cannot stabilize the position in the centre with} 20. d5 $2 {because of}
cxd5 21. Bxd5 Nb6 $40 {[%cal Yc8g4,Yf8f3]}) ({Here, too} 20. Ng3 {looks like a
safer choice.}) 20... Nb6 $1 {The turning point in the game. Gelfand was
approaching time trouble, but the investment of time in the previous phase of
the game was fully justified, as Black has the better position already.} 21.
dxe5 $2 ({It seems that after this move White's game cannot be saved anymore.
Parece que despuйs de esta jugada las blancas no pueden salvarse ya.} 21. Nxe5
{would have been a lesser evil. hubiera sido un menor mal.}) 21... Bg4 ({
Not a bad move, but No es una mala jugada, pero parece que} 21... Rxf3 $1 {
seems to have been decisive, too: hubiera ganado, tambiйn:} 22. Kxf3 Bf5 23.
Kg2 {The only way to get out of the nasty pin. La ъnica forma de intentar
desclavarse.} Qxh4 24. f4 {and now, Black has y ahora las negras tienen} Nd7 {
, when White's poor coordination prevents him from parrying such a simple
threat as ...Nxe5, when Black's attack will take on decisive proportions. ,
cuando la mala coordinaciуn de las blancas les impide parar la sncilla amenaza
...Nxe5, con ataque ganador.}) 22. Ned2 Nd7 23. e6 ({This makes it easier for
Black, who can win with normal moves. Esta jugada simplifica la tarйa de las
negras, que ganarбn con jugadas sencillas.} 23. Qxg6 {would have been more
demanding. White threatens Bc2, but Black is the first to deliver decisive
blows: hubiera requierido un juego algo mбs preciso de las negras. La amenaza
directa es Bc2, pero las negras se adelantan con su ataque:} Nxe5 24. Nxe5
Rxf2+ $1 25. Kxf2 Qxh4+ 26. Kg1 Bxe5 27. Nf1 Rf8 {Threatening ...Qf2+ or ...
Rxf1+, followed by mate. Amenazando ...Qf2+ o ...Rxf1+ con mate.} 28. Rc2 Bf3
29. Rg2 {Apparently, White has defended, but the next move shatters the
illusion. Aparentemente, las blancas se han defendido, pero despuйs de la
siguнente jugada se esfumarбn las ilusiones.} Be4 $1 {White has no adequate
way to keep the rook defended. For instance, Las blancas no tienen a
disposiciуn un modo adecuado de mantener a la torre de g2 defendida. Por
ejemplo,} 30. Qg4 {loses the queen to perderнa la dama por} Bh2+ $1 31. Kh1 (
31. Nxh2 {leads to mate after llevarнa al mate despuйs de} Qxe1+ 32. Nf1 Rxf1+
33. Kh2 Rh1#) 31... Qxg4 $1) 23... Ne5 $1 24. Nh2 (24. Nxe5 Rxf2+ 25. Kxf2
Qxh4+ 26. Kg2 (26. Kg1 Qg3+) 26... Bxe5) 24... Qxh4 {Around this moment,
Gelfand must have felt like in the good old days, when the King's Indian was
his main weapon against 1.d4. White is under decisive attack and he does not
even have a material advantage to offer him some Platonic consolation... [#]
Alrededor de este momento, Gelfand debe de haberse sentido como en los viejos
buenos tiempos, cuando la India de Rey era su principal arma contra 1.d4.} 25.
f4 Bf5 26. Ne4 Qh3+ 27. Kg1 Nf3+ 28. Nxf3 Qxf3 29. Ng5 hxg5 30. Qh2+ Qh5 31.
Qxh5+ gxh5 32. e7 Rfe8 33. Rc5 Bg4 34. Rxg5 Rxe7 35. Kg2 Bf6 36. Rg6 Rf8 37. e4
Bf5 38. Rh6+ Kg7 39. Rxh5 Bxe4+ 40. Kh2 Bd5 0-1

[Event "RUS-chT"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2008.04.05"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Alekseev, Evgeny V"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2711"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2008.04.02"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 124"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.05.28"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2008.05.28"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Moscow ShSM-64"]
[BlackTeam "Saratov Economist"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5
9. Ne5 Bb7 10. h4 g4 11. Nxg4 Nbd7 12. Nxf6+ Nxf6 13. Qf3 Rg8 14. Be2 a6 15.
Rd1 Nd7 16. O-O Qf6 17. Qe3 O-O-O 18. b3 cxb3 19. axb3 Be7 20. Rc1 Qh8 21. Bh2
Qg7 22. Bf3 e5 23. Nd5 Bd6 24. Qc3 Rde8 25. Qa5 Re6 26. Rxc6+ Bxc6 27. Rc1 Nb8
28. Rxc6+ Nxc6 29. Qxa6+ Kd8 30. Qb6+ Kd7 31. Qb7+ Kd8 32. Nb6 f5 33. Qc8+ Ke7
34. Qd7+ Kf8 35. Qxe6 Qe7 36. Qxh6+ Rg7 37. Nc8 1-0

[Event "RUS-chT"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2008.04.07"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A16"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2740"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2008.04.02"]
[EventType "team"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 124"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.05.28"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2008.05.28"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Moscow ShSM-64"]
[BlackTeam "Ekaterinburg Ural"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. Qa4+ Bd7 6. Qb3 Nb6 7. d4 Be6 8.
Qc2 Bg7 9. e4 Bg4 10. Ne5 Bxe5 11. dxe5 Nc6 12. Bb5 Bd7 13. Bxc6 Bxc6 14. Be3
Qd7 15. Rd1 Qe6 16. O-O O-O 17. f4 Rad8 18. Bd4 f5 19. exf6 exf6 20. f5 gxf5
21. Rxf5 Be8 22. Qf2 Bg6 23. Rf4 Nd7 24. Rf1 Ne5 25. Nd5 Nd3 26. Rxf6 Rxf6 27.
Nxf6+ Kf7 28. Qe3 c5 29. Nxh7+ Ke8 30. Nf6+ Ke7 31. Bxc5+ Nxc5 32. Qxc5+ Qd6
33. Qg5 Qd4+ 34. Kh1 1-0

[Event "Sochi FIDE GP"]
[Site "Sochi"]
[Date "2008.08.11"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A30"]
[WhiteElo "2720"]
[BlackElo "2781"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2008.07.31"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 126"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.10.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2008.10.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 d6 8. e4 a6
9. d4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Qc7 11. Be3 O-O 12. Rc1 Re8 13. f4 Bf8 14. f5 $1 h6 {
The greatest mystery of this game is the question, why has Ivanchuk decided to
defend the variation with such a dubious reputation? Black has always been
strugggling to cope with the direct onslaught against the e6-pawn. The move h6
does not seem to present a satisfactory solution.} 15. Rf1 Nbd7 16. fxe6 fxe6
17. Bh3 {Until this moment the play was very easy for Gelfand. The real
mastery will have to be displayed in breaking down the resistance of his
excellent opponent.} Qc5 (17... Qxc4 18. Nxe6 Nxe4 (18... Rxe6 19. b3 Qxf1+ 20.
Qxf1 Re7 21. Qc4+ Kh8 22. Rf1 $18) 19. Na4 Qxa2 20. Nxf8 Nxf8 21. Rc7 Rab8 (
21... Qd5 22. Qxd5+ Bxd5 23. Nxb6 $18) 22. Bd4 Re5 23. Bg2 $18) (17... Nc5 18.
b4 Ncxe4 19. Nxe4 Nxe4 20. Nxe6 Qe7 21. Bxb6 $18) 18. b4 $1 Qxc4 (18... Qxb4
19. Bxe6+ Kh8 20. Nd5 Qa3 (20... Nxd5 21. cxd5 Qa3 22. Qe2 Nc5 23. Rf7 $16) 21.
Bf4 Bxd5 22. exd5 Qxa2 23. Bf5 $16) 19. Nd5 Qxa2 $6 {The optimal choice
between miserable options is a difficult task even for super grandmasters.
Probably the best was to eliminate most pieces in the centre and accept a
difficult ending.} (19... Bxd5 20. exd5 (20. Rxc4 Bxc4 21. Qc2 Bxf1 22. Kxf1
Kh8 (22... e5 23. Qb3+ Kh8 24. Nf5 Rec8 25. Qf7 $18) 23. Bxe6 $16) 20... Qxd5
21. Nxe6 Qxa2 (21... Qxd1 22. Rcxd1 d5 23. Bd4 Rab8 24. Nxf8 Rxf8 25. Be6+ Kh8
26. Rc1 Rfe8 27. Rc6 $16) 22. Bd4 Rxe6 23. Rc2 Qd5 (23... Qb3 24. Re2 $1) 24.
Bxf6 Qxd1 25. Bxe6+ Kh7 26. Rxd1 Nxf6 27. Rc6 $16) (19... exd5 20. Rxc4 dxc4
21. Be6+ Kh8 22. Bxd7 Nxd7 23. Rf7 Re7 24. Rxe7 Bxe7 25. Nf5 Bf8 26. Nxd6 $18)
20. Rf2 Qxf2+ (20... Qa3 21. Rc3 Nxe4 22. Rxf8+ Nxf8 23. Rxa3 Bxd5 24. Nf5 $18)
21. Bxf2 exd5 22. Bxd7 {[%mdl 128] Gelfand probably began to see the contours
of the special solution with the sacrifice of the knight on the h6-square. A
conservative win was at hand without giving up the precious light-squared
bishop.} (22. Rc7 $1 Bc8 23. Be6+ Kh8 24. exd5 $18) 22... Nxd7 23. Rc7 Bc8 24.
Nf5 $1 (24. Qh5 Nf6 (24... Re5 25. Nf5 dxe4 26. Qg6 $18) 25. Qf7+ Kh8 26. Be3
Bd7 27. Bxh6 Rxe4 28. Nf5 $18) (24. Nc6 Nf6 25. exd5 Bg4 $14) 24... Ne5 (24...
Nf6 25. Bd4 Bxf5 26. exf5 $18) 25. Qh5 $6 {The move in the game is very
unpleasant for the defender, but objectively it was better to leap with a
trojan horse to e7.} (25. Ne7+ $1 Bxe7 (25... Kh8 26. Qxd5 $18) 26. Qxd5+ Be6
27. Qxe6+ Kf8 28. Bxb6 Rab8 29. Rxe7 Rxe7 30. Qxd6 Rbe8 31. Bd8 $18) 25... Re6
(25... Be6 26. Bd4 Bxf5 (26... dxe4 27. Nxh6+ gxh6 28. Bxe5 dxe5 29. Qg6+ Kh8
30. Rh7#) (26... Rec8 27. Rxc8 Rxc8 28. Nxh6+ gxh6 29. Bxe5 Rc1+ 30. Kf2 dxe5
31. Qg6+ Kh8 32. Qxe6 $18) 27. exf5 Re7 28. Rxe7 Bxe7 29. Qd1 $16) 26. Bd4 Rf6
27. Bxe5 dxe5 28. Nxh6+ $1 {The witty combination is combining two problems
that can not be remedied - the vulnerability of the 7th rank and the threat of
finishing the fight after the check on the d5-square.} gxh6 (28... Rxh6 29.
Qf7+ Kh7 30. Qxf8 $18) 29. Qxe5 Rd6 (29... Bg7 30. Qxd5+ $18) 30. Qh5 Bd7 31.
e5 Be8 32. Qf3 Rdd8 (32... Rc6 33. Qxd5+ Kh8 34. Rxc6 Bxc6 35. Qxc6 $18) 33.
Qf5 Bg7 34. Qg4 Bf7 35. e6 {This position was in Gelfand's mind; the battle is
over.} Rf8 36. Rxf7 Rxf7 37. exf7+ Kxf7 38. Qd7+ (38. Qd7+ Kf8 39. Qd6+ $18)
1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 3rd"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2008.08.24"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D44"]
[WhiteElo "2742"]
[BlackElo "2720"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "74"]
[EventDate "2008.08.18"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 126"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2008.10.01"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2008.10.01"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 e6 5. Bg5 {So this time we have a
theoretical discussion in a fashionable anti-Moscow variation} (5. e3 Nbd7 6.
Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3 Bb7 {In first 2 memorials we had drawn with
Mamedyarov 2 theoretically important games in Meran variation}) 5... h6 6. Bh4
dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5 9. Be2 Bb7 10. e5 {A rare plan, which however was
played in some memorable games. Nowadays White mostly tries to attack with N
on e5 e.g 9.Ne5 or 9.Be2 Bb7 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Ne5 or 9.Be2 Bb7 10.h4 g4 11.Ne5.}
Nd5 (10... Nh5 {This retreat went out of fashion after the spectacular game
Kramnik,V-Anand,V} 11. a4 $1 a6 (11... b4 $142 12. Ne4 c5 {Kasparov,G}) 12.
Nxg5 $1 Nxg3 13. Nxf7 Kxf7 14. fxg3 {White's attack looks very dangerous, but
Anand managed to sustain it and win the game in a counterattack.} Kg8 $1 15.
O-O Nd7 16. Bg4 Qe7 17. Ne4 Rh7 18. Nd6 Rb8 19. b4 $2 (19. axb5 cxb5 20. Nxb7
Rxb7 21. Rxa6 Rb6 22. Rxb6 (22. Ra8 Rb8 23. Ra7 $44 {Anand}) 22... Nxb6 23. Rf6
$16 {Kramnik, Kasparov} Kh8 (23... Qd8 {Anand} 24. Bxe6+ Kh8 25. Qg4 Bg7 (25...
Be7 {Anand} 26. Rg6 Bg5 27. Rg8+ Qxg8 28. Bxg8 Kxg8 29. h4 $18) 26. Rf7 $18)
24. Bxe6 $1 Bg7 25. Rg6 $16 {Anand}) 19... h5 $1 20. Bh3 Bh6 $1 21. Kh1 Bg5 22.
Qc2 Rg7 23. Qe2 Ba8 $1 24. Qxh5 Rf8 25. Ne4 c5 $1 26. Nxg5 Bd5 $3 $19 {Kramnik,
V-Anand,V/Belgrade 1997}) 11. O-O (11. h4 {happened in Kasparov-Tal game and
was deeply analysed later by Garry Kasparov} Qa5 12. Rc1 g4 13. Nd2 c5 14. Nce4
$1 cxd4 15. O-O h5 $6 (15... Nc6 16. a4 $1 a6 17. Ra1 $1 Qb4 $1 {Kasparov}) 16.
a4 $1 a6 (16... d3 $1) 17. b4 $2 (17. Bxc4 $1 {Kasparov,G} bxc4 18. Nxc4 Qb4
19. f3 $3 {Petrosian,T.V. ...and White is winning, as shown by Garry Kasparov
in his books.}) 17... Qd8 $1 18. Bxc4 bxc4 19. Nxc4 Nc3 $1 20. Nxc3 dxc3 21.
Nd6+ Bxd6 22. exd6 Qf6 $1 23. Qd3 O-O 24. Rxc3 Bd5 $1 $138 {1/2-1/2 Kasparov,
G-Tal,M/Moskva (izt),1982. and in this sharp position the great players agreed
to a draw.}) 11... Nd7 12. Nd2 {White is transfering his N to e4 - this is the
point of the e4-e5 push.} Qb6 13. a4 a6 14. Nde4 O-O-O {I spent a lot of time
on this move,but I liked it more than other options} ({I rejected} 14... c5 {
in view of} 15. Nxd5 Bxd5 16. Nc3 $1 cxd4 17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Bh5 {threatening
e5-e6. As it turned out, this position had happened in 2 games.} (18. axb5 Bg7
19. Bf3 $5) 18... Bg7 (18... Qe6 19. axb5 (19. Bg4 Qb6 20. e6 Nf6 21. Be5 Bg7
22. Bxd4 Qd6 23. Bxf6 Bxf6 24. Qf3 $16 {Gormally,D-Tweedie,C/Edinburgh 2006}))
19. e6 O-O 20. exd7 Rad8 21. axb5 axb5 $16 {Del Rio Angelis,S-Korneev,O/Evora
2007}) ({Shakhriyar's compatriot had won the game quickly after the limp} 14...
Be7 $6 15. Qd2 h5 $2 16. Nxd5 exd5 (16... cxd5 $142 {Lutz}) 17. Nxg5 c5 18.
Rae1 $1 {Radjabov,T-Mastrovasilis,D/Warsaw 2005}) 15. Bh5 {Played instantly as
well} ({Worth considering is} 15. Qd2 c5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 18. Nc3
Nb8 19. b3 cxb3 20. dxc5 Bxc5 21. Nxd5 Rxd5 22. Qc3 Rhd8 23. Qxb3 {1/2-1/2
Halkias,S-Motylev,A/Plovdiv BUL 2008 (23)}) 15... Nf4 $1 ({I seriously
considered} 15... c5 {but after} 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nxd5 Bxd5 (17... exd5 18.
dxc5 Nxc5 19. Nxc5 Bxc5 20. Bxf7) 18. Nc3 Bb7 19. d5 {White has serious
compensation for a pawn}) ({I didn't like} 15... Rh7 {and in the blitz
tournament following the main event Shakhriyar won a good game:} 16. axb5 cxb5
17. Nxd5 exd5 18. Nd6+ Bxd6 19. exd6 Nf6 20. Bg4+ Nxg4 21. Qxg4+ Kb8 22. Qf5
Rhh8 23. Rfe1 Ka8 24. Re7 {Mamedyarov,S-Karjakin,S/Moscow blitz 2008}) 16. Bxf7
(16. a5 {it would be nice to insert 16.a5 Qa7, but the queen would move to c7
and White is in trouble} Qc7 (16... Qa7 17. Bxf7 Nxe5 18. Bxe6+ Kb8 19. Bxf4
gxf4 20. dxe5 Rxd1 21. Raxd1 Bg7 22. Nf6 $44) 17. Bxf7 Nxe5 18. Bxe6+ Kb8 $17 {
and the queen sacrifice doesn't work} 19. Bxf4 gxf4 20. dxe5 Rxd1 21. Rfxd1
Qxe5) 16... Nxe5 (16... c5 17. axb5 axb5 18. d5 Nxe5 19. Bxe6+ Kb8 {was weaker
in my opinion}) 17. Bxe6+ Kb8 18. Ne2 {This natural looking move was played
instantly, but I think that it is the source of White's troubles. Till now I
had spent almost 1.5 hours, while my opponent just 15 minutes.} ({I believe
that White had to dare to sacrifice the queen by} 18. Bxf4 $5 gxf4 19. dxe5
Rxd1 20. Rfxd1 b4 (20... Bg7 21. axb5 axb5 22. Nf6 $13) 21. Nf6 Qa5 $13 {
with chances for both sides}) 18... Bg7 {But after my reply it was
Mamedyarov's turn to think.} ({It was also possible to sacrifice an exchange} 
18... Ned3 19. b3 Rxd4 $1 20. Nxd4 Qxd4 21. Bf5 Bb4 {with more than enough
compensation.}) 19. Nxf4 {My opponent had spent 65 minutes for this move and
broke my record, when I thought for 57 minutes on my 20th moves against him in
the 1st Tal memorial! But seriously speaking, it is obvious that Black had
taken the initiative and his position is better. White had to think how to
arrange for counterplay. I think he found the best way.} (19. a5 Qa7 20. Qc2 (
20. Nxf4 gxf4 21. Bxf4 Qxd4) 20... Ned3 21. Nc5 (21. b3 Rxd4 22. Nxd4 Qxd4 $19)
(21. Rad1 Bxd4 $19 (21... Rxd4 22. Nxd4 Qxd4 23. Nc5 $1)) {and Black can
choose beetween} 21... Rxd4 $1 ({and} 21... Nxc5 22. Nxf4 gxf4 23. Bxf4+ Ka8
24. dxc5 Qxc5 25. Rae1 (25. Rad1 Qb4 $15) 25... Qd4 $15) 22. Nd7+ (22. Nxd4
Nxc5 (22... Qxc5)) 22... Rxd7 23. Bxd7 Rf8 $17) (19. Qc2 Ned3 20. Nc5 (20. b3
Bxd4 21. Rab1 c5 $19 {and White's position collapses.}) 20... Bxd4 21. Nd7+
Rxd7 22. Bxd7 Rf8 $17 {it is clear that Black has more than enough
compensation for an exchange - the Nd3 is stronger than any R!}) 19... gxf4 20.
Bxf4 Rxd4 (20... Qxd4 $5 {was also possible. But I didn't have much time and
decided that it was worth while to keep the queens on the board - White's
pieces are poorly coordinated and with queens on the board he'll have more
trouble keeping them together.}) 21. a5 $2 {In was worth keeping an option on
opening the a-file after the forthcoming c6-c5. The text move kills White's
counterplay.} (21. Qe2 $5 Ka8 {/\Nd3} (21... c5 $6 {allows a tactical shot:}
22. Nf6 $1 Rxf4 23. Qxe5+ Ka8 24. Qxf4 Qxe6 {and it's hard to say who is
better.}) 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Nd2 Bg7 {and Black is better.}) ({Better was} 21.
Qg4 $142 Qc7 22. Qe2 Re8 23. Bg4 $1 c5 24. f3 $15 {with a defendable position.}
) 21... Qd8 ({Not so good is} 21... Rxd1 22. axb6 Rxa1 23. Rxa1 Ka8 24. Nc5 Nd3
25. Nxa6 $1 ({or even} 25. Nxd3 cxd3 26. Rd1 $13) 25... Nxf4 26. Nc5+ Kb8 27.
Bg4 $5 {and White is not in any danger of losing.} (27. Nd7+ Kc8 28. Bf5 Rd8
$13)) 22. Qe2 (22. Qg4 Qc7) 22... Re8 ({Simpler was} 22... Ka8 $17 {, but I
completely missed White's reply.}) 23. Rad1 $1 ({I had counted only on} 23. Bf5
Rf8 24. g4 Ka8 $17) 23... Ka8 ({Black is losing after} 23... Rxe6 24. Rxd4 Qxd4
25. Rd1 Qa7 26. Rd8+ Kc7 27. Qg4 Kxd8 28. Qxe6 Qd4 29. Qg8+) 24. Be3 {Being
short of time and after just missing the counterplay I chose the simplest
continuation.} Rxd1 (24... Nd3 $1 25. Bxd4 Bxd4 26. Qg4 (26. Bf5 c5) 26... c5 {
was very strong, when Black's pieces are totally dominating.}) 25. Rxd1 Nd3 26.
Bf5 $2 ({I was more afraid of} 26. Nc5 Qe7 (26... Qf6 27. Bd7 $5 (27. Rxd3 cxd3
28. Qxd3 Rd8 (28... Rxe6 $2 29. Qd7 {I saw it during the game and was looking
for an improvement, while my opponent was thinking about his move.} Qe7 30.
Qxe6 Qxe6 31. Nxe6 Bxb2 32. Bxh6 {and White is not worse.}) 29. Nd7 c5 $19)
27... Rd8 28. b3 $13) (26... Qxa5 $6 27. Qh5) 27. Rxd3 cxd3 28. Qxd3 Bxb2 $1 {
Only this computer suggestion leaves Black with an advantage. Black is
threatening the decisive Bb2-c1!} (28... Bc8 29. Bxc8 Rxc8 30. g3 $13 {with
full compensation} (30. b4 Rd8 31. Qc2 Bd4)) 29. Bg4 (29. Nd7 Qxe6 30. Nb6+ Kb8
31. Bf4+ Ka7 32. Be3 c5) (29. g3 Bc1 30. Bd4 Rd8) 29... Bc1) ({Also more
stubborn was} 26. Qg4 Bd4 27. Qg6 (27. b3 Bxe3 28. fxe3 Qe7 29. Bf5 Ne5 $19)
27... Bxe3 28. fxe3 Qe7 29. Nd6 Rf8 $17) 26... Qd5 {Now Black's pieces are
totally dominating on the board and the rest is simple.} 27. Qg4 (27. Ng3 c5)
27... Bxb2 28. h4 Bd4 (28... Rg8 {was also strong.}) ({I decided not to allow
any counterplay after} 28... c5 $6 29. Nxc5 Rg8 (29... h5 $1) 30. Qe4 ({or} 30.
Nxb7 Rxg4 31. Bxg4) 30... Rxg2+ 31. Kxg2 Qg8+ 32. Kf3) 29. Bg6 Rg8 30. Bxd4
Qxd4 31. Qe6 Qd5 32. Qe7 c5 33. f3 ({Or} 33. Bf7 Qxe4 34. Qxe4 Bxe4 35. Bxg8 c3
36. Bb3 c4 37. Bc2 b4) 33... Qd4+ 34. Kh1 Qg7 ({Avoiding a last trap} 34...
Rxg6 $2 35. Qe8+ Ka7 36. Qxg6 Bxe4 37. Qb6+ $1) 35. Qxg7 Rxg7 36. h5 b4 37. Kg1
Bxe4 {I was very pleased when this game was awarded the prize for the best
game of the Tal Memorial.} (37... Bxe4 38. Bxe4+ Kb8 39. g4 b3 {doesn't leave
White much of a chance.}) 0-1

[Event "Olympiad-38"]
[Site "Dresden"]
[Date "2008.11.22"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A29"]
[WhiteElo "2757"]
[BlackElo "2719"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "98"]
[EventDate "2008.11.13"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 128"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.01.28"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.01.28"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Armenia"]
[BlackTeam "Israel"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "ARM"]
[BlackTeamCountry "ISR"]

{After the 8th round our team got to second place and had to face the leaders
- Armenia. This team is our bete noir - if my memory serves me well, we had
never beaten them and draws also were not very often. But our young team
managed to forget the past and played a great match.} 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3.
Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 Bb4 5. Bg2 ({An alternative system is} 5. Nd5) 5... O-O 6. O-O {
Previously I had played 6...e4,but this time I decided in favour of a more
solid setup} Bxc3 7. bxc3 Re8 8. d3 e4 9. Nd4 exd3 10. exd3 Nxd4 11. cxd4 d5
12. Rb1 ({if} 12. Bg5 {then the simplest is} h6 13. Bxf6 Qxf6 14. cxd5 Qxd4 15.
Qc2 Qe5 16. Rab1 Rb8 17. Rfc1 Re7 18. Qc3 Qd6 19. Qd4 b6 20. Rc6 Qd8 21. d6
cxd6 22. Rxd6 Rd7 {Kallio,H-Fressinet,L/Plovdiv 2003/}) ({The following game
shows well Black's ideas in this type of position.} 12. Be3 Be6 13. Rc1 h6 14.
h3 c6 15. Qd2 Qd7 16. Kh2 Kh7 17. Rfe1 Ng8 18. g4 Ne7 19. Bf4 Rad8 20. c5 g5
21. Be5 f5 22. gxf5 Bxf5 23. Re3 Ng6 24. Rce1 Re6 25. Bg3 Rde8 26. Bf1 Qg7 {
and Black got the upper hand, Botvinnik,M-Basman,M/Hastings 1966}) 12... h6 13.
Bf4 {The B is going to e5, which is the strongest plan in my opinion.} b6 ({
Here is an another example of Black's success in this line} 13... c6 14. Qd2 b6
15. a4 Bf5 16. c5 Nd7 17. Rfc1 Qf6 18. Rb4 Re6 19. Bf1 Rae8 20. Bc7 bxc5 21.
dxc5 Nxc5 $1 22. Bf4 Qe7 {Karpov,A-Anand,V/Frankfurt 1997}) 14. Be5 c6 ({
Black got into trouble after} 14... Bb7 $6 15. Qf3 Nh7 16. h4 Qe7 17. Qg4 $1
Nf6 18. Qf4 Nh5 19. Qf3 $16 {Hodgson,Ju-Salov,Amsterdam,1996}) 15. h3 ({
Harmless is} 15. Bxf6 Qxf6 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. Bxd5 Bh3 $132) ({Or} 15. Qa4 Bf5
16. Rbd1 Qd7 17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. cxd5 cxd5 19. Qxd7 Bxd7 20. Bxd5 Rad8 {1/2-1/2
Norri,J-Tella,J/Finland 1996/EXT 98 (25)}) 15... Be6 16. Rc1 ({I intended to
meet} 16. f4 {by} dxc4 17. Bxc6 Bxh3 18. Re1 Rxe5 19. dxe5 Qd4+ 20. Kh1 Ng4 21.
Qf3 Rd8 {with full compensation for an exchange}) 16... Rc8 {During the game I
thought that this was an inaccurate move, which allows f2-f4. However, my
thoughts were too pessimistic} ({A reasonable alternative was} 16... Qd7 17. g4
(17. Bxf6 gxf6 {is not dangerous}) 17... Nh7) 17. f4 {White takes the
opportunity and goes forward. Surprisingly, it doesn't bring him an advantage
and moreover he has to be careful.} ({Calmer and better was} 17. Re1 {with an
unclear game after} Nh7 18. g4 Qd7 {It is not easy to assess this position.
Both sides have strong points - White has 2 Bs and some space advantage, while
Black has no weaknesses. I feel that White's chances are slightly better.})
17... dxc4 {I saw no alternative and forced matters.} ({Probably} 17... Qd7 {
was also possible,} {as} 18. g4 (18. Kh2 Nh7) {allows} 18... dxc4 19. dxc4 Nxg4
$1 20. hxg4 Bxg4 {with a complicated game.}) 18. dxc4 (18. f5 $6 {is dubious:}
Bd5 19. dxc4 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 c5) 18... b5 $1 {Fighting for the d5 outpost.} 19.
d5 $5 (19. cxb5 cxb5 20. Qd2 {allows among other options a stylish exchange
sacrifice} (20. Rxc8 Qxc8) 20... Bc4 21. Bb7 Nd5 22. Rfe1 Qd7 23. Bxc8 Rxc8 $44
) 19... cxd5 20. cxb5 (20. c5 Ne4 21. f5 f6 (21... Bd7 22. Qxd5 Bc6 $11) 22.
fxe6 fxe5 23. Bxe4 dxe4 $11) 20... Rxc1 21. Qxc1 {Optically this position
seems better for White, but Black has enough resources.} Qb6+ {After some
calculation I decided to go for the forced line.} ({Black also has solid
position after} 21... Ne4 22. Kh2 Qa5 23. Qb2 f6 24. Bd4 Bd7 {when a draw is
the likely outcome.}) 22. Kh2 Qxb5 23. Bxf6 ({After} 23. Qa1 {White is on the
safe side, but Black can equalize by} Bf5 ({or simply} 23... d4) 24. Bxf6 gxf6
25. Qxf6 Be4 26. Qxh6 Qb2 27. Rg1 Rc8) 23... gxf6 24. f5 Bd7 25. Qxh6 ({
The computer suggests including a2-a4} 25. a4 Qb6 26. Qxh6 Qb2 27. Rf4 Re4 28.
Rg4+ Rxg4 29. hxg4 {with a draw.}) 25... Qb2 $1 {The key defensive move. The Q
protects the f6-pawn and starts to attack on the 2nd rank.} 26. Kh1 {White
still has the illusion that he has an advantage. It was time to look for
equality. The path is not easy to find, but it exists.} (26. Rf4 Re4 27. Rg4+ (
27. a3 Rxf4 (27... Bc6 28. Rxe4 dxe4 29. Qe3 Qe5 30. Kg1 $11 {Lysyj}) 28. Qxf4
Qxa3 29. Qd4 Qd6 30. Bxd5 Kf8 $15) (27. Rxe4 dxe4 28. Qe3 Bxf5 29. Qxa7 Kg7 $1
$15 (29... Qd2 30. Qb8+ Kg7 31. Qf4 e3 32. Qxf5 e2 $11)) 27... Rxg4 28. hxg4
Bb5 29. Qf4 Bc4 30. g5 Qe5 31. a3 Qxf4 32. gxf4 d4 33. Bf3 {and it seems that
Black has no winning chances.}) 26... Re2 27. Bxd5 $4 {Levon's permanenent
desire to win backfires here.} ({White was still in time to transpose to the
previous annotation} 27. Rf4 Re1+ (27... Bxf5 28. Rxf5 Rxg2 29. Rg5+ $11) 28.
Kh2 Re4) 27... Bxf5 {The only, but sufficient move. Now Levon sunk deeply into
thought, but failed to find a way to save the game.} 28. Qf4 (28. Qc1 {is bad:}
Qe5) ({as is} 28. g4 Qe5) 28... Be6 29. Bf3 {The most stubborn defence.} ({
Black's task is easier after} 29. Be4 Bxh3 30. Qh6 Rxe4 31. Qxh3 Qxa2 {with 2
extra pawns.}) 29... Rh2+ (29... Rf2 $2 30. Rxf2 Qxf2 31. h4 {allows White to
escape.}) 30. Kg1 Rxh3 $1 {I think that this is the clearest solution.} ({
Not so clear is the tempting} 30... Bxh3 31. Qh4 $1 (31. Be4 Rg2+ 32. Kh1 Re2)
31... Kg7 {and now according to my engines, the best move is} 32. Ba8 $1 (32.
a3 Qd2) 32... a6 33. a3 {with drawing chances but I cannot explain why.}) 31.
Bg2 (31. Rf2 Qb1+ 32. Rf1 Qg6 {loses another pawn.}) 31... Rh5 $1 (31... Qb6+
32. Rf2 Rh5 33. Qxf6 Rf5 34. Qb2 $15) 32. Qxf6 Qxf6 33. Rxf6 Ra5 {The key idea
- White cannot defend his a-pawn and block the opponent's one. Despite the
very limited material, Black is going to win.} 34. Rf4 (34. Rf2 Rxa2 35. Rxa2
Bxa2 {and White is defenceless.}) 34... Rxa2 35. Rd4 a5 36. Bd5 (36. Bc6 Bb3
37. Kf1 a4 38. Rb4 Kg7 {and K goes to c5.}) 36... Ra1+ 37. Kf2 a4 38. Rd2 a3 $1
{Creating another passed pawn.} (38... Bxd5 $2 39. Rxd5 a3 40. Ra5 {is drawish.
}) 39. Bxe6 fxe6 40. Ke3 Kf7 41. g4 Rb1 ({Simpler was} 41... a2 42. Re2 Kg6 43.
Ke4 Kf6 44. Ke3 (44. g5+ Kxg5 45. Ke5 Kh4 46. Ke4 Kg4 47. Rg2+ Kh5 48. Re2 Kg6
49. Ke5 Kf7) 44... Kg5 45. Ke4 Kxg4 46. Rg2+ Kh5 47. Re2 Kg6) 42. Rf2+ Ke7 43.
Ra2 Rb3+ 44. Kf4 (44. Kd4 Rb4+ 45. Kc5 Ra4 46. Kb5 Ra8 47. Kb4 Kf6) 44... Rb4+
45. Kg5 Ra4 {Transferring the R to the best position, behind the pawn.} 46. Kh6
e5 47. g5 Kf7 48. g6+ Kg8 49. Kg5 e4 {This time we managed to beat the Olympic
champions and to overtake them in the first position for 1 day. Even though,
we didn't manage to stay there, 2nd place is a big success for the Israeli
team. It is the first time our country had won an Olympic medal in chess.} 0-1

[Event "RUS-chT 16th"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2009.04.07"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A32"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2746"]
[PlyCount "91"]
[EventDate "2009.04.04"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2020"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Moscow ShSM-64"]
[BlackTeam "Saransk TPS"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. g3 Qb6 6. Nc2 e6 7. Bg2 d5 8.
cxd5 Nxd5 9. O-O Bc5 10. a3 a5 11. e4 Nde7 12. Nc3 Qb3 13. Be3 b6 14. Nd4 Qxd1
15. Rfxd1 Bxd4 16. Bxd4 Nxd4 17. Rxd4 Bd7 18. e5 Bc6 19. Rd6 Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Rb8
21. Rad1 O-O 22. Rd7 Nc6 23. f4 Rfd8 24. Rxd8+ Rxd8 25. Rxd8+ Nxd8 26. Kf3 Kf8
27. Na4 b5 28. Nc3 b4 29. axb4 axb4 30. Na2 Nc6 31. Ke4 f6 32. exf6 gxf6 33.
Kd3 Ke7 34. Kc4 Kd6 35. Nxb4 Ne7 36. Nc2 Nd5 37. Kd4 e5+ 38. fxe5+ fxe5+ 39.
Ke4 Ke6 40. Ne3 Nb4 41. Nc4 Nc6 42. g4 Kf6 43. h4 h6 44. Ne3 Kg6 45. Kd5 e4 46.
Kxc6 1-0

[Event "Nalchik FIDE GP"]
[Site "Nalchik"]
[Date "2009.04.27"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E07"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2725"]
[Annotator "Friedel,F"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2009.04.15"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 130"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.05.20"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.05.20"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. d4 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Bf4
Nbd7 9. Nc3 Nh5 10. Bc1 Nhf6 11. Bf4 Nh5 12. Bc1 Nhf6 13. b3 b6 14. Nd2 Ba6 15.
Bb2 b5 16. cxd5 cxd5 17. a3 Nb6 18. Nf3 Rc8 19. Ne5 Bd6 20. Nd3 Qd7 21. Qd2 Bb7
22. Rfc1 a6 23. Na2 Qe7 24. Qa5 Bc7 25. Nc5 Nbd7 26. Qd2 Nxc5 27. dxc5 Bb8 28.
Bxf6 Qxf6 29. b4 Bc6 30. Nc3 Rfd8 31. e3 Be5 32. Rab1 Bxc3 33. Rxc3 d4 34. exd4
Bxg2 35. Kxg2 Rxd4 36. Rd3 Rcd8 37. Rxd4 Qxd4 38. Qxd4 Rxd4 39. Rc1 Kf8 40. Kf3
Ke7 41. Ke3 Rd8 42. a4 bxa4 43. Ra1 e5 44. Rxa4 Rd4 45. f4 f6 46. Rxa6 Rxb4 47.
Ra7+ Ke6 48. fxe5 Rb3+ $2 (48... Kxe5 49. Rxg7 Rb3+ 50. Kd2 (50. Ke2 Rc3) 50...
Kd5 51. Rxh7 Kxc5 52. Rf7 Kd4 $1) 49. Ke4 f5+ 50. Kd4 Rb4+ 51. Kc3 Rb5 52. Kc4
Rb2 53. c6 $2 (53. Rxg7 Rxh2 54. c6) 53... Kxe5 $2 (53... Rc2+ $1 54. Kb5 g5 $1
) 54. Rxg7 Rxh2 55. c7 Rc2+ 56. Kb3 $1 1-0

[Event "Nalchik FIDE GP"]
[Site "Nalchik"]
[Date "2009.04.29"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2721"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "89"]
[EventDate "2009.04.15"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 130"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.05.20"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.05.20"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 a6 5. e3 b5 6. c5 Nbd7 {Sergey is playing
this system regulary and with success so I was very pretty confident that we
would have this position on the board.  Sergey spielt dieses System regelmдЯig
und mit Erfolg, daher war ich ziemlich zuversichtlich, dass wir diese Stellung
aufs Brett bekommen wьrden.} 7. a3 a5 8. Qc2 $5 {This is a new idea of the
young Israeli GM Maxim Rodshtein. We had analysed it together with him and
Alexander Khuzman. White is preparing e3-e4. Dies ist eine neue idee des
jungen israelischen GM Maxim Rodshtein. Wir hatten sie gemeinsam mit ihm und
Alexander Khuzman analysiert. WeiЯ bereitet e3-e4.} ({Sergey had won a
memorable game after Sergey hatte eine denkwьrdige Partie gewonnen nach} 8. Bd3
e5 $1 9. dxe5 Ng4 10. e6 (10. Nd4 Ndxe5 {and the bishop on d3 is under attack.
und der Lдufer auf d3 ist angegriffen.}) 10... fxe6 11. Nd4 Nxc5 12. Be2 Nxf2
$3 13. Kxf2 Bd6 14. g3 O-O+ 15. Kg2 Bd7 16. Bd2 e5 17. Nb3 Ne6 {Eljanov,P
-Karjakin,S /Foros UKR 2007. with a great position. mit groЯartiger Stellung.})
8... Qc7 ({If Falls} 8... e5 9. dxe5 Ng4 10. Nd4 Ndxe5 {then the bishop is not
under attack and it gives White some promising possibilities, so ist der
Lдufer nicht angegriffen, und dies gibt WeiЯ einige aussichtsreiche
Mцglichkeiten,} {for example zum Beispiel} 11. Ncxb5) (8... g6 9. e4 dxe4 10.
Nxe4 Bg7 {should be tried in future. sollte in Zukunft versucht werden.}) 9. e4
Nxe4 10. Nxe4 dxe4 11. Qxe4 Nf6 12. Qe5 {A similiar position arises from 1.d4
d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6 8.Qc2 g6 9.h3 Qc7
10.e4 Ne4 11.Ne4 de4 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qe5, but here Black has played b7-b5 and
weakened the c6 pawn. Eine дhnliche Stellung entsteht nach 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.
Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.c5 Nbd7 6.Bf4 Nh5 7.Bd2 Nhf6 8.Qc2 g6 9.h3 Qc7 10.e4 Ne4 11.
Ne4 de4 12.Qe4 Nf6 13.Qe5, hier aber hat Schwarz b7-b5 gespielt und den
c6-Bauern geschwдcht.} Qxe5+ 13. Nxe5 Bb7 14. a4 $1 {An important idea. White
is getting control of the important c4-square and fixing the weak pawn on a5.
Eine wichtige Idee. WeiЯ erlangt die Kontrolle ьber das wichtige Feld c4 und
legt den schwachen Bauern auf a5 fest.} b4 15. Bf4 {It is not clear yet, which
piece should go to c4. Es ist noch nicht klar, welche Figur nach c4 gehen soll.
} (15. Bc4 Nd5) 15... Nd7 $2 {Here the knight is placed too passively. Better
was Hier steht der Springer zu passiv. Besser war} (15... Nd5 16. Bg3 g6 {
with good chances to equalize. mit guten Chancen auszugleichen.}) 16. Nc4 ({
Too hasty would be Zu ьbereilt wдre} 16. d5 $6 Nxe5 17. Bxe5 f6 18. Bg3 cxd5
19. Bb5+ Kf7 20. c6 Bc8 {and White's initiative comes to a dead end. und die
weiЯe Initiative endet in einer Sackgasse.}) 16... Ba6 {Forced, as Bc7 was the
threat. Erzwungen, denn es drohte Bc7.} (16... g6 17. Bc7) 17. Nb6 {It took me
a long time to decide on this move. It leads to a long lasting advantage, but
it wouldn't be easy to advance. Ich brauchte lange, um mich fьr diesen Zug zu
entscheiden. Er fьhrt zu anhaltenden Vorteil, aber es wьrde nicht leicht sein,
Fortschritte zu erzielen.} ({White had at his disposal a temporary pawn
sacrifice WeiЯ hatte das vorrьbergehende Bauernopfer} 17. d5 $5 {and after the
forced zu Verfьgung, und nach dem forcierten} cxd5 18. Nb6 Ra7 (18... Nxb6 19.
cxb6 $16) (18... Bxf1 19. Nxa8 Bxg2 20. c6 $18) 19. Nxd5 Bxf1 20. Kxf1 {
Black has two possibilities to win a pawn: kann Schwarz auf zweierlei Weise
einen Bauern gewinnen.} Nxc5 (20... e5 21. Be3 Nxc5 22. Rc1 (22. Ke2 $44 {
with long-term compensation also deserves attention mit langfristiger
Kompensation verdient ebenfalls Aufmerksamkeit.}) 22... Rd7 (22... Nb3 23. Rc8+
Kd7 24. Nb6+ Ke6 25. Ke2) 23. Nb6 Nb3 24. Nxd7 Nxc1 25. Nxe5 $14) (20... e6 $6
21. Nc7+ Kd8 22. c6) 21. Ke2 (21. Be3 e6) (21. Nc7+ Kd8 22. Nb5 Rd7 23. Ke2 e5)
21... e6 22. Nc7+ Ke7 23. Rhd1 (23. Nb5 $5) 23... Nb3 24. Rab1 $44 {with full
compensation for the pawn, but I was reluctant to force matters. mit voller
Kompensation fьr den Bauern, aber es widerstrebte mir, die Dinge zu forcieren.}
) 17... Ra7 18. Bxa6 Rxa6 19. Nc4 {After the exchange of the Bs the knight is
ideally placed on c4 and the black rook is doomed to protect the a5-pawn.
White also has a space advantage, so despite the weak d5-square his chances
are better. Nach dem Tausch der B ist der Springer auf c4 ideal platziert, und
der schwarze Turm ist an die Verteidigung des a-Bauern gebunden.  Zudem hat
WeiЯ Raumvorteil, daher sind trotz der Felderschwдche d5 seine Chancen besser.}
Ra7 20. O-O-O e6 {White's advantage is indisputable, but how to progress? I
had decided that the only reasonable idea is to break through on the f5-square
and to create a second weakness in addition to a5. Der Vorteil von WeiЯ ist
unstrittig, aber wie soll es weitergehen. Ich hatte entschlossen, dass die
einzig vernьnftige Idee darin lag, auf dem Feld f5 durchzubrechen und neben a5
eine zweite Schwдche zu schaffen.} 21. Be5 {White is advised to hurry as his
task would be more difficult to achieve if Black could develop his pieces.
Eile ist geboten, denn falls Schwarz seine Figuren entwickeln kцnnte, wьrde
dies die Aufgabe von WeiЯ erschweren.} ({A similiar idea was Eine дhnliche
Idee war} 21. Rhe1 Be7 (21... Nf6 $6 22. Bb8 Rb7 (22... Ra6 23. Bc7) 23. Be5
Ra7 24. f4) 22. Be5 O-O 23. f4 Rd8 24. Kc2 (24. f5 exf5) 24... g6 25. g4 $14)
21... Nf6 (21... Nxe5 22. Nxe5 Rc7 23. f4 g6 24. Nc4 Ra7 25. g4 Bh6 26. Rhf1
Ke7 27. Kc2 $14 {doesn't solve Black's problems. lцst die schwarzen Probleme
nicht.}) 22. Bb8 {White is repeating the position in order to have more time
in an eventual time trouble. WeiЯ wiederholt die Stellung, um in einer
eventuellen Zeitnot mehr Zeit zu haben.} ({I disliked Mir missfiel} 22. Bxf6
gxf6 23. Kc2 h5 $14 {and it is not easy to break through. , und es ist nicht
leicht durchzubrechen.}) 22... Rb7 23. Bg3 Ra7 24. Bb8 Rb7 25. Be5 Ra7 26. f4 {
White is continuing his plan. f4-f5 is a threat now. WeiЯ setzt seinen Plan
fort. Nun ist f4-f5 eine Drohung.} Nd5 {Black is forcing matters. Now both
players have to calculate very deep, as things are getting sharper. Schwarz
forciert die Dinge. Nun mьssen beide Spieler sehr tief rechnen, den die Lage
verschдrft sich.} ({Bad is Schlecht ist} 26... Ne4 27. Rhe1 f5 28. g4 Nf2 (
28... Kf7 29. Re2) 29. gxf5 $1 Nxd1 30. Kxd1 $18) ({A quieter alternative was
Eine ruhigere Alternative war} 26... Be7 {when White has to decide if he would
try to break through by , wonach WeiЯ sich entscheiden muss, ob er
durchzubrechen versucht mit} 27. f5 ({or exchange the bishop for a knight and
prepare f4-f5 carefully: oder den Lдufer fьr den Sprigner tauscht und f4-f5
sorgsam vorbereitet:} 27. Bxf6 Bxf6 28. Nd6+ Kf8 29. g4) 27... exf5 28. Rhf1
Nd5 29. Rxf5 (29. Bxg7 Rg8 30. Bh6 Rxg2 31. Rxf5 Rxh2) 29... f6 30. Bb8 Ra8 31.
Bg3 {/\Nb6} Bd8 $14 {and both the bishop and the rooks are very passive. und
sowohl der Lдufer als auch beide Tьrme stehen sehr passiv.}) 27. Rhe1 f6 (27...
Kd7 28. Bb8 Rb7 (28... Ra8 29. Ne5+) 29. Bd6 (29. Ne5+ Kc8 30. Nxc6 Rxb8 31.
Nxb8 Kxb8 32. f5 Nc7) 29... f6 30. Bxf8 Rxf8 31. b3 Ra7 32. g3 {and compared
to the game White has managed to prevent ...b4-b3. He gave up the c3-square in
return, on the other hand. und im Vergleich zur Partie hat WeiЯ es geschafft, .
..b4-b3 zu verhindern. Andererseits hat er dafьr das Feld c3 abgetreten.}) 28.
Bd6 (28. Bb8 Ra8 29. Bd6 Bxd6 30. Nxd6+ Kd7 31. g3 b3 32. Rd3 Rhb8 33. Rf1 Rb4
34. Rff3 Rxa4 35. Rxb3 Rxd4 36. Rb7+ Nc7 {doesn't pose serious problems.
stellt keine ernsten Probleme.}) 28... Kd7 (28... Bxd6 29. Nxd6+ Kd7 30. g3 {
would transpose to the game, but probably Sergey didn't like 30.f5. wьrde zur
Partie fьhren, aber vermutlich missfiel Sergey 30.f5.}) 29. g3 {I decided to
stick to my initial plan and rejected Ich beschloss, an meinem ursprьnglichen
Plan festzuhalten, und verwarf} ({the tempting das verlockende} 29. Nb6+ $5
Nxb6 30. cxb6 {because of an exchange sacrifice: wegen eines Qualitдtsopfers:}
Bxd6 $5 ({it is also not clear if White's advantage is enough for a win after
ob der weiЯe Vorteil zum Gewinn reicht, ist auch nicht klar nach} 30... Rb7 31.
Bc5 Bd6 32. g3 h5 33. Re2 h4 34. Rde1 hxg3 35. hxg3 Rh5) 31. bxa7 Bxf4+ 32. Kc2
Ra8 33. Re4 Bd6 34. Rde1 e5 $5 (34... Rxa7 35. Rxe6 Be5 36. R6xe5 fxe5 37. Rxe5
$14 {leaves White with minimal winning chances. ьberlдsst WeiЯ minimale
Gewinnchancen.} Kd6 38. Kd3 h6 (38... Rf7 39. Rxa5 Rf2 40. Rg5 Rxb2 41. Rxg7))
35. Rh4 h6 36. Rg4 g5 37. Rd1 Ke6 {and White has some advantage, but I was not
sure how big it was. und WeiЯ hat einigen Vorteil, aber wie groЯ er war,
wusste ich nicht genau.}) 29... Bxd6 30. Nxd6 {The e6-pawn has become weak and
now White is preparing to double rooks on the e-file. Der e6-Bauer ist schwach
geworden, und nun bereitet WeiЯ die Turmverdopplung in der e-Linie vor.} b3 $1
{Starting counterplay in time. Black is vacating the b4-square for a rook.
Leitet rechtzeitig Gegenspiel ein. Schwarz macht das Feld b4 fьr einen Turm
frei.} 31. Re2 (31. Re4 f5) 31... Rb8 32. Rde1 Rb4 ({Black could also try 
Schwarz konnte auch} 32... Nb4 33. Kd2 Nc2 34. Rd1 Nxd4 {but it was not
sufficient, for example versuchen, aber dies reichte nicht aus, zum Beispiel} (
34... Rb4 35. Kc3 Rxa4 36. Kxb3) (34... g6 35. Kc3 $16) 35. Re4 Nc2 36. Nc4 $1
{/\Kc3} Nb4 (36... Ke7 37. Kc3) 37. Rde1 e5 38. fxe5 f5 39. e6+ Ke7 40. Rh4 Kf6
41. Ne5 {with a clear advantage. mit klarem Vorteil.}) 33. Rxe6 ({Weaker is
Schwдcher ist} 33. f5 Rxa4 (33... exf5 $2 34. Re8 Rxa4 35. Kb1 Rxd4 36. Rg8 Rg4
37. Rf8 $18) 34. fxe6+ Kd8 35. Kb1 g6 {and White's play comes to a dead end.
und das Spiel von WeiЯ lдuft sich tot.}) 33... Rxa4 34. Kb1 {It is important
to prevent Ra1. Es ist wichtig, ...Ra1 zu verhindern.} Ra8 $1 {Black cannot
allow Re8. Schwarz darf Re8 nicht zulassen.} ({Bad is Schlecht ist} 34... Rxd4
35. Re8 {and Black is helpless: und Schwarz ist hilflos:} h5 36. Rg8 Ne7 37.
Rxg7 Kd8 38. Nf5) 35. Ne8 $6 {I was hesitating between this move and 35.Nf5,
and as it turned out in home analysis (with the computer's help) this move is
a mistake, which gives Black chances to save the game. Ich schwankte zwischen
diesem Zug und 35.Nf5, und wie sich in der Heimanalyse (mit Computerhilfe)
herausstellte, ist dieser Zug ein Fehler, der Schwarz Chancen gibt, die Partie
zu retten.} ({Stronger was Stдrker war} 35. Nf5 $1 Kc7 {, and now , und nun} ({
bad is schlecht ist} 35... g6 36. Ne7 Rxd4 37. Rd6+ Kc7 38. Rxc6+ Kb7 39. Rd6
Re8 40. c6+ Ka8 41. c7) 36. Ne7 $1 (36. Nxg7 Rxd4 (36... Rd8 37. R1e4 Rc4 38.
Ne8+ Kb8 39. Nd6 Rc2 40. Re2) (36... Kb7 37. Nf5 Ra2 38. Ne3) 37. Rxf6 Kb7 38.
Rfe6 Rg8 {and White has big technical difficulties. und WeiЯ hat groЯe
technische Schwierigkeiten.}) 36... Nb4 37. R1e3 Rd8 38. Nf5 $1 Rd5 $140 39.
Nd6 {However, it is almost impossible to find this line over the board
especially being short of time. Allerdings ist es fast unmцglich, dieses
Abspiel am Brett zu finden, vor allem, wenn man knapp an Zeit ist.}) (35. Nb5
$2 cxb5 36. Rd6+ Kc7 37. Rxd5 Rd8 {allows Black to take over the initiative.
erlaubt Schwarz, die Initiative zu ьbernehmen.}) 35... Rxd4 36. Rd6+ ({In the
event of Im Fall von} 36. Nxg7 {Black can hold both by kann sich Schwarz
sowohl mit} Rc4 {halten} ({and the study-like als auch mit dem studienartigen} 
36... Rd2 37. Rd6+ Kc8 38. Re8+ Kb7 39. Rd7+ Ka6 40. Rxa8+ Kb5 41. Rb8+ Kc4 42.
Rxd5 cxd5 43. Kc1 Rc2+ 44. Kd1 a4 $1 45. c6 Kd3 46. Ne6 Rxc6 47. f5 Rc2 48.
Nf4+ Ke4 49. Re8+ Kf3 $11 50. Re2 $140 a3 51. bxa3 Ra2 $19) 37. Rd6+ Kc7 38.
Ne6+ Kb7) 36... Kc8 37. Rxc6+ Kb7 38. Rce6 Rd3 $2 {Black is taking away the
rook from the Nd6-Nb5 threat, but he is losing an important tempo. Schwarz
entzieht den Turm der Drohung Nd6-Nb5, verliert aber ein wichtiges Tempo.} ({
He could save the game by Er hдtte die Partie retten kцnnen mit} 38... Rd2 $1
39. c6+ (39. Nd6+ Kc7 40. Nb5+ Kb7 $11) (39. Nxg7 a4) (39. Rc1 Rxh2 40. c6+ Ka7
{leads to the same position. fьhrt zur gleichen Stellung.}) 39... Ka7 40. Rc1
Rxh2 41. Nxg7 (41. c7 Rc2 42. Rxc2 bxc2+ 43. Kxc2 (43. Kc1 Kb7 44. Nxg7 Kxc7)
43... Nxc7 44. Re7 Rxe8 45. Rxc7+ Kb6 $11) 41... Rc8 42. Rd6 Nb4 $11) 39. c6+
Ka7 40. c7 {The passed pawn on the 7th rank decides the outcome of the game.
Der Freibauer auf der 7. Reihe entscheidet den Ausgang der Partie.} (40. Rc1 {
leads to the same position. fьhrt zur gleichen Stellung.}) 40... a4 ({A bit
more stubborn was Ein wenig zдher war} 40... Rd2 41. Rc1 Rc2 {but after , doch
nach} 42. Rxc2 bxc2+ 43. Kxc2 Rc8 44. Kd2 Nxc7 45. Re7 Kb6 46. Nxg7 {White is
close to victory. steht WeiЯ dicht vor dem Sieg.}) (40... Rc8 41. Rc1) 41. Rc1
{The time control had passed and it is obvious that White is winning. Die
Zeitkontrolle war vorьber, und es ist offensichtlich, dass WeiЯ auf Gewinn
steht.} a3 ({In the event of Im Fall von} 41... Nb6 {the easiest is the simple
geschieht am einfachsten} 42. Nxg7 ({not so clear is nicht so klar ist} 42.
Rxb6 Rxe8 43. Rb4 Rc8 44. Rxa4+ Kb7 45. Rb4+ Ka7 46. f5 Rd7 47. Rxb3 Rcxc7 {
with some chances to save the game. mit einigen Rettungschancen.})) 42. bxa3 (
42. Nd6 a2+ 43. Ka1 Nb6) (42. c8=Q $2 Rxc8 43. Rxc8 Rd1+ 44. Rc1 a2+ 45. Ka1
Rxc1#) 42... Nc3+ 43. Rxc3 Rxc3 44. Kb2 $1 {Winning an important tempo, as
Gewinnt ein wichtiges Tempo, denn nach} (44. Nd6 Rxc7 45. Nb5+ Kb7 46. Nxc7
Kxc7 {and the a3-pawn is hanging. wьrde der Bauer a3 hдngen.}) 44... Rxe8 (
44... Rc5 45. Nd6 Rxc7 46. Nb5+ Kb7 47. Nxc7 Kxc7 48. Re7+ Kd6 49. Rxg7) 45.
Kxc3 1-0

[Event "Bazna Kings 3rd"]
[Site "Bazna"]
[Date "2009.06.18"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2745"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow,M"]
[PlyCount "80"]
[EventDate "2009.06.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "ROU"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 131"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qb3 Nc6 6. Nbd2 Na5 7. Qc3 c5 8. dxc5
bxc5 9. e4 Bb7 10. e5 Ne4 11. Nxe4 Bxe4 12. Bg2 {This line has been examined
in many CBM issues, most recently in CBM 104, annotations to Dautov-Ibrayev by
GM R.Dautov.} Nc6 {As often happens, Black has more important things to do
than just preparing castling. Transferring his knight to d4 is one of them.
You will see that in some lines he even allows White to take that knight with
the bishop and win a pawn but obtains good counterplay on the dark squares.} (
12... Be7 13. O-O O-O {is a bit too slow:} 14. Re1 (14. Bd2 Nc6 15. Qe3 Bxf3
16. Bxf3 Nd4 17. Bc3 $1 Rb8 $5 (17... Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3 f6 19. Rad1 Rb8 20. Qe3
Qc7 21. Rd3 Qc6 22. Rfd1 Rb7 23. exf6 Bxf6 24. Rd6 Qc8 25. Bxf6 Rxf6 26. b3 $14
{1/2 Lautier,J (2687)-Gelfand,B (2703)/Cannes 2002/CBM 088/[Gershon] (54)}) 18.
Bxd4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Qc7 20. Rad1 Rfd8 21. b3 d6 22. exd6 Bxd6 23. Qe4 Bc5 $44 {
1/2 Bareev,E (2711)-Gelfand,B (2714)/Sochi 2004/CBM 101/[Finkel,A] (46)}) 14...
Bb7 (14... Bg6 15. Bg5 (15. Nh4 $5 $14) 15... Nc6 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. h3 Rad8 18.
Rad1 d6 19. Qe3 dxe5 20. Nxe5 Nxe5 21. Qxe5 Bc2 22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. Be4 Bxe4 24.
Qxe4 g6 $11 {1/2 Riazantsev,A (2603)-Adams,M (2718)/Bastia 2005/EXT 2006 (50)})
(14... Bxf3 $143 15. Bxf3 Rc8 16. Bf4 Nc6 17. Bxc6 Rxc6 18. Rad1 f5 19. exf6
Bxf6 20. Be5 $14 {1/2 Harika,D (2461)-Javakhishvili,L (2466)/Dagomys 2008/CBM
123 Extra (45)}) 15. Bf4 (15. Be3 Qc7 16. Rad1 Nc6 17. Bf4 Rfd8 {1/2 Tunik,G 
(2457)-Anisimov,P (2501)/St Petersburg 2005/CBM 108 ext}) 15... Qb6 16. Rad1
Rad8 17. Rd3 Bxf3 18. Bxf3 Nc6 19. Bxc6 dxc6 $6 (19... Qxc6 $14) 20. Red1 Rxd3
21. Rxd3 Rd8 22. b3 $16 {_|_1-0 Miroshnichenko,E (2647)-Zakharstov,V (2585)/
Sochi 2008/CBM 123 Extra (53)}) (12... Rb8 13. O-O Be7 {is also insufficient
for equality:} 14. Re1 (14. b3 Nc6 15. Bb2 (15. Re1 Bxf3 16. Qxf3 Nd4 17. Qg4
g6 18. Qe4 O-O 19. Bb2 Qa5 20. Red1 Rfd8 21. Rd3 Bf8 22. Bc3 Qc7 23. Bxd4 cxd4
24. Rxd4 Bc5 25. Rd3 d6 $44 {1/2 Riazantsev,A (2628)-Pavlovic,M (2522)/Moscow
2008/CBM 123 (31)}) 15... O-O 16. Qe3 Bg6 17. Rfd1 Qc7 18. Ne1 $5 (18. Rd2 $5
$14) 18... Rfd8 19. Nd3 d6 20. exd6 Qxd6 21. Ne5 Qxd1+ 22. Rxd1 Rxd1+ 23. Bf1
Rc8 24. Qf3 Rd6 $11 {1/2 Gelfand,B (2700)-Almasi,Z (2676)/Budapest 2003/CBM
095/[Gershon] (35)}) 14... Bg6 (14... Ba8 15. Bf4 O-O 16. Rad1 Qc7 17. b3 Rfd8
18. Bg5 Nc6 19. Bxe7 Nxe7 20. Ng5 Bxg2 21. Kxg2 Nf5 22. Ne4 {1-0 Beliavsky,A 
(2667)-Cvitan,O (2516)/Celje 2003/CBM 097 ext (34)}) 15. Be3 (15. Nd2 f6 $1 16.
Nb3 Nxb3 17. axb3 fxe5 18. Qxe5 O-O 19. Rxa7 Rxb3 20. Be3 (20. Rd1 $1 $14)
20... Bf5 $1 21. Qc7 Qxc7 22. Rxc7 Rd8 {1/2 Huzman,A (2589)-Beliavsky,A (2649)/
Istanbul 2003/CBM 096/[Gershon] (72)}) (15. Bg5 Nc6 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. h3 O-O
18. Rad1 Rfd8 19. Rd6 f6 20. Red1 Be4 21. exf6 Qxf6 22. Qxf6 gxf6 23. Nd2 Bxg2
24. Kxg2 Rxb2 25. Ne4 $14 {1-0 Sargissian,G (2618)-Ivanov,A (2537)/Moscow 2004/
EXT 2005 (58)}) (15. Nh4 Qc7 16. Nxg6 hxg6 17. b3 Nc6 18. Bb2 Nb4 19. Qd2 O-O
20. h4 Rfd8 21. Qe2 Nc6 22. h5 $14 {1/2 Giri,A (2466)-Heinemann,T (2490)/
Werder Bremen GER 2009/CBM 128 Extra (50)}) 15... O-O 16. Rad1 h6 17. Nd2 f5
18. Nb3 Nxb3 19. axb3 Qc7 20. Ra1 Rb4 21. Ra3 Rfb8 {1/2 Postny,E (2494)
-Gruenfeld,Y (2498)/Israel 2003/EXT 2004 (27)} 22. Bd2 $14) 13. O-O Rb8 (13...
Be7 14. Qe3 (14. Re1 Bg6 15. Bf4 (15. Nd2 Qc7 (15... Nd4 $5 16. Ne4 Rb8) 16.
Ne4 (16. Nb3 $5) 16... O-O 17. Bf4 Rab8 18. Rad1 Nd4 19. b3 Bxe4 20. Rxe4 d6 (
20... Rfd8 $142 $11 {[%cal Yd7d6]}) 21. Rexd4 $1 cxd4 22. Qxd4 dxe5 23. Bxe5
Qa5 24. Bxb8 Rxb8 $44 {1/2 Sargissian,G (2618)-Macieja,B (2653)/Stepanakert
2004/CBM 100/[Gershon] (37)}) 15... O-O 16. Rad1 Rb8 (16... Qc7 17. Bg5 Bxg5
18. Nxg5 Rab8 19. b3 (19. Rd6 $14) 19... h6 20. Bxc6 dxc6 21. Nh3 Rfd8 22. Nf4
Bf5 23. Nd3 {1/2 Riazantsev,A (2593)-Najer,E (2653)/Sochi 2006/CBM 111 ext})
17. Rd2 Qc7 18. Bg5 $5 Bxg5 19. Nxg5 Rfd8 20. Rd6 Nd4 21. Nf3 $14 {1/2 Bologan,
V (2679)-Adams,M (2720)/Wijk aan Zee 2004/CBM 099/[Gershon] (40)}) 14... Bg6
15. Bd2 O-O 16. Bc3 Qc7 (16... Qb6 17. Rfd1 Rad8 $1 18. Rd2 a5 19. Rad1 Qa7 20.
a3 $6 (20. Nh4 $1 $14) 20... a4 $1 21. h3 $6 (21. Nh4 $1) 21... h6 22. Nh2 Nd4
$1 23. Bxd4 cxd4 24. Qxd4 Bc5 $44 {1/2 Dautov,R (2623)-Ibrayev,N (2476)/
Mallorca 2004/CBM 104/[Dautov] (38)}) 17. Rad1 Rab8 18. Rd2 Rfd8 19. Rfd1 a5
20. Nh4 Bh5 {1/2 Estremera Panos,S (2370)-Palac,M (2587)/Cutro 2003/EXT 2007}
21. Bf3 $14) ({The immediate} 13... Bxf3 $5 {is possible:} 14. Qxf3 (14. Bxf3
Nd4) 14... Rb8 15. Qc3 Nd4 16. Re1 Be7 17. Rb1 (17. Be3 Qb6 18. b3 d6 19. exd6
Bxd6 $11 {0-1 Wiley,T (2335)-Halkias,S (2571)/Bad Wiessee 2006/EXT 2007 (71)})
17... Qb6 18. Be3 O-O 19. Qd3 a5 20. Be4 g6 21. Red1 Rfd8 22. Qa3 d5 23. exd6
Bxd6 $11 {1/2 Riazantsev,A (2638)-Zhigalko,S (2568)/Plovdiv 2008/CBM 124 (42)})
14. Re1 (14. Ng5 $6 {, to avoid Bxf3, is too slow. Black easily pushes ...
d7-d6 and obtains a good position:} Bxg2 15. Kxg2 Qc7 16. Re1 Be7 17. Nf3 Qb7
18. Kg1 O-O 19. b3 d6 $11 {1/2 Van Wely,L (2679)-Gelfand,B (2696)/Monte Carlo
2005/CBM 105 ext (32)}) 14... Bxf3 15. Bxf3 (15. Qxf3 Nd4 16. Qe4 (16. Qd3 Be7
17. Rb1 a5 18. Bd2 O-O 19. Be4 g6 20. Qa3 Rb4 $5 21. Bxb4 axb4 22. Qd3 d6 23.
exd6 Qxd6 $44 {1/2 Bareev,E (2653)-Grischuk,A (2726)/Moscow 2007/EXT 2008 (48)}
) 16... Be7 17. Rb1 a5 18. Be3 Qc7 19. Bxd4 cxd4 20. Qxd4 Bc5 21. Qd3 O-O 22.
b3 Rfd8 23. Rbd1 {1/2 Svidler,P (2736)-Eljanov,P (2686)/Foros 2007/CBM 119})
15... Nd4 16. Bd1 $6 {A strange decision. One can hardly find a worse place
for this bishop. White prevents ...d7-d6 for the moment but Black needn't
hurry.} (16. Bg2 $11) 16... Be7 17. Be3 Qc7 {White is welcome to take on d4,
as said in the comment to move 12.} 18. Rb1 $2 {[%mdl 8192] Alexey Shirov
wrongly believes Black can't take on e5.} (18. Bxd4 cxd4 19. Qxd4 Bc5 20. Qe4
Rxb2 21. Bc2 $15) (18. Bf4 $5) 18... Qxe5 $1 19. Bxd4 (19. Bf4 Qf5 {[%cal
Rf5b1]} 20. Bxb8 Qxb1 21. a3 O-O $17 22. Bxa7 $140 Ra8 23. Bb6 Rb8) 19... cxd4
20. Qd2 Qc5 {No pawn, no compensation. Black confidently converts his material
advantage.} 21. Be2 O-O 22. Red1 e5 23. Qd3 f5 24. g4 g6 25. gxf5 gxf5 26. b4
Qc6 27. b5 Qb6 28. Qg3+ Qg6 29. Bh5 Qxg3+ 30. hxg3 Bc5 31. Kg2 e4 32. Rh1 d3
33. Bd1 f4 34. Rh5 f3+ 35. Kf1 d6 36. Bb3 Rbe8 37. Re1 d2 38. Rd1 Bxf2 39. Rxd2
Bc5 40. Bc2 Re7 0-1

[Event "Jermuk FIDE GP"]
[Site "Jermuk"]
[Date "2009.08.13"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Akopian, Vladimir Eduardovic"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D12"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2712"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow,M"]
[PlyCount "83"]
[EventDate "2009.08.09"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ARM"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 132"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.09.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.09.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Bg6 7. Be2 Nbd7 8. O-O
Bd6 9. g3 O-O 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11. Qb3 {The most active continuation.} (11. b3 {
- see Navara - Grischuk in CBM 124 (annotated by GM E.Postny).}) (11. Qc2 {
- see Kramnik - Anand in CBM 119 (annotated by GM D.Rogozenko).}) 11... Rb8 (
11... Qb6 {leads to a pleasant position for White after the queen exchange:}
12. Bd2 (12. Rd1 $5 Qxb3 13. axb3 Ne4 14. f3 Nxc3 15. bxc3 a6 16. cxd5 exd5 17.
e4 Rfe8 18. e5 Bc7 19. f4 f5 20. g4 Kf7 21. Bd3 Ke6 22. Ra2 Rg8 23. Rg2 Nf8 24.
gxf5+ gxf5 25. Rg5 $18 {1-0 Lysyj,I (2593)-Gundavaa,B (2320)/Novokuznetsk 2008/
CBM 123 Extra (42)}) 12... dxc4 (12... Rad8 13. Rfd1 dxc4 14. Bxc4 e5 15. d5 e4
16. dxc6 bxc6 17. Qc2 Rfe8 18. Be2 Qc5 19. Be1 $14 {1-0 Sargissian,G (2642)
-Tirto (2406)/Al Ain 2008/CBM 127 Extra (36)}) 13. Bxc4 e5 14. Rad1 Rad8 15.
Qc2 $14 Rfe8 $2 16. Qxg6 {1-0 Rodshtein,M (2586)-Gaponenko,I (2458)/Biel 2007/
CBM 119 ext (42)}) (11... Qc7 {is possible but the queen is placed quite
awkwardly here:} 12. Rd1 a6 (12... dxc4 13. Qxc4 e5 14. dxe5 Bxe5 15. Bd2 Nb6
16. Qb3 Qe7 17. a4 Rfd8 18. a5 Nbd5 19. Nxd5 cxd5 20. Bf3 $14 {1-0 Bitalzadeh,
A (2434)-Kuipers,S (2324)/Dieren NED 2009/The Week in Chess 769 (32)}) 13. Qc2
dxc4 14. Bxc4 c5 15. dxc5 Nxc5 16. Bd2 Rac8 17. Rac1 Qb8 18. a4 Be5 19. Be1
Bxc3 20. Bxc3 Nxa4 21. Qxa4 b5 22. Qxa6 Rxc4 23. b3 Rc7 24. Bxf6 Ra7 25. Qc6
gxf6 26. Rc5 $14 {1-0 Schandorff,L (2526)-Vaznonis,V (2399)/Valby 2008/CBM 123
Extra (69)}) 12. Rd1 Qe7 {[%cal Yd5c4,Ye6e5]} (12... dxc4 13. Qxc4 Qe7 14. e4 {
is a bit premature} (14. Qa4 $5) (14. Bd2 $5) 14... e5 15. Bg5 Nb6 16. Qb3 exd4
17. Rxd4 Be5 18. Rd2 Rfe8 19. Bf3 Qe6 20. Re1 Nc4 21. Rdd1 b5 22. Bc1 a5 $132 {
0-1 Likavsky,T (2494)-Huzman,A (2601)/Montreal 2007/CBM 119 ext (46)}) 13. Qc2
(13. Bd2 {[%cal Yd2e1] looks more logical}) (13. c5 $6 Bc7 14. f4 b6) 13... a6
$146 {This new move doesn't change much: Black will have to take on c4 anyway,
and White plays Bc1-d2-e1 in the meantime.} (13... Rbc8 {can already be met
with} 14. c5 Bc7 15. f4 {e.g.} b5 (15... Ba5 $5) 16. Bf3 a5 17. Bd2 Nh7 18. e4
$5 f5 19. e5 g5 20. Ne2 gxf4 21. Nxf4 $16 {1-0 Lysyj,I (2593)-Ivanov,O (2454)/
Moscow 2008/CBM 122 Extra (39)}) (13... dxc4 {is a natural reply:} 14. Bxc4
Rbd8 (14... Nb6 15. Bb3 Rfd8 16. Bd2 Rbc8 17. Be1 c5 18. dxc5 Rxc5 19. Qe2 a6
20. Rd4 e5 21. Rd2 e4 22. Rad1 Rcc8 23. h4 Rd7 24. Rd4 Rcd8 25. Qc2 Bc5 26.
Rxd7 Rxd7 27. Rxd7 Nbxd7 28. Kg2 $14 {1-0 Rodshtein,M (2650)-Ragger,M (2540)/
Moscow 2009/CBM 129 (51)}) (14... c5 15. dxc5 Bxc5 16. Bd2 Ne5 17. Be2 b6 18.
Ne4 Qb7 19. Nxc5 bxc5 20. Bc3 Nf3+ 21. Bxf3 Qxf3 22. Bxf6 gxf6 $14 {1/2 Golod,
V (2599)-Dreev,A (2660)/Zuerich SUI 2009/The Week in Chess 771}) 15. Bd2 c5 16.
dxc5 Bxc5 17. Be2 Nb6 18. Rac1 Rc8 19. Qb3 Rfd8 20. Bf3 Bb4 21. Be1 Rxd1 22.
Rxd1 Bc5 23. Bg2 Qc7 24. a4 Nbd7 25. a5 $14 Qxa5 $6 26. Nd5 Qd8 27. Nxf6+ gxf6
28. Qxb7 Rc7 29. Ba5 Bb6 30. Bxb6 axb6 31. Qxb6 $18 {1/2 Roiz,M (2677)-Akopian,
V (2679)/Dresden 2008/CBM 128 (131)}) ({Practice has also seen:} 13... Rfe8 14.
Bd2 a6 15. c5 Bc7 16. f4 Ba5 17. Bf3 (17. Bd3 $142) 17... b6 18. cxb6 Nxb6 19.
Na4 Bxd2 20. Rxd2 Nxa4 21. Qxa4 c5 22. Qxa6 c4 23. Qa4 Rb4 24. Qc2 Reb8 $44 {
0-1 Arsovic,Z (2475)-Akopian,V (2700)/Budva 2009/CBM 130 (45)}) (13... a5 14.
b3 Rfc8 15. Bb2 b5 16. cxb5 cxb5 17. Qd3 b4 18. Nb5 Nb6 19. Rac1 Ne8 20. Rxc8
Rxc8 21. Rc1 Qd8 22. Kg2 Rxc1 23. Bxc1 Nc8 24. Qc2 Ne7 25. f3 $14 {1-0 Galyas,
M (2458)-Lengyel,B (2268)/Budapest 2009/CBM 130 Extra (37)}) (13... Rfd8 14.
Bd2 dxc4 15. Bxc4 Rbc8 16. Rac1 c5 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. Be2 Bd6 19. Be1 Nb6 20.
Qb3 $14 Nfd7 $6 21. Nb5 {1-0 Schlosser,P (2560)-Berezjuk,S (2406)/Pardubice
CZE 2009/The Week in Chess 769 (67)}) 14. Bd2 dxc4 15. Bxc4 b5 16. Bf1 c5 17.
dxc5 Nxc5 $14 {We have seen similar positions in games quoted in the above
annotations. White keeps a small but steady plus due to his bishop pair.} 18.
Be1 Rfc8 19. Rac1 Na4 $5 20. Qd3 Bb4 $2 {Hardly a successful attempt to get
rid of one of White's bishops. Black loses a pawn without sufficient
compensation.} (20... Nxc3 $142 21. Bxc3 Bb4 22. Be5 Rxc1 23. Rxc1 Rd8 $14) 21.
Nxa4 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Bxe1 23. Rxe1 bxa4 24. Qxa6 Rxb2 25. Qxa4 $16 Nd5 26. e4 $2
{A nervous move, after which Black could have regained the pawn.} (26. Re2 $142
Rb1 27. Rc2 Qf6 28. Qe4 Re1 {[%cal Rd5e3]} 29. Rc8+ Kh7 30. Rc4 Kg8 31. Qd3 $16
) 26... Nf6 $2 {Returning the favour.} (26... Nc3 $1 27. Qd4 Qb4 28. Qxb4 Rxb4
{[%cal Rc3a2,Rc3e4] Although after} 29. Rc1 Nxa2 (29... Nxe4 $6 30. Rc8+ Kh7
31. Rc4) 30. Rc2 Ra4 31. Rc8+ Kh7 32. Rc7 {White keeps some initiative, it is
by no means enough for the victory.}) 27. e5 Qc5 28. Re2 {White gives back the
pawn in a favorable version to clarify the position.} (28. Re3 $5 {was another
option:} Nd5 29. Qe8+ Kh7 (29... Qf8 30. Qxf8+ Kxf8 31. Ra3) 30. Rf3 Rb1 31.
Rb3 Rxb3 32. axb3 {keeping an extra pawn.}) 28... Rxe2 29. Bxe2 Qxe5 $16 {
[%csl Ga2][%mdl 4096] The position has finally simplified. Black has regained
the missing material but White retains a positional advantage due to his
outside passed pawn.} 30. Bf3 g5 31. h3 g6 $2 {An unnecessary and probably
decisive loss of a tempo.} (31... Qe1+ $142 32. Kg2 e5 $132) 32. Qa7 $1 {
White finds a nice winning plan.} Kg7 {Another loss of time but} (32... Qe1+
33. Kh2 $1 e5 34. a4 {doesn't change much anymore.}) 33. a4 Qa1+ 34. Kh2 $1 e5
35. a5 e4 36. Bg2 g4 37. h4 $1 {The point! Black has no way to bother the
white king.} Qe5 38. a6 Qd6 39. Qb7 e3 40. a7 $1 e2 41. a8=Q e1=Q 42. Qbc8 1-0

[Event "Jermuk FIDE GP"]
[Site "Jermuk"]
[Date "2009.08.23"]
[Round "13"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2756"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "155"]
[EventDate "2009.08.09"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "ARM"]
[EventCategory "19"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 132"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.09.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.09.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{The Grand-Prix tournament in Jermuk was an unusual event for me. In the first
half I had missed a lot of possibilities, but l after the second rest day luck
was on my side. Before the last round I was trailing the leaders by half a
point and I had White against one of the leaders Peter Leko, who had had an
excellent tournament so far. From childhood I read a lot about such a games:
White is half a point behind and needs a win, Black is leading and will be
satisfied with a draw. Whose task is easier? Which strategy is better to
apply? Polugaevsky-Portisch from the Interzonal Petropolis 1973 was always an
example for me (excellently annotated by the winner in the tournament book).
However, I decided to use another tactic and joined the theoretical discussion.
Das Grand-Prix-Turnier in Jermuk war eine ungewцhnliche Veranstaltung fьr mich.
In der ersten Hдlfte hatte ich eine Vielzahl von Mцglichkeiten ausgelassen,
aber nach dem zweiten Ruhetag war das Glьck auf meiner Seite. Vor der letzten
Runde lag ich einen halben Punkt hinter den Fьhrenden und hatte WeiЯ gegen
Peter Leko, einen von ihnen, der bis dahin ein ausgezeichnetes Turnier gehabt
hatte. Von Kindheit an hatte ich eine Menge ьber solche Partien gelesen: WeiЯ
liegt einen halben Punkt zurьck und braucht einen Sieg, Schwarz fьhrt und wird
mit einem Remis zufrieden sein. Wessen Aufgabe ist leichter? Welche Strategie
sollte man besser wдhlen? Polugaevsky-Portisch aus dem Interzonenturnier
Petropolis 1973 war immer ein Vorbild fьr mich (ausgezeichnet vom Gewinner im
Turnierbuch kommentiert). Doch ich entschloss mich zu einer anderen Taktik und
lieЯ mich auf die theoretische Diskussion ein.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 {
Peter had chosen his main opening. Recently he has added the Semi-Slav to his
repertoire. Peter hatte seine Stammerцffnung gewдhlt. In letzter Zeit hat er
seinem Repertoire auch Halbslawisch hinzugefьgt.} 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 {I went for
the sharpest system. Since the games Vallejo-Macieja, Turin 2006 and
Gelfand-Aronian, Dortmund 2006 this system has become very topical. White
sacrifices a pawn, but gets an initiative for it.  Ich wдhlte das schдrfste
System. Sein den Partien Vallejo-Macieja, Turin 2006 und Gelfand-Aronian,
Dortmund 2006 ist dieses System sehr aktuell geworden. WeiЯ opfert einen
Bauern, erlangt dafьr aber Initiative.} Bb7 6. Bg2 c5 7. d5 exd5 8. cxd5 Nxd5
9. O-O Be7 10. Rd1 Nc6 {The other move, 10...Qc8, went a bit out of fashion
this year. Der andere Zug, 10...Qc8, kam in diesem Jahr ein wenig aus der Mode.
} 11. Qf5 (11. Qa4 {Another testing plan was used in this tournament by Leko(!)
against Bacrot and by Aronian against Karjakin. I had chosen an alternative
move. Ein weiterer kritischer Plan wurde in diesem Turnier von Leko(!) gegen
Bacrot und von Aronian gegen Karjakin angewandt. Ich hatte einen Alternativzug
gewдhlt.}) 11... Nf6 12. e4 g6 (12... d6 13. e5 Qd7 14. Qxd7+ Nxd7 15. exd6 Bf6
{was used in the games Bareev-Polgar,Ju and Carlsen-Pelletier, but White had
won both of them on the 64th move. kam in den Partien Bareev-Polgar,Ju und
Carlsen-Pelletier zur Anwendung, aber WeiЯ hatte beide im 64. Zug gewonnen.})
13. Qf4 O-O 14. e5 Nh5 15. Qc4 {This move has not been tried much in
tournament practice, but was suggested in Chess Informant in annotations to
the Aronian-Leko game. Dieser Zug wurde in der Turnierpraxis nicht allzu
hдufig probiert, war aber im Schachinformator zu den Anmerkungen zu der Partie
Aronian-Leko angeregt worden.} ({Leko had shown the right path against Leko
hatte den richtigen Weg gegen} 15. Qh6 {gezeigt:} Nd4 $5 (15... Re8 $1 {Leko,P}
16. Ng5 $140 Bxg5 17. Bxg5 Qc7 18. g4 Nxe5 $3 19. gxh5 Ng4 20. Bf4 Re5 $3 21.
Qg5 Rxg5 22. Bxc7 Bxg2 23. h4 Rd5 $19) 16. Nxd4 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 cxd4 18. g4 $2
Rc8 $3 19. Rxd4 (19. gxh5 $2 {Leko,P} g5 $3 {(/\ Rc6)} 20. Bxg5 Bxg5 21. Qd6
Bf4 $17) 19... Ng7 {1/2-1/2 Aronian,L-Leko,P/Moscow 2006/Inf 98/[Leko,P] (27)})
15... d5 {The most natural move. Black gets rid of the weak d7-pawn. Der
natьrlichste Zug. Schwarz beseitigt den Schwдchling d7.} ({Both Leko and
Atalik had analysed only  Sowohl Leko als auch Atalik hatten nur} 15... Qc7 {
and given White an edge analysiert und WeiЯ ein Plus gegeben:} 16. Bh6 Ng7 17.
Nc3 $1 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Bxg2 19. Bf4 $1 d6 20. Ng4 $5 (20. Nxg6 {Leko,P} hxg6 21.
Kxg2 Qb7+ 22. Nd5 $5 Nf5 23. Qe4 Kg7 24. Bd2 $1 Rae8 25. Bc3+ f6 26. Nxf6 $1
Qxe4+ 27. Nxe4+ Kf7 28. Rd3 c4 29. Rd2 $14) 20... Qb7 21. Nh6+ Kh8 22. Nxf7+
Rxf7 23. Qxf7 Rf8 24. Qc4 Rf5 25. Bxd6 Bh1 26. Qf1 $16 {Atalik,S}) 16. exd6 ({
Harmless is Harmlos ist} 16. Rxd5 Na5 17. Rxd8 Nxc4 18. Rd7 $140 Bxf3 19. Bxf3
Nxe5 20. Bxa8 Nxd7 {with a healthy extra pawn. mit gesundem Mehrbauern.}) 16...
Bxd6 17. Nc3 $1 {This is a new move. Dies ist ein neuer Zug.} ({My friend
Maxim Rodshtein inaccurately inserted Mein Freund Maxim Rodshtein schaltete
ungenauerweise} 17. Bh6 Re8 18. Nc3 Na5 {and had to retreat to ein und musste
mit} 19. Qg4 {ausweichen} ({as denn auf} 19. Qd3 {is strongly met folgt stark}
Bf8 $15) 19... Bc6 20. Ng5 Nf6 {when Black is doing well, Rodshtein,M-Volke,K/
Kallithea 2008. wonach Schwarz gut steht, Rodshtein,M-Volke,K/Kallithea 2008.})
17... Na5 18. Qd3 Bc7 ({In the event of Im Fall von} 18... Be7 {ist der Zug} {
the move the move} 19. Qe2 $1 {is unpleasant. unangenehm.}) 19. Qc2 {Now I had
got the position I wanted to play. White is a pawn down, but Na5, Nh5 and Bc7
are poorly placed and thus White has full compensation for the pawn. I was
aware that engines don't see a big danger for Black and this gave me extra
confidence and motivation. I was convinced that my assessment of the position
was correct and was eager to prove that a human's view on a position can
sometimes be more precise than a computer's one (a very unpopular opinion
nowadays). Nun hatte ich die Stellung, die ich spielen wollte. WeiЯ hat einen
Bauern weniger, aber Na5, Nh5 und Bc7 stehen schlecht, und somit hat er volle
Kompensation dafьr. Mir war klar, dass Engines keine groЯe Gefahr fьr Schwarz
sehen, und das gab mir noch zusдtzlich Selbstvertrauen und Motivation. Ich war
ьberzeugt, dass meine Einschдtzung der Position korrekt war und brannte darauf
zu beweisen, dass die Stellungssicht eines Menschen manchmal genauer sein kann
als die eines Computers (eine ziemlich unpopulдre Meinung heutzutage).} Qe7 {
Black had other possibilities, which no doubt will be tested in tournament
practice in the near future. Thus I'll just show a beautiful line, indicated
by Sergei Shipov on his site crestbook.com. This line shows the big potential
of White's position. Scwharz hatte auch andere Mцglichkeiten, die man
zweifellos in naher Zukunft in der Turnierpraxis testen wird. Ich werde daher
nur ein schцnes Abspiel zeigen, angegeben von Sergei Shipov auf seiner Seite
crestbook.com, welche das groЯe Potential der weiЯen Stellung zeigt.} (19...
Qc8 20. Nd5 Bxd5 21. Rxd5 Qe6 22. Rxh5 $1 gxh5 23. b4 $3 Qc4 24. Qd2 $1 Bd8 25.
Bb2 Qxb4 26. Bc3 Qa4 27. Ng5 $1 {with a mating attack. mit Mattangriff.}) 20.
Re1 {Any other reasonable move - 20.Nb5, 20.Nd5, 20.Bg5, 20.Bh6 - deserves
attention as well, but I chose the most concrete way. Jeder andere vernьnftige
Zug - 20.Nb5, 20.Nd5, 20.Bg5, 20.Bh6 - verdient ebenfalls Aufmerksamkeit, aber
ich wдhlte das Konkreteste.} Qd7 ({The queen's fianchetto looks too bizarre:
Das Damenfianchetto wirkt zu bizarr:} 20... Qf6 21. Bg5 Qg7) 21. Bg5 (21. Bh6
Rfe8 22. Rad1 Rxe1+ 23. Nxe1 {deserved serious attention. kam ernsthaft in
Betracht.}) ({White is not in time to get the big diagonal: Auf die groЯe
Diagonale kommt WeiЯ nicht rechtzeitig:} 21. b3 Rad8 22. Bb2 Qd3 $17) 21... f6
{An inaccurate move. Ein ungenauer Zug.} ({Better was Besser war} 21... Rfe8
22. Rad1 ({But Nicht aber} 22. Red1 {doesn't work: :} Qe6 23. b4 cxb4 24. Nb5
Be5) 22... Rxe1+ 23. Nxe1 Qg4 24. f4 $1 $13 {with a complicated game. mit
kompliziertem Spiel.}) 22. Bh6 (22. Rad1 Qf7 (22... Qg7 23. Bd2 $1 {/\Nb5} Nc4
$140 $2 24. Qb3 Qf7 25. Ng5 $1) 23. Bh6 ({A possible try is Ein mцglicher
Versuch ist} 23. Nb5 Rad8 24. Bh6 Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Rc8 (25... Rd8 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8
27. Nd6) 26. Nxa7 $14 {regaining the pawn and keeping some pressure. mit
Rьckgewinn des Bauern und nach wie vor etwas Druck.}) 23... Rfd8 {leads to a
move transposition and was probably the most precise move order. fьhrt zu
Zugumstellung und war vermutlich die genaueste Reihenfolge.}) 22... Rfd8 ({
In the event of Im Fall von} 22... Rfe8 {I intended beabsichtigte ich} 23. Red1
({Worthy of attention is Aufmerksamkeit verdient} 23. Rad1 Rxe1+ 24. Nxe1 $1
Qf7 25. Bxb7 Nxb7 26. Qa4 $1 Nd6 (26... Rd8 27. Qxa7 $1) (26... a6 $2 27. Rd7
$1) 27. Nd5 {with full compensation. mit voller Kompensation.}) 23... Qf7 24.
Nd5 Bxd5 ({However, there is the stronger Es gibt allerdings das stдrkere} 
24... Rac8 $1 {with an unclear position mit unklarer Stellung.}) 25. Ng5 {
trying to exploit the weak white squares. um zu versuchen, die schwachen
weiЯen Felder auszunutzen.} fxg5 26. Bxd5 Re1+ 27. Kg2 $18) 23. Rad1 ({I
rejected Ich verwarf} 23. Ne4 Qd3 24. Qxd3 Rxd3 25. g4 f5 $1) 23... Qf7 24. b4
$1 {White cannot afford to slow down. He should keep the flame of initiative
burning even at the cost of new sacrifices. WeiЯ kann sich keine
Tempominderung leisten. Er sollte die Flamme der Initiative am Brennen halten,
selbst wenn dies neue Opfer fordert.} ({I didn't even consider the decent
option Ich erwog nicht einmal die ordentliche Mцglichkeit} 24. Nb5 Nc6 (24...
Rxd1 25. Rxd1 Rd8 26. Rxd8+ Bxd8 27. Nd6 Qe7 28. Nxb7 Nxb7 29. b4 $1) 25. a3
Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Rd8 27. b4 {with some pressure in both cases. in beiden Fдllen
mit etwas Druck.}) 24... cxb4 (24... Nc6 25. bxc5 bxc5 26. Nb5 $1 {is in
White's favour. ist zugunsten von WeiЯ.}) 25. Nb5 Rxd1 (25... Rdc8 {loses to
verliert wegen} 26. Bh3 $1 Bxf3 (26... f5 27. Ng5 Qc4 28. Qxc4+ ({even simpler
is sogar noch einfacher ist} 28. Bxf5 $1) 28... Nxc4 29. Re7) 27. Be6 Qxe6 28.
Rxe6) 26. Rxd1 Rd8 $2 {The most natural, but probably not the best defence.
Die natьrlichste, aber womцglich nicht die beste Verteidigung.} (26... Rc8 {
was stronger, when White has to choose between war stдrker, wonach WeiЯ wдhlen
muss zwischen} 27. Bh3 $5 (27. Nxc7 Qxc7 28. Qxc7 Rxc7 29. Rd8+ Kf7 30. Rf8+
Ke7 31. Rh8 Ng7 $3 $13 {Shipov}) (27. Nxa7 Rd8 (27... Re8 28. Nb5 Bb8 $44) 28.
Nb5 Rxd1+ 29. Qxd1 $44) 27... f5 28. Bg2 $44 {with full compensation for 2
pawns. mit voller Kompensation fьr 2 Bauern.}) 27. Rxd8+ Bxd8 28. Nd6 Qd7 ({
I was hoping for the spectacular finish Ich hoffte auf das spektakulдre Finale
} 28... Qc7 29. Qd2 $3 (29. Qe2 Qe7) 29... Bc6 30. Ne5 $3 fxe5 (30... Bxg2 31.
Kxg2 Qc5 (31... fxe5 32. Qd5+ Kh8 33. Nf7+ Kg8 34. Nxd8+ Kh8 35. Nf7+ Kg8 36.
Nxe5+ Kh8 37. Qa8+) 32. Ne4 $1) 31. Bd5+ $1 Kh8 32. Nf7+) 29. Nxb7 {The game
moves on to a new stage. For the last 10 moves Black hasn't been able to find
a moment to get any of his Ns into the game. White managed to exchange the key
piece - Bb7 - and is now starting to penetrate into Black's camp by the white
squares. Die Partie geht in eine neue Phase. Die letzten 10 Zьge ьber hat
Schwarz keinen Moment gefunden, einen seiner Sringer ins Spiel zu bringen.
WeiЯ hat es geschafft, die Schlьsselfigur zu tauschen - Bb7 - und schickt sich
nun an, auf den weiЯen Feldern ins schwarze Lager einzudringen.} ({Now Nun
fьhrt} 29. Qd2 Bc6 30. Ne5 fxe5 31. Bd5+ Kh8 32. Nf7+ $11 {leads only to a
draw. nur zum Remis.}) 29... Nxb7 30. Qc4+ ({The immediate Das sofortige} 30.
Bh3 {also deserved attention, but it was difficult to decide on the move order.
But probably it leads to the same type of position. verdiente ebenfalls
Aufmerksamkeit, aber es war schwer, sich fьr die Zugfolge zu entscheiden. Doch
vermutlich fьhrt dies zum gleichen Stellungstyp.}) 30... Kh8 ({On Auf} 30...
Qf7 {I planned plante ich} 31. Qc8 ({But even stronger is Noch stдrker ist
allerdings} 31. Qxf7+ $1 Kxf7 32. Nd4 Nc5 33. Bd5+ Ke7 34. g4 $1 {winning a
piece mit Figurengewinn.}) 31... Qc7 32. Qa8) 31. Bh3 $1 (31. Nd4 Nc5 32. Qxb4
{was also possible, but not in the spirit of position. war ebenfalls mцglich,
entsprach aber nicht dem Geist der Stellung.}) 31... Qe7 (31... f5 32. Ne5) (
31... Qxh3 $2 32. Qf7) 32. Qd5 Nd6 (32... Nc5 33. Nd4) (32... f5 {looks
extremely dangerous, but doesn't lose: sieht extrem gefдhrlich aus, verliert
aber nicht:} 33. Ng5 (33. Bg5 Qc7) 33... Nf6 34. Qb3 Nd6 35. Ne6 $44 {and
White keeps on pressing. und WeiЯ bleibt am Drьcker.}) 33. Nd4 Qe1+ $2 {
After this mistake Black's position deteriorates. Nach diesem Fehler geht es
mit der schwarzen Stellung bergab.} (33... f5 34. Nc6 Qc7 35. Bf8) ({Better
was Besser war} 33... Nf7 34. Bd2 (34. Be3 $5) (34. Nc6 Qe1+ (34... Qe8 35. Bd2
) 35. Bf1 Nxh6 36. Qxd8+ Ng8 (36... Kg7 37. g4) 37. Nxa7 Qa1 $11) 34... f5 35.
Nc6 Qe8 36. Nxd8 Nxd8 37. Bxb4 $44 {when Black had more defensive resources
than in the game. wonach Schwarz mehr Verteidigungsressourcen hдtte als in der
Partie.}) 34. Bf1 (34. Kg2 $5 Qe5 (34... Qe4+ $2 35. Qxe4 Nxe4 36. Ne6 Be7 37.
g4 $1) 35. Qa8 $14 {was also possible. war ebenfalls mцglich.}) 34... Qe5 35.
Qa8 Qe8 ({Or Oder} 35... Nf7 36. Be3) 36. Qxa7 Nf7 37. Be3 {I think that I had
played a good game so far, but starting from here I am dissatisfied with my
level of play. Ich denke, bis dahin hatte ich eine gute Partie gespielt, aber
von hier an bin ich mit dem Niveau meines Spiels unzufrieden.} ({Why not the
simple Wieso nicht das einfache} 37. Bd2 $1 f5 (37... Ne5 38. Bxb4 Ng7 39. Qb8)
38. Bxb4 Nf6 39. Bc3 {? ?}) 37... Ne5 38. Qa8 (38. Qb8 $5) 38... Qg8 ({Better
was Besser war} 38... Ng7 $1 39. Nc2 Qg8 $14) 39. Nc6 ({Simpler and better was
Einfacher und besser war} 39. Ne6 Be7 (39... Qxe6 40. Qxd8+ Kg7 41. Qc7+ Kg8
42. Qb8+ Kg7 43. Qb7+ $18) 40. Qxg8+ Kxg8 41. Bxb6 $16) (39. Nc2 $5 Ng7 40.
Nxb4 Nf5 41. Bf4 {Shipov}) 39... Nxc6 40. Qxc6 Ng7 (40... Qxa2 {loses a piece:
verliert eine Figur:} 41. g4 Ng7 42. Qd7 Qg8 43. Bh6) {The time control had
been passed. White has retained an advantage, but Black keeps drawing chances.
Unfortunately the second half of the game was marked by numerous mistakes from
both sides. They can be explained and probably excused by the great tension,
due to the importance of the game. I hope that readers will forgive me if I
mention them just briefly.  Die Zeitkontrolle war ьberstanden. WeiЯ hat
Vorteil behalten, aber Schwarz wahrt Remischancen. Leider war die zweite
Hдlfte der Partie von beiderseits zahlreichen Fehlern gekennzeichnet. Sie
lassen sich erklдren und womцglich entschuldigen durch die groЯe Spannung
aufgrund der Bedeutung der Partie. Ich hoffe, die Leser werden mir verzeihen,
wenn ich sie nur kurz erwдhne.} 41. Bh6 Be7 ({Better was Besser war} 41... Qf8
42. Bc4 Qe7 (42... Qc5 43. Qb7 Qf8 (43... Qe7 44. Qd5) 44. h3 (44. Qd5 $140 Be7
) 44... Qe7 45. Qd5) 43. Qd5 Qf8 44. g4 (44. Qd4 $5 {It wouldn't be easy to
find such a move. Ein solcher Zug wдre nicht einfach zu finden.} g5 (44... Qe7
45. Bd2 Bc7 46. Qd5 {winning the b4-pawn mit Gewinn des b4-Bauern.}) 45. Qd3 {
followed by Bb3-c2 nebst Bb3-c2.}) 44... g5 {and it's not clear if White can
win after und es ist nicht klar, ob WeiЯ gewinnen kann nach} (44... Be7 45. Qf7
Qxf7 46. Bxf7 Bd6 47. Bd2 {trapping the N - this was my idea during the game.
mit N-Fang - das war meine Idee wдhrend der Partie.}) 45. Qd4 Be7 46. Qxb6 f5
47. Bb3 fxg4 48. Qd4) (41... Nf5 42. Bc4) 42. Bc4 (42. Qxb6 $2 Qxa2 $1) 42...
Qd8 43. Be3 $1 {The bishop is returning to win the b6-pawn. Der Lдufer kehrt
zurьck, um den b6-Bauern abzuholen.} Nf5 (43... Bc5 44. Bxc5 bxc5 45. Qxc5 Qb8
46. Qe7 f5 47. Bf7 $18) (43... Qd6 44. Qxd6 Bxd6 45. Bxb6) 44. Bxb6 Qf8 ({
An attempt to go into counterattack backfires after Der Versuch eines
Gegenangriffs geht nach hinten los nach} 44... Qd1+ 45. Kg2 Nh4+ 46. Kh3 (46.
gxh4 $4 Qg4+ $11) 46... Nf5 47. g4 $1 $18 (47. Qe6 Kg7)) 45. Be6 {Now I
thought of a plan: to exchange queens, followed by the march of my K to the
b-pawn and transposition into a won B ending. That plan is good, but I
executed it in a very bad way. Nun ьberlegte ich mir einen Plan: Damentausch
nebst Marsch meines K zum b-Bauern und Ьbergang in ein gewonnenes B-Endspiel.
Dieser Plan ist gut, aber ich fьhrte ihn auf sehr schlechte Weise aus.} ({
Rustam Kasimdzhanov had suggested another plan: Rustam Kasimdzhanov hatte
einen anderen Plan vorgeschlagen:} 45. Qd5 {/\g4, Bd4-b2 and a mating attack.
This also looks convincing, but I didn't want to allow even a shadow of
counterplay. und Mattangriff. Dies wirkt ebenfalls ьberzeugend, aber ich
wollte nicht einmal einen Schatten von Gegenspiel zulassen.}) 45... Ng7 46. Bd7
$2 ({Stronger was Stдrker war} 46. Bd5 Nf5 47. Qd7 {then move my K to the
e-file and only then exchange the Qs. nebst Marsch meines K in die e-Linie und
erst dann der Tausch der Damen.}) 46... h5 47. Qc8 (47. Kf1 Qf7) 47... Kg8 48.
Kf1 Qxc8 49. Bxc8 Kf7 50. Ke2 Ne6 51. Kd3 Nc5+ 52. Kc4 (52. Kd4 b3 {leads to
an exchange of the a2-pawn. fьhrt zum Abtausch des a2-Bauern.}) 52... Ne4 53.
Ba6 (53. Bd7 Nd2+ 54. Kd5 b3) 53... Ke6 (53... Nd2+ $6 54. Kd3 b3 (54... Nf3
55. h3) 55. Kxd2 bxa2 56. Bc4+) 54. Be3 (54. Bb5 h4 $5 (54... Nd2+ 55. Kd3 Nf3)
(54... Nd6+ $2 55. Kxb4 $1)) 54... Nc3 $6 (54... f5 $1) 55. Kb3 $6 ({White
could win a few tempi by WeiЯ konnte ein paar Tempi gewinnen mit} 55. Bc8+ $1
Kf7 (55... Ke5 $2 56. a3 $1 Nd5 57. Bd4+ Kd6 58. axb4) 56. Kb3 Ne4 57. Bh3)
55... Nd5 56. Bc4 (56. Bd4 $5) 56... Ke5 57. Bxd5 Kxd5 58. Bd2 {White has
achieved his goal - the bishop ending, but in a very bad version. Black's
pieces are very active and the position is drawn. WeiЯ hat sein Ziel erreiche
- das Lдuferendspiel, aber in einer ganz schlechten Version. Die schwarzen
Figuren stehen sehr aktiv, und die Stelung ist remis.} Bc5 59. f3 f5 (59... g5
60. Bxb4 (60. h3 Bf2 (60... Bd6 61. g4 hxg4 62. fxg4 Ke4 63. Bxb4 Bc7) 61. g4
hxg4 62. hxg4 Kd4 63. Kxb4 Kd3 64. Bc3 Ke2 65. Bxf6 Kxf3 66. Bxg5 Kxg4 67. Bd2
Kf5 68. Kb5 Ke6 69. Kc6 Bh4 70. a4 Bd8 $11) 60... Bg1 61. h3 f5 {transposes to
the annotation of the 61st move. mit Ьbergang zur Anmerkung zum 61. Zug.}) 60.
Bxb4 Bg1 61. h3 Bf2 ({Black could save the game by Schwarz konnte die Partie
retten mit} 61... g5 62. Be1 (62. Bd2 g4 63. fxg4 fxg4 64. h4 Bf2 65. Bf4 Ke4
66. a4 Be1 $11 ({I even saw the incredible Ich sah sogar das unglaubliche} 
66... Kf3 67. a5 Bxg3 68. Bxg3 Kxg3 69. a6 Kh2 70. a7 g3 71. a8=Q g2 {and
White cannot win, as the h4-h5 pawns prevent him from forcing the K to g1. und
WeiЯ kann nicht gewinnen, da die Bauern h4/h5 ihn daran, hindern, den K nach
g1 zu zwingen.})) (62. g4 fxg4 63. fxg4 hxg4 64. hxg4 Ke4) 62... g4 63. fxg4
hxg4 (63... fxg4 64. h4 $18) 64. h4 (64. hxg4 fxg4 65. a4 Kc6 66. Kc4 Bh2)
64... Bh2 $1 65. h5 f4 66. gxf4 Bxf4 $11) 62. g4 fxg4 63. fxg4 hxg4 64. hxg4 g5
$2 {The final mistake. Der letzte Fehler.} ({The draw was still within reach
after the incredible Das Remis lag immer noch in Reichweite nach dem
unglaublichen} 64... Bh4 $3 65. Ba5 (65. a4 Bd8 66. a5 (66. Kc3 Ke4 $1) 66...
Bxa5 $1 67. Bxa5 g5 $3) (65. Ka4 Kc4 $1 66. Bd2 Bd8 $1) 65... Ke4 66. a4 Kf4
67. Bc7+ (67. g5 Ke5) 67... Kxg4 68. a5 Kf5 69. Bb6 Bg3 70. a6 Bb8 71. Kc4 Ke6
72. Kb5 Kd6 73. Bf2 Ba7 74. Bxa7 Kc7 75. Kc5 g5 76. Kd5 g4 77. Ke4 Kc6 78. Bf2
Kc7 $11) 65. a4 Bb6 (65... Ke4 66. Kc4 Kf3 67. a5) 66. Be7 $1 (66. Bd2 $2 Bd8
$1 $11) 66... Ke4 (66... Be3 67. Kb4) 67. Bxg5 Kf3 68. Kc4 Kxg4 69. Kb5 Bf2 70.
Bd2 {Ensuring the pawn's march to a6. Sichert den Vormarsch des Bauern nach a6.
} Kf5 71. a5 Ke4 72. Kc6 $1 {The last finesse. It is important to cut off
Black's king. Now the a-pawn is unstoppable. Die letzte Finesse. Es ist
wichtig, den schwarzen Kцnig abzuschneiden. Nun ist der a-Bauern nicht
aufzuhalten.} Kd3 73. Bg5 Kc4 74. Be7 Be3 75. a6 Ba7 76. Bd8 Bb8 77. Bc7 Ba7
78. Kb7 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 4th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2009.11.11"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D47"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2786"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow,M"]
[PlyCount "131"]
[EventDate "2009.11.05"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 133"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2009.11.19"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2009.11.19"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Bd3
Bb7 9. e4 b4 10. Na4 c5 11. e5 Nd5 12. dxc5 Nxc5 13. Nxc5 Bxc5 14. O-O h6 15.
Nd2 O-O $6 (15... Qc7) (15... Nc3 {are probably better alternatives.}) 16. Ne4
Bd4 17. Nd6 Bc6 18. Bh7+ $1 Kxh7 19. Qxd4 f6 20. Bd2 fxe5 21. Qe4+ $1 Kg8 22.
Qxe5 Qd7 {This old line was examined by GM Ch.Lutz in CBM 96 (annotations to
Radjabov-Shirov and V.Milov - Nielsen). The overall verdict (White keeps an
opening advantage) remains untouched.} 23. Rac1 $1 (23. Rfe1 $143 Rad8 24. Ne4
(24. Nc4 Nb6 25. Nxb6 Qxd2 26. Qxe6+ Kh8 27. Qxc6 Qxf2+ 28. Kh1 axb6 $11 {
0-1 Radjabov,T (2644)-Shirov,A (2735)/Sarajevo 2003/CBM 096/[Lutz] (51)}) (24.
Qxe6+ Qxe6 25. Rxe6 Nc7 (25... Nf4 $44) 26. Rg6 Kh7 27. Rg4 Rxd6 28. Bxb4 Rfd8
29. Bxd6 Rxd6 $132 {Kasimdzhanov,R}) 24... Rf5 25. Qg3 (25. Qd4 $6 Nf4 $1 26.
Qxd7 Rxd7 27. Bxf4 Rxf4 28. Nc5 (28. Ng3 Rd2 29. Re2 Rxe2 30. Nxe2 Re4 31. Ng3
Rc4 $17 {0-1 Le Quang,K (2315)-Werner,D (2315)/Budapest 2006/CBM 113 ext (76)})
(28. f3 $142 Bxe4 29. Rxe4 Rxe4 30. fxe4 Rd4 31. Rc1) 28... Rd2 29. f3 Rc4 30.
Rec1 Rxc1+ 31. Rxc1 Bd5 $17 {0-1 Milov,V (2574)-Nielsen,P (2625)/Istanbul 2003/
CBM 096/[Lutz] (37)}) 25... Nf6 26. Nxf6+ Rxf6 27. Bxb4 Kh7 28. Qc3 Rg6 {
1/2 Tukmakov,V (2565)-Dreev,A (2570)/Odessa 1989/URS-ch}) (23. b3 Rad8 24. Nc4
Rf5 25. Qe1 Bb5 26. f4 Nb6 27. Bxb4 Nxc4 28. bxc4 Bxc4 $11 {1/2 Mikhalchishin,
A (2538)-Maksimenko,A (2517)/Murska Sobota 2006/EXT 2008 (34)}) 23... Rad8 24.
Nc4 Rf5 $2 $146 {This "new" move just loses a pawn.} (24... Nb6 $6 25. Bxb4
Nxc4 26. Rxc4 Qd5 27. Qxd5 Bxd5 28. Rc3 Rf7 29. a3 $16 {1-0 Bruzon Bautista,L 
(2602)-Dominguez,L (2612)/Havana 2004/CBM 100 ext (61)}) (24... Ba8 25. Qg3 Rf6
26. Ne5 Qe8 27. Rc4 a5 28. Rg4 Qf8 29. Qh4 $1 (29. Rd4 Nf4 30. Rxf4 Rxd2 31.
Rxf6 Qxf6 32. Rc1 Qd8 33. h4 Rd1+ 34. Rxd1 Qxd1+ 35. Kh2 Qc2 36. Qf4 Qe4 $11 {
1-0 Vaganian,R (2623)-Johannessen,L (2495)/Germany 2003/EXT 2004 (53)}) 29...
Ne7 30. Bxh6 Nf5 31. Bxg7 Nxg7 (31... Nxh4 32. Bxf6+ Ng6 33. Rxg6+ Kh7 34. Rc1
$1 $18 {1-0 Quezada,Y (2502)-Fernandez,E (2219)/Manicaragua 2005/Inf 93/
[Quezada,Y] (38)}) 32. Ng6 Rxg6 33. Rxg6 $18 {Camacho,G (2322)-Corrales,F 
(2501)/Cuba (rapid) 2005/Inf 93}) (24... Bb5 {is the relatively best:} 25. b3
a5 (25... Rf6 $5 $14) 26. Rfe1 Rf6 27. Qg3 Ne7 28. Bf4 Rg6 29. Qh3 Nd5 30. Be5
$14 {1-0 Vaganian,R (2653)-Klimov,S (2507)/Togliatti 2003/CBM 094 ext (58)})
25. Qg3 {[%cal Rc4e5,Rd2h6]} Nf6 26. Bxh6 Ne4 27. Qg4 Nf6 28. Qg6 Qe7 (28...
Rh5 $142) 29. Bg5 (29. Ne3 Be8 (29... Rh5 30. Qxg7+ Qxg7 31. Bxg7 Kxg7 32. Rxc6
) 30. Nxf5 exf5 31. Qg5 Kf8 (31... Kh7 32. Qe3) 32. Rfe1 gxh6 33. Qxh6+ Qg7 34.
Qh4 {leads to a completely winning position but White prefers a simpler course.
}) 29... Be8 30. Bxf6 Qxf6 (30... Rxf6 31. Qg5 $18) 31. Qxf6 gxf6 {[%mdl 4096]
The endgame with an extra pawn is technically winning for White.} 32. Rfd1
Rxd1+ 33. Rxd1 Rc5 34. b3 Bb5 35. Ne3 f5 36. f4 Kf7 37. Kf2 a5 38. Rd8 $2 {
Allowing strong counterplay. It was better to start advancing the kingside
pawns:} (38. h4 {or}) (38. h3 {[%cal Yg2g4]}) 38... Rc1 39. Rb8 ({According to
GM Boris Gelfand, he had missed} 39. Ra8 a4 $1 40. bxa4 (40. Rb8 Bc6 41. Rxb4
Ra1 $1) 40... Ra1 41. axb5 b3 $1 {and White's win is under doubt.}) 39... Bd3
$6 (39... Be8 $1 {[%cal Rc1a1] created serious (perhaps too serious to
overcome) technical problems for White. If} 40. Nc4 {then} Rc2+ 41. Kg3 Ke7 (
41... Rxa2 $5 {is possible, too:} 42. Nd6+ Ke7 43. Nxe8 Rb2 44. Nc7 Rxb3+ 45.
Kh4 Rb2 46. Kh3 Kd6 $1 47. Na6 (47. Nb5+ Kc5) 47... Kc6 $1 {and Black's strong
queenside pawns compensate for White's poorly placed knight.}) 42. Nxa5 (42.
Rb7+ Kf6 43. Ra7 a4) 42... Rxa2 43. Ra8 (43. Nc4 Bc6) 43... Kf7 {[%cal Ye8b5]
and White can't win.}) 40. Rb7+ Kf6 $6 {The black king now comes under attack.}
(40... Kg6 41. Rd7 $1 Bb1 (41... Be4 42. Ra7 Rb1 $140 43. Nc4) 42. Rd2 {
[%cal Re3c4]}) (40... Ke8 $142 $1 {probably forcing} 41. Ra7 Rb1 42. Rxa5 Rb2+
43. Kg3 Be4 44. h3 Re2 45. Nc4 Rxg2+ 46. Kh4 Kd7 {and it is still difficult
for White to win.}) 41. Ra7 Rb1 42. g4 $1 {[%mdl 192]} (42. Rxa5 $2 Rb2+ 43.
Kg3 Be4 $132 {[%cal Rb2e2]}) 42... fxg4 (42... Rb2+ 43. Kg3 Rxa2 (43... fxg4
44. Nxg4+ Kf5 45. Rxa5+ $18) 44. g5+ Kg6 45. Ng2 $1 $18 {[%cal Rg2h4] B.Gelfand
}) 43. Nxg4+ Kf5 44. Ne5 $18 {[%csl Rd3,Rf5] A curious example of domination!}
Ke4 (44... Bc2 45. Ke3 {[%cal Ra7f7]} Re1+ 46. Kd2 $18) (44... Bf1 45. Kf3 $18)
(44... Bb5 45. Rxa5 $18) 45. Nxd3 Kxd3 46. Rxa5 Ke4 47. Re5+ Kxf4 48. Rxe6 Rh1
49. Kg2 Rc1 50. Re2 Rc3 51. Kf2 Rc1 52. Rd2 Ke4 53. Kg3 Rc8 54. h4 Ke5 55. Re2+
Kf5 56. Rf2+ Kg6 57. Rf4 Rc2 58. Rxb4 Rxa2 59. Rb5 Rd2 60. h5+ Kf6 61. h6 Rd7
62. Rh5 Rh7 63. Kf4 Kg6 64. Rh3 Kf6 65. Ke4 Ke6 66. Kd4 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.02"]
[Round "4.8"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Vachier Lagrave, Maxime"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A26"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2718"]
[PlyCount "63"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. a3 g6 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O d6 8. d3 h6
9. Rb1 Be6 10. b4 Qd7 11. b5 Nd8 12. a4 Bh3 13. Nd5 Bxg2 14. Kxg2 Ne8 15. e4
Ne6 16. Bb2 f5 17. Nh4 Kh7 18. exf5 gxf5 19. Qh5 c6 20. bxc6 bxc6 21. Ne3 f4
22. Nef5 Rf6 23. d4 exd4 24. Nxd4 Nxd4 25. Bxd4 Re6 26. Qf5+ Kg8 27. Rfe1 Nc7
28. Bxg7 Kxg7 29. Rb7 Re7 30. Rxe7+ Qxe7 31. Qxf4 Kg8 32. Nf5 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.05"]
[Round "5.4"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Jakovenko, Dmitrij"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2736"]
[PlyCount "59"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Rc1 c6 8.
e3 Qa5 9. Bd3 Ne4 10. O-O Nxg5 11. Nxg5 Nf6 12. Qc2 h6 13. Nf3 Bd6 14. h3 O-O
15. Ne5 c5 16. Nb5 Bxe5 17. dxe5 Nd7 18. f4 c4 19. Bh7+ Kh8 20. Nd6 Nc5 21.
Rcd1 b6 22. Rxd5 Ba6 23. Be4 Rab8 24. a3 c3 25. b4 Qxa3 26. bxc5 Bxf1 27. Kxf1
bxc5 28. Rd1 Qb2 29. Rc1 a5 30. Bd5 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.05"]
[Round "5.5"]
[White "Jakovenko, Dmitrij"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D45"]
[WhiteElo "2736"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. g4 h6 8. h3 e5
9. Bd2 O-O 10. dxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxe5 Bxe5 12. O-O-O dxc4 13. Bxc4 Qe7 14. Ne2 b5
15. Bd3 c5 16. f4 c4 17. Bf5 Bc7 18. Rhg1 Bxf5 19. gxf5 Bb6 20. Rg3 Rad8 21.
Rdg1 Kh8 22. Nd4 Bxd4 23. exd4 Rg8 24. a3 Qe4 25. Ba5 Rd5 26. Qxe4 Nxe4 27. Re3
Rxd4 28. Bc7 f6 29. Rd1 Rxd1+ 30. Kxd1 Rc8 31. Ba5 Nf2+ 32. Kc2 Rc5 33. Kc3
Rxf5 34. Rf3 Nd3 35. Bc7 g5 36. Kd4 gxf4 37. Ke4 Rh5 38. Bd6 Nxb2 39. Rxf4 Kg7
40. h4 Nd3 41. Rf1 Rxh4+ 42. Kd5 c3 43. Ke6 Re4+ 44. Kf5 Re1 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.06"]
[Round "6.1"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "C55"]
[WhiteElo "2723"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{I think that this game was my best achievement in the World Cup. It is not so
often that you beat such a strong player with Black by a mating attack and
without him making an obvious mistake.  Ich denke, dass diese Partie meine
beste Leistung im World Cup war. Es kommt nicht oft vor, dass man einen derart
starken Spieler als Schwarzer bezwingt, mit einem Mattangriff und ohne dass er
einen offensichtlichen Fehler macht.} 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 {So, no
Petroff today. Sergey had already played the Bishop's Opening once against me
in a rapid game in Nice in 2008. Also, kein Russisch heute. Die
Lдufererцffnung hatte Sergey bereits einmal gegen mich gespielt, in einer
Schnellpartie in Nizza 2008.} Nc6 {I had played 3...c6 that time, as well as 3
times in in 2009 (including twice in Khanti Mansiysk). However, it is always
nice to change from time to time.  Damals hatte ich 3...c6 gezogen, ebenso wie
dreimal im Jahr 2009 (darnter zweimal in Khanti Mansiysk). Aber eine
Abwechslung von Zeit zu Zeit zu tut immer gut.} 4. Nf3 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. Bb3 (
6. Re1 d6 7. a4 {is another possibility. Morozevich played it against me in
Astana 2001. I had improved on that game and won against Sutovsky with White
in Dagomys 2006. ist eine weitere Mцglichkeit. Morozevich spielte dies gegen
mich in Astana 2001. Zu dieser Partie hatte ich eine Verbesserung gefunden und
in Dagomys 2006 gegen Sutovsky mit WeiЯ gewonnen.}) 6... d5 {The most
straightforward system. Das gradlinigste System.} (6... d6 7. c3 {leads to a
slower game, similiar to the Ruy Lopez. fьhrt zu langsamerem Spiel, дhnlich
wie im Spanier.}) 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. h3 ({The most challenging move is Der
kritischste Zug ist} 8. Re1 Bg4 9. h3 {when Black has to choose beetween the
pawn sacrifice , wonach Schwarz sich entscheiden muss zwischen dem Bauernopfer}
Bh5 ({and und} 9... Bxf3 10. Qxf3 Nd4 11. Qxd5 Qxd5 12. Bxd5 Nxc2 13. Rxe5 {
with an unclear position mit unklarer Stellung.}) 10. g4 Bg6 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 12.
Rxe5 c6 13. Qf3 Bf6 (13... Bd6 $1 14. Re2 f5 (14... Kh8 {- 36/(395)}) 15. g5 f4
16. h4 Kh8 $13 {Kramnik,V}) 14. Re2 Kh8 15. Bxd5 cxd5 16. Nc3 Bxc3 17. bxc3 Rc8
{1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V (2715)-Kasparov,G (2805)/Novgorod 1995/Inf 63/[Kramnik,V] 
(58)} 18. Bd2 $16 {Kramnik,V}) 8... a5 $1 {Black is chasing the Bb3, and
creating the eventual possibility for the R to enter into the game.  Schwarz
jagt den Bb3 und erцffnet sich die eventuelle Mцglichkeit, den R ins Spiel zu
bringen.} 9. a4 (9. a3 a4 10. Ba2 Kh8 11. Re1 f6 12. d4 exd4 13. Nxd4 Ndb4 14.
axb4 Qxd4 $11 {1/2-1/2 Kramnik,V-Kasparov,G/New York PCA 1995 (41)}) (9. Ba4 {
allows erlaubt} Nd4 $1 10. Nxe5 Nb6 11. c3 Nxa4 12. Qxa4 Ne2+ 13. Kh1 Bf6 {
with a strong attack in Shirov,A-Mozetic,D,Tilburg, 1993. mit starkem Angriff
in Shirov,A-Mozetic,D,Tilburg, 1993.}) 9... Nd4 ({Another solid plan was
chosen by Alexander Onischuk twice. Ein anderer solider Plan wurde zweimal von
Alexander Onischuk gewдhlt.} 9... Be6 10. Re1 Bf6 11. Nbd2 Nf4 12. Bxe6 Nxe6
13. Nc4 Re8 14. Bd2 (14. Nfxe5 Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Nd4 16. Bf4 Qd6 17. c3 Bxe5 18.
Rxe5 Rxe5 19. Bxe5 Qxe5 20. cxd4 Qxd4 {1/2-1/2 Kudrin,S-Onischuk,A/Stillwater
USA 2007 (41)}) 14... Nc5 15. Bc3 e4 16. Bxf6 {1/2-1/2 Tiviakov,S-Onischuk,A/
Sochi RUS 2007 (16)}) 10. Nxd4 (10. Nxe5 Nxb3 11. cxb3 Nb4 {gives Black more
than enough compensation for the pawn. gibt Schwarz mehr als genug
Kompensation fьr den Bauern.}) 10... exd4 11. Re1 {When my opponent made this
move I was not glad. I intended to meet 11.Nd2 with Ra6 followed by Rg6. At
first I thought that now Ra6 is not possible, as Black loses a piece, but then
I had an idea... Als mein Gegner diesen Zug machte, war ich nicht erfreut. Ich
hatte vor, 11.Nd2 mit Ra6 nebst Rg6 zu begegnen. Zuerst dachte ich, dass Ra6
jetzt nicht mцglich sei, da Schwarz eine Figur verliert, doch dann kam mir
eine Idee...} (11. Nd2 Ra6 12. Nf3 (12. Qf3 Nb4) 12... Rg6 13. Ne5 Re6 14. Qh5
c6 {leads to an approximately equal game. fьhrt zu ungefдhr gleichem Spiel.})
11... Ra6 $3 {When I saw this move I immediately got excited. It would be a
shame to see such a move and not to make it! But fortunately, I found out that
this idea works! Als ich diesen Zug sah, wurde ich sofort aufgeregt. Es wдre
eine Schande, einen solchen Zug zu sehen, und ihn nicht zu machen! Aber zum
Glьck stellte ich fest, dass diese Idee funktioniert!} (11... Be6 12. Na3 {
with a balanced game. mit ausgeglichenem Spiel.}) 12. Qh5 ({If White accepts
the piece sacrifice Falls WeiЯ das Figurenopfer} 12. Bxd5 Qxd5 13. Rxe7 Rg6 {
then he would have a problem defending the g2-pawn: annimmt, dann hдtte er ein
Problem, den g2-Bauern zu verteidigen:} 14. f3 (14. g4 $6 Qh5 $1 {I hoped I
would find this winning move, as originally I intended to play 14...f5: Ich
hoffte, ich wьrde diesen Gewinnzug finden, denn ursprьnglich beabsichtigte ich
14...f5:} (14... f5 {when after worauf nach} 15. c4 $1 Qd6 16. Qe2 fxg4 17. h4
g3 (17... Be6 18. Bg5 h6 19. c5 Qd5 20. h5 Rxg5 21. Qxe6+ Qxe6 22. Rxe6 g3 23.
f4) 18. f3 Be6 ({Also possible is Ebenfalls mцglich ist} 18... g2 19. Qe5 Qxe5
20. Rxe5 Rxf3 21. Bg5 Bd7 $13 {with an unclear game mit unklarem Spiel}) 19.
Bg5 h6 20. c5 Qd5 21. h5 Qxg5 22. Rxe6 Rxe6 23. Qxe6+ {it is likely that the
game would end up in a draw. es wahrscheinlich ist, dass die Partie remis
enden wьrde.}) 15. Re4 (15. f3 f5) (15. Qf3 Bxg4 16. hxg4 Rxg4+ 17. Kf1 Rg1+
18. Kxg1 Qxf3) 15... Qxh3 16. g5 f5 17. Re5 f4 18. Qf1 Qh4 19. Qg2 Rf5 $19)
14... Bxh3 15. Re2 Qxf3 16. Qf1 {All white's moves are forced Alle weiЯen
Zьgen sind erzwungen.} Bxg2 (16... Qh5 17. Bf4 Bxg2 18. Rxg2 Re8 19. Nd2 Re2
20. Rxg6 Qxg6+ 21. Kh1 Qh5+ 22. Kg1 Qg4+ 23. Kh1 $11) 17. Rxg2 Rxg2+ 18. Qxg2
Qd1+ $11 {with a perpetual check. As my opponent said in the press conference,
he saw this line, but decided to fight for more. A brave decision, but it
backfired in this game. mit ewigem Schach. Wie mein Gegner in der
Pressekonferenz sagte, sah er dieses Abspiel, beschloss aber, um mehr zu
kдmpfen. Eine mutige Entscheidung, doch in dieser Partie ging sie nach hinten
los.}) ({Black would react in similiar fashion to the game after all other
replies. Nach allen anderen Erwiderungen wьrde Schwarz auf дhnliche Weise
reagieren wie in der Partie.} 12. Qf3 Re6 (12... Nb4 $5)) (12. Nd2 Rg6 13. Qf3
Nb4) (12. Na3 Rg6 13. Qf3 Be6 14. Bd2 Bb4 15. Bxb4 Nxb4 $15 {as shown by Yu.
Yakovic wie von Yu. Yakovic gezeigt.}) 12... Nb4 $6 {As soon as I made this
move, I regretted it. Sobald ich diesen Zug gemacht hatte, bereute ich es.} ({
Stronger was} 12... Bb4 $1 {continuing to ignore the hanging Nd5. When I was a
junior player, it was brought to my attention that it was Fischer's trademark
- to attack an opponent's piece instead of defending your own! , was weiter
den hдngenden Nd5 ignoriert. Als ich ein Jugendspieler war, wies man mich
darauf hin, dass dies Fischers Markenzeichen war - eine gegnerische Figur
anzugreifen, statt die eigene zu verteidigen!} 13. Re2 (13. Bd2 Nf4 14. Qf3 Rf6
) 13... Re6 14. Rxe6 (14. Bg5 Rxe2 15. Bxd8 Re1+ 16. Kh2 Nf4) 14... Bxe6 15.
Nd2 Re8 $15) 13. Na3 ({In the event of Im Fall von} 13. Nd2 {I would have to
find hдtte ich} Rh6 $5 {finden mьssen:} ({Here Hier ist} 13... Rg6 14. Nf3 Be6
{is weaker because of schwдcher wegen} 15. Rxe6 $1 Rxe6 (15... fxe6 16. Ne5
Rgf6 17. Bg5) 16. Bxe6 fxe6 17. Qg4 $14) (13... Be6 14. Bxe6 Rxe6 15. Rxe6 fxe6
16. Qd1 Qd5 17. Ne4 Qc6 18. Bd2 $11) 14. Qxa5 $140 b6 15. Qa8 (15. Qe5 Nxc2 16.
Qxe7 Qxe7 17. Rxe7 Nxa1 $17) 15... Nc6 {with full compensation for the pawn.
The Qa8 really looks weird. mit voller Kompensation fьr den Bauern. Die Dame
Qa8 wirkt wirklich seltsam.}) 13... Rg6 {White has a few moves at his disposal,
but none of them gives him chances for an advantage. Moreover, he'll have to
be careful to equalise.  WeiЯ stehen eine Reihe von Zьgen zur Verfьgung, aber
keiner davon gibt ihm Chancen auf Vorteil. Mehr noch, er wird sich bemьhen
mьssen auszugleichen.} 14. Bf4 (14. Nb5 Be6 15. Rxe6 (15. Bxe6 fxe6 16. Qe2 Qd5
) 15... fxe6 16. Qe5 Kh8 17. Qxd4 Qxd4 18. Nxd4 e5 $17) (14. Bd2 b6 15. Re4 (
15. Nc4 Bb7) 15... Na6) (14. Nc4 Be6) 14... b6 {Played with the idea of
fianchettoing the B and bringing it into the attack. Mit der Idee, den B zu
fianchettieren und ihn in den Angriff einzuschalten.} (14... Be6 $5 {deserved
serious attention here as well, but I still didn't realise that it is a strong
idea. As it turned out, I played it in better circumstances. verdient auch
hier ernste Aufmerksamkeit, aber ich hatte noch immer nicht realisiert, dass
dies eine starke Idee ist. Wie sich herausstellte, spielte ich es unter
besseren Umstдnden.} 15. Bxe6 (15. Nc4 Bd5) 15... fxe6 16. Bg3 (16. Re4 Nd5)
16... Bd6 $15) 15. Qf3 {White is trying to prevent Bb7, but the B has another
way to join the game. WeiЯ versucht, Bb7 zu verhindern, aber der B hat noch
einen anderen Weg, ins Spiel einzugreifen.} (15. Nc4 Bb7 16. Bg3 Bd5 {and
strangely enough it is hard to find a good move for White. und seltsamerweise
fдllt es schwer, einen guten Zug fьr WeiЯ zu finden.}) ({Probably better was
Vermutlich besser war} 15. Bg3 $1 Bd6 (15... Bb7 16. Nb5) ({or} 15... Be6 16.
Bxe6 fxe6) 16. Bxd6 Qxd6 17. Re4 Qf6 {when it is easier to play for Black, but
probably he has no more than that. wonach die Stellung mit Schwarz leichter zu
spielen ist, aber womцglich hat er nicht mehr als das.}) 15... Be6 $1 {An
important idea. As White is forced to exchange Bs, Rf8 had get into attack.
Eine wichtige Idee. Da WeiЯ gezwungen ist, die B zu tauschen, wird der Rf8 in
den Angriff eingeschaltet.} (15... Bd7 16. Bxc7) 16. Bxe6 (16. Re2 {allows
erlaubt} Nxc2 $1 17. Bxe6 (17. Bxc2 Bd5 18. Qh5 Rxg2+ 19. Kf1 Rg6) 17... Nxa1
18. Bc4 c6 19. Be5 Bxa3 20. bxa3 b5 {and the N would get out from the corner. ,
und der N wьrde aus der Ecke entkommen.}) ({Too hazardous is Zu gefдhrlich ist
} 16. Rxe6 fxe6 17. Qe4 Na6 $1 {Shipov,S}) 16... fxe6 17. Qe4 Bd6 $1 {Black is
winning the fight for the key square f4. Then he intends to bring his N to
this square. Schwarz gewinnt den Kampf um das Schlьsselfeld f4. Danach
beabsichtigt er, seinen N hierhin zu ьberfьhren.} ({I don't see an advantage
for Black after Keinen Vorteil fьr Schwarz sehe ich nach} 17... Nd5 18. Be5 Bd6
19. Nc4 $1 Nf4 (19... Bxe5 20. Nxe5) 20. Bxf4 Rxf4 21. Qc6 Qh4 22. Nxd6 Qxf2+
23. Kh1 cxd6 24. Rf1 Qxf1+ 25. Rxf1 Rxf1+ 26. Kh2) 18. Bxd6 (18. Bd2 Nd5 19.
Nc4 (19. g3 Bf4) 19... Bf4 {and the N gets to f4. und der N gelangt nach f4.})
({Sergey had thought about the inventive Sergey hatte an dem kreativen} 18. Bc1
{but failed to find a defence after ьberlegt, vermochte aber keine
Verteidigung zu finden nach} Nd5 19. Nc4 Qf6 20. Re2 Bf4 21. Ne5 Bxe5 22. Qxe5
Qf3) ({Probably the best defence was Die beste Verteidigung war wahrscheinlich
} 18. Bg3 Qg5 19. h4 Qh5 {but Black's advantage is indisputable. , aber der
Vorteil von Schwarz steht auЯer Zweifel.}) (18. Be5 Bxe5 19. Qxe5 Qh4) 18...
cxd6 19. Qxd4 ({More stubborn was Hartnдckiger war} 19. g3 {but after , aber
nach} e5 {White's position is in ruins. liegt die weiЯe Stellung in Trьmmern.})
19... Qg5 {White is helpless. All the black pieces are attaching the
opponent's K (the N will join in soon via the d5-square) and nobody can help
it. WeiЯ ist hilflos. Alle schwarzen Figuren zielen auf den gegnerischen K 
(der N wird bald ьber das d5-Feld dazukommen), und niemand kann ihm helfen.}
20. g3 (20. Qe4 Nd5) (20. Qg4 Qf6 21. Qe2 Nd5) 20... Qf5 21. g4 (21. h4 e5 22.
Qe3 Nd5 23. Qe2 Nf4 {with a mating attack. mit Mattangriff.}) (21. Kh2 Nxc2 $1
22. Nxc2 Qxf2+ {transposes into a won R ending. leitet in ein gewonnenes
R-Endspiel ьber.}) 21... h5 ({According to engines, there was a stronger move:
Laut den Engines gab es einen stдrkeren Zug:} 21... Nd5 22. Kh2 Qg5 {, but I
think that both moves are equally strong. , aber ich denke, dass beide Zьge
gleich stark sind.}) 22. Re4 d5 23. Kh2 ({Or Oder} 23. Re5 Qf6 24. Qe3 hxg4 25.
h4 Qxh4 26. Rxe6 g3) 23... Qf3 ({Black could also finish the game with a
mating attack, but I went for the simplest solution. Schwarz konnte die Partie
auch mit einem Mattangriff beenden, aber ich wдhlte die einfachste Lцsung.} 
23... Qg5) 24. Ree1 hxg4 25. Qe3 gxh3 26. Qxf3 Rxf3 27. Rg1 Rxf2+ 28. Kxh3 Rxg1
29. Rxg1 Nxc2 30. Nb5 Rf3+ 31. Kg4 Rxd3 32. Nd6 Ne3+ 33. Kf4 Nc4 0-1

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.07"]
[Round "6.2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D46"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2723"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "67"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Qc2 Bd6 7. Bd3 O-O 8. O-O
dxc4 9. Bxc4 b5 10. Be2 Bb7 11. Rd1 Qc7 12. Bd2 e5 13. Rac1 a6 14. b4 {With
the help of a tactical motif White is trying to prevent the freeing manoeuvre .
..c6-c5.} Rfe8 (14... exd4 15. exd4 Rfe8 16. h3 Qb8 (16... Bxb4 17. Nxb5 axb5
18. Bxb4 Nd5 19. a3 Nxb4 20. axb4 Qd6 21. d5 cxd5 22. Bxb5 Rec8 $11) 17. Qb3
Nd5 18. Nxd5 cxd5 {1/2-1/2 Sorokin,M (2560)-Suvrajit,S (2391)/Mumbai 2003}) 15.
Bd3 (15. h3 h6 16. Nh4 exd4 17. exd4 Nb6 18. Nf5 Bh2+ 19. Kh1 Bf4 20. Bd3 Rad8
21. Ne2 Nbd5 22. Nxf4 Nxf4 23. Bf1 Ne4 24. Be1 c5 25. bxc5 Nxh3 26. f3 Qf4 {
0-1 Grooten,H (2344)-Muir,A (2359)/Hinckley Island 2008 (93)} 27. Nh4 Ng3+ 28.
Bxg3 Qxg3 29. Nf5 Nf2+ 30. Kg1 Nh3+ $11) 15... Bxb4 16. Ng5 (16. Nxb5 $2 axb5
17. Bxb4 e4 $19) 16... h6 $2 {[%mdl 4] Karjakin's defensive task was not very
pleasant. His solution to the problem of the h7-weakness will be convincingly
refuted by White.} (16... Nf8 17. Nxb5 axb5 18. Bxb4 exd4 19. exd4 Qf4 20. Bd2
Qxd4 21. Bc3 Qf4 22. Bxf6 Qxf6 23. Ne4 Qe7 24. Nd6 Red8 $11) 17. Nxb5 axb5 (
17... Qa5 18. Bxb4 Qxb4 19. Nc7 hxg5 20. Rb1 Qe7 21. Nxe8 Rxe8 22. Rxb7 $18)
18. Bh7+ $1 Kf8 {The black king never really planned the trip to f8, but at
this moment he was left without any options.} (18... Kh8 $4 19. Nxf7#) (18...
Nxh7 19. Qxh7+ Kf8 20. Bxb4+ c5 21. Rxc5 $18) 19. Bxb4+ c5 (19... Re7 20. dxe5
Nxe5 (20... Qxe5 21. Nf3 Qe6 22. Bf5 $18) 21. Bd6 Qb6 22. Qf5 $18) 20. dxc5 Bc6
(20... hxg5 21. c6+ Re7 22. cxd7 $18) 21. Be4 Nb8 {The fact, that this passive
and unappealing move is the best defence indicates, that the second player is
not only missing tha pawn but also struggling with serious problems.} (21...
hxg5 22. Bxc6 Qxc6 23. Rd6 Qc7 24. c6 Nc5 25. Qxc5 $18) (21... Bxe4 22. c6+ Kg8
23. Nxe4 $18) 22. Nh7+ Nxh7 (22... Ke7 23. Nxf6 Kxf6 24. Rd6+ Ke7 (24... Re6
25. f4 Ra4 26. Qc3 $18) 25. Rcd1 Ra6 26. Bxc6 Nxc6 27. Qf5 Ra7 28. Qh7 Nxb4 29.
Qxg7 $18) 23. Bxh7 g6 $6 {Karjakin is trying to solve the situation in a
principled way and indirectly forces White to sacrifice on the g6-square.
Unfortunatelly for him his scattered pieces will not be able to resist White's
attack.} (23... Ra4 24. a3 Na6 25. Qb1 Nxb4 26. axb4 Rd8 27. Bc2 $16) 24. Rd6
Re7 (24... Ra4 25. a3 Na6 26. Bxg6 $18) 25. h4 (25. Rf6 Nd7 26. Qxg6 Nxf6 27.
Qxh6+ Ke8 28. Qxf6 Re6 29. Qg7 Qd8 30. Qg4 $16) 25... h5 26. Bxg6 fxg6 $1 27.
Qxg6 Rxa2 {The simple mathematics concerning the number of attacking and
defensive pieces around the black king does not bode well for the stressed
monarch.} (27... Rg7 28. Qf6+ Kg8 29. Rd8+ Kh7 30. Qf5+ $18) 28. Rcd1 Rf7 (
28... Rd7 29. Rf6+ Rf7 30. Rd8+ Ke7 31. Rxf7+ Kxd8 32. Rf8+ $18) 29. Qh6+ Rg7 (
29... Ke7 30. Re6#) 30. Qf6+ (30. Rg6 $18) 30... Kg8 31. Rd8+ Kh7 32. Qf5+ $1 {
Gelfand is dilligently creating small miracles in order to use the attacking
potential of his rooks with tempo.} Rg6 33. Qxh5+ Rh6 (33... Kg7 34. Qh8+ Kf7
35. Qf8+ Ke6 36. R1d6+ $18) 34. Qf5+ (34. Qf5+ Kg7 35. Qf8+ Kg6 36. R1d6+ $18)
1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.14"]
[Round "7.6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 c5 6. O-O Nc6 7. dxc5 $5 {
A relatively rare move. By offering the early exchange of queens, White does
not aim for a rapid draw. On the contrary, he hopes to maintain the pressure
against the enemy queenside for a long time, in pure Catalan style. So far,
Practical results have been not too encouraging for White.} Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5
9. Nbd2 c3 10. bxc3 O-O 11. Ne1 $5 {This move was almost never played before.}
({The routine is} 11. Nb3 {This move has the drawback of closing the b-file,
thus reducing the potential pressure against the b7-pawn. In Khanty Mansiysk,
this line once again proved as harmless.} Be7 12. c4 Bd7 13. Bb2 Rac8 14. Rac1
Rfd8 15. Ne5 Nxe5 16. Bxe5 Bc6 17. Bxc6 Rxc6 18. Rxd8+ {1/2 Wang Yue (2734)
-Bacrot,E (2700)/Khanty Mansiysk 2009}) 11... Be7 ({The only previous game
where 11.Ne1 was played continued} 11... Rd8 {Kragten,J (2330)-Hempel,R (2345)/
ICCF corr 1995/Corr 2004 (1/2, 37)}) 12. Nd3 Nd5 13. Bb2 Nb6 14. Rab1 Na5 15.
Ba1 Rd8 16. c4 $1 {All the white pieces are working and Black is
underdeveloped. This justifies concrete action.} Naxc4 17. Nxc4 Nxc4 18. Bxb7
Bxb7 19. Rxb7 Bf6 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Rc1 Nd6 22. Re7 $16 {White has the better
structure and more active pieces. A dream position for Catalan specialists.}
Nb5 23. a4 Kf8 24. Rb7 Nd6 25. Rbc7 Ne8 26. R7c5 Rab8 27. R1c4 f5 28. Kg2 Rb7
29. a5 Nd6 30. Rd4 Ke8 31. f3 Nb5 32. Rh4 Kf8 33. a6 Rb6 34. Rb4 Rd5 35. Rxd5
exd5 36. Nf4 Nc7 37. Rxb6 axb6 38. a7 d4 39. Nd5 Na8 40. Kf2 Ke8 41. e3 dxe3+
42. Kxe3 Kd7 43. Nf6+ Ke7 44. Nxh7 f6 45. g4 b5 46. g5 fxg5 47. Nxg5 Kf6 48. f4
b4 49. Kd4 Nb6 50. Nf3 b3 51. Kc3 Ke6 52. h4 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.14"]
[Round "7.9"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "B41"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[PlyCount "41"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 c5 3. Nf3 cxd4 4. Nxd4 a6 5. Nc3 Qc7 6. e4 Nf6 7. a3 b6 8. Be3
Bb7 9. f3 Nc6 10. Rc1 h5 11. Nd5 exd5 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. exd5 Qe5 14. Kf2 Ne7
15. Qd2 Nxd5 16. Bg5 Ne7 17. Bc4 f6 18. Bf4 Qa5 19. b4 Qa4 20. Bb3 Qxa3 21. Ra1
1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.14"]
[Round "7.11"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D20"]
[WhiteElo "2758"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Nb6 6. Bd3 Nc6 7. Be3 Nb4 8.
Be4 f5 9. exf6 exf6 10. Nc3 f5 11. Bb1 N4d5 12. Nf3 Be7 13. O-O O-O 14. Bd2 c6
15. Re1 Bf6 16. a3 Kh8 17. Bd3 Qd6 18. Qc2 g6 19. Bh6 Bg7 20. Qd2 Bd7 21. Ne5
Rad8 22. Re2 Bc8 23. Rae1 Nf6 24. Nf3 Rde8 25. Bf4 Qd8 26. Be5 Ng4 27. Bxg7+
Kxg7 28. h3 Nf6 29. Re5 Nbd7 30. Rxe8 Rxe8 31. Rxe8 Nxe8 32. d5 cxd5 33. Nxd5
Ndf6 34. Nxf6 Nxf6 35. Qc3 Be6 36. Bc2 Qc8 37. Nd4 Bd7 38. Qb4 Qe8 39. Nf3 Bc6
40. Nd4 Bd5 41. Bd3 b6 42. Nb5 Qd7 43. Qd4 a6 44. Nc3 Bb7 45. Qxb6 Bxg2 46.
Bxa6 Bxh3 47. Qb7 f4 48. a4 Ne8 49. Qxd7+ Bxd7 50. Bb5 Bxb5 51. Nxb5 Nf6 52.
Nc7 Nd7 53. a5 Nb8 54. a6 Nc6 55. b4 Na7 56. b5 Nc8 57. Nd5 Kf7 58. b6 1-0

[Event "FIDE World Cup"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2009.12.14"]
[Round "7.12"]
[White "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D23"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2758"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "2009.11.21"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 134"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.01.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Qb3 dxc4 5. Qxc4 Bf5 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Nbd7 8.
O-O Be7 9. Nc3 O-O 10. Re1 h6 11. e4 Bh7 12. a3 Rc8 13. b4 a5 14. Bf4 Nh5 15.
Bd2 Nhf6 16. Qb3 axb4 17. axb4 Qb6 18. b5 c5 19. e5 c4 20. Qa4 Nd5 21. Nxd5
exd5 22. Bh3 Qc7 23. b6 Nxb6 24. Qb5 Qc6 25. Ra5 c3 26. Bf4 Nc4 27. Qxc6 Rxc6
28. Rxd5 c2 29. Rb5 Rb6 30. Rxb6 Nxb6 31. Bc1 Bb4 32. Bd2 Nd5 33. e6 Re8 34.
exf7+ Kxf7 35. Rc1 Bxd2 36. Nxd2 Nb4 37. Bf1 Rc8 38. Nb3 Na2 39. Ra1 c1=Q 40.
Nxc1 Rxc1 41. Rxa2 Bd3 42. Rb2 Rxf1+ 43. Kg2 Ba6 44. d5 Rd1 0-1

[Event "RUS-chT 17th"]
[Site "Dagomys"]
[Date "2010.04.04"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D43"]
[WhiteElo "2756"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2010.04.01"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "EXT 2020"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2019.10.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Khanty Mansiysk Yugra"]
[BlackTeam "Moscow ShSM-64"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "RUS"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 dxc4 7. e4 g5 8. Bg3 b5
9. Ne5 Bb7 10. h4 Bg7 11. hxg5 hxg5 12. Rxh8+ Bxh8 13. Bxc4 bxc4 14. Nxc4 Kf8
15. e5 Ne8 16. Qh5 Bg7 17. Ne4 Qe7 18. O-O-O Nd7 19. Nxg5 c5 20. Qg4 cxd4 21.
Rxd4 Bd5 22. Nd6 f5 23. Nxf5 Qc5+ 24. Kd1 exf5 25. Qxf5+ Nef6 26. Rd2 Rc8 27.
b3 Kg8 28. Ne6 Qc1+ 29. Ke2 Ne4 30. Rxd5 Nc3+ 31. Kf3 Nxd5 32. Bf4 Nxf4 0-1

[Event "Astrakhan FIDE GP"]
[Site "Astrakhan"]
[Date "2010.05.11"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D74"]
[WhiteElo "2741"]
[BlackElo "2763"]
[Annotator "Minzer,C"]
[PlyCount "77"]
[EventDate "2010.05.10"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 137"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{Gran partida posicional de Gelfand con sacrificio de peуn. Para esta partida
preparу un Sistema Anti-Grьnfeld empezando por la Apertura Inglesa y
postergando el movimiento d2-d4.} 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5.
g3 {Mamedyarov tambiйn se ha tenido que enfrentar a:} (5. h4 h5 6. e4 Nxc3 7.
bxc3 Bg7 8. d4 {Una Defensa Grьnfeld con los movimientos de los peones h
avanzados} c5 9. Be3 Nc6 10. Qd2 Bg4 ({con los peones h en su casilla de
origen lo mбs jugado es} 10... Qa5) 11. d5 Qa5 12. Rc1 Rd8 (12... Bxf3 13. gxf3
(13. dxc6 $2 Bxe4 $17) 13... Ne5 14. Be2 O-O-O $5 $13) 13. Ng5 O-O 14. f3 Bc8
15. Bc4 e6 16. Bb3 exd5 17. Bxd5 c4 $13 {Morozevich,A-Mamedyarov,S/Moscъ 2007 
(tablas en 69 movimientos)}) 5... Bg7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. d4 {Diagrama #
De esta forma se traspone a la Variante del Fianchetto de la Defensa Grьnfeld.}
({El aсo pasado en Kramnik,V-Mamedyarov,S Baku 2009 las blancas prefirieron
seguir por los caminos de la Apertura Inglesa con:} 8. Qa4 Nb6 9. Qh4 e5 10.
Qxd8 Rxd8 11. d3 Nd4 12. Bg5 ({o} 12. Nxd4 exd4 13. Nb5 c6 14. Nc7 Rb8 15. Bf4
{aunque es arriesgado colocar el caballo en c7 sin escapatoria posible}) 12...
f6 13. Bd2 Bg4 14. Nxd4 exd4 15. Ne4 Bxe2 16. Rfe1 Bxd3 17. Nc5 {con
compensaciуn} Bc2 18. Nxb7 Nc4 19. Bf4 d3 20. Re7 Rd4 $2 (20... d2) 21. Rxc7 g5
22. Be3 Nxe3 23. fxe3 $16 Rdd8 24. Nxd8 Rxd8 25. Be4 Re8 26. Bd5+ Kh8 27. Bb3 {
1-0 Kramnik,V-Mamedyarov,S/Baku 2009}) 8... Bf5 ({Lo tradicional es la
retirada del caballo al flanco dama} 8... Nb6) 9. Ne1 $5 $146 {Diagrama #
Novedad aunque la idea de intentar e2-e4 se ha realizado de diferentes maneras,
veamos:} (9. Re1 {las blancas no sacaron ventaja con esta jugada} Nxc3 10. bxc3
Qd7 11. e4 Bg4 12. Qb3 b6 13. Qd5 Rfd8 14. Qxd7 Bxd7 15. e5 Na5 16. Ba3 c5 $1
$11 {1/2-1/2 Meier,G-Vachier Lagrave,M/Marseille FRA 2010} 17. dxc5 $140 Nc4
$132) (9. Nh4 Be6 10. e4 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Na5 12. e5 Bd5 13. Bxd5 Qxd5 14. Ba3
Rfe8 15. Ng2 Nc4 16. Ne3 Nxe3 17. fxe3 $11 f6 18. Qd3 fxe5 19. e4 Qd7 20. d5 e6
{1/2-1/2 Zhou Jianchao-Vachier Lagrave,M/Moscъ RUS 2010}) (9. e3 Nxc3 10. bxc3
Be4 $11 {Ni Hua-Yang Kaiqi/Olongapo City PHI 2010}) ({Una idea parecida se
jugу en Keene Raymond-Miles,A/Londres 1973} 9. Nd2 {y seguramente haya servido
de inspiraciуn a Gelfand:} Nxc3 10. bxc3 e5 11. d5 Ne7 12. e4 Bd7 13. Qb3 b6
14. Nc4 b5 15. Ne3 c5 16. dxc6 Bxc6 17. Ba3 Re8 18. Rfd1 Qb6 19. c4 bxc4 20.
Nxc4 Qxb3 21. axb3 $16 {en esta posiciуn casi simйtrica las piezas blancas
estбn mejor colocadas} Nc8 22. Bc5 Bf8 23. Bxf8 Kxf8 24. Ra5 Rb8 25. Nxe5 Bb5
26. Rd5 a6 27. Bf1 Bxf1 28. Nd7+ Kg7 29. Nxb8 Nb6 30. Rd6 {1-0}) 9... Be6 10.
e3 ({Con el alfil en e6 las blancas no deben expandirse en el centro, por
ejemplo:} 10. e4 $6 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bc4 12. Nd3 Nxd4 $1 13. cxd4 Qxd4 14. Nb2 $8
Bxf1 {y las negras tienen una buena partida mientras las piezas blancas no
están bien ubicadas.}) 10... Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bd5 12. Bxd5 Qxd5 13. Qb3 {
Diagrama # Gelfand apunta al final confiando en la entrada del caballo vнa d3
y, especialmente "mirando" el flanco dama.} Rfd8 14. Nd3 ({Fracasa} 14. Qxb7 $2
Nxd4 15. Qxd5 {debido a la jugada intermedia} Ne2+ 16. Kg2 Rxd5 $17) 14... b6
15. Qxd5 Rxd5 16. c4 Ra5 {Mamedyarov podнa haber retirado su torre por la
columna d pero decide jugar en forma ambiciosa atacando el peуn de a2. El
problema es que estб pieza puede quedar fuera de juego como mбs tarde
demostrarб Gelfand en forma magistral.} 17. a4 e5 18. Bd2 Ra6 {La torre en a6
no luce nada bien.} 19. f4 $5 {Diagrama # El blanco quiere mantener el juego
cerrado para mejorar sus piezas mientras la torre negra continъa en a6, aunque
esto cueste la pйrdida de un peуn.} exd4 20. e4 Bf8 21. Kf2 {El rey se dirige
al centro tanto como para defender el peуn de e4 como para activarse. De esta
forma Gelfand acumula otra ventaja.} f6 22. Rfb1 Nd8 23. Kf3 Nb7 24. e5 {
Dando paso al rey mientras se genera un peуn pasado.} fxe5 $143 (24... f5 {
era una alternativa limitando las aspiraciones del rey contrario.}) ({o} 24...
Nc5 25. Nxc5 bxc5 26. exf6 $44 {las negras estropean su estructura a cambio de
liberar a la torre.}) 25. fxe5 Re8 26. Re1 Na5 27. Bxa5 {Diagrama # Este
caballo negro era muy molesto, ahora la torre negra cobra alguna vida. Gelfand
tiene un gran dominio de las casillas blancas y, por sobre todo, un rey
fuertemente centralizado.} Rxa5 28. Ke4 Bg7 ({Mejor} 28... Bb4 $5 29. Re2 (29.
Nxb4 $4 Raxe5+ $19) 29... Bc3 30. Raa2 Kf7 31. Rf2+ Ke7 32. Rf6 {con
compensaciуn.}) 29. Kxd4 {Diagrama # Gelfand recupera el peуn. Las negras
deben hacer "algo" con su torre de a5 debido a que la presiуn sobre el peуn de
e5 no es suficiente.} a6 30. Ra2 b5 31. c5 $1 Rd8+ ({Con la simplificaciуn} 
31... Rxa4+ 32. Rxa4 bxa4 33. Ra1 $16 {se hace más notorio la mejor
ubicación del rey blanco.}) 32. Ke4 Bf8 33. Rea1 $1 {Obligando a tomar una
decisiуn. Gelfand juega de forma muy precisa esta etapa de la partida.} b4 34.
Rc2 b3 35. Rc4 $1 {Diagrama # Mamedyarov no ha podido revertir lo que se veía
desde hace unas jugadas atrás, la torre negra ha vuelto a quedarse encerrada
en a5.} Rb8 36. Rb1 Kf7 37. Kd4 $19 {El rey se dirige a cooperar en la captura
del peón negro mientras el rey contrario llega tarde a los acontecimientos.}
Ke6 38. Kc3 Kd5 $2 {Pierde inmediatamente, de todas formas las negras no iban
a poder resistir mucho tiempo.} 39. Nb4+ {Buena partida de Gelfand mostrando
la estrategia a seguir contra una pieza fuera de juego.} (39. Nb4+ Rxb4 (39...
Ke6 40. Nc6) 40. Rd1+ $1 Kc6 41. Kxb4 Rxc5 42. Rxc5+ Bxc5+ 43. Kxb3 $18) 1-0

[Event "Bazna Kings 4th"]
[Site "Medias"]
[Date "2010.06.14"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Wang, Yue"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2741"]
[BlackElo "2752"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "163"]
[EventDate "2010.06.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "ROU"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 137"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 a6 ({This was my 3rd meeting with Wang Yue
in recent months. In the first 2 games he tried} 4... g6 {, but both times I
got an advantage from the opening. So it came as no surprise that he decided
to play another line.}) 5. Nf3 b5 6. c5 ({I met the Chebanenko system for the
first time back in 1990. I'll include htat game in these annotations, as it
shows similiar ideas to ones in this game.} 6. b3 g6 (6... Bg4) 7. Be2 Bg7 8.
O-O O-O 9. Ne5 Bb7 10. f4 Qd6 11. Bf3 Nbd7 12. Qe2 Rab8 13. g4 Rfd8 14. g5 Ne8
15. Qg2 bxc4 16. bxc4 e6 17. Rb1 Ba8 18. c5 Qe7 19. Bd2 Rxb1 20. Rxb1 Rb8 21.
Rxb8 Nxb8 22. Na4 Bb7 23. Ba5 Bxe5 24. dxe5 Nc7 25. Nb2 Nb5 26. a4 Qxc5 (26...
Na3 27. Bb4 Nc4 28. Nxc4 dxc4 $18) 27. axb5 Qxe3+ 28. Qf2 Qxf4 29. Bd2 Qxe5 30.
Nd3 Qf5 31. Qa7 Nd7 32. Ne1 Bc8 33. Qc7 {1-0 Gelfand ,B (2680)-Hort,V (2545)/
Novi Sad olm 1990/[Gelfand]}) 6... g6 7. Ne5 (7. Be2 Bg7 8. Ne5 O-O 9. O-O Be6
10. f4 Qc7 11. g4 $6 Ne4 12. Bf3 f5 13. Bd2 Nd7 14. Be1 Nxe5 15. fxe5 Nxc3 16.
Bxc3 Bh6 $15 {0-1 Gelfand,B (2717)-Bareev,E (2675)/Khanty Mansyisk RUS 2005 
(34)}) 7... Bg7 8. f4 a5 {This plan was tried twice by my opponent vs E.
Bacrot and both times he had no problems from the opening.} 9. Be2 (9. Bd3 Bf5
10. Bxf5 gxf5 11. Bd2 e6 12. Qe2 h5 13. O-O-O b4 14. Na4 Ne4 15. Nb6 Ra7 16.
Nd3 Nd7 17. Nxd7 Kxd7 18. Rdg1 Qb8 {1/2-1/2 Bacrot,E (2705)-Wang Yue (2736)/
Elista RUS 2008 (47)}) 9... Qc7 10. O-O O-O 11. a3 $1 {This is a new and
important idea. I was waiting for a chance to use it for a couple of years. We
had analysed my game vs Bareev with Alexander Khuzman and had realized that e4
is the key square in such a position.} (11. Bd3 Bf5 12. Bxf5 gxf5 13. Bd2 Nbd7
14. Be1 e6 15. Rf3 Ne4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. Rh3 Rfe8 18. Nxd7 Qxd7 19. Qh5 h6 20.
Bh4 Ra7 21. Rg3 Kh7 22. Bg5 Rh8 23. Qh4 Qe8 24. Bf6 Bxf6 25. Qxf6 Rg8 26. Rxg8
Qxg8 27. Kf2 Rd7 28. Rg1 Qd8 29. Qxd8 Rxd8 30. g4 fxg4 31. Rxg4 f5 {1/2-1/2
Bacrot,E (2705)-Wang Yue (2736)/Dresden GER 2008}) 11... Be6 ({If} 11... Ne4 {
then} 12. Nxe4 dxe4 13. a4 b4 14. Qc2 {keeping an advantage.}) 12. Bf3 {
Taking control of the e4-square.} Nbd7 13. Nd3 $1 {Of course, White is
avoiding any exchanges as Black's pieces are very cramped and he does not have
enough space for them.} h6 $6 {Faced with a new plan my opponent thought for a
long time and decided to build "a wall".} ({I would rather go for} 13... Bf5 {
trying to exchange the poor B.}) 14. g4 $1 {It was easy to let slip the
advantage:} ({After} 14. Bd2 Bf5 15. Nf2 g5 {Black has nothing to worry about.}
) 14... Nh7 (14... h5 15. h3 hxg4 16. hxg4 g5 17. Kg2 {just plays into White's
hands.}) 15. h4 f5 16. g5 hxg5 ({During the game I thought that} 16... h5 {
would be even worse as h5 becomes a target and White would sacrifice a N on h5
in good circumstances, for example} 17. Ne2 Bf7 18. Ng3 e6 19. Bd2 Rfb8 20.
Nxh5 gxh5 21. Bxh5 {However, now things do not seem so clear to me, as Black
would sac a piece, let's say, by} Bxh5 22. Qxh5 Ndf6 23. gxf6 Nxf6 {with good
defending chances.}) 17. hxg5 {So, White has won some more space. The pawns on
c5 and g5 are limiting Black's pieces to the last 2 ranks. The next step in
White's plan is to regroup his pieces. Black has no counterplay whatsoever and
has to wait.} Kf7 18. Kg2 Rfb8 19. Bd2 Nhf8 20. Be2 {B is going to d3 and the
Ns to f3 and g3} Ke8 21. Ne1 Bg8 22. Nf3 Rb7 23. Bd3 Nb8 24. Ne2 Qd8 25. Ng3 {
White is threatening a sacrifice on f5 and Black is obliged to play e6} e6 26.
Rh1 Bh7 $2 {Black wanted to hide his K on g8, but it allows White a strong
regrouping. I still believe that waiting passively was the best option.} ({
Here I was looking for a plan how to break through, if Black simply waits. It
seems possible, that the piece sac e3-e4 would work, for example} 26... Nbd7
27. Qe2 Nb8 28. Rae1 Nbd7 ({probably better is} 28... Re7 {However it is
difficult for Black to defend against all the ideas - White wants to play Bc3,
Qd2, Ne2-c1-b3, forcing a4, then he can play e3-e4 in good circumstances: then
he can bring the N to e5 through d3 etc.} 29. Bc3 Qc7 30. Qd2 Nbd7) 29. e4 fxe4
30. Bxe4 dxe4 31. Nxe4 {/\Nd6,Ne5. Another plan would be to move the N to d3,
Qe1, plan a4 and sac a N on b4 after b5-b4, followed by the advance of the
b-pawn. However, it is very hard to say, if White's advantage is enough for
victory.}) 27. Qc2 Kf7 28. Rh3 {There is no need even to consider an e3-e4
breakthrough, as White has a better plan at his disposal.} Kg8 29. Rah1 {
Now the B cannot return to g8.} Raa7 30. Kf1 Qe8 31. Be1 Bh8 32. Rh6 Bg7 33.
R6h4 Bh8 34. R1h3 {White is tripling his major pieces on the h-file according
to Alekhine's advice - first the pair of rooks and the Q behind them.} Re7 35.
Qh2 Reb7 36. Rh6 Re7 37. Ne2 Reb7 38. Nc1 Re7 39. Nb3 {It is important to
force Black to play a4, as it gives White the b4-square and the possibility to
open the position by b3, if nessesary. Even though the main action would most
likely take place on the kingside, you should never neglect such a detail.} a4
({Or} 39... Qd8 40. Qd2 $1 a4 41. Nc1 $18) 40. Nc1 Reb7 41. Be2 Re7 42. Nd3
Reb7 43. Nh4 $1 {White has placed his pieces ideally - it is time to go for an
attack!} Bg7 (43... Re7 44. Nxg6 Nxg6 45. Bh5 Bg7 (45... Rg7 46. Ne5) 46. Bxg6
Bxg6 47. Rh8+ $18) (43... Nbd7 44. Nxg6 $18) 44. Rxh7 $1 Nxh7 (44... Kxh7 $2
45. Nxg6+ Kg8 46. Rh8+ Kf7 47. Nde5+ Bxe5 48. Nxe5+) 45. Nxg6 Nd7 $1 {the only
defence} (45... Qxg6 $2 46. Bh5 $18) (45... Bxd4 46. exd4 Qxg6 47. Ne5 $18) 46.
Bh5 Qd8 (46... Ndf8 47. Nxf8 Qxf8 48. Bf3 {winning the N.}) 47. Nb4 Rc7 (47...
Nb8 48. Ne5 Bxe5 49. dxe5 Rg7 50. g6 Nf8 51. Bh4 Qe8 52. Bf6 {with an easy win.
}) 48. Nh8 $3 {A beautiful way to launch the final attack. I got really
excited when I saw this possibility. Strangely enough no engine on my computer
indicates it even set to a depth around 20ply.} ({I was also thinking about} 
48. Ne5 {, but I was not sure how to progress after} Nxe5 49. dxe5 Nf8 50. Nc2
Nd7 51. Bb4 Qe7 52. Nd4) 48... Ndf8 ({I believe that the most stubborn was} 
48... Kxh8 49. Bf7 (49. Bg6 Ndf8) 49... Ndf8 50. Rxh7+ $1 Nxh7 51. g6 Bh6 $1 {
The only defence} 52. Qxh6 Rxf7 53. gxf7 Rxf7 54. Nxc6 {and despite being an
exchange down, White is going to win - for example} Qe8 55. Ne5 Ra7 (55... Rf6
56. Qh4 $18) 56. Bb4 Rc7 57. Ke2 Rc8 58. Kd2 Rc7 59. c6 Rxc6 60. Nxc6 Qxc6 61.
Qg6 $18) (48... Bxh8 {allows the nice} 49. Bf7+ $3 Kxf7 50. Rxh7+ Bg7 51. g6+
$1 Kf8 (51... Kg8 52. Rh8+) (51... Ke8 52. Rxg7 Nf8 53. Rg8 Rg7 54. Rxf8+ Kxf8
55. Nxc6) 52. Rxg7 $18) 49. Nf7 Rxf7 50. Bxf7+ ({White had another way to
victory} 50. Nxc6 Qa8 51. g6 Nxg6 52. Bxg6 Qxc6 53. Bxf7+ Rxf7 54. Rxh7 $18)
50... Rxf7 (50... Kxf7 51. Nxc6 $18) 51. Rxh7 Qe8 ({Or} 51... Nxh7 52. g6 $1
Rc7 53. Qxh7+ Kf8 54. Bh4 $1 Qe8 55. Bg5 $18 {winning easily, for example} Qd7
56. Bh6 Bxh6 57. Qh8+ Ke7 58. Qxh6 Qe8 59. Qh7+ Kd8 60. g7 $18) 52. Rh3 {
Already here I saw it till the end. White exchanges Qs, plays b3, then a4,
exchange Rs on a line and penetrate by B and N into the enemy's camp.} Ng6 53.
Qe2 Rc7 54. Qh5 Kf7 55. Qh7 {Black cannot avoid the exchange of queens.} Qg8 (
55... Nf8 56. g6+ Nxg6 57. Rg3) (55... Qd8 56. Rh6 Nf8 57. Nxc6 Rxc6 58. g6+)
56. Qxg8+ Kxg8 57. Nd3 Ra7 58. Ke2 Kf7 59. Nb4 Ne7 60. Kd1 Ra8 61. Kc2 Rg8 62.
Nd3 Ra8 63. Rh7 Ng6 64. b3 Nf8 65. Rh2 axb3+ 66. Kxb3 Ke8 67. Ra2 Kd7 68. a4
bxa4+ 69. Rxa4 Rxa4 70. Kxa4 Kc8 71. Ba5 Ng6 72. Nb4 Kd7 ({Or} 72... Kb7 73.
Bd8 $1 {with the idea of Ka5, Na6.}) 73. Na6 Kc8 74. Bc7 Bf8 75. Ka5 Kb7 76.
Bd6 Be7 77. Bxe7 ({It is never too late to blunder} 77. Nc7 $2 Bd8) 77... Nxe7
78. Nb4 Ng8 79. Nd3 Ne7 80. Ne5 Ng8 81. g6 Nf6 82. g7 1-0

[Event "Bazna Kings 4th"]
[Site "Medias"]
[Date "2010.06.19"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ponomariov, Ruslan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D38"]
[WhiteElo "2741"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Rogozenco,D"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2010.06.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "ROU"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 137"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bxf6 Qxf6 7. e3 c5 8. cxd5
exd5 9. Be2 {This quiet move caught Ponomariov by surprise. More often White
plays 9.Rc1 or 9.Bb5+.} cxd4 {Already this might be inaccurate.} (9... Nc6 {
leaves Black with better chances to equalize.}) 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 ({After the game
Ponomariov suggested} 10... Bxc3+ 11. bxc3 Nc6 12. Qxf6 gxf6 {as a possible
improvement for Black. White is slightly better, but it is hard for him to use
Black's pawn weaknesses.}) 11. Nxd4 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Ke7 13. Bf3 Rd8 14. Rb1 $1 {
White has an advantage, as it is more difficult for Black to complete
development as it may seem at the beginning. Notice that White already
threatens to win a pawn with 15.Rb5. Probably Black should play here 14...Na6,
which was actually met in one game before, although after 15.Ke2 Black still
must struggle for a draw.} b6 $2 {An unfortunate novelty.} 15. c4 $1 Bb7 16.
Rd1 Kf8 17. cxd5 Nd7 ({Loses a piece after} 17... Bxd5 18. Nf5 {(most other
moves of the knight also win a piece).}) 18. e4 Rac8 19. Be2 Nc5 20. f3 {
White is a pawn up and what a pawn - the passer on d5! The rest is a matter of
pure technique, especially for such a high-class player like Gelfand.} Na4 21.
Kf2 Nc3 22. Rd2 Nxe2 23. Kxe2 Rc4 24. Ke3 g6 25. Rb1 Rdc8 26. Nb5 Ra4 27. Rbb2
Ke7 28. Rdc2 Ra5 29. Nd4 Kd6 30. Kf4 Rxc2 31. Rxc2 f5 32. h4 fxe4 33. fxe4 a6
34. h5 Ra4 35. Rd2 gxh5 36. Nf5+ Kd7 37. Ke5 b5 38. Nd6 1-0

[Event "Amsterdam NH Hotels 5th"]
[Site "Amsterdam"]
[Date "2010.08.16"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D40"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "150"]
[EventDate "2010.08.12"]
[EventType "schev"]
[EventRounds "10"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 138"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.09.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.09.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 c6 {I was in the mood to play the Slav Defence. Ich war in der Stimmung,
die slawische Verteidigung zu spielen.} 2. e4 {But White is transposing the
game into a Panov Attack from the Caro-Kann. Aber WeiЯ leitet die Partie in
einen Panov-Angriff aus dem Caro-Kann ьber.} d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. d4 (4. cxd5 Nf6
{is another possibility. I had to face it in June vs Ponomariov in Bazna. ist
eine andere Mцglichkeit. Damit sah ich mich im Juni in Bazna gegen Ponomariov
konfrontiert.}) 4... Nf6 5. Nc3 Nc6 (5... e6 {is more popular and it was a
favorite choice of Anatoly Karpov. ist beliebter und war eine bevorzugte Wahl
von Anatoly Karpov.}) 6. Bg5 (6. Nf3 Bg4 {is deeply analysed till the drawish
ending. ist tief bis in das remisliche Endspiel analysiert.}) 6... e6 {Black
has a choice on this move beetween the ultrasharp 6...Be6, Dreev's favorite 6..
.dxc4 and the move in the game. Hier hat Schwarz die Wahl zwischen dem
ultrascharfen 6...Be6, Dreevs Favoritem 6...dxc4 und dem Partiezug.} (6... dxc4
7. Bxc4 e6 8. Nf3 Be7 9. O-O O-O 10. Re1 a6 {This position had occurred many
times in tournament practice. Alexey Dreev for example had defended Black's
position successfully many times. I personally failed to get any advantage
against him. Diese Stellung ist in der Turnierpraxis viele Male vorgekommen.
Alexey Dreev beispielsweise hat die schwarze Stellung mehrfach erfolgreich
verteidigt. Ich persцnlich schaffte es nicht, irgendeinen Vorteil gegen ihn
herauszuholen.} 11. a4 Bd7 12. Qe2 Nd5 13. Bxe7 Ncxe7 14. Bxd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5
exd5 16. Ne5 f6 17. Nd3 Re8 18. Qd2 {1/2-1/2 Gelfand,B (2703)-Dreev,A (2683)/
Wijk aan Zee 2002/CBM 87}) 7. Nf3 Be7 8. Bd3 $2 {White is simply losing a
tempo. If he was not ready to enter a theoretical discussion after the most
principled 8.c5, then he had to prefer 8.Rc1 0-0 9.a3 as Black would take on
c4 anyway. WeiЯ verliert einfach ein Tempo. Wenn er nicht bereit war, sich auf
eine theoretische Diskussion nach der prinzipiellsten Fortsetzung 8.c5
einzulassen, so musste er 8.Rc1 0-0 9.a3 den Vorzug geben, da Schwarz sowieso
auf c4 nehmen wьrde.} dxc4 9. Bxc4 O-O 10. O-O {Now we have a position from
Dreev's (and others) games, but it is Black's turn to move. However, it
slightly unbalanced me, as I spent a lot of time deciding if Black is ready to
fight for an advantage. Without being able to determine it, I decided to play
normally. Nun haben wir eine Stellung aus den Partien von Dreev (und anderen),
aber Schwarz ist am Zug. Allerdings brachte mich das leicht aus dem
Gleichgewicht, denn ich verbrauchte eine Menge Zeit zu entscheiden, ob Schwarz
bereit ist, um Vorteil kдmpfen. Ohne dies ermitteln zu kцnnen, beschloss ich,
normal zu spielen.} a6 (10... b6 {was possible as well. war ebenfalls mцglich.}
) 11. Bd3 b5 12. Qe2 $5 (12. Rc1 Bb7 {is harmless. ist harmlos.}) 12... Nxd4 $5
{I decided to spice things up. I felt that after the exchange sacrifice Black
is not risking much and hoped to outplay my opponent in a position with uneven
material balance. By the way, in this tournament I had sacrificed an exchange
also against Caruana and Giri, but in those cases I had no decent alternative.
Ich beschloss, Wьrze ins Spiel zu bringen. Ich spьrte, dass Schwarz nach dem
Qualitдtsopfer nicht viel riskiert, und hoffte, meinen Gegner in einer
Stellung mit materiellem Ungleichgewicht zu ьberspielen. Ьbrigens, in diesem
Turnier hatte ich auch gegen Caruana und Giri eine Qualitдt geopfert, aber
diesen Fдllen hatte ich keine anstдndige Alternative.} ({Black is doing well
after Gut steht Schwarz nach} 12... Bb7 13. Rad1 Rc8 {as he doesn't have to
worry about , denn er braucht keine Sorgen zu haben vor} 14. Bxf6 Bxf6 15. d5
exd5 16. Nxd5 Re8 17. Be4 g6 $11) 13. Nxd4 Qxd4 14. Be4 ({White doesn't have
sufficient compensation after Keine ausreichende Kompensation hat WeiЯ nach} 
14. Rfd1 Qa7 15. Ne4 (15. Be3 Qb8) 15... Nd5 ({or even oder sogar} 15... Nxe4
16. Bxe7 Nxf2 $1 17. Bxh7+ Kxh7 18. Qh5+ Kg8 19. Bc5 Qc7 20. Bxf2 Bb7)) 14...
Rb8 ({I didn't even consider seriously Ich ьberlegte nicht mal ernsthaft an} 
14... Nxe4 15. Bxe7 Re8 16. Nxe4 Rxe7 17. Rfd1 Qb6 {Here the strongest is Hier
ist das Stдrkste} 18. Qg4 $1 ({after nach} 18. Qe3 {the computer finds an
amusing defence findet der Computer eine amьsante Verteidigung:} Qc7 19. Rac1
Rd7 $1) 18... Bb7 19. Nf6+ Kh8 20. Qh4 h6 21. Nd5 $18) 15. Bf4 (15. Be3 $5 {
deserved serious attention. Black would have to choose between different
versions of an exchange sac in all cases with approximately equal chances. For
example kam ernsthaft in Betracht. Schwarz mьsste wдhlten zwischen
verschiedenen Versionen eines Qualitдtsopfers, in allen Fдllen mit etwa
gleichen Chancen. Zum Beispiel} Qd8 ({or or} 15... Qc4 16. Ba7 Qxe2 17. Nxe2
Nxe4 18. Bxb8 Bf6) 16. Ba7 Nxe4 17. Bxb8 Nxc3 18. bxc3 Bb7) 15... Nxe4 (15...
Bd6 $6 {The Q sacrifice is not so efficient: Das Q-Opfer ist nicht so wirksam:}
16. Rfd1 Qxd1+ 17. Rxd1 Bxf4 18. Bf3 $14) 16. Bxb8 Bb7 ({I was afraid of
White's initiative after Ich hatte Angst vor der weiЯen Initiative nach} 16...
Nxc3 17. bxc3 Qxc3 18. Be5 {when White gains some important tempi by attacking
Black's Q. , wonach WeiЯ durch Angreifen der schwarzen Q ein paar wichtige
Tempi gewinnt.} Qb4 19. Rab1 Qh4 20. Qf3 {and White retains an initiative. und
WeiЯ behauptet eine Initiative.}) 17. Bg3 $6 ({The most natural idea was Die
natьrlichste Idee war} 17. Nxe4 Rxb8 18. Rfe1 (18. Nc3 $44 {with a balanced
position as well , ebenfalls mit ausgewogener Stellung.}) 18... Bxe4 19. Rad1
Qf6 20. Qxe4 Qxb2 {and a draw is a very likely result. und ein Remis ist der
sehr wahrscheinliche Ausgang.}) ({I was more afraid of the energetic GrцЯere
Angst hatte ich vor dem energischen} 17. Rfd1 $5 {Black has to avoid many
dangers here: Hier muss Schwarz viele Gefahren umschiffen:} Nxc3 ({Black is in
trouble after Schwarz ist in Schwierigkeiten nach} 17... Qxf2+ 18. Qxf2 Nxf2
19. Rd7 $1 Rxb8 ({the computer suggests der Computer schlдgt vor} 19... Nh3+
20. Kf1 Rxb8 21. Rxe7 {but it hardly solves Black's problems , aber dies kann
die Probleme von Schwarz kaum lцsen.}) 20. Rxe7 Ng4 21. Rd1 $1 Bxg2 (21... Bc6
22. Rd6 Ne5 23. b4 g5 24. Rc7) 22. Kxg2 (22. Red7 $5) 22... Ne3+ 23. Kf3 Nxd1
24. Nxd1 {and probably Black can save this position, but it is not fun to play
it. und diese Stellung kann Schwarz wahrscheinlich halten, aber SpaЯ macht sie
nicht.}) 18. bxc3 Qxc3 19. Be5 Qb4 $1 {and the position is dynamically
balanced. I managed to calculate all these lines, but still was not completely
sure if White wouldn't find something in this position. Home analysis showed
that my fears were unsound. und die Stellung ist dynamisch ausgeglichen. Ich
konnte all diese Abspiele berechnen, war aber dennoch nicht gдnzlich sicher,
ob WeiЯ in dieser Stellung nicht etwas finden wьrde. Die Heimanalyse zeigte,
dass meine Befьrchtungen unbegrьndet waren.} (19... Qc6 {is weaker: is weaker:}
20. Qg4 f6 21. Rac1 Qxg2+ 22. Qxg2 Bxg2 23. Rd7 $1 Ba3 24. Rcc7 $16) 20. Rab1 (
20. Rd4 Qc5) 20... Qe4) 17... Nxc3 18. bxc3 Qd5 (18... Qxc3 19. Rac1 Qa3 {
was also possible, but I liked to force f2-f3 as this move prevents  any
potential attack on my K. war ebenfalls mцglich, aber es gefiel mir, f2-f3 zu
erzwingen, da dieser Zug jeglichen potentiellen Angriff auf meinen K
unterbindet.}) 19. f3 Qc5+ 20. Bf2 ({In the event of Im Fall von} 20. Kh1 {
I intended to improve my pieces' positions before grabbing the c3-pawn: wollte
ich erst meine Figurenstellung verbessern, bevor ich mir den c3-Bauern
schnappe:} Bf6 (20... Qxc3 {is also fine ist ebenfalls gut.}) 21. Rac1 Bd5 $15)
20... Qxc3 {Now we can assess the position. Black has 2 pawns and full
compensation for the exchange and only he can play for a win. However White's
position is pretty solid. Nun kцnnen wir die Stellung einschдtzen. Schwarz hat
zwei Bauern und volle Kompensation fьr die Qualitдt, und nur er kann auf
Gewinn spielen. Allerdings ist die Stellung von WeiЯ ziemlich fest.} 21. a4 $1
{The correct desicion. White is exchanging a 'weak pawn' and is opening lines
for his Rs. Die richtige Entscheidung. WeiЯ tauscht einen 'schwachen Bauern'
und цffnet Linien fьr seine Tьrme.} Bd5 ({I didn't believe that Black had any
winning chances after Keinerlei Gewinnchancen fьr Schwarz sah ich nach} 21...
Qc4 22. Qxc4 bxc4 23. Rfc1 Bf6 24. Rab1 Bd5 25. Be1 Rc8 26. Bc3 {but probably
Black can try , aber wahrscheinlich kann Schwarz} Bd8 27. Kf2 Bc7 28. g3 f6 {
followed by Kf7, h5, g5 etc. versuchen, gefolgt von Kf7, h5, g5 usw.}) (21...
b4 22. Rac1 Qf6 23. Rc7) 22. Rfc1 (22. axb5 Bc4 23. Qe1 Qxe1 24. Rfxe1 axb5 {
and Black keeps a minimal advantage. und Schwarz behauptet minimalen Vorteil.})
22... Qb3 (22... Bc4 23. Qe4) (22... Qb4 $5 {was more precise, preventing the
exchange of Bs. war genauer, da dies den Tausch der Lдufer verhindert.}) 23.
axb5 axb5 (23... Qxb5 24. Qd2 {and the a-pawn can never become dangerous. und
der a-Bauern kann niemals gefдhrlich werden.}) 24. Bc5 $1 {Again a correct
decision. Without the pair of Bs Black has no real chances. Wieder eine
korrekte Entscheidung. Ohne das Lдuferpaar hat Schwarz keine realen Chancen.} (
24. Rcb1 Qc4 25. Qxc4 Bxc4) 24... Bxc5+ 25. Rxc5 Qb4 26. Qe3 Qb2 (26... Bc4 27.
Qd4) 27. Rcc1 (27. Rac1 Bc4) 27... Bc4 28. Qc3 ({I would prefer to keep Qs on
the board by Ich wьrde lieber die Damen auf dem Brett behalten mit} 28. Rd1 $11
{With all White's pieces being active a draw is unavoidable. Da alle weiЯen
Figuren aktiv sind, ist ein Remis unausweichlich.}) 28... Qxc3 29. Rxc3 g5 $1 {
A classical move, enabling a nice pawn formation. Ein klassischer Zug, der
eine schцne Bauernformation ermцglicht.} 30. Rca3 Bd5 31. Rb1 Rb8 32. Rb4 Bc4
33. h4 $2 {An impatient move, which can be explained by White's eagerness to
force a draw without much suffering. Ein ungeduldiger Zug, der erklдrt werden
kann durch den Eifer von WeiЯ, ohne groЯes Leiden ein Remis zu erzwingen.} ({
The simplest solution would be to transpose into a theoretically drawn ending
by Die einfachste Lцsung gewesen wдre der Ьbergang in das theoretische
Remisendspiel mit} 33. Rc3 Rd8 34. Rbxc4 bxc4 35. Rxc4 {Recently Jacob Aagaard
had presented me with his book "Attacking manual". He correctly quotes his
trainer Henrik Mortensen, that 'you only had a winning position if you knew
how to win it'. The same maxim can apply here. The ending is drawn (especially
if White exchanges 1 more pawn by playing h4). However, you would voluntary go
for it only if you are 100% sure that you'll draw it. In some of his
interviews my opponent hasn't rated the importance of endgame knowledge too
highly and probably he had to pay a price for it in this game. Vor kurzem
hatte mir Jacob Aagaard sein Buch "Attacking manual" ьberreicht. Darin zitiert
er korrekt seinen Trainer Henrik Mortensen, dass 'man nur dann eine
Gewinnstellung hat, wenn man auch weiЯ, wie man sie gewinnt'. Dieselbe Maxime
kann auch hier gelten. Das Endspiel ist remis (vor allem, wenn WeiЯ mit h4
noch einen weiteren Bauern tauscht). Allerdings wьrde man es nur dann
freiwillig anstreben, wenn man 100% sicher ist, dass man es auch remis hдlt.
In manchen seiner Interviews hat mein Gegner die Bedeutung von Endspielwissen
nicht allzu hoch angesiedelt, und womцglich musste er dafьr in dieser Partie
den Preis zahlen.}) ({White could simply wait by WeiЯ kцnnte einfach abwarten
mit} 33. Kf2 Rd8 34. Rb2 Kg7 35. Ra7 {but of course, Black would advance the
h-pawn and try to get his K to c5 or c3 and White would have to defend
carefully. , aber natьrlich wьrde Schwarz den h-Bauern vorstoЯen und versuchen,
seinen K nach c5 oder c3 zu bekommen, und WeiЯ wьrde sich sorgsam verteidigen
mьssen.}) 33... gxh4 34. Kh2 ({It turns out that in the case of Es stellt sich
heraus, dass im Fall von} 34. Rc3 Rd8 35. Rbxc4 bxc4 36. Rxc4 h3 $1 37. gxh3
Rd2 {White's task is not so simple. die Aufgabe von WeiЯ nicht so einfach ist.}
) 34... Rd8 35. Re3 {/\Re4 /\Re4} f5 36. Re5 Kf7 37. Kh3 Kf6 38. Rc5 Kg5 39.
Rcxc4 $2 {But this is just panic. Aber dies ist einfach Panik.} ({I didn't see
a winning plan after Keinen Gewinnplan sah ich nach} 39. Rb1 {followed by Rc7.
nebst Rc7.}) 39... bxc4 40. Rxc4 Rd1 $1 {White cannot regain the h4-pawn. WeiЯ
kann den h4-Bauern nicht zurьckerobern.} 41. Kh2 e5 42. Ra4 ({A curious
endgame arises after Ein kurioses Endspiel entsteht nach} 42. f4+ exf4 {
Black is 3 pawns up, but all of them are doubled. I guess that Black should
win by playing R d3, followed by h3. White cannot take because he'll be cut on
the first rank and otherwise Black would win with 3 extra pawns. However,some
technique would be required. Schwarz hat drei Bauern mehr, aber sie alle sind
verdoppelt. Ich schдtze, er sollte gewinnen, indem er Rd3 nebst h3 spielt.
WeiЯ kann nicht nehmen, da er ansonsten auf der ersten Reihe abgeklemmt wird,
und ansonsten wьrde Schwarz mit seinen drei Mehrbauern gewinnen. Allerdings
wдre einiges an Technik erforderlich.}) 42... Rd6 ({The most direct path to
victory would be Der direkteste Weg zum Sieg wдre} 42... Re1 43. Ra7 h6 44. Ra4
(44. Rg7+ Kf4 45. Rf7 (45. Rh7 h3) 45... h3 46. g4 Kxf3 47. gxf5 Kg4) 44... e4
45. fxe4 fxe4 46. g3 (46. Rb4 e3 47. Re4 Kf5) 46... hxg3+ 47. Kxg3 Re3+ {
and this ending is theoretically won. und dieses Endspiel ist theoretisch
gewonnen.}) (42... Rd4 43. Ra5 Kf4 44. Ra7 h6 {is also strong enough. ist
ebenfalls stark genug.}) 43. Kg1 ({It was better to wait with Besser war das
Abwarten mit} 43. Rb4 {as , da} Re6 ({Black would have to return to the
above-mentioned plans by Schwarz mьsste zu den oben genannten Plдnen
zurьckkehren mit} 43... Rd4) (43... Rd1) 44. Kg1 e4 45. fxe4 fxe4 46. Kf2 Kf4
47. Rb7 e3+ 48. Kf1 h5 49. Rf7+ {is not enough for a win. nicht zum Sieg
reicht.}) 43... Rd4 44. Ra7 h6 45. Rh7 ({Or Oder} 45. Kh2 e4 46. fxe4 fxe4)
45... h3 $1 46. g3 (46. gxh3 Kf4) 46... Rd3 (46... Rd2 $5) 47. Rg7+ (47. f4+
Kg6) 47... Kf6 48. Rh7 Rxf3 49. Kh2 Kg6 {The rest is simple. Der Rest ist
einfach.} 50. Re7 Re3 51. Re8 e4 52. Rf8 Rf3 53. Kxh3 Rf2 54. Re8 Kf7 55. Ra8
e3 (55... Ke6 56. Ra6+ Kd5 {was probably even simpler. war womцglich noch
einfacher.}) 56. Ra3 e2 57. Re3 f4 58. gxf4 Rf3+ $1 59. Rxf3 e1=Q 60. Kg2 Qe2+
61. Rf2 Qg4+ 62. Kh2 h5 63. f5 Kf6 64. Rg2 Qh4+ 65. Kg1 Qe1+ 66. Kh2 Kxf5 67.
Rg8 Qe5+ 68. Kh3 Qe6 69. Rg1 Kf4+ 70. Kh2 Qe4 71. Rg3 Qe2+ 72. Rg2 Qe1 73. Rg8
Kf3 74. Rg2 Qh4+ 75. Kg1 Qg4 0-1

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 5th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2010.11.06"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Shirov, Alexei"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D16"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[Annotator "Mueller,Karsten"]
[PlyCount "121"]
[EventDate "2010.11.05"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 139"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.11.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.11.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 e6 6. e3 c5 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O
Be7 9. Qe2 cxd4 10. exd4 O-O 11. Rd1 Nd5 12. Bb3 Re8 13. h4 Na5 14. Bc2 Nb4 15.
Bg5 h6 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. Qe4 f5 18. Qe2 b6 19. Re1 Ba6 20. Qd1 Nxc2 21. Qxc2
Bc4 22. d5 Bb3 23. Qe2 Rad8 24. dxe6 Qxe6 25. Qb5 Bc4 26. Rxe6 Bxb5 27. Nd4 Bd7
28. Rxe8+ Rxe8 29. Rd1 Nc4 30. b3 Ne5 31. Ncb5 Bxb5 32. Nxb5 Re7 33. f3 Kf7 {
Auf die Initiative kommt es an In Endspielen mit Turm und Springer gegen Turm
und Springer ist oft schon eine leichte Initiative sehr lдstig, weil beide
Figuren passive Verteidigung nicht mцgen.} 34. Rd5 $5 Kg6 $2 ({Mittels} 34...
a6 $1 {lieЯ sich die weiЯe Initiative ausbremsen, z.B.} 35. Nd4 f4 36. a5 Rd7
37. Rxe5 Rxd4 38. axb6 Rb4 39. Re4 Rxb3 40. Rxf4+ Ke7 41. Rg4 Kf7 $11) 35. Kf2
a6 36. Nd4 ({Das Zwischenschach} 36. Rd6+ $5 {war noch einen Tick genauer, z.B.
} Kh5 37. Nd4 Nd3+ 38. Kg3 f4+ 39. Kh3 $16 {denn} Re1 $2 40. g4+ fxg3 41. Nf5
$18 {verliert sofort.}) 36... Nd3+ 37. Kg3 f4+ 38. Kg4 h5+ 39. Kh3 (39. Rxh5 $2
Nf2+ 40. Kxf4 Kxh5 $19) 39... Re1 40. Kh2 Rb1 $2 {Dies lдuft in einen
taktischen Trick. Allerdings war guter Rat bereits teuer.} ({So steht Schwarz
auch nach} 40... Kf6 41. Rxh5 Re5 42. Rh8 Rd5 43. Ne2 $16 {mit dem Rьcken zur
Wand.}) 41. Ne2 $1 Rb2 (41... Rxb3 $2 42. Rxd3 Rxd3 43. Nxf4+ $18) 42. Rxd3
Rxe2 43. Rd6+ Kf5 44. Rxb6 Re6 ({Nach} 44... a5 45. Rb5+ Re5 46. b4 $5 {
hat Schwarz nichts Besseres als} axb4 47. Rxb4 Re1 48. Rb5+ {und WeiЯ gewinnt
analog zur Partie.}) 45. a5 $1 ({Nicht jedoch} 45. Rxe6 $2 Kxe6 {denn bei
Abwicklungen ins Bauernendspiel muss man immer sehr auf der Hut sein. Die
Faustregel, dass die materiell ьberlegene Seite Figuren tauschen soll, ist
ohnehin mit sehr groЯer Vorsicht zu genieЯen. Im vorligenden Fall kцnnte sich
Schwarz nun retten, z.B.} 46. g3 (46. b4 Kd5 47. b5 axb5 48. axb5 Kc5 49. g3
Kxb5 50. gxf4 Kc5 51. Kg3 Kd4 52. Kf2 Kd3 53. f5 Kd4 $11) (46. g4 g6 $11) 46...
Kd5 47. gxf4 a5 48. Kg3 Kd4 49. f5 Ke5 50. Kf2 Kd4 51. b4 axb4 52. Ke2 Kc3 53.
a5 b3 54. a6 b2 55. a7 b1=Q 56. a8=Q Qd3+ $11) 45... Re3 ({Nun wдre das
Bauernendspiel nach} 45... Ke5 46. Rxe6+ Kxe6 47. g3 {verloren:} Kd5 48. gxf4
Kc5 49. Kg3 Kb4 50. f5 Kxa5 51. Kf4 Kb4 52. Kg5 Kxb3 53. Kg6 a5 54. Kxg7 a4 55.
f6 a3 56. f7 a2 57. f8=Q a1=Q+ 58. Kg6 $18) 46. b4 Rb3 47. Rxa6 Rxb4 48. Rb6
Ra4 49. Rb5+ Kg6 50. Rg5+ Kh6 51. Kg1 Ra1+ 52. Kf2 g6 53. Ke2 Rh1 54. Kd2 Rxh4
55. Re5 Rh2 56. Re2 h4 57. a6 h3 58. a7 hxg2 59. a8=Q g1=Q {Shirov hat es zwar
geschafft, das Brett noch einmal in Flammen zu setzen, aber sein Feuer wird
schon bald ausgehen:} 60. Qh8+ Kg5 61. Qxh2 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 5th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2010.11.14"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D74"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2761"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2010.11.05"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 139"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2010.11.18"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2010.11.18"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. g3 Bg7 6. Bg2 Nxc3 {With the
given move order, Black does not need to define the knight's intentions so
soon (as would be the case in the line 1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 g6 3.g3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.
Bg2). Mamedyarov probably liked the idea to play with active pieces against
the massive white centre.} ({The common line is} 6... O-O 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nxd5 (
8. d4 Nb6 {transposes to a genuine Gruenfeld. For the latest developments in
the line} 9. e3 Re8 {, see the theoretical survey on the Olympiad.}) 8... Qxd5
9. d3 Qb5 10. Rb1 a5 11. b3 a4 {CBM 43-5.g3... 7....Nc6/Opening 1994/CBM 043/
[Ribli]}) 7. bxc3 Nc6 $5 {An original setup, which has been employed already
by Gruenfeld specialists.} ({The more natural} 7... O-O 8. O-O c5 {leaves the
c5-pawn vulnerable.}) 8. O-O O-O 9. d4 Be6 $5 {A truly hyper-modern approach,
which has not been played between strong players so far. We can notice certain
similarities with the Simagin line against the classical main variation: 1.d4
Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Bc4 0-0 8.Ne2 Nc6 9.
0-0 b6 10.Be3 Bb7, etc. Black refrains from attacking the d4-pawn at an early
stage of the game, inviting White to commit himself first.} (9... e5 10. e3 (
10. d5 Na5 11. e4 c6 12. Bg5 f6 13. Be3 b6 {Stempin,P (2445)-Epishin,V (2550)/
Warsaw 1990/CBM 017/[Ftacnik] (1/2, 33)}) ({My favourite is} 10. Bg5 Qd6 {
this has been played in a couple of games, in which White released the tension
with either d5 or dxe5. It makes sense to keep the tension with} 11. Rb1 $5
$146 {, because the pressure against d4 is not too real yet:} exd4 12. Bf4 Qd8
13. Nxd4 $14) 10... Be6 11. Nd2 Rb8 12. Qc2 f5 13. Rd1 exd4 14. cxd4 Bd5 15.
Bxd5+ Qxd5 16. Rb1 h5 17. h4 Kh7 18. a4 a6 19. Nb3 $14 {Kotsur,P (2566)
-Rakhmanov,A (2489)/Zvenigorod 2008/EXT 2009 (1-0, 50)}) 10. e4 (10. Qd3 {
has been played in a few games between low rated players.}) 10... Bc4 $146 {
For the time being, Black keeps his knight close to the centre, in order to
maintain the threat of ...e5 alive.} (10... Na5 {Woll-Hasenberg,W/DDR corr
1987/Corr Nr. 1 (1-0, 24)} 11. Re1 {[%cal Gc1f4]}) 11. Re1 Qd7 12. Nd2 Ba6 {
White's space advance is unchallenged, but his development is delayed and not
too natural.} 13. e5 {White finally eliminates the threat of ...e5 and
restricts the g7-bishop even more. On the other hand, the structural
flexibility is somewhat spoiled, allowing Black to orientate his counterplay
better.} Rad8 {Black has a perfect development, but it remains an open
question whether he will be able to make use of it, facing the strong white
centre.} 14. h4 {White aims to weaken the g6-square in order to create the
threat of e5-e6. However, it will soon become clear that the white king's
residence will also be weakened by the advance of the h-pawn. Abstractly
speaking, it would have made sense to look for a way to complete the
development.} (14. Ba3 $5 Nxe5 15. Qb3 $36) (14. Ne4 b6 15. Qa4) 14... b6 {
The similarity with the Simagin system becomes even clearer.} 15. h5 Na5 {
Black gets ready to counterattack with ...c5.} 16. hxg6 (16. e6 {may be
premature:} {Black should not fear any ghosts:} fxe6 (16... Qe8 {is a bit
artifficial:} 17. Ne4 $1 {Maintaining the tension.} (17. exf7+ Qxf7 18. Nf3 e5
$132) 17... h6 18. exf7+ Qxf7 19. hxg6 Qxg6 20. Ba3 c5 21. Qa4 {White has the
more compact structure and the strong knight allows him maintain stability in
the centre.}) 17. hxg6 hxg6 18. Bh3 Rf5 $13 {White can win the exchange, but
this would leave the light squares desperately weak.}) 16... fxg6 $5 {An
interesting decision. Black opens the f-file for his rook and avoids any
future problems based on e5-e6.} 17. Nb3 Nc4 18. Qe2 Qe6 {The position is
rather difficult to play, which partly explains the inaccuracies that follow,
making the evaluation of the position change repeatedly. I assume that both
players were also short of time by this moment.} ({Be it as it may, Black had
everything prepared for the thematic} 18... c5 $5) 19. Bf4 Qf7 $6 ({The
consolidating} 19... c6 {makes some sense, intending to fight for space with ..
.h6 and ...g5, with unclear play. White cannot find a constructive plan easily,
but his centre remains a force to be counted with.}) 20. Nd2 $6 ({There is no
obvious reason to refrain from} 20. e6 Qf5 (20... Qf6 21. Nd2 Nxd2 22. Qxd2 $16
{[%cal Gf4c7]} c5 $2 23. Bg5 $18 {[%cal Gg5e7]}) 21. Bxc7 Rc8 22. Bf4 g5 23.
Be4 Qb5 24. Qh5 $40) 20... Nxd2 21. Qxa6 g5 {This is good enough,} ({but} 21...
Bh6 $5 {would have forced a draw already.} 22. Bxh6 Qxf2+ 23. Kh1 Qxg3 (23...
Rf5 24. Qe2 Rh5+ 25. Qxh5 gxh5 26. Be3 Qxg3 27. Bxd2 $14) 24. Bxf8 Nf3 25. Bxf3
Qxf3+) 22. Be3 g4 (22... Nf3+ 23. Bxf3 Qxf3 24. Qc4+ Kh8 25. Qxc7 $16) 23. Bf4
$6 (23. Qb7 {was essential to maintain equality:} Bh6 24. e6 $1 (24. Bxh6 $2
Qxf2+ 25. Kh1 Rf5 $19) 24... Qf6 25. Bxh6 Qxf2+ 26. Kh1 Qxg3 (26... Rf5 $2 27.
Re5 $1 $18) 27. Bxd2 (27. Bxf8 Rxf8 {[%cal Gd2f3]} 28. Re2 Qh4+ 29. Kg1 Nf3+
30. Bxf3 gxf3 $40) 27... Qh4+ 28. Kg1 $11 {Black probably has to take a draw
by perpetual.} g3 $6 {is parried by} 29. Bh3 $1) 23... Nf3+ $2 {Closing the
f-file without getting to create threats on the g2-square.} (23... Bh6 $1 $40
24. Qe2 (24. Bxh6 $2 Qxf2+ 25. Kh1 Rf5 $19 {In this line,} 26. Qe2 {does not
cover h5 anymore.}) 24... Nf3+ 25. Bxf3 gxf3 26. Qxf3 Bxf4 27. Qxf4 Qxf4 28.
gxf4 Rxf4 $17 {[%cal Gg8d5,Gd8f8,Gc7c5] Black has the more active rooks and
better possibilities for centralizing the king, while the white centre is
vulnerable.}) 24. Bxf3 gxf3 25. Qd3 $16 Qh5 26. Re3 c5 27. Rxf3 cxd4 28. cxd4
Bh6 {Too late. The f4-square is well defended.} 29. Kg2 Bxf4 30. gxf4 Qf5 31.
Rd1 Kh8 32. Qxf5 Rxf5 33. d5 b5 34. Rd4 a5 35. Rc3 Rdf8 36. Rc7 1-0

[Event "Candidates Tournament"]
[Site "Kazan"]
[Date "2011.05.07"]
[Round "1.3"]
[White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B87"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "78"]
[EventDate "2011.05.05"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "3"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 143"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2011.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2011.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 {Ramirez,A} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bc4 {
Shakhriyar goes for the sharpest line. In the first game he had chosen the
more positional 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3. I also had to face this system in my
semi-final match vs Kamsky.} e6 7. Bb3 b5 8. O-O Be7 9. Qf3 Qc7 10. Qg3 O-O 11.
Bh6 Ne8 12. Rad1 Bd7 13. f4 Nc6 14. f5 {Again the sharpest choice. I had
earlier experiences with the more positional 13.Nf3, 13.Nce2 and the wild 14.
Bg5. Ramirez,A: 'This rare move had been used once before in a world class
game, about 10 years ago, and never again since. It's interesting, although a
little strange, that Mamedyarov is repeating this line. Gelfand doesn't follow
the same path as the previous game, which ended in a convincing black victory.
The move itself warrants quite an explanation. Playing f5 in a Sicilian is
always very committal: White weakens the important e5-square, preventing him
from ever achieving an e5 break, as well as allowing Black's pieces (usually a
knight, but in some rare cases a queen or a bishop) to occupy the fantastic
defensive square e5. Some writers have gone so far as to say that if Black
didn't have the e5-square for his pieces after f5, he would lose every
Sicilian.   White must therefore consistently attack on the kingside from now
on until he obtains a material gain, or he will end up strategically worse.'} (
{The last time I had this position I had to face} 14. Nxc6 Bxc6 15. f5 Kh8 16.
f6 {Ramirez,A: 'A spectacular pawn push, but a well-known one...'} gxh6 17.
fxe7 Qxe7 18. Qf2 {Ramirez,A: 'and White has compensation for the missing pawn.
A few games have seen this position, the most recent being the aforementioned
Rublevsky-Bu, 2010 China (rapid).'} Ng7 19. Qd4 Qa7 20. Qxa7 Rxa7 21. Rxd6 Rc8
22. a3 a5 {1-0 Ivanchuk,V (2781)-Gelfand,B (2720)/Moscow blitz 2008 (41); with
a minimal advantage for White.}) 14... Nxd4 15. Rxd4 Kh8 {After a long thought
I decided to deviate from the classical game} (15... Bf6 16. Rd3 Be5 17. Qg4 b4
18. f6 g6 19. Ne2 a5 $1 20. Bxf8 Kxf8 21. Qh4 a4 22. Qxh7 Qa7+ 23. Kh1 Nxf6 24.
Qh6+ Ke7 {and Black went on to win a great game - Morozevich,A -Kasparov,G /
Astana 2001.}) 16. Be3 ({I think it is was stronger to play similiar to my
game vs Ivanchuk} 16. f6 {, but Black seems to hold after   Ramirez,A: 'is a
very logical move. Mamedyarov may have rejected it because of'} Bxf6 (16...
gxf6 $5 {Ramirez,A is also an interesting alternative. Black obtains a strong
pawn centre in return for the lost exchange. However, White can respond by
sacrificing material of his own!} 17. Nd5 $5 {A crazy move typical of the
Sicilian. Black is forced to take this intruder, but opens the fourth rank to
the rook on d4. It is almost impossible to give an evaluation of this position
without lengthy variations, so let's just say that this position is very
unclear.}) 17. Rxf6 Qc5 $1 {Ramirez,A: 'Strangely enough, although both the f6
and h6 pieces are under attack, neither can be effectively taken. However, the
rook on d4 is now pinned!'} (17... gxh6 {Ramirez,A} 18. Rxh6 Rg8 19. Qh4 Rg7 {
gives White some pressure, but might be playable.}) 18. Bxg7+ Nxg7 19. Qf2 Qe5
{Ramirez,A: 'with a very murky position.'} (19... Bc6 20. Bd5) 20. Rh6 f5 $1)
16... Nf6 17. Qh3 $5 {Hitting on the e6-pawn and vacating the h4-square for
the R. Ramirez,A: 'A logical move, upping the pressure on this side of the
board. However, it does remove the pressure that the queen on g3 was exerting
on the h2-b8 diagonal, specifically pinning the d-pawn. Black now achieves
another of his strategic goals in the Sicilian: the d5 break!'} (17. a3 a5) (
17. Qh4 e5 18. Rd2 b4) 17... d5 $1 {The key move in the style of the Sicilian
Defence.} 18. e5 $1 (18. exd5 exf5 {with a clear advantage for Black is not
even worth considering.}) 18... Qxe5 19. Rh4 Rfc8 {Preparing Rxc3 and clearing
the way for Black's K.} ({There was no way to bail out by} 19... d4 20. Ne4
Qxe4 21. Rxe4 Nxe4 22. Bxd4 exf5 23. Bd5 $1 Rad8 24. Bb6 Rb8 25. Bxe4 Rxb6 26.
Bxf5 $18) ({However, as the computer indicates, Black has nothing to fear and
could get an advantage by the simple} 19... Rac8 $1 20. Bg5 (20. g4 Qxe3+ 21.
Qxe3 Bc5 22. Qxc5 Rxc5 23. g5 Ng8) (20. Kh1 Rxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc3) {or even} 20...
h6 (20... Kg8 21. Bxf6 Qxf6 22. Rxh7 g6 23. Ne2 (23. g4 exf5 24. gxf5 Qd4+ 25.
Kg2 Bf6) 23... a5 24. c3 a4) 21. g4 Kg8 $1 {and White has no attacking ideas,
for example} 22. Bxh6 $140 Rxc3 23. bxc3 Bc5+ 24. Kh1 Qe4+) 20. Kh1 $2 {
In a way the decisive mistake.} (20. Bg5 $1 {was the right way to follow. Now
Black has a choice:} {or} Kg8 ({or} 20... h6 21. Rxh6+ gxh6 22. Qxh6+ Kg8 (
22... Nh7 23. Bxe7 $44) 23. fxe6 fxe6 (23... Bxe6 24. Bxf6 Bxf6 25. Rxf6 $44)
24. Qg6+ Kh8 25. Ne4 (25. Bxf6+ Bxf6 26. Rxf6 Rf8 $11) 25... Nxe4 26. Qh5+ Kg8
27. Qf7+ Kh8 $11 {with a perpetual}) 21. Bxf6 {but stronger is} Qxf6 $1 ({
Now the natural} 21... Bxf6 {loses due to} 22. Rxh7 Kf8 23. fxe6 Bxe6 (23...
fxe6 24. Nxd5) 24. Nxd5 $1 $18) 22. Rxh7 g6 {and White has to escape by} 23. g4
$1 (23. Bxd5 Rxc3 24. bxc3 exd5) 23... Rxc3 24. bxc3 Bc5+ 25. Kg2 (25. Kh1 Bc6)
25... exf5 26. Bxd5 Bc6 27. Rh8+ Qxh8 28. Qxh8+ Kxh8 29. Bxc6 $11) ({During
the game I didn't consider} 20. g4 {seriously and rightly so} Qxe3+ 21. Qxe3
Bc5 22. Qxc5 Rxc5 23. g5 Ng8 {despite the poor placement of Black's N Black is
clearly better.} 24. fxe6 (24. g6 fxg6 25. fxe6 (25. fxg6 Nh6 26. Rxh6 gxh6 27.
Rf7 Rd8 28. Rxh7+ Kg8) 25... Bxe6) (24. Rf3 Ne7 25. Rfh3 (25. fxe6 fxe6 26.
Rfh3 h6 27. gxh6 g6) 25... h6) 24... Bxe6 $15 (24... fxe6 25. Rf7 Rd8)) 20...
Rxc3 {This move is so natural, that it doesn't deserve an exclamation mark.}
21. bxc3 Qxc3 {Black has 2 pawns for an exchange and the Bb3 is cut off from
the game. So, White's position is on the verge of being lost.} (21... exf5 $2 {
would pass the advantage to White:} 22. Bd4 Qe2 23. Kg1 f4 24. Qd3) 22. Rd4 {
White's attack went nowhere, so he is returning a R back into defence.} (22.
fxe6 Bxe6 23. Qf3 Ne4) (22. Bd4 Qxh3 23. Rxh3 a5 {and Black has a clear
advantage in the endgame.}) 22... a5 $1 23. Rd3 Qc6 24. c3 a4 25. Bc2 e5 26.
Bg5 b4 {Black had some more simple options, but I went for the most direct
continuation.} (26... Qc4 27. Bb1 e4 28. Rdd1 Re8 $17) (26... e4 27. Rd4 (27.
Rd2 b4 28. cxb4 (28. Bxf6 Bxf6 29. cxb4 d4) 28... Bxb4 29. Rd4 Qc5 $19) 27...
Rc8 28. Rfd1 b4 29. c4 Be8 $19) 27. Qh4 {White is starting another wave of
attack on the h-line.} bxc3 ({A more simple way was} 27... Rc8 28. Rh3 (28.
Bxf6 Bxf6 29. Qxb4 e4) 28... Qc4 $19) 28. Rh3 Kg8 29. Re1 {Other moves are not
better:} (29. Rg3 e4 30. Bh6 g6) (29. Qg3 d4 30. Qxe5 Qb5 $1) (29. Bxf6 Bxf6
30. Qxh7+ Kf8) 29... e4 30. g4 Kf8 31. Be3 Qc4 $1 {Here I got really excited.
It is not very common to get such a line of pawns vs the R.} 32. g5 Bxf5 $1 33.
gxf6 Bxf6 34. Qh5 (34. Qg3 d4) 34... Bg6 $1 {I think it is both stronger and
more aesthetic than} (34... Bxh3 35. Qxh3 Kg8 {which is also good enough.}) 35.
Qg4 Qxa2 36. Bb1 Qc4 37. Qg2 a3 38. Ba2 Qc6 39. Rg3 Rb8 {Here my opponent lost
on time.} (39... Rb8 {I hope that after the strongest} 40. Bc1 {I would have
managed to find} (40. Qh3 Rb2) 40... Rb2 $1 (40... Qc5 {is good enough}) 41.
Bxb2 axb2 42. Bb1 Be5 43. Rge3 f5 {White has 2 Rs for B and 6 Ps. White is
totally helpless. In the famous game Lutikov-Taimanov in Moscow 1969 Black
also had 6 pawns for a B, but this position is clearly more beautiful.}) 0-1

[Event "Candidates Tournament"]
[Site "Kazan"]
[Date "2011.05.25"]
[Round "3.6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D76"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2747"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "69"]
[EventDate "2011.05.05"]
[EventType "k.o."]
[EventRounds "3"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 143"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2011.07.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2011.07.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{This was the decisive game of the final candidates match. After few
unsuccessful attempts in the English Opening, I decided to try my luck in the
g3-system of the Grьnfeld Defence.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nf3 Bg7 4. g3 d5 {
Alexander has chosen the most popular system. He had also tried the c6, d5
setup of the King's Indian or transposed to Benoni Systems by 4...c5 during
recent years.} 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. Nc3 Nc6 8. e3 O-O 9. O-O Re8 10. Re1
a5 11. Qe2 {We had quickly reached the modern tabiya of this system.} Bg4 {
The computer prefers this move, even though it is not very logical. h3 is more
likely to be a useful move, rather than a weakness.} (11... Bf5 12. Rd1 a4 13.
d5 Na5 14. Nd4 Nac4 15. Nxf5 gxf5 16. Qc2 {and White was clearly better in
Gelfand,B-Topalov,V blind/Monaco 2011.}) (11... Be6 {is the most popular and
brought Black a few exciting victories during the last Olympiad in
Khanti-Mansiysk.}) (11... e5 {leads to another type of position.}) 12. h3 Be6
13. b3 $1 {This is a novelty which we prepared and it came as a surprise to my
opponent.} (13. Nd2 Nb4 14. Rd1 Qc8 {This short variation illustrates very
well the idea behind ...Bg4 - Black is preparing ...c5 with tempo.}) ({In
earlier games} 13. Rd1 {was tried with a complicated game after both} Bc4 14.
Qc2 Nb4 15. Qb1 a4 ({and} 15... Qc8 16. a3 N4d5 17. Nd2 Nxc3 18. bxc3 Bd5 19.
e4 Bc6 20. Qd3 Ba4 21. Re1 c5 {0-1 Leitao,R (2624)-Wang Yue (2732)/Khanty
Mansiysk 2010/CBM 139 (67)}) 16. e4 c5 17. dxc5 Bd3 18. Rxd3 Qxd3 19. cxb6 Qxb1
20. Rxb1 Bxc3 21. a3 Red8 22. Bg5 Bf6 23. Bxf6 exf6 24. axb4 Rd3 {1/2-1/2
Blagojevic,D (2481)-Zhou Jianchao (2660)/Khanty Mansiysk 2010/CBM 139 (32)})
13... a4 14. Rb1 {Of course it seems that opening of the a-file is in Black's
favour. However I took into consideration that there are no squares to invade
on the a-line. My idea was to block the Be6 from both sides by the h3- and
b3-pawns. The B is poorly placed on e6 as there it prevents the liberating
breakthrough ...e7-e5 and thus the Re8 also cannot join the battle.} axb3 15.
axb3 Qc8 16. Kh2 ({Also possible was} 16. g4 $5 {but I was reluctant to weaken
my position.}) 16... Ra5 {Alexander decided to move the R into attack to h5
and try to use the slightly weakened position of my K.} ({Other options were} 
16... Na5) ({and} 16... Rd8) 17. Rd1 {After long consideration I allowed the R
transfer, as I found the defensive idea Nh4 and f4.} ({I had also considered} 
17. Nb5 Nb4 $1 (17... Bf5 18. Bd2 $1 Bxb1 19. Bxa5 Be4 20. Bxb6 cxb6 21. Nd2
Bxg2 22. Kxg2 $14 {leaves White with some edge}) 18. Bd2 {However, probably
White is slightly better after} c6 19. Nc3 (19. Na7 Rxa7 20. Bxb4 Nd5 {but I
assessed this position as equal.}) 19... Rh5 20. h4 Bg4 21. Na4 Nxa4 22. bxa4
Na6 23. Qd3 $14) (17. g4 {was possible here as well, but I liked the game
continuation.}) 17... Rh5 ({I was more worried about} 17... Rd8 {. The idea is
to try to force White to make some not very useful move.} 18. b4 $5 Rh5 19. Nh4
{but I still like White's position, for example} Bf6 (19... Nd5 20. Bd2 $5
Ncxb4 (20... Ndxb4 21. Nb5 Nd5 (21... Na6 22. Bxc6 bxc6 23. Na7 Qd7 24. Qxa6
Bd5 25. Qe2 $16) 22. e4 Nb6 23. d5 Nxd5 24. exd5 Bxd5 $14 {with hardly
sufficient compensation for the piece}) 21. Nxd5 Nxd5 22. e4 Nf6 23. d5 Bd7 24.
Bf3 {and White is clearly better}) 20. Bf3 Rxh4 (20... Bc4 21. Qc2 Rh6 22. b5
Na5 23. e4 Rxh4 24. gxh4 Rxd4 (24... Bxd4 25. Bg4 $14) 25. Bf4 $14) (20... Rh6
21. d5 Bxc3 22. dxe6 Qxe6 23. Rxd8+ Nxd8 24. Qd3 Qa2 25. Qxd8+ Kg7 26. Bd2 Qxd2
27. Qxd2 Bxd2 28. Bxb7 Bc3 29. Nf3 $14 {Black still needs to solve the
problems of his rook.}) 21. gxh4 Bxh3 {with compensation for the exchange.})
18. Nh4 $1 Bf6 19. f4 $1 {I liked the fact that ...e7-e5 is prevented forever.}
({Another possible continuation was} 19. Bf3 Rxh4 $5 (19... Ra5 20. Ng2 $1 Bxh3
(20... Bf5 21. b4 Ra8 22. b5) 21. b4 Ra8 22. Nf4 (22. g4 $5 Bxg2 23. Kxg2 $44)
22... Bf5 $5 23. b5 Nxd4 (23... Na5 24. e4 Bd7 25. Nfd5) 24. exd4 Bxb1 25. Nxb1
{and White is better}) 20. gxh4 Bxh3 $5 {with certain compensation for the
exchange. It is hard to say for whom it is easier to play this position.}) (19.
d5 Bxc3 20. dxe6 Qxe6 21. e4 Ra5 {doesn't provide White with sufficient
compensation.}) 19... Rd8 (19... Bxh4 $2 20. gxh4 Rxh4 $2 21. Kg3 $1 Rh5 22. d5
Bxh3 23. Bf3 {was bad.}) 20. Qf2 {I had improved the position of my Q and
overprotected the d4-pawn, thus ensuring that if the Bf6, Nc6 or Rd8 were to
leave its place White would be able to play e3-e4, which is obviosly his dream
in this position.} ({Meanwhile, White had the interesting tactical possibility
} 20. f5 $5 Bd7 $5 (20... Bxf5 21. Nxf5 Rxf5 22. b4 $1 $44 {and White is going
to win an exchange, as the Rf5 is trapped}) (20... Rxh4 21. fxe6) 21. b4 Rxh4
22. gxh4 Bxf5 23. b5 $1 Na5 24. e4 Be6 25. e5 Bg7 26. d5 Bf5 27. Rb4 $14 {
and White's chances seem preferable to me.}) (20. Bf3 Ra5) {This is the
critical position, where Black had a big choice.} 20... Bxh4 $2 {Very natural,
but not the best decision.} (20... Ra5 {this move looks strange as the R just
went to h5 and is returning back now. White has a slight advantage after both}
21. g4 $5 ({or} 21. b4 Ra8 22. b5 Na5 23. e4 Bb3 24. Rd2 Qd7 25. Nf3 e6 26. Ne5
) 21... Nb4 22. Qg3 Na2 23. Ne4 $14) ({Engines suggest that the immediate} 
20... Nd5 $5 {was better:} 21. Nxd5 (21. Ne2 Bxh4 22. gxh4 f5 23. Bf3 Rh6 24.
Qg2 {is another option, where the position remains very unclear, but it is
easier to play with White}) 21... Rhxd5 ({or the engines' choice} 21... Rdxd5 {
when after the most natural} 22. Bf3 Bxh3 23. e4 Rxd4 24. Bxh5 gxh5 25. Rxd4
Nxd4 26. b4 $16 {White is clearly better}) 22. Bb2 (22. Bxd5 Bxd5 23. Nf3 Qe6 {
with full compensation for the exchange}) (22. Qe2 Bxh4 23. gxh4 f5) 22... Rb5
23. Qe2 Rh5 24. Bf3 Ra5 25. Bc3 Ra8 {However the maneouvre
Ra5-h5-d5-b5-h5-a5-a8 would be unlikelyto cross the mind of any human being
and I have no interest whatsoever in arguing with an engine.} {still after
simple} 26. Bg2 {White is better.}) (20... Nb4 {leads to a passive position,
where White has some advantage.} 21. e4 c5 22. Ne2 (22. Be3 cxd4 23. Rxd4 Bxd4
24. Bxd4 Nd3 25. Qe3 Rxd4 26. Qxd4 Nxf4) 22... cxd4 23. Nxd4 Nc6 24. Be3 Nxd4
25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Rxd4 Bxd4 27. Qxd4 $14) 21. gxh4 Nd5 22. Nxd5 Rhxd5 {Black
is trying to prevent e3-e4.} (22... Bxd5 $2 {loses a piece after} 23. e4) 23.
Bb2 $1 ({The tricky} 23. e4 $5 {was also possible, but hardly stronger than 23.
Bb2,} {after} Rxd4 24. Rxd4 Rxd4 25. f5 Bd7 26. h5 f6 $1 $14 {White's
advantage is not so big.}) ({Obviously that Black can only be better after} 23.
Bxd5 $2 Bxd5) 23... Rb5 $2 {I was surprised by this weak move} (23... f5 $5 {
was the only chance} 24. h5 $1 {with a strong attack would follow, for example}
Kf7 25. Bf3 Qd7 26. Qh4 Rg8 27. Rg1 Ke8 28. Ra1 $1) ({Some commentator had
suggested} 23... Qd7 24. e4 {then} Rxd4 25. Bxd4 Nxd4 {but after} 26. b4 c6 27.
h5 {Black's position is bad.}) 24. Qe2 ({I realised that my position is won
and was choosing between 2 options:} 24. e4 {was also strong} Bxb3 (24... Rxb3
25. Ba1 $1 (25. d5 Bxh3 26. dxc6 Bxg2 27. Qxg2 bxc6 28. Ba1 $16) 25... Na5 26.
d5 $18) 25. Rdc1 e6 (25... Ba2 26. Ra1 Nb4 27. Bf1) (25... Na5 26. Bf1 Rb6 27.
d5) 26. Ba1 Qa8 27. d5 $18) 24... Rh5 (24... Rxb3 $2 25. d5) 25. e4 Bxb3 (25...
Rxh4 {is 'as usual' answered by} 26. Kg3 $1 $18) 26. Rdc1 Na5 (26... Qe6 27.
Qf3) (26... e6 27. Qd3) 27. d5 {White has reached his dream position. Black is
helpless.} b6 28. Be5 c5 29. dxc6 ({I had also considered} 29. Qb5 $1 $18 {
but decided to calculate one line till the end and follow it. Of course, there
are few ways to win in such a position.}) 29... f6 30. Ba1 ({Or} 30. c7 Rd7 31.
Qb5) 30... Rc5 31. Rxc5 bxc5 32. Qb5 ({Or} 32. e5 Qf5 (32... Bc4 33. Qe3 Nxc6
34. Qxc5) (32... Bd5 33. Bxd5+ Rxd5 34. exf6 (34. Qa2 $2 c4) 34... exf6 35. Rb8
$18) 33. c7 Rc8 34. exf6 exf6 35. Qe7 $18) 32... Qc7 ({Black's last practical
chance was} 32... Ba2 $1 {but after} 33. Rb2 $1 Qc7 34. e5 $1 Be6 35. Qb6 Qxb6
(35... Rc8 36. Qxc7 Rxc7 37. Rb7 $1 {I had finished my calculation here}) 36.
Rxb6 Rc8 {I would have to find} 37. f5 $1 {which leads to a forced win,
although probably White can win by other ways too.} gxf5 (37... Nc4 38. Rb7
gxf5 39. Rxe7) (37... Bxf5 38. Bc3 $18) 38. c7 Kf7 39. Bf3 Nb3 40. Bh5+ Kf8 41.
Rxe6 Nxa1 42. exf6 Rxc7 43. f7 $18 {Black is losing his knight!} Nc2 (43... Rc8
44. Re1 Nc2 45. Rg1) 44. Rh6) 33. Rxb3 Nxc6 ({Or} 33... Nxb3 34. Qxb3+ {
followed by 35.e5.}) (33... Qxf4+ 34. Rg3 Nxc6 35. Qxc6 Rd3 36. Qe8+ (36. Qe6+
Kf8 37. Qg4 {is also good}) 36... Kg7 37. Qxe7+ Kh6 38. Be5 $1 {I wanted to
make this final touch, but my opponent didn't allow me.}) 34. e5 Nd4 35. Qc4+ {
And Alexander warmly congratulated me with on victory in the match and in the
cycle.} 1-0

[Event "EU-Cup 27th"]
[Site "Rogaska Slatina"]
[Date "2011.09.27"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Jobava, Baadur"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A61"]
[WhiteElo "2746"]
[BlackElo "2712"]
[Annotator "Mikhalchishin,A"]
[PlyCount "57"]
[EventDate "2011.09.25"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "SLO"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 145"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2011.11.11"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2011.11.11"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "SHSM-64"]
[BlackTeam "DAN DZO & PGMB"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "UKR"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. d5 exd5 5. cxd5 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 ({As Jobava
explained, he should have played} 6... d6 {avoiding the continuation from the
game. Many years ago, a great fan of these lines was the Armenian National
Trainer Arshak Petrosian.} 7. Bf4 a6 8. Nd2 Nh5 9. Qa4+ b5 10. Nxb5 axb5 11.
Qxa8 Qb6 12. Bg3 Bg7 13. Qa3 O-O 14. e3 Nxg3 15. hxg3 c4 16. Rc1 Na6 17. Bxc4
bxc4 18. Nxc4 Qb4+ 19. Ke2 Qxa3 20. bxa3 Nc5 21. Nxd6 Ba6+ 22. Kd2 Nd3 23. Rc6
Ra8 24. f4 Nf2 25. Rb1 Bf8 26. Rbb6 $18 {1-0 Petrosian,A (2495)-Cebalo,M (2515)
/Sarajevo 1986}) 7. Bf4 d6 8. Qa4+ $1 Bd7 9. Qb3 b5 10. Bxd6 Qb6 11. Be5 O-O
12. e3 c4 13. Qd1 Na6 14. a4 $1 Nb4 ({Or} 14... Nc5 15. axb5 Bxb5 16. Be2 $5
$16) (14... b4 15. Nb5 $16 {as in Yakovich-Handke, Stockholm 2000.}) 15. axb5
Bf5 16. Bxc4 ({Another option was strong, but risky:} 16. Rc1 Nd3+ 17. Bxd3
Bxd3 18. b3 Rfe8 19. Bd4) 16... Rfc8 $146 ({After} 16... Nc2+ 17. Ke2 Nxa1 (
17... Ng4 18. Bxg7 Ngxe3 $6 19. fxe3 Qxe3+ 20. Kf1 Kxg7 21. Rc1 $18 {was
Wiacek-Daciuk, Poland corr. 1992}) 18. Qxa1 $16 {White has more than enough
for the exchange and is seriously better.}) 17. b3 ({An exchange sacrifice was
possible:} 17. Bd4 Qb7 18. b3 Nc2+ 19. Kf1 Nxa1 20. Qxa1) 17... Ng4 (17... Nc2+
18. Ke2 Nxa1 19. Qxa1 {was similar.}) 18. Bxg7 ({Even stronger and simpler was
} 18. Na4 Qa5 19. Bxg7 Nc2+ 20. Ke2 Kxg7 21. Nd4 $18) 18... Nc2+ 19. Qxc2 $5 {
But Gelfand wanted to demonstrate a beautiful queen sacrifice!} ({There was
nothing wrong with} 19. Ke2 {where} Nxf2 (19... Kxg7 20. Ra6 $18) {does not
work for many reasons, for example} 20. Kxf2 Qxe3+ 21. Kg3 Kxg7 22. Qd2 $18)
19... Bxc2 20. Bd4 {White has a dominating position It is no surpise that
Jobava did not manage to organise any serious resistance. Sooner or later
White's central pawn mass will move forward and the black rooks are helpless.}
Qd8 (20... Qd6 {was slightly better.}) 21. O-O Qe7 ({Or} 21... Nf6 22. Ne5 Ne4
23. Nc6 Qg5 24. Rfc1 Nxc3 25. Rxc2 Ne4 26. Bd3 Nd6 27. f4 Qh5 28. e4) 22. Rfc1
Bf5 23. e4 Bd7 24. h3 Nf6 25. d6 $1 {A useful cheap trick!} Qd8 (25... Qxd6 26.
e5) 26. e5 {Pawns are like bulldozers!} Nh5 27. Nd5 Kf8 28. Be3 Ng7 29. Bg5 1-0

[Event "Tata Steel-A 74th"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2012.01.19"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Karjakin, Sergey"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2769"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "88"]
[EventDate "2012.01.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 147"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.03.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.03.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4
g5 9. Bg3 Bg7 10. h3 Ne5 11. f3 Nbc6 12. Bf2 Be6 13. Qd2 Rc8 14. O-O-O {
Both players had already had some experience in this line. Karjakin could not
get anywhere with the immediate move of the knight to the centre.} (14. Nd5
Nxd4 15. Bxd4 Bxd5 16. exd5 Qc7 17. c3 (17. c4 Nxc4 18. Bxc4 Bxd4 $1 19. Qxd4
Qxc4 $1 20. Qxh8+ Kd7 21. Qxh6 Qd3 22. Qxg5 Rc2 $19) 17... Qa5 18. Be3 Nc4 19.
Bxc4 Rxc4 $11 {1/2-1/2 Karjakin,S (2776)-Nakamura,H (2774)/Medias 2011 (31)})
14... Nxd4 {Gelfand on his part has become tired of retreating with his queen
from the coveted square a5. The exchange of the knight suffers from one
drawback - the bishop on d4 could become a strong piece.} (14... Qa5 15. Nb3
Qc7 16. Kb1 (16. a3 Bxb3 17. cxb3 Na5 18. Qc2 Ng6 19. Kb1 b5 20. Rc1 Qb7 21. b4
Nc4 22. Bxc4 Rxc4 23. Qd2 $14 {1-0 Topalov,V (2690)-Gelfand,B (2713)/Bugojno
1999 (43)}) 16... Na5 17. Bd4 Nac6 18. Be3 Na5 19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. Nxa5 Bc4 21.
Bxc4 Nxc4 22. Nxc4 Qxc4 23. Qf2 Be5 24. Bd4 $14 {1/2-1/2 Leko,P (2749)-Gelfand,
B (2733)/Monte Carlo 2007 (35)}) 15. Bxd4 Qa5 16. Qf2 {Karjakin is trying to
pester the black queen, but objectively his 16th move might not be the best.
The future will most likely belong to the modest pawn move solving the
problems with a2 weakness.} (16. a3 O-O (16... b5 17. Nd5 $6 (17. Kb1 $5 Rb8 (
17... Qc7 18. h4 f6 19. Nd5 $16) 18. h4 f6 19. Qe2 $14) 17... Qxd2+ 18. Rxd2
Bxd5 19. exd5 O-O 20. c3 Nc4 21. Bxc4 Rxc4 $11 {0-1 Al Modiahki,M (2581)
-Sandipan,C (2554)/Moscow 2005 (36)}) 17. h4 Bc4 $2 (17... Nc4 18. Bxc4 Bxd4
19. Qxd4 Rxc4 20. Qe3 Rfc8 21. hxg5 Rxc3 22. bxc3 Rxc3 23. Rd3 Qxa3+ 24. Kd1
Qa1+ 25. Qc1 Qxc1+ 26. Kxc1 Rxd3 27. cxd3 hxg5 28. Kd2 $14) 18. Qf2 Ng6 19. Bb6
Qe5 {1-0 Krivovyaz,G-Zhadanov,N (2258)/Dubna 2001 (39)} 20. Bxc4 Rxc4 21. Rd5
Qe6 22. hxg5 hxg5 23. Rxg5 $16) 16... Rc6 17. g3 (17. a3 O-O 18. h4 gxh4 $5 19.
Qxh4 Ng6 $11) 17... O-O 18. f4 Nd7 {Gelfand is not afraid of extreme measures.
In the hour of need he might have considered the tough solution with a piece
sacrifice for the queenside attack. Fortunately his position remains fair as
the sharp line is not quite sufficient for Black.} (18... Rfc8 19. fxe5 dxe5
20. Be3 Rxc3 21. bxc3 Qxc3 (21... Qa3+ 22. Kd2 Qxc3+ 23. Ke2 Qxc2+ 24. Rd2 Qxe4
25. Qf3 Qxf3+ 26. Kxf3 f5 $14) 22. Rd3 Qa1+ 23. Kd2 Qb1 24. c3 Bc4 25. Qe2 $14)
19. h4 {White could jave jumped with the knight right away, but Black's
solution would be similar to the game.} (19. Nd5 Bxd5 20. exd5 Rc5 $5 (20...
Bxd4 21. Qxd4 (21. Rxd4 Rc5 $11) 21... e5 22. dxe6 fxe6 23. Kb1 (23. Qe4 Qf5
24. Qxf5 Rxf5 $11) 23... Qc5 24. Qd2 $14) 21. Bxg7 Kxg7 22. fxg5 Qxa2 23. gxh6+
Kh8 $11) 19... g4 20. Nd5 (20. Bxg7 Kxg7 21. Qd4+ f6 22. h5 Bxa2 23. Rh4 Rfc8
24. Rxg4+ Kf8 $17) 20... Bxd5 21. exd5 (21. Bxg7 $2 Bxe4 22. Bxf8 Qxa2 23. Bd3
Nc5 $1 $19) 21... Rc5 $5 {The charm of the forbidden fruit! In fact the
challenger for the world crown in 2012 understands very well, that accepting
the exchange sacrifice is simply bad for White.} (21... Bxd4 22. Qxd4 Rc7 23.
Kb1 Qc5 $11) 22. Bxg7 (22. Bxc5 $2 Nxc5 23. Qe3 Na4 $17) 22... Kxg7 23. Kb1 $2
{On the highest level one serious mistake is often sufficient for the later
decision of the game. Karjakin had to support his d5-pawn with no chance for
any advantage.} (23. Qd4+ Nf6 24. Bc4 Qa4 25. Bb3 Qxd4 26. Rxd4 Rb8 $11) 23...
Rxd5 24. Rxd5 Qxd5 25. Bg2 Qc5 26. Qe2 {White is hitting three enemy pawns at
the same time and he judged that it must be reasonable for him.} (26. Qxc5 Nxc5
27. b4 Na4 $17) 26... Nf6 27. Qxe7 {A logical move, but maybe already the
decisive mistake. The last chance to fight was connected with the daring
bishop move.} (27. Bxb7 $5 Rb8 28. Bxa6 Qa3 29. Bb5 (29. b3 $2 Ra8 $19) 29...
Qxg3 30. a4 Qxf4 31. Qxe7 Ne4 $15) 27... b5 (27... Re8 28. Qxb7 Re2 29. Rc1 Qe3
30. a3 Re1 31. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 32. Ka2 Qxg3 $17) 28. Qb7 Re8 29. Rc1 (29. Bc6 Re3
30. Qxa6 Rxg3 31. a3 Rh3 32. Rf1 Rh2 33. Qxb5 Qxc2+ 34. Ka2 Rxh4 $17) 29... Qf2
$1 {Even an untrained spectator must have suspected, that something had gone
badly wrong for the first player. Gelfand will win the g3-pawn and advance the
g-pawn.} 30. Bd5 (30. Bc6 Re1 31. b3 Rxc1+ 32. Kxc1 Qxg3 $19) 30... Nxd5 31.
Qxd5 Re1 $1 32. Qxd6 (32. b3 Qxg3 33. Qxd6 Qe3 34. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 35. Kb2 Qxh4 $19)
32... Qxg3 33. Qd4+ (33. b3 Rxc1+ 34. Kxc1 Qe1+ 35. Kb2 (35. Qd1 Qxd1+ 36. Kxd1
b4 $19) 35... Qxh4 $19) 33... Kg8 34. b3 {[%mdl 4096] There is no way around
queen's ending. The white king is too far away from enemy pawns running on the
kingside.} (34. Qd8+ Kh7 35. b3 Rxc1+ 36. Kxc1 Qxf4+ $19) 34... Rxc1+ 35. Kxc1
Qxh4 36. Kd2 (36. c4 g3 37. Qe4 Qh2 38. Qe8+ Kg7 39. Qe5+ Kg6 40. Qe4+ Kh5 41.
Qf5+ Kh4 $19) 36... g3 37. Ke3 (37. Ke2 Qg4+ 38. Ke1 g2 39. Qg1 Qg3+ 40. Kd2 h5
$19) 37... Qg4 {The decision is not far away, as the pawn on g3 is ready for
the decisive step forward.} 38. Qd8+ Kg7 39. Qd4+ Kg8 (39... Kh7 40. Qd5 Qg7
41. Qe4+ Qg6 42. Qg2 h5 $19) 40. Qd8+ Kh7 41. Qd3+ (41. Qd5 Qg7 42. Qe4+ Qg6
$19) 41... Qg6 42. Kf3 g2 $1 43. Qxg6+ Kxg6 44. Kxg2 b4 {An instructive finish,
leaving Black with a spare pawn, as the queenside structure is fixed for White.
} 0-1

[Event "Tata Steel-A 74th"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2012.01.27"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "E11"]
[WhiteElo "2766"]
[BlackElo "2739"]
[PlyCount "84"]
[EventDate "2012.01.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "13"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 147"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.03.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.03.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 O-O 7. O-O c6 8. Qb3
Nbd7 9. Rc1 b6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Na3 Bb7 12. Bb4 Bxb4 13. Qxb4 a6 14. e3 Rc8
15. Bf1 Rxc1 16. Rxc1 Qb8 17. Nb1 Rc8 18. Rxc8+ Qxc8 19. Nc3 Qf8 20. Qb3 h6 21.
Ne1 Qc8 22. Nc2 Ne4 23. Nxe4 dxe4 24. Qc3 Qxc3 25. bxc3 b5 26. a4 bxa4 27. Be2
Kf8 28. Kf1 Ke7 29. Ke1 f5 30. Kd2 g5 31. c4 e5 32. Kc3 f4 33. h3 exd4+ 34.
Nxd4 f3 35. Bf1 Nc5 36. Kb4 Nd3+ 37. Bxd3 exd3 38. Kc3 Be4 39. c5 Kd7 40. g4
Kc7 41. Kd2 a3 42. Nb3 Bd5 0-1

[Event "World-ch Anand-Gelfand +1-1=10"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2012.05.20"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Anand, Viswanathan"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D45"]
[WhiteElo "2727"]
[BlackElo "2791"]
[Annotator "Gelfand/Huzman"]
[PlyCount "75"]
[EventDate "2012.05.11"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "12"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 149"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.07.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.07.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nf3 a6 6. c5 {In the three previous
games of the match, I did not manage to achieve a real advantage after either
6.b3 or 6.Qc2. For this game, I and my seconds prepared a new continuation.}
Nbd7 7. Qc2 $5 {The idea of this useful move is prophylactic. Practice in
recent years has shown that after 7.b4, Black equalises with 7...b6, and after
7.Bd3, the reply 7...e5 is strong, and gives Black good play. After the text,
White is ready to react differently to each of these Black plans.} b6 ({
The play assumes a different character after} 7... e5 8. dxe5 Ng4 9. e6 fxe6
10. Bd3 Ngf6 (10... Nde5 $5) 11. Ng5 Nxc5 12. Bxh7 Nxh7 13. Qg6+ Kd7 14. Nf7 {
0-1 Radjabov,T (2650)-Grischuk,A (2732)/Bastia 2003/ with advantage to White.})
8. cxb6 Nxb6 9. Bd2 c5 10. Rc1 {The threat of 11.dxc5 Bxc5 12.Nxd5 forces
Black to clarify the pawn structure.} ({The immediate opening of lines does
not bring anything real} 10. dxc5 Bxc5 11. Rc1 Be7 $11 {Black's pawn majority
in the centre gives him good counterchances.}) 10... cxd4 ({If} 10... c4 {then}
11. b3 {White is better prepared for queenside play, thanks to his better
development. Evidently, Anand was not ready for the usual passive play and
preferred a different type of pawn structure, one seemingly harmless for Black.
} cxb3 {Black must agree to this exchange, to avoid a weakness on c4.} 12. axb3
Bb7 13. Bd3 Bd6 14. O-O O-O 15. Ne5 {White preserves a small positional
advantage, thanks to his better placed pieces.} Rc8 (15... Qb8 16. Na4 $14) 16.
Qb2 $14) 11. exd4 Bd6 {In this position, White has the choice between playing
for a positional advantage and an interesting attempt to exploit the tactical
features of the position.} 12. Bg5 (12. Na4 $5 {This move forces matters,
since Black's reply is practically forced.} Nxa4 (12... Bd7 13. Nc5 $14) (12...
Nc4 13. Bxc4 dxc4 14. Ne5 $14) 13. Qc6+ Bd7 14. Qxd6 {At this critical moment,
Black has a choice between 14..Nb2 and 14..Ne4} {The continuation} Ne4 {
leads to simplifications and a small white advantage in the endgame.} (14...
Nxb2 {looks dangerous. After} 15. Qa3 Nc4 16. Bxc4 dxc4 17. Ba5 $36 {White
keeps the enemy king in the centre, which gives him a dangerous initiative.})
15. Qa3 Nxd2 16. Kxd2 $5 (16. Nxd2 Qe7 17. Qxe7+ Kxe7 $11) 16... Qe7 17. Qxe7+
Kxe7 18. b3 Nb6 19. Rc5 f6 $14 {White has a small initiative, but Black
retains a defensible position.}) 12... O-O 13. Bd3 h6 14. Bh4 Bb7 15. O-O Qb8
$6 {A rather risky strategic decision by Anand.} ({After} 15... Bf4 {taking
the important c1-square away from White, Black has practically equalised.} 16.
Rcd1 (16. Rb1 Nbd7 17. b4 (17. Qe2 a5) 17... Rc8 18. Qb3 Nb6 {is ok for Black})
16... Nbd7 17. Na4 a5 18. Nc5 Qb6 $11) {Black gives White a difficult
positional choice: either to play for an attack by means of 16.Bf6, in return
for giving Black two bishops and pawn control of the centre, or to follow
general positional lines of playing against the bad bishop on c8, which means
choosing 16.Bg3. I decided on the second course, in full accordance with my
conception of chess strategy, which was formed under the influence of Akiba
Rubinstein, my favourite player of the past.} 16. Bg3 $5 (16. Bxf6 $5 gxf6 17.
Ne2 $1 {[%cal Ge2g3,Gg3h5] This is the best way to continue the attack. Black
faces a difficult defence.} ({After} 17. Qe2 Rc8 {/\Bf8 White achieves nothing.
}) 17... Rc8 (17... Kg7 18. Ng3 Bxg3 19. fxg3 Rc8 20. Qd2 Rxc1 21. Rxc1 Qd6 22.
Qf4 Qxf4 23. gxf4 $14) (17... f5 18. Ng3 Qd8 {[%cal Gd8f6]} 19. Nh5 Nd7 20. g4
$1 $40 fxg4 $140 21. Qd2 $18) 18. Qd2 Bf8 19. Rxc8 Nxc8 (19... Qxc8 20. Nf4 $36
) 20. Ng3 Nd6 21. Nh5 Bg7 22. Qf4 $36 Ne4 23. Qg4 Ng5 24. Nxg5 fxg5 25. Nxg7
Kxg7 26. f4 $36 {Despite the numerous exchanges, White retains a dangerous
initiative.}) 16... Rc8 17. Qe2 Bxg3 18. hxg3 {The computer does not give
White the advantage here, and so many commentators assessed the position
incorrectly as a result. Despite the apparent simplicity of the position,
Black needs to defend carefully, against a range of White ideas, involving
doubling rooks on the c-file and putting the knight on e5. White can also
advance on the queenside with a3-b4, or attack on the kingside with g4-g5. No
small role is played in Black's problems by the passive bishop on b7, which
remains out of play, as a result of Black's previous decisions.} ({The attempt
to play for the attack with} 18. fxg3 {is unconvincing in this position, and
only weakens the pawn structure, without giving real attacking chances.}) 18...
Qd6 ({Black's problems are not solved after} 18... Rc7 19. Rc2 Qa7 {Now I
considered two possibilities for White:} {In my opinion, the direct plan of
queenside play is even stronger:} 20. Rfc1 ({An interesting setup is} 20. Qe5
Bc6 (20... Rc6 21. Qf4 Nbd7 22. b4 $36) 21. Qf4 Rac8 22. Rfc1 {White keeps the
status quo on the queenside and may develop play on the other wing, exploiting
his better-placed pieces and the communications between them.}) 20... Rac8 21.
b3 Nbd7 22. Na4 {In order to bring the Bb7 into play, Black has to play ...a5.
Then after Bb5, White can at any moment take play into a favourable knight vs
bad bishop position.} Rxc2 23. Rxc2 a5 (23... Rxc2 24. Qxc2 Qb8 25. Nc5 $36)
24. Bb5 Qb8 25. Bxd7 Rxc2 (25... Nxd7 26. Nc5 Nxc5 27. Rxc5 Rxc5 28. dxc5 Bc8
29. Qe3 {In my opinion, Q+N are stronger than Q+B in this position. Even if
Black manages to play f6 and e5, White, with the help of the break f4, can
solidly blockade the central pawns and the white queenside pawns will decide
the game.})) 19. Rc2 ({The tempting move} 19. Ne5 {turns out to be
pseudo-active} {The continuation} Rc7 20. Rc2 Nfd7 21. Rfc1 Nxe5 22. dxe5 Qd8 {
gives Black good play.}) 19... Nbd7 ({The formation} 19... Nfd7 20. Rfc1 Rc6 {
insures Black against immediate unpleasantness, but White retains the
possibility of play on both the queenside, with b3-a4, and on the kingside,
with the help of the advance g4-g5. And the simple exchange of rooks by means
of 21.Nd1 would retain the advantage for White in the endgame.}) (19... a5 {
is premature, since surrendering control of b5 helps White's play:} 20. Rfc1
Qe7 21. a3 $14 Nc4 $140 22. Na4 $1 $36) ({White's queenside play is only
helped by} 19... Nc4 20. Na4 Nd7 21. Rfc1 $36) 20. Rfc1 Rab8 $6 {A planless
move, allowing White to seize the initiative on the queenside.} ({The attempt
to organise counterplay by means of e6-e5} 20... Re8 {allows White to fight
for the advantage in two ways: allow or prevent the move 21..e5} 21. Na4 (21.
Ne5 $5 Qb4 22. Qe3 {/\a3-b4,Na4} Nxe5 23. dxe5 Nd7 24. Ne2 $14 {and White has
a classic advantage}) 21... e5 {White keeps a small advantage after} 22. dxe5 (
22. Nc5 {is no good:} Nxc5 23. dxe5 (23. dxc5 Qc7 $15) 23... Nxd3 24. Qxd3 Rxe5
25. Nxe5 Qxe5 26. Qb3 Rb8 27. Rc7 {because of the nice tactic} Re8 $1 28. Rxb7
Qe1+ 29. Rxe1 Rxe1+ 30. Kh2 Ng4+ 31. Kh3 Nxf2+ 32. Kh4 Rh1#) 22... Nxe5 23. Nc5
$14) ({In my opinion, the best setup for Black was} 20... Rc7 $1 {/\Rac8. Now
great accuracy is required of White, to obtain even a minimal advantage.} {
I would have had to find the only move} 21. Qe1 $5 {to retain the initiative} (
{Black's position is such that nothing comes from} 21. Nb5 Rxc2 22. Nxd6 Rxc1+
23. Ne1 Rb8 {and only Black can be better}) ({White gets no advantage from} 21.
a3 Rac8 22. b4 a5 $1 $132 {this accurate move, requiring good calculation,
allows Black to achieve an equal game.} 23. bxa5 Qxa3 24. a6 Rxc3 (24... Bxa6
25. Bxa6 Rxc3 26. Bxc8 Qxc1+ 27. Rxc1 Rxc1+ 28. Ne1 Rxc8 $11 {is also good
enough for equality}) 25. Rxc3 Rxc3 26. Rxc3 Qxc3 27. axb7 Nb8 {Black
neutralises the b7-pawn without any problems.} 28. Qe5 Nfd7 29. Qe2 Nf6 $11) ({
The immediate} 21. Na4 {allows Black to exchange the most problematic piece,
the Bb7} Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Bc6 $1 23. Nc5 Bb5 24. a3 ({No problems are posed by} 
24. Bxb5 axb5 25. a3 b4 26. a4 b3 $1 $132) 24... Bxd3 25. Qxd3 a5 26. Qb3 Qb8
27. Qxb8+ Rxb8 {Black can maintain the balance in the ending without great
problems.}) 21... Rac8 22. Na4 Rxc2 23. Bxc2 {/\b4-Nc5} Bc6 24. Nc5 Qb8 25. b4
$36) 21. Na4 ({White can also permit himself to strengthen the position by
means of} 21. Qe3 $5 Nb6 22. b3 $14 {and Black is completely without
counterplay.}) 21... Ne4 $6 ({Better was} 21... Rxc2 {Now both 22.Qc2, and 22.
Rc2 retain the advantage for White, but Black can defend more easily.} 22. Rxc2
(22. Qxc2 Rc8 {Principled.} 23. Nc5 ({The queen sacrifice gives White nothing:
} 23. Qxc8+ Bxc8 24. Rxc8+ Nf8 25. Nc5 Qb6 (25... N6d7 $5 26. Nxa6 Nb6 27. Rc2
Nc4 $11)) {A stronger move is} 23... a5 {White can fight for the advantage in
two ways:} ({The immediate attempt to break out leaves White with some
advantage:} 23... e5 $5 24. Bf5 $5 (24. Nxe5 $2 Nxc5) ({No advantage comes from
} 24. dxe5 Qb6 $1 25. exf6 Rxc5 26. Qd2 Rxc1+ 27. Qxc1 Nxf6 $11 {[%cal Gf6e4]})
24... exd4 25. b4 d3 26. Qb2 Rc7 27. Bxd3 $14) 24. a3 (24. Qb3 Ba6 $1 {[%csl
Gg1]} 25. Ne1 $1 (25. Bxa6 $140 Qxa6 26. Nxa6 $2 Rxc1+ 27. Kh2 Ng4+ 28. Kh3
Nxf2+ 29. Kh4 Rh1+ 30. Nh2 Rxh2#) 25... Nxc5 26. Rxc5 Ne4 27. Rxc8+ Bxc8 28.
Qb5 Qc7 $1 {With the help of active counterplay, Black can count on equalising,
but here too, great accuracy is required of him.} 29. Qe8+ Kh7 30. Nf3 Qc1+ 31.
Kh2 Qd1 $1 $11 {Only this move saves the day!} 32. Ne5 (32. Bxe4+ dxe4 33. Nh4
Qxd4 34. Qxf7 Qf6 35. Qxf6 gxf6 $11) 32... Qh5+ 33. Kg1 Qd1+ $11) 24... e5 25.
Qb1 $1 {Thanks to this excellent move, White can continue to fight for the
advantage.} (25. dxe5 Qb6 26. exf6 Rxc5 {leads to equality.}) 25... Nxc5 26.
dxe5 Qe7 27. exf6 Qxf6 28. Bh7+ Kf8 (28... Kh8 29. b4 axb4 30. axb4 Nd7 31.
Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. Bf5 Nb6 33. Bxc8 Nxc8 34. b5 $14) 29. b4 axb4 30. axb4 (30. Qxb4
Qe7 31. Bf5 Rc7 32. Qf4 $36) 30... Na4 31. Rxc8+ Bxc8 32. Qa2 Nb6 33. Bd3 {
White has a minimal advantage.}) 22... Bc6 {Black seizes the opportunity to
exchange the passive bishop, but even this does not promise full equality.} (
22... Rc8 23. Rxc8+ Bxc8 24. Qc2 Bb7 25. a3 $14 (25. Nc5 $5 $14)) 23. Nc5 Bb5
24. Bxb5 {Best} axb5 ({White has a serious initiative after} 24... Rxb5 25. a4
Rb4 (25... Rb6 26. Ne5) 26. Ne5 $36 Rxd4 (26... Nxc5 27. Rxc5 Rb8 28. Qc2 $14 {
White has a free advantage.}) 27. Ncxd7 Nxd7 28. Rc8+ Nf8 29. Qh5 Qe7 30. Nc6
Qc5 31. Rc7 Ng6 $8 32. Ne7+ Qxe7 33. Rxe7 Nxe7 34. Qe5 $5 (34. b3 $14) 34...
Rxa4 35. Qb8+ Kh7 36. Qe8 $16) 25. Ne5 Nxc5 26. dxc5 Qa6 27. b4 Qa4 {In my
opinion, White has an indisputable advantage, but Black retains chances of a
successful defence.}) 22. Rxc8+ Bxc8 ({A pawn is lost after} 22... Rxc8 23.
Rxc8+ Bxc8 24. Bxe4 dxe4 25. Qxe4 $16) 23. Qc2 $1 {A logical and strong move -
White consistently follows his policy of exploiting the bad bishop on c8 which
will be especially noticeable in the endgame.} ({Karpov's suggestion also
looks strong:} 23. Qe1 $1 {White's queen emerges very effectively on a5, after
which Black's defence is extremely difficult.} Bb7 24. Qa5 $16) ({Less
convincing, although also leading to an advantage, is} 23. Qe3 Bb7 24. Qf4 $14)
23... g5 $2 {This looks strange, but it is hard to suggest a sensible
continuation for Black.} ({White has a clear advantage after} 23... Bb7 24. Nc5
Rc8 25. b4 $16) ({The most stubborn looks to be} 23... Ndf6 {Now White has
several promising ways to develop the initiative:} 24. Nc5 {is tempting:} ({
After} 24. a3 Bd7 25. Nc5 a5 26. Ne5 Be8 {Black manages to regroup
successfully, and it is not easy to develop White's advantage, eg.} 27. Bxe4
dxe4 28. Rd1 Qd5 29. b3 Bb5 30. a4 Bc6 {Black retains chances of counterplay.}
31. Nxe6 Qxe6 32. Nxc6 Qxb3 33. Qxb3 Rxb3 34. Ra1 Rd3 35. Nxa5 Rxd4 36. Nb3 Rd3
37. Rb1 $14) ({It is promising to play the preliminary} 24. Ne5 {with the idea
of a subsequent penetration on the c-file, combined with Nc5.} Bd7 25. Nc5 {
However, in this case Black retains defensive resources.} {An interesting move
is} Be8 $5 (25... Nxc5 26. Qxc5 Qxc5 27. dxc5 Bb5 (27... Rxb2 {is bad:} 28.
Nxd7 Nxd7 29. c6 $18) 28. Bxb5 axb5 {White has the advantage, although it is
not fully certain that it suffices for victory. Black transfers his knight
from f6 to c7, with chances of a successful defence.}) 26. Nxa6 {is risky:} (
26. Qe2 Rb4 $132) 26... Ra8 27. Nc7 Rc8 $1 {and it is hard for White to unpin.}
) 24... Nxc5 {however, the concrete circumstances allow White to play for the
maximum:} 25. dxc5 $1 ({White should maintain a small positional advantage
after} 25. Qxc5 Qxc5 26. Rxc5 Bd7 27. b3 Bb5 28. Bc2 $14 (28. Ne5)) 25... Qc7
26. Qc3 Ng4 $1 {Black must be ready for active counterplay in the centre} 27.
Re1 a5 28. c6 $5 {Leading to a clear white advantage, without complications} (
28. Nd4 $5 {Stronger} Bd7 ({White has the advantage after} 28... e5 29. Nb5 Qd8
30. f3 Ba6 (30... d4 31. Nxd4 exd4 32. Qxa5 $18) 31. fxg4 Bxb5 32. Bxb5 Rxb5
33. Rxe5 $16) 29. c6 Be8 30. Qc5 h5 $1 $132 {however, the cold-blooded} 31. b3
$1 {leaves Black's counterplay adequate} (31. Rc1 $5 {leads to sharper play,
where White also retains chances of an advantage} h4 32. Be2 Nxf2 33. Kxf2
Qxg3+ 34. Kf1 h3 35. gxh3 Qxh3+ 36. Ke1 Qg3+ 37. Kd1) 31... h4 32. gxh4 Qh2+
33. Kf1 Qh1+ (33... Qxh4 34. Nf3 Qh1+ 35. Ke2 Qxg2 36. Rg1 $16) 34. Ke2 Qxg2
35. Nf3 d4 36. Rf1 $16)) 24. Qc7 {White carries out his plan consistently.} ({
White also has the advantage after} 24. Nc5 f5 25. b4 $16) 24... Qxc7 $6 (24...
Bb7 {is bad:} 25. Bxe4 Qxc7 26. Bh7+ $1 {An important intermediate move.} Kxh7
27. Rxc7 Kg7 28. Rxd7 Bc6 29. Rxf7+ $1 Kxf7 30. Ne5+ Ke8 31. Nxc6 Rc8 32. Ne5
Rc1+ 33. Kh2 Rd1 34. Nc5 Rxd4 35. Ned3 $16) 25. Rxc7 {White has a
strategically winning position. It is hard for Black to avoid the exchange of
both his knights for White's bishop and knight, after which the positional
idea of the whole game will be seen in full relief - the advantage of the
knight over the bad bishop on c8.} f6 $2 {Leading immediately to a hopeless
position for Black, however, as Anand said, in a bad position, all moves are
bad.} ({After} 25... Nef6 26. Nc5 Ra8 27. b4 {Black is helpless.}) ({Black
also has a difficult position after} 25... g4 26. Ne5 Nxe5 27. dxe5 $16 {/\Be4}
) ({If} 25... Nd6 26. Nc5 Nf6 27. b3 {Black is paralysed and material losses
are unavoidable.}) 26. Bxe4 $1 {This timely exchange leads to a position where
White's two knights dominate.} dxe4 27. Nd2 f5 28. Nc4 Nf6 ({Also bad is} 28...
Kf8 29. Nc5 Nxc5 30. dxc5 e5 31. c6 Be6 32. Rb7 Rc8 33. Nxe5 $18) 29. Nc5 Nd5
30. Ra7 Nb4 (30... Nf6 31. b3 $18) 31. Ne5 $6 {Not the most accurate, but good
enough to win.} (31. Nd6 Nd5 (31... Nxa2 32. Rc7 $18) 32. b3 $18 {White's
winning plan is: a4-a5, transfer the Kg1 to the centre to neutralise the black
PP and after the exchange on c8, White plays Ra6 and the queenside PP decide
the game.}) 31... Nc2 $1 {Anand seizes the micro-chance offered him.} 32. Nc6
Rxb2 33. Rc7 Rb1+ $2 ({Black could have obtained chances to save the game by} 
33... e3 $142 34. fxe3 Nxe3 35. Rxc8+ Kh7 36. Rc7+ Kh8 37. Ne5 Rxg2+ 38. Kh1
Rf2 39. Ncd3 $18 ({After} 39. Nf7+ Kg7 40. Nxg5+ Kg6 41. Nh3 Rf1+ 42. Ng1 f4
43. gxf4 Rxf4 {little material remains, but White retains chances to win after}
44. Rg7+ Kf6 45. Rg3)) 34. Kh2 e3 35. Rxc8+ Kh7 36. Rc7+ {White organises a
mating attack with minimal forces.} Kh8 37. Ne5 ({Also possible is} 37. Nd7 Kg7
38. Nce5 {/\39.Nf6+ Kxf6 40.Rf7#} Nxd4 39. Nf6+ $1 {This effective move,
forcing mate, would have pleased the spectators.} ({I would probably have
played} 39. fxe3 $18) 39... Kxf6 40. f4 Nf3+ 41. gxf3 Rb2+ 42. Kh3 g4+ 43. fxg4
fxg4+ 44. Kxg4 h5+ 45. Kf3 Rf2+ 46. Ke4 {and mate is unavoidable.}) 37... e2 (
37... exf2 38. Nxe6 Rh1+ (38... f1=N+ 39. Kh3 g4+ 40. Kh4 $18) 39. Kxh1 f1=Q+
40. Kh2 $18) 38. Nxe6 $1 {I was pleased that in the world championship match,
I managed to play a game in the style of Akiba Rubinstein, where the whole
strategic thread was followed from beginning to the end.} (38. Nxe6 e1=Q (38...
Rh1+ 39. Kxh1 e1=Q+ 40. Kh2 $18) 39. Ng6+ Kg8 40. Rg7#) 1-0

[Event "London FIDE GP 1st"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2012.09.21"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[WhiteElo "2783"]
[BlackElo "2738"]
[Annotator "Erenburg,S"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2012.09.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 151"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Nd5 {
Nakamura does not choose the most popular line to avoid Gelfand's quality
preparation for the World Championship in which he played recently.} Nxd5 8.
exd5 Nb8 {By retreating the knight to b8, Black hopes to occupy the c5-outpost
one day.} 9. a4 {Once again, Nakamura avoids playing the main line 9.c4. His
idea to have the a3-square available for the knight, from where it can be
transferred to c4.} Be7 10. Be2 O-O 11. O-O Nd7 12. Kh1 {White has got a pawn
majority on the queenside, while Black has one in the centre. So, Nakamura
will try to develop an initiative on the queenside by pushing his pawns
forward, while Gelfand will be advancing his e- and f-pawns. It is often the
case that White has to stop Black's expansion with f2-f4 or f2-f3, which opens
the g1-a7 diagonal, from where Black can create some tactical threats. That's
why 12.Kh1 is a good prophylactic move. White has also tried:} (12. Be3 a6 13.
Na3 f5 {By playing 12.Be3, White committed to meet f7-f5 with 14.f3, since
otherwise it makes no sense to move the bishop twice.} 14. f3 (14. f4 exf4)
14... f4 15. Bf2 Qe8 {Now Black brings all his forces to the kingside.} 16. Nc4
Qh5 17. Kh1 Rf6 $36 {0-1 Rowson,J (2485)-Adams,M (2670)/London 1998/CBM 065 
(29)}) (12. f4 a6 13. Na3 exf4 14. Bxf4 Bg5 $6 {In general, trading the
dark-squared bishops is a typical idea for this kind of pawn structure, but in
this particular position, White is better prepared for the open fight.} (14...
Ne5 15. Kh1 f5 {leads to the game.}) 15. Bxg5 Qxg5 16. Nc4 Nb6 17. Qd4 Bh3 18.
Rf2 Nxc4 19. Bxc4 $14 {1-0 Kaidanov,G (2596)-Kotronias,V (2611)/Gausdal 2008/
CBM 124 (37)}) 12... f5 13. f4 a6 14. Na3 exf4 {Gelfand is preparing the
e5-outpost for his knight. In fact, Black is consistent with his strategy of
taking control over the dark squares in the centre. The alternatives, which
seem a little slower than the move in the text, are:} (14... Bf6 15. Nc4 Nb6
16. Nxb6 (16. fxe5 $5 dxe5 17. Nxb6 Qxb6 18. a5 Qc5 19. c4 e4 20. Ra3 (20. Qb3
Bd4 21. Bf4) 20... Be5 21. Be3 Qe7 22. c5 f4 23. Bc4 (23. d6 Qe8 24. Bd4 (24.
Ra4 Bd7 25. Rxe4 Bc6 26. Bc4+ Kh8) 24... Bd7 25. Qb3+ Be6 26. Qb4 $14) 23...
Kh8 24. d6 Qg5 $132 {0-1 Nataf,I (2583)-Antic,D (2512)/Vrnjacka Banja 2005/EXT
2006 (34)}) 16... Qxb6 17. a5 Qc7 18. c3 Bd7 19. Be3 Rae8 {1/2-1/2 Gallagher,J
(2544)-Spasov,V (2551)/Gothenburg 2005/CBM 109}) (14... b6 $6 {That's exactly
what White was waiting for: a clear target on the queenside.} 15. a5 $1 b5 16.
c4 Qxa5 (16... bxc4 17. Nxc4 e4 18. Be3 Rb8 19. Rc1 Bb7 20. Qd2 $14) 17. Bd2
Qb6 18. Nxb5 Qb8 19. Nc3 exf4 20. Bxf4 Qxb2 21. Nb5 Qb4 22. Nc7 Rb8 23. Ne6 $44
{1-0 Gallagher,J (2565)-Cherniaev,A (2503)/Saas Almagell 2005/CBM 107 ext (65)}
) 15. Bxf4 Ne5 ({Black can always further expand on the kingside, but there is
a cost to it: the king become more vulnerable due to potential weakness of the
light squares in the black camp.} 15... g5 $5 16. Bc1 Ne5 17. c4 f4 18. Nc2 Bf5
(18... Bf6 19. Nd4 Qe7 20. Ra3 Bd7 $13) 19. Nd4 Qc8 20. Ra3 a5 21. Rc3 Bf6 22.
c5 $1 dxc5 23. Nxf5 $14 {1/2-1/2 Sengupta,D (2466)-Reinderman,D (2560)/
Parramatta 2009/CBM 129 Extra (58)}) 16. Qd2 $146 {[%cal Yd2b4] White connects
the rooks and is about to bring the queen to the queenside.} ({In the
preceding game, White got nothing special after} 16. Nc4 Nxc4 17. Bxc4 Bf6 18.
c3 g5 19. Be3 Be5 20. Bd4 Qf6 21. Bxe5 dxe5 22. d6+ Be6 23. Qb3 Bxc4 24. Qxc4+
Rf7 25. Rad1 Rd8 26. Qd5 e4 $11 {1/2-1/2 Gallagher,J (2544)-Parligras,M (2571)/
Gothenburg 2005/CBM 109 (57)}) 16... Bd7 17. Qb4 {Nakamura is trying to
prevent Black's normal setup of development, an essential part of which would
be ...Bf6. In fact, he had a deeper idea in mind: Black is provoked to move
his pawns on the queenside, which would create some weaknesses in his camp.}
Rb8 $1 {No targets for White's attacks.} (17... a5 $6 18. Qb3 $14 {[%cal Ye2b5,
Ya3b5]} ({But not} 18. Qxb7 Rb8 19. Qa7 Rxb2)) (17... b6 $6 18. Bxe5 dxe5 19.
d6 Bf6 20. Bxa6 $14) (17... Qc7 $4 18. Bxe5 a5 19. Qc3 $18) 18. c4 {White is
trying to carry out the breakthrough on the queenside, but maybe he had to
further build up for it.} (18. a5 $5 Be8 $1 {[%cal Yg7g5]} (18... g5 19. Bxe5
dxe5 20. d6 Bf6 21. Nc4 {[%cal Yc4b6]} e4 22. Nb6 Kh8 23. Rad1 $14) 19. Nc4 Bb5
20. Bxe5 dxe5 21. d6 Bxd6 22. Nxd6 Bxe2 23. Rxf5 Rxf5 24. Nxf5 Qf6 $11) 18...
a5 $1 {Now that White's light squared bishop can not get to b5, Gelfand
interrupts Nakamura's plans on the queenside.} 19. Qb3 {The threat of c4-c5 is
now being created.} Ng6 (19... Bf6 $6 20. c5 dxc5 21. Nc4 $14) (19... b6 $5 20.
Bxe5 $140 $6 dxe5 21. d6 Bf6 22. c5+ Kh8 $15) 20. Be3 b6 {Black has managed to
fix the pawn structure on the queenside, which leaves White with no clear plan.
Black, on the other hand, will continue his expansion on the kingside by
occupying the dark squares in the centre.} 21. Nb5 ({I feel that White should
have kept his knight on the board and brought it to the centre:} 21. Nc2 $5 {
[%cal Yc2d4]} Bf6 $11 {[%cal Yg6e5]}) 21... Bxb5 22. axb5 Bg5 23. Bg1 Ne5 $15 {
/=. Black has managed to neutralise White's activity on the queenside and
occupy the dark squares in the centre. Although Black has a more comfortable
game, White is not much worse yet. Nakamura has a pair of bishops, one of
which creates some trouble for Black, namely the dark-squared one. Black's
pawn on b6 is somewhat weak and requires some looking after by other pieces.}
24. Qa3 $6 {It may be the case that Nakamura overlooked next Black's move,
which allowed Gelfand to bring the bishop to c5.} (24. Qc3 {was perhaps better:
} Qc7 (24... Qf6 25. b4) 25. Bd4 (25. b4 axb4 26. Qxb4 Nd7 {[%cal Yd7c5]})
25... g6 $11 (25... Rbe8 26. Qg3 Bd2 $140 $2 27. Qf2 $16)) 24... Bd2 $1 25.
Rad1 Bb4 26. Qh3 Qg5 (26... g6 {might have been slightly more precise.}) 27.
Be3 Qf6 28. Bd4 ({White had to take advantage of his chance and equalise with} 
28. g4 $1 {This forces Black to trade his excellent knight:} Nxg4 (28... g6 $4
29. gxf5 gxf5 30. Bd3 $1 $18) 29. Bxg4 fxg4 30. Rxf6 (30. Qxg4 Qxf1+ 31. Rxf1
Rxf1+ 32. Kg2 Rf6 $13) 30... gxh3 31. Rxf8+ Kxf8 32. Rf1+ Kg8 {[%cal Yb4c5]}
33. Kg1 Rc8 $11) 28... Bc5 29. Bc3 Qg5 {At this point, Gelfand had little time,
so I can imagine that he was trying to postpone any decisive actions until
after the first time control. Nakamura, on the other hand, felt that it was
his chance to mess things up, so he continued} 30. Bxe5 $6 ({Objectively
speaking,} 30. Bd2 {, following the waiting strategy, was better:} Qf6 31. Bc3
g6 $15 {/=}) 30... dxe5 31. g4 {White has given up on the dark squares, but he
hopes to activate his light-squared bishop.} fxg4 $6 {Under time pressure,
Gelfand decides to keep things simple, even though he was clearly better after}
(31... f4 32. Bd3 g6 33. Be4 Bd4 34. b3 Kg7 $36 {[%cal Yf8h8]}) 32. Qxg4 Qxg4
33. Bxg4 Bd6 34. Be6+ Kh8 {The endgames with opposite coloured bishops have
strong drawish tendencies. Also, Gelfand had just a few seconds to make his
last 6 moves, so, it might be the case that Nakamura felt that he was out of
danger. However, this endgame is tricky, and White has to play carefully to
hold it. First of all, White's queenside pawns are completely useless: while
he has the numerical advantage of 4 vs. 2, he can't create a single passed
pawn. Black, on the other hand, has a pawn majority in the centre-kingside
with 3 vs. 1. It should be obvious that White's best shot is the endgame
without rooks on the board.} 35. Kg2 g6 36. b3 Kg7 37. h3 $6 {Nakamura places
his pawns on the light squares, so that they couldn't be captured by Black's
bishop.} ({However, it was more important to prevent the advance of Black's
pawn in the centre with} 37. Rde1 {and White should hold this endgame.}) 37...
e4 38. Bg4 $6 {At this point, it was absolutely necessary to force Black to
trade ALL the rooks. Instead, Nakamura brings his light-squared bishop to a
very passive position.} (38. Rde1 $1 Rxf1 (38... Bc5 39. Rxe4 Rxf1 40. Kxf1
Rf8+ 41. Ke1 Rf3 42. Kd2 Rxb3 $140 43. d6) 39. Rxf1 (39. Kxf1 Rf8+ 40. Kg2 Rf3)
39... Rf8 40. Rxf8 Bxf8 41. Kf2 Kf6 42. Ke2 Bc5 43. Kd2 Ke5 (43... Kg5 44. d6
Bxd6 45. Ke3) 44. Bg8 $1 h6 45. Bf7 $1 g5 (45... Kd4 46. Bxg6 e3+ 47. Kc2 e2
48. Kd2 e1=B+ 49. Kxe1 Kc3 50. Bf7 Bd6 51. c5 $1 Bxc5 (51... bxc5 52. b6 Kxb3
53. Bh5 Bf4 54. b7 a4 55. Bd1+ Kb4 56. d6 Bxd6 57. Kd2 $11) 52. d6 $1 $11) 46.
Be8 Kd4 (46... Kf4 47. Bh5 Kg3 48. Bg4 h5 (48... Kf2 49. Kd1) 49. Bxh5 Kxh3 50.
Bg6 g4 51. Bxe4 g3 52. Kd3 $1 Kh2 (52... g2 $2 53. Bxg2+ {[%cal Yd3e4]}) 53.
Bf3 Kg1 54. Ke4 Kf2 55. Bh1 $11) 47. Bh5 Bb4+ 48. Kc2 Ke3 49. Bg4 Kf2 50. Kd1
Bc5 51. Kd2 Kg3 52. d6 (52. Ke2 $11) 52... Bxd6 53. Ke3 h5 54. Bd7 g4 55. hxg4
hxg4 56. Kxe4 $11) 38... h5 39. Be2 $2 {It was absolutely crucial to keep
control over the f5-square. After this mistake, White is lost.} (39. Be6 Bb4
40. Rxf8 Rxf8 41. Rf1 Rxf1 42. Kxf1 Kf6 43. Ke2 g5 44. Kd1 (44. Bd7 Ke5 45. Be8
h4 46. Bd7 Kd4) 44... Ke5 45. Ke2 (45. Bf7 g4) 45... Kd4 46. Bf7 Bd6 47. Bxh5
Kc3 48. Ke3 (48. c5 Bxc5 49. d6 Bxd6 50. Bf7 Bc5) 48... Kxb3 49. Kxe4 Kxc4)
39... Rf6 {A time trouble inaccuracy.} (39... Rf5 $1 {was stronger and was
played on the next move.}) 40. Rde1 ({I think that even after} 40. Rxf6 Kxf6
41. Rf1+ Ke5 42. Rf7 Rf8 $19 {[%cal Ye5d4,Yd4c3] Black is winning, since he
gets access to White's b3-pawn.}) 40... Rf5 $1 {How many people in the world
can stay cool when they have seconds to make the last move? Well, Gelfand
definitely has the right genes! White is going to be forced to take on f5, and
with the connected pawns, it's an easy win for the World Championship
runner-up.} 41. Bd1 (41. Rxf5 gxf5 42. Bxh5 Kf6 $19) 41... Rbf8 42. Rxf5 {
White has no better moves to play:} (42. Bc2 Rg5+ 43. Kh1 Rf3 $1 $19) 42...
gxf5 43. Bxh5 Kf6 $19 {White is a pawn up, but completely lost. The quality
overcomes the quantity. Nothing can stop Black's connected pawns and moreover,
even the endgame with the opposite coloured bishops is lost for White.} 44. Rh1
(44. Rg1 Bc5 45. Rf1 Rg8+ 46. Kh1 Ke5 $19) 44... Kg5 45. Bd1 Kh4 46. Rf1 Rg8+
47. Kh1 Rg5 48. Bc2 Kxh3 49. Rf2 Kg3 50. Rh2 Rg4 51. Rg2+ Kf4 52. Rf2+ Kg5 53.
Rd2 Rg3 54. Re2 Rh3+ 55. Kg1 Kf4 56. Kg2 Rh2+ $1 57. Kf1 (57. Kxh2 Kf3+) 57...
Rxe2 58. Kxe2 Ke5 0-1

[Event "London FIDE GP 1st"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2012.09.24"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Wang, Hao"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E06"]
[WhiteElo "2738"]
[BlackElo "2742"]
[PlyCount "111"]
[EventDate "2012.09.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 151"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 c6 7. O-O O-O 8. Qc2
b6 9. Bf4 Ba6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Rc1 Nbd7 12. Nc3 b5 13. a4 Qb6 14. axb5 Bxb5
15. Nxb5 Qxb5 16. Bf1 a5 17. e3 Qb7 18. Qc6 Qxc6 19. Rxc6 a4 20. Bb5 a3 21.
bxa3 Bxa3 22. Rc7 Nb6 23. Rb7 Nc4 24. Bxc4 dxc4 25. Rc7 h6 26. Rxc4 g5 27. Be5
Ne4 28. g4 Be7 29. Rxa8 Rxa8 30. Rc2 f6 31. Bg3 Kf7 32. Kg2 h5 33. gxh5 Rh8 34.
Rc7 g4 35. Ne1 Rxh5 36. Nd3 Rb5 37. h3 gxh3+ 38. Kxh3 Ke8 39. Ra7 Rb3 40. Nf4
Nxg3 41. Kxg3 Bd6 42. Kf3 Bxf4 43. Kxf4 Rb2 44. f3 Rh2 45. Ke4 Rh3 46. Rb7 Kf8
47. Rd7 Ke8 48. Rc7 Kf8 49. f4 f5+ 50. Ke5 Rxe3+ 51. Kf6 Kg8 52. Rg7+ Kf8 53.
Rh7 Kg8 54. Rh1 Re4 55. Rd1 Kh7 56. Kf7 1-0

[Event "London FIDE GP 1st"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2012.09.28"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Adams, Michael"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B30"]
[WhiteElo "2722"]
[BlackElo "2738"]
[Annotator "Ftacnik,L"]
[PlyCount "94"]
[EventDate "2012.09.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 151"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 e6 4. O-O Nge7 5. b3 a6 6. Bxc6 Nxc6 7. Bb2 b6 {
Gelfand played with great energy in London, he could fall back on his serious
match preparation against Anand. The love for chess and hard work are enabling
him to compensate for the fact that most of his tournament adversaries were
born significantly later than him.} (7... b5 8. Re1 (8. a4 b4 9. Ne5 Nxe5 10.
Bxe5 f6 11. Bb2 d5 12. Qh5+ g6 13. Qf3 Be7 14. d3 Bb7 15. Nd2 O-O 16. Qe2 Qd7
17. f4 Rae8 18. Kh1 Qc6 $11 {0-1 Wang Chen (2490)-Ni Hua (2637)/Xinghua 2012 
(56)}) 8... Bb7 9. c4 f6 10. Na3 b4 11. Nc2 e5 12. Nh4 g6 13. f4 exf4 14. a3
bxa3 15. Bxa3 Qb6 16. Rb1 Be7 17. d3 O-O 18. Qd2 Bd6 $17 {0-1 Yu,Y (2615)-Zhou
Jianchao (2625)/Xinghua 2012 (40)}) (7... d6 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Qf6 10. c4 Bd7
11. Qd2 Qg6 12. Nc3 Be7 13. f4 Nxd4 14. Qxd4 Bc6 15. Rf2 Bf6 16. Qd2 O-O 17.
Re1 Rad8 18. Qe3 b5 19. cxb5 axb5 $11 {1/2-1/2 Nakamura,H (2640)-Golod,V (2582)
/playchess.com INT 2006 (70)}) 8. d4 {Adams could have waited a bit longer
with the opening of the centre. One of various sound ideas is to play c4 first
with then ambition of finishing the development of his pieces first.} (8. c4
Bb7 9. Re1 (9. Qe2 Qc7 10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Bc5 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Nd2 O-O 14.
Qg4 f6 15. a3 a5 16. Rfe1 Rf7 17. Nf3 b5 18. Rad1 bxc4 19. bxc4 Ba6 20. Qg3 Rc8
$17 {0-1 Minasian,A (2571)-Shabalov,A (2575)/Los Angeles 2003 (42)}) 9... Qc7
10. Nc3 (10. d4 cxd4 11. Nxd4 Bd6 12. Nxc6 Bxc6 13. Qh5 O-O (13... Kf8 14. Nd2
f6 15. Rad1 Be7 16. Re3 Qb8 17. Nf3 Qe8 18. Qh3 Qg6 19. Nd4 Bb7 20. Ne2 $16 {
1-0 Al Modiahki,M (2550)-Shabalov,A (2575)/Bad Wiessee 2006 (36)}) 14. Nd2 f6
15. Rad1 Qb7 16. Qh4 Rf7 17. Re3 b5 18. Rh3 h6 19. Qg4 Kh8 20. Nf3 $14 {
1-0 Peng Xiaomin (2596)-Wu Wenjin (2531)/Tianjing 2003 (33)}) (10. h3 f6 11. d4
cxd4 12. Nxd4 O-O-O (12... Bd6 $14) 13. Nc3 Bc5 14. Na4 Rhg8 15. a3 e5 16. Nc2
$16 {Gogichaishvili-Adamek/Brno op/1994/}) 10... Bd6 11. Nd5 exd5 12. exd5+ Ne7
13. Bxg7 Rg8 14. Bf6 Rg6 15. Bxe7 Bxe7 16. Nh4 Kf8 17. Nxg6+ hxg6 18. Qf3 Qd6
19. Rad1 (19. Re2 Qf6 20. Qxf6 Bxf6 21. Rae1 d6 $11 {0-1 Vachier Lagrave,M 
(2458)-Nataf,I (2553)/Val d'Isere 2004 (42)}) 19... Kg7 20. Re4 Rh8 21. g3 b5
22. Rde1 Bf6 23. Re8 $11 {1/2-1/2 Movsesian,S (2642)-Timofeev,A (2658)/
Sarajevo 2007 (86)}) 8... cxd4 9. Nxd4 Bb7 (9... Qf6 10. Bc3 Qg6 11. Nxc6 dxc6
12. Nd2 b5 13. Re1 Bb7 (13... Be7 14. Nf3 f6 (14... O-O 15. Ne5 Qf6 16. Nxc6
Qxc3 17. Nxe7+ $16) 15. Nd4 Bd7 16. f4 $36) 14. Nf3 Rd8 15. Qe2 Be7 (15... Bd6
16. Rad1 O-O 17. Ba5 Rd7 18. Ne5 $18) 16. Ba5 $1 Rb8 17. Rad1 Qh5 (17... O-O
18. Ne5 Qg5 19. Nd7 $18) (17... f6 18. Qe3 $16) 18. Qd2 O-O 19. Qd7 Ba3 (19...
Bc5 20. b4 Ba7 21. Bc7 Rbc8 22. Bd6 $18) (19... Bf6 20. e5 Bd8 21. Bxd8 Rbxd8
22. Qxd8 Rxd8 23. Rxd8#) 20. Rd3 (20. b4 c5 $132) 20... c5 (20... Qc5 21. Bc7
Bc8 22. Qd6 Rb7 23. Qxc5 Bxc5 24. Bd6 Bxd6 25. Rxd6 $16) 21. Bc7 $16 {1-0
Dolmatov,S (2560)-Galliamova,A (2440)/Novgorod 1997/ (38)}) 10. Nd2 f6 {
Black is ready to eliminate the pressure along the a1-h8 diagonal even at the
price of losing the option of natural castling.} (10... Bc5 11. Nxc6 Bxc6 12.
Qg4 Rg8 13. Rad1 Qc7 14. Nc4 Bb5 15. e5 O-O-O 16. Nd6+ Bxd6 17. exd6 Qb7 18. c4
Bc6 19. f3 g5 20. Bf6 $16 {1/2-1/2 Fernandez Romero,E (2445)-Saldano Dayer,H 
(2424)/Alcudia 2003 (59)}) 11. Qg4 Kf7 12. Rad1 Qc7 13. Nxc6 {The English
player had intimate experience with this very position at the EU-ch 2010. By
swapping on c6 he is trying for a different approach, but he won't be able to
get an advantage.} (13. Nc4 b5 14. Qh5+ Kg8 15. Ne3 Ne5 (15... Nxd4 16. Rxd4
Bc5 17. Rd3 Bxe3 18. Rxe3 Qxc2 19. Re2 $11) 16. Nf3 Ng6 17. Qg4 Rd8 18. h4 Qf4
19. h5 Qxg4 20. Nxg4 Nf4 21. h6 Kf7 $11 {1/2-1/2 Adams,M (2704)-Edouard,R 
(2617)/Rijeka 2010 (48)}) 13... Bxc6 (13... Qxc6 $6 14. Nc4 $16) 14. Qh5+ {
Relatively the best alternative in the fight for some advantage was probably
the fixing of the central structure with the move 14.e5!} (14. e5 $1 f5 15. Qg3
b5 16. Nf3 Bc5 17. Ng5+ Kg8 18. Bd4 $14) 14... Kg8 (14... g6 15. Qf3 Be7 16. h4
(16. Nc4 Bxe4 17. Qxe4 d5 18. Qf3 dxc4 19. Rfe1 Rad8 $15) 16... Rhd8 17. h5 d5
$11) 15. Bd4 b5 (15... e5 16. Be3 b5 17. f4 Be7 18. fxe5 g6 19. Qg4 Qxe5 $11)
16. f4 Be7 17. c3 (17. e5 f5 $11) 17... Rf8 {Black is still obliged to defend
and the passive rook on h8 remains a serious worry. From the other point of
view his position is very solid and the bishop pair is giving Gelfand chances
in the middlegame.} 18. b4 (18. e5 f5 19. Nf3 $11) 18... d6 19. Bf2 (19. e5
dxe5 20. fxe5 f5 $11) 19... e5 $1 20. Rc1 (20. Qf3 Qb7 21. Be3 h5 $15) 20...
Qb7 21. Rfe1 Be8 {The transfer of the bishop to f7 has an artificial look to
it, as after the natural 21...g6 Gelfand might have looked to the future with
optimism.} (21... g6 22. Qh3 (22. Qh6 f5 $15) 22... Kg7 23. Be3 Rc8 $15) 22.
Qf3 Bf7 23. c4 h5 $1 {Black is finally getting a chance to believe, that his
mighty reserve from h8 will get to see the light of the day.} 24. c5 (24. cxb5
axb5 25. Nb3 $1 Rh6 26. Na5 Qd7 27. Nc6 $11) 24... dxc5 25. Bxc5 exf4 (25...
Bxa2 26. fxe5 fxe5 27. Qc3 $11) 26. Qxf4 (26. Nb3 g5 (26... Qc7 27. Bxe7 Qxe7
28. Rc5 $11) 27. e5 Qxf3 28. gxf3 Bxc5+ 29. Nxc5 $11) 26... Bxa2 27. e5 $6 {
Adams became nervous from his failure in the fight for an advantage. With the
opening of the centre he is hoping to exploit the better coordination of his
forces. Much more unpleasant for Black would have been the transfer of the
knight to the magnificent square f5.} (27. Nf1 $5 Rh6 28. Ne3 Rg6 29. Qf2 Be6
30. Bxe7 Qxe7 31. Nf5 Qxb4 32. Rb1 Qc3 33. Ne7+ $11) 27... Bxc5+ 28. Rxc5 fxe5
29. Qxe5 Rh6 $1 {The rook is joining the battle at just the right moment.
White will be hard challenged to find the compensation for the missing pawn.}
30. Nf3 (30. Rc7 Qb6+ 31. Kh1 Rhf6 32. h3 $15) 30... Re6 31. Qa1 (31. Qd4 Rxe1+
32. Nxe1 Qf7 33. Nf3 Be6 34. Rg5 Bg4 $15) 31... Rxe1+ 32. Qxe1 Qb6 $6 {The
inaccuracies of both players are the direct consequences of some fatigue from
the fight. For the first time the position is seriously simplified and it
seems that this will be enough to use logic instead of looking for best moves.}
(32... Bd5 $1 33. Ng5 Bc4 34. Nf3 Qb6 35. Kh1 a5 36. Rxh5 Qg6 37. Rg5 Qh6 38.
Re5 a4 $17) 33. Qe3 $6 {Adams is responding with the second rate solution,
thus losing the chance to exploit the counterplay tied to the surprising
attack on the kingside 33.Qe4!} (33. Qe4 $1 Qe6 (33... Bc4 34. h3 $15) 34.
Qxe6+ Bxe6 35. Rxh5 Bg4 36. Rc5 Bxf3 37. gxf3 Rxf3 38. Rc6 $15) 33... Bd5 34.
Ng5 (34. h4 Bxf3 35. gxf3 Qf6 $17) 34... Qf6 35. Nf3 {At the end of the day
White has simply lost two precious tempi and that is usually critical in any
position.} (35. Rc1 Qb2 36. Nf3 Qxb4 $19) 35... Bxf3 36. gxf3 (36. Qb3+ Qf7 37.
Qxf7+ Rxf7 38. gxf3 Rxf3 $19) 36... Qxf3 37. Qxf3 (37. Qe6+ Kh7 38. Qe1 Qg4+
39. Kh1 Rd8 $19) 37... Rxf3 38. Kg2 {A rook endgame two pawns down tends to be
quite hopeless and the same will be true in our game.} (38. Rxh5 Rf4 $19) 38...
Rf4 39. Rc6 Rxb4 40. Rxa6 Rc4 41. Rb6 b4 42. Rb7 Kh7 {Adams will not be able
to prevent the activation of the black king, which spells tragedy for the
defender.} 43. Rb6 g6 44. Kg3 (44. h3 Kh6 45. Rb5 h4 46. Kh2 g5 $19) 44... h4+
45. Kf3 Kh6 46. Rb5 g5 47. h3 Rc3+ {Any solution of the problem will be
hopeless for White so Adams sensibly resigned.} (47... Rc3+ 48. Kg2 b3 $19) 0-1

[Event "EU-Cup 28th"]
[Site "Eilat"]
[Date "2012.10.12"]
[Round "2.1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E04"]
[WhiteElo "2736"]
[BlackElo "2720"]
[PlyCount "79"]
[EventDate "2012.10.11"]
[EventType "team-swiss"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "ISR"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 151"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2012.11.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "SHSM-64"]
[BlackTeam "Baden-Baden"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "RUS"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 dxc4 5. Bg2 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 c5 7. Bxb4 cxb4 8.
Ne5 O-O 9. a3 Nc6 10. Bxc6 bxc6 11. axb4 Bb7 12. O-O a5 13. bxa5 Rxa5 14. Rxa5
Qxa5 15. Qd2 Qa7 16. Nxc4 Rd8 17. Rd1 c5 18. Qa5 Qxa5 19. Nxa5 Ba8 20. Nb3 cxd4
21. Rxd4 Rb8 22. Nc5 g5 23. Nc3 Kg7 24. Nd3 Nd5 25. Nxd5 Bxd5 26. f3 f5 27. Kf2
Kf6 28. Ke3 Rb6 29. Kd2 h6 30. e4 fxe4 31. fxe4 Ba8 32. Ke3 Ke7 33. Rb4 Ra6 34.
Rb8 Ra4 35. b4 Kd6 36. Rb6+ Kc7 37. Rxe6 Bc6 38. Rxh6 Bb5 39. Nc5 Rxb4 40. Ne6+
1-0

[Event "Candidates Tournament"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2013.03.24"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A33"]
[WhiteElo "2793"]
[BlackElo "2740"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "64"]
[EventDate "2013.03.15"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "22"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 154"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e6 6. g3 Qb6 7. Nb3 Ne5 8. e4
Bb4 9. Qe2 d6 {White has systematically failed to impose his point of view in
this line. This game is no exception. One important thing Black needs to know
is that the exchange on c3 is premature when the white bishop is on c1.} 10. f4
(10. Bd2 a5 11. f4 Nc6 12. Be3 Qc7 13. Bg2 e5 (13... a4 14. Nd2 Bxc3 15. bxc3
b6 16. Rb1 Nd7 17. Qf2 Rb8 18. O-O O-O 19. g4 {Morozevich,A (2748)-Leko,P 
(2732)/Tashkent 2012/CBM 152/[Ftacnik,L] (1-0, 42)}) 14. O-O Bxc3 15. bxc3 a4
16. Nd2 Ng4 {Fridman,D (2667)-Anand,V (2780)/Baden-Baden 2013/CBM 153/[Stohl,I]
(1/2, 58)}) 10... Nc6 (10... Bxc3+ $2 11. bxc3 Nc6 12. Ba3 $1 Na5 13. Nxa5 Qxa5
14. Bb4 Qa4 15. Bg2 $16 {Romanishin,O (2513)-Borosova,Z (2307)/Presov 2010/CBM
136 Extra (1-0, 26)}) 11. Be3 (11. Bg2 e5 $1 {does not change the situation
essentially.} 12. Bd2 (12. Be3 Nd4 $1 $17) 12... O-O (12... a5 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14.
exd5 a4 15. dxc6 axb3 16. a3 Bxd2+ 17. Qxd2 O-O 18. cxb7 Bxb7 19. Bxb7 Qxb7 20.
O-O $13 {Nezar,M (2399)-Tregubov,P (2647)/Nancy 2009/CBM 129 (1-0, 48)}) 13.
Nb5 (13. f5 Bd7 14. Qd3 Nd4 15. Rd1 Bc6 16. Rf1 Nxb3 17. axb3 Nd7 18. Qc2 f6
19. Ke2 Nc5 $15 {Karpov,A (2750)-Gulko,B (2610)/Linares 1989/CBM 011 (1/2, 24)}
) 13... exf4 14. gxf4 Re8 15. Bxb4 Nxb4 {/\ ...Bg4, ...Rxe4-+ Portisch,L (2610)
-Sax,G (2610)/Brussels 1988/CBM 007 (1-0, 42)}) 11... Bxc3+ {Now is a good
moment for this exchange.} ({However,} 11... Qc7 {seems to be OK, too.} 12. Bd2
{(+/= Portisch - practice has proved this evaluation to be too optimistic.)}
O-O 13. Bg2 a5 (13... e5 14. O-O Be6 15. Nd5 Bxd5 16. exd5 Nd4 17. Nxd4 Bc5 18.
fxe5 Bxd4+ 19. Kh1 Bxe5 {Cifuentes Parada,R (2500)-Riemersma,L (2440)/
Netherlands 1994/EXT 98 (1/2, 46); with perfect play for Black.}) 14. O-O (14.
a3 Bxc3 15. Bxc3 e5 16. f5 Bd7 17. Qe3 a4 18. Nd2 Na5 $15 {Swoboda,E (2200)
-Danner,G (2335)/Austria 1979/EXT 98 (0-1, 40)}) 14... Bxc3 15. Bxc3 e5 16. Kh1
b6 17. Nd2 a4 18. b4 axb3 19. axb3 {1/2 Drasko,M (2505)-Ivanovic,B (2530)/
Yugoslavia 1989/CBM 013}) 12. bxc3 Qc7 13. Bg2 e5 $1 {Quite wisely, Gelfand
decids to take over the control on the dark squares without wasting time with
castling.} ({The main move is} 13... O-O {, but this offers White some chances
for the initiative, although Black seems to be fine here, too:} 14. c5 (14. O-O
b6 15. Nd4 Nxd4 16. cxd4 Ba6 17. Rac1 Rac8 18. e5 Nd5 $1 {Carlsen,M (2675)
-Volokitin,A (2662)/Biel 2006/CBM 114/[Marin,M] (32, 0-1)}) 14... dxc5 15. Bxc5
Rd8 16. e5 Na5 17. Bb4 Nxb3 18. axb3 Nd5 19. Qc4 Qxc4 (19... Qd7 20. Qd4 Nxb4
21. Qxd7 Bxd7 22. cxb4 Bb5 23. Bxb7 Rab8 24. Ba6 {1/2 Kramnik,V (2790)-Salov,V
(2680)/Wijk aan Zee 1998/CBM 063/[Ribli]}) 20. bxc4 Ne3 (20... Nxb4 21. cxb4
Rd4 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Kxd1 $14) 21. Be4 (21. Kf2 $11) 21... Nxc4 (21... Bd7 22.
Kf2 Nxc4 23. Bxb7 Rab8 24. Rxa7 Bc8 25. Bf3 Rd2+ 26. Be2 Bb7 27. Rha1 Be4 28.
Ke1 $18 {Smirnov,P (2631)-Tomashevsky,E (2641)/Sochi 2007/CBM 118 (1-0, 35)})
22. O-O Ne3 (22... a5 $1 $15 23. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 24. Rxd1 f5 $1 {[%csl Gb4,Ge4]})
23. Rfc1 Nd5 24. Bc5 b5 25. Bxa7 Bb7 26. Bg2 h6 27. Bd4 Rxa1 28. Rxa1 Ra8 29.
Rb1 Bc6 $11 30. Bf1 Ra3 31. Bxb5 {1/2 Morovic Fernandez,I (2535)-Izeta
Txabarri,F (2380)/Ponferrada 1991/EXT 99}) ({The move order starting with} 
13... b6 $6 {is wrong:} 14. e5 dxe5 15. fxe5 Nd7 16. Nd4 $36 {[%cal Gd4b5,
Gb5d6]}) 14. c5 {Practically forced; otherwise the c4-pawn would be too weak
to deal with after ...b6.} (14. f5 b6 15. g4 Ba6 16. g5 Nd7 17. O-O Na5 $5 18.
Nxa5 bxa5 19. Rfd1 Nb6 20. Bxb6 axb6 21. Rab1 Bxc4 22. Qf2 b5 23. f6 g6 24. Rb2
Rd8 25. Rbd2 h6 $17 {Wells,P (2520)-Emms,J (2502)/Southend 2008/CBM 123 Extra 
(1-0, 41)}) (14. O-O b6 15. a4 Ba6 {Suetin,A (2430)-Kindermann,S (2585)/Bern
1995/EXT 2000 (1-0, 41)}) 14... b6 $5 $146 {The most logical complement to the
previous move.} (14... Bg4 15. cxd6 (15. Qb5 a6 16. Qb6 Qxb6 17. cxb6 Be6 18.
O-O-O Ke7 {Ftacnik,L (2568)-Kovacevic,A (2582)/Khanty Mansiysk 2010/CBM 139 (1/
2, 28)}) 15... Qxd6 16. Qb5 a6 17. Qc4 (17. Qxb7 Qd3 18. Qxc6+ Nd7 19. Qxa8+
Ke7 20. Bc5+ Nxc5 21. Qa7+ Ke8 22. Qb8+ Ke7 $11 {Korchnoi,V}) 17... Be6 18. Qe2
b5 $13 {Morovic Fernandez,I (2535)-Kortschnoj,V (2640)/Vina del Mar (m/2) 1988/
[Portisch,L] (0-1, 36)}) 15. cxd6 Qxd6 16. O-O O-O 17. f5 {Too straightforward.
} ({It would have been a good idea to force the queen to make up her mind
before deciding the kingside configuration.} 17. Rfd1 Qc7 (17... Qa3 $6 {
does not work now:} 18. Qb5 Bb7 19. Bc5 $1) 18. f5 $13) 17... Rd8 18. Rfd1 Qa3
$1 {Putting very unpleasant pressure on the white queenside. In some cases,
the simple ...Ba6-c4 would win material.} 19. Rxd8+ (19. Qb5 Bb7 20. Bc5 $2 {
does not work now because of} Rxd1+ 21. Rxd1 Qxa2 $19) 19... Nxd8 20. Bg5 ({
The attack based on the massiev pawn advance seems to be too slow:} 20. g4 Ba6
21. Qf3 Nb7 22. g5 Ne8 23. f6 g6 24. h4 Rd8 25. h5 Bc4 26. hxg6 hxg6 {White is
far from creating decisive threats yet, while his queenside problems are
chronic.}) 20... Ba6 21. Qd2 Qe7 22. Rd1 ({Objectively,} 22. Bf1 $15 {may have
been better, since the g2-bishop is passive while its rival is killing.
However, this would be equivalent to stategic surrender, so we can understant
White's reluctance to play it.}) 22... Nb7 23. Bf3 Rd8 24. Qc1 Rxd1+ 25. Bxd1
Nd6 26. Bxf6 gxf6 27. Qe3 Qc7 $17 {White's attack has come to an end before
even starting seriously, while his weaknesses are hard to defend.} 28. a4 $6 {
Creating even more weaknesses.} Qd7 29. a5 Nxe4 30. Bc2 Qb5 31. Qf3 Ng5 32. Qg2
bxa5 0-1

[Event "Candidates Tournament"]
[Site "London"]
[Date "2013.03.25"]
[Round "9"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D37"]
[WhiteElo "2740"]
[BlackElo "2809"]
[Annotator "ChessBase II"]
[PlyCount "119"]
[EventDate "2013.03.15"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "14"]
[EventCountry "ENG"]
[EventCategory "22"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 154"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Be2 c6 8. O-O
Nh5 9. Be5 f6 10. Bg3 f5 11. Be5 Nhf6 12. h3 Nxe5 13. Nxe5 Nd7 14. f4 Nxe5 15.
fxe5 Bg5 16. Qd2 Bd7 17. Rac1 Rc8 18. a3 Kh8 19. b4 Be8 20. Bd3 Rc7 21. Ne2 Bh5
22. Nf4 Bxf4 23. exf4 Rd7 24. Qe3 dxc4 25. Bxc4 Rxd4 $2 (25... Re8 $13) 26.
Bxe6 Bf7 $2 27. Bxf5 Bc4 28. e6 $1 Qd6 29. Rfe1 Re8 30. e7 Bf7 31. Rc5 g6 32.
Bg4 h5 33. f5 Kg7 34. fxg6 Bxg6 35. Bxh5 Rd3 36. Qe5+ Qxe5 37. Rcxe5 Bxh5 38.
Rxh5 Rxa3 39. Rf5 Rd3 40. Re4 Rd7 41. Rg4+ Kh6 42. Rf6+ Kh7 43. Rf7+ Kh6 44.
Rgg7 Rd1+ 45. Kh2 Rf1 46. Rh7+ Kg6 47. Rhg7+ Kh6 48. Rh7+ Kg6 49. Rfg7+ Kf6 50.
h4 Ke6 51. Rg4 Kf5 52. Kg3 Re1 53. Rf4+ Ke6 54. h5 Rxe7 55. Rxe7+ Kxe7 56. Kh4
b6 57. h6 Rh1+ 58. Kg5 Ke6 59. Kg6 Ke5 60. Rf5+ 1-0

[Event "Alekhine Memorial"]
[Site "Paris/St Petersburg"]
[Date "2013.04.23"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Adams, Michael"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D37"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2013.04.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 154"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{It was an honour and pleasure for me to play in the Alekhine Memorial, which
was held in the Louvre in Paris and the Russian Museum in St Petersburg. The
event was perfectly organized and in the very centre of Paris people were
standing in line to be able to watch chess games! Michael had started
excellently, beating both Anand and Svidler in great style. So, this game was
important from a sporting point of view. Es war eine Ehre und ein Vergnьgen
fьr mich, beim Aljechin-Memorial mitzuspielen, welches im Louvre in Paris und
im Russischen Museum in St. Petersburg abgehalten wurde. Die Veranstaltung war
perfekt organisiert, und mitten im Zentrum von Paris standen die Leute
Schlange, um Schachpartien verfolgen zu kцnnen! Michael hatte ausgezeichnet
begonnen und Anand wie auch Svidler in groЯem Stil geschlagen. Daher war diese
Partie in sportlicher Sicht wichtig.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7
(4... Be7 5. Bg5 (5. Bf4 c6 6. e3 Nbd7 7. h3 O-O 8. Qc2 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nb6 10.
Bb3 Nfd5 11. O-O Nxf4 12. exf4 Nd5 13. g3 Nxc3 14. Qxc3 Qd6 15. Rac1 Bd7 16.
Ne5 Rad8 17. Rfd1 Bc8 18. a3 Bf6 19. Qe3 Qe7 20. h4 Rd6 21. h5 Rfd8 22. Rc3 g6
23. Bc2 Qf8 24. hxg6 hxg6 25. g4 Qe8 26. g5 Bg7 27. Be4 {1-0 Rubinstein,
A-Canal,E/Rogaska Slatina 1929/EXT 1999 (53)}) 5... Nbd7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 c6 8.
Qc2 a6 9. a4 Re8 10. Bd3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Nd5 12. Bf4 Nxf4 13. exf4 c5 14. dxc5
Qc7 15. O-O Qxf4 16. Ne4 Nxc5 17. Nxc5 Bxc5 18. Bd3 b6 19. Bxh7+ Kh8 20. Be4
Ra7 21. b4 {1-0 Alekhine,A-Rubinstein,A/Karlsbad 1923/HCL/[Kasparov] (32)}) 5.
Bf4 {For some reason this move is not very popular and we can see 5.Bg5 more
often. Aus irgendeinem Grund ist dieser Zug nicht sehr beliebt, und wir sehen
5.Bg5 hдufiger.} dxc4 ({If Falls} 5... Be7 $6 {now, then jetzt, so ist} 6. Nb5
{is very unpleasant. sehr unangenehm.}) 6. e3 Nd5 {Black is taking the
opportunity to exchange the f4-bishop, but as the above mentioned games
Alekhine-Rubinstein and Rubinstein-Canal show, it is not always in Black's
favour. Schwarz nutzt die Gelegenheit, den f4-Lдufer zu tauschen, aber wie die
oben erwдhnten Partien Aljechin-Rubinstein und Rubinstein-Canal zeigen, ist
dies nicht immer zugunsten von Schwarz.} ({Ivanchuk had managed to equalise
after Ivanchuk hatte ausgleichen kцnnen nach} 6... a6 7. a4 Bd6 (7... Nb6 $6 8.
a5 Nbd5 9. Bxc4 Nxf4 10. exf4 Be7 11. O-O O-O 12. Ne5 Qd6 13. Re1 c6 14. f5 $1
exf5 15. Nxf7 $1 Rxf7 16. Qb3 {1-0 Gelfand,B (2703)-Graf,A (2646)/Plovdiv 2003/
CBM 098/[Dautov] (40)}) 8. Bg3 b6 9. Bxc4 Bb7 10. Bh4 O-O 11. O-O Qb8 12. d5
exd5 13. Nxd5 Nxd5 14. Bxd5 Ne5 15. Rc1 Bxd5 16. Qxd5 c6 17. Qe4 Nxf3+ 18. Qxf3
Bxh2+ 19. Kh1 Be5 20. Rxc6 b5 21. axb5 Qxb5 {1/2 Carlsen,M (2786)-Ivanchuk,V 
(2786)/Cap d'Agde 2008/EXT 2009 (58)}) (6... Nb6 7. Bxc4 Nxc4 8. Qa4+ Bd7 9.
Qxc4 $14 {also gives Black the pair of bishops, but White still holds some
advantage according to modern theory. gibt Schwarz ebenfalls das Lдuferpaar,
aber dennoch hдlt WeiЯ laut moderner Theorie etwas Vorteil fest.}) 7. Bxc4 Nxf4
8. exf4 Nb6 ({Mikhail Botvinnik had also won games vs Ragozin and Menchik in
this system: Mikhail Botwinnik hatte in diesem System auch Partien gegen
Ragosin und Menchik gewonnen:} 8... Bd6 9. g3 O-O 10. O-O Nf6 11. Qe2 b6 12.
Rfd1 Bb7 13. Rac1 Qe7 14. a3 Rfd8 15. Ne5 c5 16. Nb5 cxd4 17. Nxd4 Bxe5 18.
Qxe5 Qd6 19. Bb3 Qxe5 20. fxe5 Ne8 21. f4 a6 22. Kf2 Kf8 23. f5 Bd5 24. fxe6
Bxb3 25. e7+ {1-0 Botvinnik,M-Menchik,V/Hastings 1934/HCL}) 9. Bb3 Bd6 10. g3
Bd7 {Black wants to exchange his light-squared bishop via c6, then play ...c6
and ...g6 and get a defendable position.  Schwarz will seinen weiЯfeldrigen
Lдufer ьber c6 tauschen, dann ...c6 und ...g6 spielen und eine
verteidigungsfдhige Stellung erhalten.} 11. O-O ({Serious attention should be
paid to the more ambitious Ernste Aufmerksamkeit zu zollen ist dem
ehrgeizigeren} 11. Qd3 Bc6 12. O-O-O $5 Bxf3 (12... O-O 13. Ng5 g6 14. d5) 13.
Qxf3 c6 14. Kb1 (14. f5 Qg5+) 14... g6 (14... O-O 15. f5 exf5 16. Qxf5 {
gives White a pleasant edge due to his strong bishop on b3. gibt WeiЯ ein
angenehmes Plus aufgrund seines starken Lдufers auf b3.}) 15. f5 $1 {White had
to foresee this move. Diesen Zug musste WeiЯ voraussehen.} (15. Rhe1 O-O 16. h4
Nd5 17. h5 Nxc3+ 18. bxc3 Qf6 {leaves Black with a solid position. ьberlдsst
Schwarz eine solide Position.}) (15. h4 Qd7 16. h5 O-O-O) 15... exf5 (15...
gxf5 16. Rhe1 O-O (16... Kf8 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Rxe6 $18) 17. g4) 16. Rhe1+ Kf8
17. g4 $40 {with a strong attack. mit starkem Angriff.}) 11... O-O 12. Qd3 Bc6
13. Rad1 Qf6 (13... Bxf3 14. Qxf3 c6 15. f5 exf5 (15... Qf6 $140 $2 16. Ne4)
16. Qxf5 $14) 14. Ng5 (14. Ne5 Bxe5 15. dxe5 Qe7 {doesn't offer much. bietet
nicht viel.}) ({Probably a stronger move was Ein stдrkerer Zug war
wahrscheinlich} 14. d5 $5 exd5 15. Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 ({or or} 16... Qxb2
17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. Rd2) 17. Qxd5 b6 18. Rd2 $14 {and the bishop on d6 is
passive. und der Lдufer auf d6 ist passiv.}) 14... g6 ({The engine's
suggestion Der Engine-Vorschlag} 14... Qf5 15. Qe2 Qa5 (15... h6 16. Nxe6 Rfe8
17. d5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5 Bxd5 19. Rxd5 Qxe6 20. Qd3) 16. Rfe1 h6 {seems to be a
good way to equalise. scheint ein guter Weg zum Ausgleich zu sein.}) 15. Nge4 (
15. d5 exd5 16. Bxd5 Bxd5 17. Nxd5 Qxb2 (17... Nxd5 18. Qxd5) 18. Rd2 Qg7 19.
Ne4 Nxd5 20. Qxd5 b6 {would leave White with full compensation for the pawn,
but it is unlikely that White would have any realistic winning chances. gдbe
WeiЯ volle Kompensation fьr den Bauern, aber es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass er
irgendwelche realistischen Gewinnchancen hдtte.}) (15. Rfe1 Qf5 16. Qd2 Nd5)
15... Qf5 ({I was more worried about GrцЯere Sorgen machte ich mir wegen} 15...
Bxe4 16. Nxe4 Qe7 {So, I would have to make a choice. Also hatte ich eine Wahl
treffen mьssen.} 17. Rfe1 (17. d5 e5 18. f5 (18. Rfe1 exf4 19. Qc3 Nd7 20. Nxd6
(20. Ba4 Bb4 21. d6 Qxe4 22. Rxe4 Bxc3 23. Bxd7 Ba5 $11) 20... Qxd6 21. Re6 Qc5
{This is a line I couldn't make work. Dies ist ein Abspiel, das ich nicht zum
Funktionieren bringen konnte.}) (18. fxe5 Qxe5 19. Rd2 Qf5) 18... Nd7 {and
Black's position looks solid. und die schwarze Stellung wirkt fest.}) 17... c6
18. h4 a5 19. a3 a4 20. Ba2 Nd5 21. h5 {with some pressure. mit einigem Druck.}
) 16. d5 {This is White's main idea, so I didn't hesitate much. Dies ist die
Hauptidee von WeiЯ, daher zцgerte ich nicht lange.} exd5 17. Nxd5 Nxd5 18. Bxd5
Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Qxd5 20. Rxd5 {White has doubled pawns and the bishop is
theoretically better than the knight. However, the strong pressure along open
lines gives an advantage to White and forces Black to defend precisely. WeiЯ
hat Doppelbauern, und der Lдufer ist theoretisch stдrker als der Springer.
Doch der starke Druck auf den offenen Linien gibt WeiЯ Vorteil und zwingt
Schwarz, sich genau zu verteidigen.} Rfd8 {Black had a tough choice to make.
Schwarz musste eine schwierige Entscheidung treffen.} ({Probably stronger was
Stдrker war wahrscheinlich} 20... Rad8 $5 21. Nxd6 (21. Rc1 f5 $1 {A key move.
Ein Schlьsselzug.} 22. Nxd6 cxd6 {and Black is doing well. und Schwarz geht es
gut.}) (21. f5 gxf5 22. Rxf5 Be7) 21... cxd6 (21... Rxd6 22. Rxd6 cxd6 23. Re1
(23. Rc1 f5 24. Kf1 Kg7 25. Ke2 Re8+ 26. Kd3 Re7) 23... Rc8 24. Re7 {leaves
White with winning chances. belдsst WeiЯ mit Gewinnchancen.}) 22. Rfd1 Rfe8 23.
Kf1 Re6 24. f5 {and despite some edge, I do believe that the drawing
tendencies of the double rook ending would prevail. , und einigem Vorteil zum
Trotz glaube ich doch, dass die Remistendenzen des Doppelturmendspiels
ьberwiegen wьrden.}) 21. Rc1 Rac8 22. Rc3 {White had a lot of choices, and I
decided to improve the rook position. WeiЯ hatte eine Reihe von Mцglichkeiten,
und ich beschloss, die Turmstellung zu verbessern.} (22. Kg2 Kg7) ({Also
deserving attention is a great suggestion of an engine (I failed to notice the
line): Aufmerksamkeit verdient auch ein groЯartiger Vorschlag einer Engine 
(das Abspiel war mir entgangen):} 22. Ra5 $5 a6 23. Rd5 $1 {Despite losing 2
tempi, it is very important to get Black's pawn to a6, as after Ungeachtet des
Verlustes zweier Tempi ist es sehr wichtig, den schwarzen Bauern nach a6 zu
locken, denn nach} Be7 24. Rxd8+ Bxd8 25. Nc5 b6 (25... Rb8 26. Re1) 26. Nxa6 {
White is winning a pawn and keeping good winning chances. gewinnt WeiЯ einen
Bauern und wahrt gute Gewinnchancen.} Ra8 (26... c5 27. Nb4 Ra8 28. Nc6 {
is the same. ist dasselbe.}) 27. Nb4 c5 28. Nc6 Bf6 29. b4 Rxa2 30. bxc5 bxc5
31. Rxc5 Rd2 32. Rc4 {and Black should hold most probably, but White retains
certain winning chances. und Schwarz sollte sich hцchst wahrscheinlich halten,
aber WeiЯ wahrt gewisse Gewinnchancen.}) (22. f5 gxf5 23. Rxf5 Be7) 22... Be7 (
22... Kg7 23. f5 gxf5 24. Rxf5 Be7 25. Rcf3 {That's why I had put my R on c3!
Deshalb hatte ich meinen R nach c3 gestellt!} Rd1+ 26. Kg2 Rf8 27. Ng5 Bxg5 28.
Rxg5+ Kh8 29. Ra5 a6 30. Rb3 {winning a pawn. mit Bauerngewinn.}) 23. Rxd8+
Bxd8 24. f5 Kg7 {It was not easy to make the right choice. Es war nicht leicht,
die richtige Wahl zu treffen.} (24... gxf5 25. Nd6 Rb8 26. Nxf5 {also doesn't
solve Black's problems lцst die Probleme von Schwarz auch nicht}) ({The
engine's suggestion looks strange, but probably is sufficient for a draw: Der
Engine-Vorschlag sieht seltsam aus, reicht aber wahrscheinlich zum Remis:} 
24... c6 25. Rd3 Bb6 $1 (25... b5 26. f6 (26. Rd7 Bb6 27. f6 Rd8) 26... Bb6 27.
Kf1 h6 28. h4 {and Black's problems are not solved completely. und die
Probleme von Schwarz sind nicht vollstдndig gelцst.}) 26. Rd7 Rd8 27. fxg6 Rxd7
({also good enough is gut genug ist auch} 27... hxg6 28. Rxb7 Rd4 29. Nf6+ Kg7
30. Nd7 Rd2 31. Nxb6 Rxb2 32. Rxa7 Rxb6 {and soon we'll get a totally drawn
R+3 vs R+2 pawn ending und bald erhalten wir ein total remises Endspiel R+3 vs
R+2 Bauern.}) 28. Nf6+ Kg7 29. Nxd7 Bd4 $1 (29... fxg6 $2 30. Nxb6 axb6 31. Kg2
{The pawn ending seems to be lost: Das Bauernendspiel scheint verloren zu sein:
} Kf6 32. f4 b5 33. a3 Kf5 34. Kf3 h5 35. h3 Ke6 36. Ke4 Kf6 37. g4 hxg4 38.
hxg4 Ke6 39. f5+) 30. gxh7 Bxb2 {and Black should be able to hold. und Schwarz
sollte sich halten kцnnen.}) (24... Be7 25. f6 Bf8 26. Kg2 {is pretty
dangerous as the king cannot join the game. ist ziemlich gefдhrlich, da der
Kцnig nicht ins Spiel eingreifen kann.}) 25. Nd6 Rb8 26. Ne8+ Kf8 27. fxg6 {
I was not sure if I have to include this exchange or not, but probably it
doesn't change the evaluation of the position, for example Ich war nicht
sicher, ob ich diesen Tausch einschalten muss oder nicht, aber wahrscheinlich
дndert er nichts an der Einschдtzung der Stellung, zum Beispiel} (27. Nxc7 Bf6
28. Rb3 Rd8 $1 29. Rxb7 Rd2 30. Rxa7 Bd4 31. Ra8+ Kg7 32. Kh1 Rxf2 33. Ne8+ Kh6
34. Nd6 Kh5 $1 {retaining good drawing chances. mit guten Remischancen.}) 27...
hxg6 (27... Kxe8 28. g7) 28. Nxc7 Bf6 29. Rb3 (29. Rc2 Rd8 30. Nb5 a6 31. Nc3
Bxc3 32. Rxc3 Rd2 {would soon transpose into R+3vs R+2. wьrde bald zu R+3 vs
R+2 Bauern ьberleiten.}) 29... Be5 $2 {This is the decisive mistake. Black had
to keep the Nc7 out of play by any means. Dies ist der entscheidende Fehler.
Schwarz musste unbedingt den Nc7 aus dem Spiel halten.} (29... Rd8 $1 30. Kf1 (
30. Rxb7 Rd2 31. Rb8+ Ke7 32. Kf1 Bxb2 {and Black's activity should be enough
to hold. und die Aktivitдt von Schwarz sollte ausreichen, um sich zu halten.})
30... Rd2 (30... b6 31. Ke1 Be5 32. Nb5 a6 33. Nc3 b5 34. h4 {/\Nd1, Ke2, Rd3})
31. Rxb7 Bxb2 (31... Bd4 32. Ke1 Rxf2 33. Rb4 Bc5 34. Na6 Be3 35. Re4 Bb6 36.
Re2 $16) 32. Nb5 a6 33. Nd6 Ba1 (33... Rxd6 34. Rxb2 {retains winning chances.
wahrt Gewinnchancen.}) 34. Rxf7+ Kg8 35. Ne4 Rxa2 36. Ra7 a5 {and it is hard
to say if the extra pawn should be enough for victory. und es ist schwer zu
sagen, ob der Mehrbauer zum Sieg reichen sollte.}) 30. Nd5 {Now White has to
consolidate - bringing the N to d3 to defend the b2 and f2-pawns and bringing
the king into the centre. Nun muss sich WeiЯ konsolidieren - den N nach d3
bringen, um die Bauern b2 und f2 zu verteidigen, und den Kцnig ins Zentrum
fьhren.} b6 (30... Rd8 31. Ne3 Rd7 32. Kf1 {and White consolidates as well.
und WeiЯ konsolidiert sich ebenfalls.}) 31. Nb4 Rc8 32. Nd3 Bf6 33. h4 Rc2 34.
Kf1 Ke7 35. Ke1 Kd6 36. Rb4 Bg7 37. Kd1 Rc7 {Sooner or later White has to
decide what to do with the extra pawn on the kingside - either play g4, h5 and
get a passed pawn or to exchange it like I did in the game. I do believe I had
made the right choice as both the h5 and f5-squares are very important for
White's R. Frьher oder spдter muss WeiЯ entscheiden, was er mit dem
Extrabauern am Kцnigsflьgel tun will - entweder g4, h5 spielen und einen
Freibauern bilden, oder ihn tauschen, wie ich es in der Partie tat. Ich glaube
schon, dass ich die richtige Wahl traf, denn beide Felder h5 und f5 sind sehr
wichtig fьr den weiЯen R.} 38. h5 $5 gxh5 39. Rb5 $6 (39. Rh4 $1 {was more
precise, avoiding the possibility of h5-h4, however, I was reluctant to allow
the activation of Black's king. war genauer, was die Mцglichkeit h5-h4
vermeidet, aber es widerstrebte mir, die Aktivierung des schwarzen Kцnigs zu
erlauben.} Kd5 40. f3 (40. Rxh5+ Ke4) 40... Rd7 41. Rxh5+ Kc4 42. Kc2) 39...
Rd7 ({A better chance was Eine bessere Chance war} 39... h4 $1 40. gxh4 Rc4 41.
h5 Rh4 42. Ke2 Bh6 {and it is very difficult for White to advance. und es
fдllt WeiЯ sehr schwer, Fortschritte zu machen.}) 40. Rxh5 {Now White has a
clear plan - to put the R on b5 and advance the king and the kingside pawns,
while paying attention so that Black doesn't get any counterplay. Nun hat WeiЯ
einen klaren Plan - den R nach b5 stellen und den Kцnig und die
Kцnigsflьgelbauern vorrьcken, wobei er aufpasst, dass Schwarz keinerlei
Gegenspiel bekommt.} Ke7 41. Ke2 Rc7 42. Rb5 Rc4 43. Kf3 Ra4 44. a3 Rd4 45. Ke3
Rc4 46. b3 Rc2 47. a4 Rc6 (47... Bc3 48. g4) 48. g4 Re6+ 49. Kf3 Rc6 (49... Rd6
50. Nf4) 50. Ke4 Re6+ 51. Kf3 Rc6 52. Nb4 (52. Nf4 Bd4) 52... Rc1 53. Ke4 Kd6
54. Nd3 Rg1 (54... Rc2 55. Rd5+ Ke7 56. f4) 55. Kf5 {White has almost
completed his plan, which was described in the comment after move 40. WeiЯ hat
seinen Plan, welcher in dem Kommentar nach dem 40. Zug beschrieben wurde, fast
vollendet.} Bc3 (55... Bd4 56. f4 (56. Rb4 Bg7 57. g5 Rd1)) 56. f4 ({I was not
afraid of the following change of course of the game, but a simpler plan was
Ich hatte keine Angst vor der folgenden Дnderung des Partieverlaufs, aber ein
einfacherer Plan war} 56. g5 Rd1 57. Ne5) 56... f6 57. Nf2 Kc6 {Now the R is
trapped, but White is sacrificing an exchange and the pawns are marching to
the 8th rank.  Nun ist der R gefangen, aber WeiЯ opfert eine Qualitдt, und die
Bauern marschieren zur 8. Reihe.} 58. Ne4 a6 59. Nxc3 ({For some reason the
computer prefers Aus irgendeinem Grund bevorzugt der Computer} 59. Rxb6+ Kxb6
60. Nxc3 Kc6 61. Ne4) 59... axb5 60. axb5+ Kd6 ({The best practical chance was
Die beste praktische Chance war} 60... Kc5 61. Ne4+ Kxb5 62. Nxf6 Kc5 63. g5
Kd6 64. Kg6 Rb1 65. f5 Rxb3 {when White has to choose between , wonach WeiЯ
wдhlen muss zwischen} 66. Nh7 ({and the beautiful und dem schцnen} 66. Ne4+ Ke5
67. f6 Kxe4 68. f7 Rf3 69. Kg7 b5 70. g6 b4 71. f8=Q Rxf8 72. Kxf8 b3 73. g7 b2
74. g8=Q b1=Q 75. Qg6+) 66... b5 67. f6 Rf3 68. f7 Ke7 (68... b4 69. Nf6) 69.
f8=Q+ Rxf8 70. Nxf8 b4 (70... Kxf8 71. Kh7) 71. Nh7 b3 72. Nf6 b2 73. Nd5+ Kd6
74. Nc3) (60... Kd7 61. Nd5 (61. Ne4 Rb1 62. Nxf6+ Ke7 63. Kg6)) 61. Ne4+ Ke7
62. Nxf6 Rd1 (62... Kf7 63. Nd5) 63. Kg6 Rd3 64. f5 Rd6 65. g5 Kf8 66. b4 {
This is a kind of mutual zugzwang. Dies ist eine Art beiderseitiger Zugzwang.}
Rd4 67. Kh6 ({Or Oder} 67. Nh5 Rxb4 68. Ng7 Rxb5 69. Ne6+ Ke7 70. Nd4) 67...
Rh4+ (67... Rd6 {was trickier: war trickreicher:} 68. Kh7 Rxf6 (68... Rd1 69.
Nh5) 69. gxf6 Kf7 70. Kh8 Kf8 71. f7 $1 Kxf7 72. Kh7 Kf6 73. Kg8 Kxf5 74. Kf7)
68. Nh5 Rxb4 69. g6 Rg4 70. f6 Rg1 71. Nf4 Re1 72. Nd5 Rf1 73. Kg5 Rg1+ 74. Kf5
Rf1+ 75. Ke6 Re1+ 76. Kd6 Rf1 77. Kc6 {I was awarded the prize for the best
technique in Alekhine's style for this game. Fьr diese Partie wurde mir der
Preis fьr die beste Technik in Aljechins Stil verliehen.} 1-0

[Event "Alekhine Memorial"]
[Site "Paris/St Petersburg"]
[Date "2013.04.29"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ding, Liren"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E74"]
[WhiteElo "2739"]
[BlackElo "2707"]
[PlyCount "153"]
[EventDate "2013.04.21"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 154"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.05.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 c5 7. d5 h6 8. Be3 e6
9. dxe6 Bxe6 10. Qd2 Kh7 11. h3 Qa5 12. Nf3 Qb4 13. a3 Qb3 14. Qc1 Nc6 15. O-O
Nd7 16. Rd1 Nde5 17. Nd2 Qb6 18. f4 Nd7 19. Bd3 Nd4 20. Kh2 Rae8 21. Qb1 Qd8
22. Ne2 Nxe2 23. Bxe2 b5 24. cxb5 d5 25. Qc2 Qb8 26. g3 c4 27. Nf3 Qxb5 28. e5
Bf5 29. Qd2 Be4 30. b4 Qb8 31. Nd4 f6 32. e6 Nb6 33. f5 Bxf5 34. Nxf5 gxf5 35.
Qc2 Kh8 36. Bc5 Rxe6 37. Bxf8 Bxf8 38. Bf3 Re3 39. Qxf5 c3 40. Rd3 Rxd3 41.
Qxd3 Qe5 42. Ra2 Bd6 43. Bg2 d4 44. Re2 Qg5 45. Qxd4 Qxg3+ 46. Kg1 Be5 47. Qg4
Qxg4 48. hxg4 Nc4 49. a4 Bd4+ 50. Kh2 Be5+ 51. Kh3 Kg7 52. Be4 Kf8 53. Kg2 Ke7
54. Kf3 Kd6 55. Ra2 Kc7 56. Ke2 Kb6 57. Bd3 Nd6 58. a5+ Kc6 59. a6 Nb5 60. Ra5
Nc7 61. Kd1 Kd6 62. Bc4 Kc6 63. Kc2 Kb6 64. Kb3 Kc6 65. Rc5+ Kb6 66. Bd3 Bd4
67. Rh5 Be3 68. Kxc3 Bg5 69. Rh1 Nxa6 70. Bxa6 Kxa6 71. Kc4 Kb6 72. Re1 Bh4 73.
Re6+ Kc7 74. Kb5 Kd7 75. Ra6 Ke7 76. Rxa7+ Ke6 77. Kc4 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 8th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2013.06.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2774"]
[BlackElo "2755"]
[Annotator "Pavlovic,M"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2013.06.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "22"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 155"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 {This game follows one of the most complex positions in the Sicilian
that has been extensively analysed. The author of this annotations spend a
huge amount of time on it especially while writing a book where one of the
subjects was this line.} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. f3 e5
7. Nb3 Be6 8. Be3 Be7 9. Qd2 O-O 10. O-O-O Nbd7 11. g4 b5 12. g5 b4 13. Ne2 Ne8
14. f4 {So far we are just following the usual path.} a5 15. f5 a4 16. fxe6 {
Not the only move and surely not the main line. Probably the critical move is
16.Nbd4 with immense complications; it has been tested many times.} axb3 17.
cxb3 fxe6 18. Bh3 Rxa2 19. Bxe6+ Kh8 20. Ng3 Nc7 21. Bc4 Qa8 22. Rhf1 Rxf1 23.
Rxf1 Ra1+ 24. Kc2 Rxf1 25. Bxf1 d5 {So far this is all theoretical..} 26. h4 $6
$146 {Finally we see what White wanted. This is a new idea but compared to
alternatives doesn't look good.} (26. exd5 {A bit dry} Nxd5 27. h4 Nc5 (27...
Nxe3+ 28. Qxe3 Qd5 29. Bc4 Qg2+ 30. Kb1 g6 (30... Bc5 31. Qd3 Bd4 32. Ne2 Nc5
33. Qf5 Qe4+ 34. Qxe4 Nxe4 35. Nxd4 exd4 36. Kc2 Nc5 37. h5 $1 {A nice endgame
position, Black is very difficult, his king is cut off from play.}) 31. Ne4 Qg4
32. Ka2 $14 {1/2-1/2 (52) Hoeven,D (2635)-Avotins,M (2459) ICCF 2006. White
looks a tidy bit better although Black's chances to hold are much bigger then
the white chances to win as proved in some games like this one.}) 28. Bf2 Ne6
29. Bc4 Ndf4 {1/2-1/2 (29) Schulz,G (2423)-Bos,H (2435) ICCF 2009. This looks
ok to me.}) (26. Qf2 $5 {This looks like an interesting try} Qc6+ (26... d4 27.
Bd2 $1 {I give an exclamation mark only to emphasise the difference with the
main game; here the bishop is active and the queen on the f-file as well} Qe8
28. Bc4 g6 29. Qf7 Qxf7 30. Bxf7 Kg7 31. Bc4 $14 {[%cal Gg3h1,Gh1f2,Gf2d3]})
27. Kb1 d4 28. Bd2 g6 29. h4 Nb6 30. Qe1 Qd6 31. Nh1 $1 {[%cal Gh1f2,Gf2d3]}
Ne6 32. Nf2 Nf4 33. Ng4 {1-0 (65) Mьller,G (2568)-Soberano,J (2583) ICCF 2010.
To me this looks like slight pressure for White although due to the passed
pawn Black's chances can't be dismissed.}) 26... d4 $1 {If we compare this
position with the above mentioned 26.Qf2 the differences are hugely in favour
of 26.Qf2.} 27. Bg1 {The bishop on g1 is somehow "locked in"} Ne6 28. Qe2 $2 {
A further mistake.} (28. Kb1 $1 Ndc5 29. Qxb4 Bd6 30. Qc4 Nf4 31. Qf7 $1 Nxe4
32. Nxe4 Qxe4+ 33. Ka2 Qa8+ 34. Kb1 Qg8 $1 {trying to play for win} 35. Qb7 {
A position like this was White's best chance and it looks more or less like
equal chances.}) 28... Ndc5 $1 $17 29. Qc4 Nf4 $6 {Inaccurate, but still Black
keeps the better game.} (29... h6 $1 30. gxh6 Bxh4 31. hxg7+ Kxg7 32. Nf5+ Kf6
$1 $19 {Due to the pressure on e4 and better coordination of his pieces Black
is winning.}) 30. Qf7 Qf8 31. Qc4 $6 (31. Qxf8+ {The only chance} Bxf8 32. Bh2
g6 $15 {The endgame is better for Black.}) 31... g6 32. Bf2 $2 Ne2 $19 {
Now Black wins.} 33. Nh1 d3+ 34. Kd1 Qf3 35. Bxc5 Qxf1+ 36. Kd2 Nf4 37. Ng3
Qg2+ 38. Kc1 Qxg3 39. Kb1 Ne2 40. Qf7 Qe1+ 41. Ka2 Nc3+ 0-1

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 8th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2013.06.18"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E90"]
[WhiteElo "2755"]
[BlackElo "2760"]
[Annotator "Pavlovic,M"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2013.06.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "22"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 155"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. d5 g6 4. Nc3 Bg7 5. e4 d6 6. h3 O-O 7. Nf3 e6 8. Bd3 exd5
9. exd5 Re8+ 10. Be3 Rxe3+ $6 {Certainly an entertaining move. While I was
watching the game it reminded me on an old game of Ulf Andersson in the Nimzo
Indian, if I am not mistaken where he saced the rook on e3. He was known at
that time for such ideas. In general my opinion is that White keeps some
pressure in this line even against the usual theoretical moves like 10...Bh6
or 10...Nbd7, but the position is far from simple in those cases.} ({For
instance:} 10... Nbd7 11. O-O Nh5 12. Qd2 Ne5 13. Be2 $1) ({Or:} 10... Bh6 11.
O-O Bxe3 12. fxe3 Qe7 13. e4 Nbd7 14. Qd2 {In both cases White has the easier
game.}) 11. fxe3 Qe7 12. O-O Nbd7 (12... Nfd7 13. Qe2 ({Even better was:} 13.
Qd2 $1 Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Rf3 Nd7 16. Raf1 Bxc3 17. Qxc3 Ne5 18. Rf6 Bf5 19.
R1xf5 gxf5 20. Rxf5 $16) 13... Ne5 14. Nxe5 Bxe5 15. Rf3 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Nd7 17.
Raf1 Ne5 18. Rf6 Bf5 (18... Bd7 $5) 19. R6xf5 gxf5 20. Bxf5 Qg5 21. Rf4 $16 {
1/2-1/2 (60) Lputian,S (2616)-Petrosian,T (2606) Yerevan ARM 2008}) 13. Qd2 Ne5
$6 (13... Nh5 $5 14. g4 Ng3 15. Rf2 h5 16. Rg2 h4 {The engines gives here a
winning advantage to White, which might be the case in an ideal chess game,
but compared to the actual game to me this looks like a far better try.} 17.
Rf2 Ne5 18. Nxe5 Qxe5 19. Re1 Bd7 {to me this looks like the kind of chess
Moroz wanted in this game.}) 14. Nxe5 Qxe5 15. Rf3 $1 {Black is simply too
slow in occuping the e5-square with a knight.} Bd7 (15... Nd7 16. Raf1 f5 17.
Bc2 Qe7 18. b3 Ne5 19. R3f2 Bh6 20. Ne2 Bd7 21. Nf4 $18 {I really don't see
how Black can hold the position in the long run.}) 16. Raf1 Rf8 (16... Be8 17.
Qf2 Nd7 18. Rxf7 Bxf7 19. Qxf7+ Kh8 20. Ne4 $1 $18) 17. Qf2 $18 {Simple chess.}
Qe7 18. Rxf6 Bxf6 19. Qxf6 Qxe3+ 20. Rf2 $1 Qxd3 21. Qxd6 Bf5 22. Qxc5 $18 b6
23. Qc7 Rc8 24. Qxa7 Qe3 (24... Qd4 25. g4 {wins for White.}) 25. d6 Qd4 26.
Nb5 Qxc4 27. Qxb6 Qc1+ 28. Kh2 Re8 29. Qc7 Qd1 30. Rxf5 gxf5 31. d7 Rf8 32.
Qg3+ Kh8 33. Qd6 1-0

[Event "Moscow Tal Memorial 8th"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2013.06.21"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[WhiteElo "2784"]
[BlackElo "2755"]
[Annotator "Gelfand/Huzman"]
[PlyCount "90"]
[EventDate "2013.06.13"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "22"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 155"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.07.16"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{This game was played in the 7th round, when Nakamura was leading after an
impressive series of wins, while I was half a point behind. Diese Partie wurde
in der 7. Runde gespielt, als Nakamura nach einer beeindruckenden Siegesserie
fьhrte, wдhrend ich einen halben Punkt zurьcklag.} 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 {
Sveshnikov! Most of my opponents decided on the Rossolimo system by 3.Bb5.
Sveshnikov! Die meisten meiner Gegner entschieden sich mit 3.Bb5 fьr das
Rossolimo-System} cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8. Na3 b5 9.
Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. c4 {A small surprise. There had been only one game on
the top level with this move. Eine kleine Ьberraschung. Auf Spitzenebene hatte
es mit diesem Zug nur eine einzige Partie gegeben.} b4 {After a long period of
thought I decided to stick to spirit of the line. Nach langem Nachdenken
beschloss ich, weiter im Geist des Abspiels zu bleiben.} ({Pavel Eljanov had
reacted in a different way, but also got a good game: Pavel Eljanov hatte
anders reagiert, aber ebenfalls gutes Spiel bekommen:} 11... Qa5+ 12. Qd2 Qxd2+
13. Kxd2 Bh6+ 14. Kd1 O-O 15. exf5 Bxf5 16. cxb5 axb5 17. Bxb5 Nd4 18. Ne7+ Kg7
19. Nxf5+ Nxf5 20. Bd3 Ne7 21. Nb5 d5 22. Ke2 e4 23. Bc2 Rab8 24. a4 f5 {
1-0 Volokitin,A (2704)-Eljanov,P (2693)/Kiev UKR 2012 (50)}) 12. Nc2 ({The
attempt to win an exchange is too naive, as Black gets impressive pawns in the
centre: Der Versuch, die Qualitдt zu gewinnen, ist zu naiv, denn Schwarz
bekommt beeindruckende Bauern im Zentrum:} 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Nb5 axb5 14. Qxa8
Qxa8 15. Nc7+ Kd8 16. Nxa8 Nd4 17. Rd1 fxe4 18. cxb5 d5 $17) 12... fxe4 13. g3
Bg7 ({Engines recommend Engines empfehlen} 13... h5 14. Bg2 f5 (14... Bg4 15.
f3 exf3 16. Bxf3 $44) 15. f3 {with a complicated game. mit kompliziertem Spiel.
}) 14. Bg2 O-O 15. Bxe4 {Other moves are not dangerous: Andere Zьge sind nicht
gefдhrlich:} (15. Ncxb4 Nd4 16. Bxe4 Bh3 17. Qh5 f5) (15. Ndxb4 Qa5 16. Qxd6
Nxb4 17. Qxb4 Qxb4+ 18. Nxb4 Rb8 19. a3 a5 20. Nd5 Rxb2) 15... Rb8 16. b3 (16.
g4 Qh4 $5 $36 ({or or} 16... b3 17. axb3 Rxb3)) (16. Nde3 Ne7 17. g4 b3 $132) (
16. O-O f5 17. Bg2 b3 $132) 16... f5 17. Bg2 e4 {Here I had to make a decision
and after a long thought I decided for a risky-looking grab of the a2-pawn.
However I couldn't find anything which refuted this idea. The point is that
after the a2-pawn had been taken, Black wouldn't have problems in almost any
endgame as he'll have counterplay connected with a5-a4. Hier musste ich eine
Entscheidung treffen, und nach langem Nachdenken wдhlte ich einen riskant
wirkenden Raub des a2-Bauern. Allerdings konnte ich nichts finden, was diese
Idee widerlegte. Der Punkt ist, dass nachdem der a2-Bauer genommen wurde,
Schwarz in praktisch jedem Endspiel keine Probleme hдtte, da er Gegenspiel in
Verbindung mit a5-a4 haben wird.} (17... Kh8 18. O-O Be6 19. Qe2 a5 20. Rad1
Qd7 21. Rd2 {would lead to a normal game, typical for this opening. wьrde zu
einer normalen Partie fьhren, typisch fьr diese Erцffnung.}) 18. Rb1 Qa5 $5 ({
The trivial Das triviale} 18... Ne7 19. O-O Nxd5 20. Qxd5+ Kh8 21. Rbd1 Be5 22.
Qd2 Qb6 $132 {was also possible. war ebenfalls mцglich.}) 19. O-O Qxa2 20. Nde3
{The most natural move. Der natьrlichste Zug.} ({I also considered Ich erwog
auch} 20. Nf4 $5 {when Black has to ignore the d6-pawn and develop his bishop
by ...Bd7 or ...Bb7: , wonach Schwarz den d6-Bauern ignorieren und seinen
Lдufer mit  ...Bd7 oder ...Bb7 entwickeln muss:} Bb7 $5 (20... Be5 21. f3 exf3
22. Rxf3 Qa5 23. Rf2 $36) (20... Bd7 $5 21. f3 (21. Qxd6 Be8 22. Qd5+ Rf7 $132)
21... a5 $1 22. fxe4 a4 23. Qxd6 axb3 24. Ne3 Rbd8 $132) 21. f3 e3 $5 (21...
exf3 22. Bxf3 Be5 23. Rf2 Qa5 $13) 22. Re1 Rbe8 23. Re2 (23. Nxe3 Rxe3 $17)
23... Qa5 24. Nd5 Ne7 $5 ({or stylish oder schick} 24... f4 $5 25. Nxf4 Kh8 26.
Nd5 Qc5 27. f4 Bc8 $44 28. Bf3 Bf5 29. Kg2 Bg6 {and the pair of bishops is a
good compensation for the pawn. und das Lдuferpaar ist ein guter Ersatz fьr
den Bauern.}) 25. Nxe7+ (25. Ncxe3 Nxd5 26. Nxd5 Bxd5 27. cxd5 Qc5+ 28. Kh1 f4
{and Black is fine und Schwarz steht gut}) (25. Nf4 Ng6) 25... Rxe7 26. Qxd6
Qd8 $1 27. Rd1 Qxd6 28. Rxd6 f4 $132) ({The most energetic option was Die
energischste Option war} 20. f3 $1 {trying to open the game while the
opponent's queen is far away: im Bestreben, das Spiel zu цffnen, wдhrend die
gegnerische Dame weit weg ist:} {the correct reply is Die richtige Antwort
lautet} exf3 (20... Bd7 {is not so precise: ist nicht so genau:} 21. fxe4 $1 (
21. Nde3 exf3 22. Rxf3 Be5 {- ok for black. - okay fьr Schwarz.}) 21... fxe4
22. Nf4 {White would grab the e4-pawn and have a dangerous attack WeiЯ wьrde
den e4-Bauern abholen und hдtte gefдhrlichen Angriff.}) 21. Bxf3 {is more
dangerous ist gefдhrlicher.} ({after nach} 21. Rxf3 {Black should exploit
dynamic factors: sollte Schwarz dynamische Faktoren ausspielen:} f4 $1 ({
or consolidate by oder Konsolidierung mit} 21... Qa5 22. Kh1 Qc5 23. Rf1 $44)
22. Rxf4 Rxf4 23. Nxf4 Bg4 $1 24. Qd5+ $8 Kh8 25. Rc1 Ne5 26. Qxd6 Re8 $44 {
Black got all his pieces into the game and had at least sufficient
compensation for the pawn Schwarz hat all seine Figuren im Spiel und
mindestens ausreichende Kompensation fьr den Bauern.}) {Now it is better to
leave one's queen on a2 where it is in safety, while disturbing the opponent's
pieces Nun ist es besser, die eigene Dame auf a2 zu belassen, wo sie in
Sicherheit ist und gleichzeitig die gegnerischen Figuren stцrt.} 21... Bd7 $5 (
{possible is possible is} 21... Qa5 $5) 22. Ncxb4 (22. Nde3 Ne5 23. Bg2 a5 $132
) 22... Nxb4 23. Nxb4 Rxb4 24. Qxd6 Rxb3 25. Rxb3 Qxb3 26. Qxd7 {and draw is a
likely outcome. und ein Remis ist ein wahrscheinlicher Ausgang.}) 20... Qa5 21.
Qxd6 Rf6 {The most natural reply, but Die natьrlichste Erwiderung, aber} ({
another interesting move was ein weiterer interessanter Zug war} 21... Bb7 $5 {
so the Bg7 would control the long diagonal: , damit der Bg7 die lange
Diagonale kontrolliert:} 22. Rbd1 (22. Nd5 Rbd8 23. Qf4 (23. Ne7+ Nxe7 24. Qxe7
Rf7 25. Qxb4 (25. Qg5 Rdf8 $132) 25... Qxb4 26. Nxb4 a5 (26... Bc3 27. Nc2 Rd2
28. Ne3 f4 $44) 27. Nc2 Rd2 28. Ne3 f4 29. gxf4 Rxf4 $44) 23... Qc5 $11) 22...
Qe5 {with a rather balanced position. mit einer recht ausgewogenen Stellung.})
22. Qf4 ({I rather expected Ich erwartete eher} 22. Qd2 Be6 ({but maybe even
simpler is aber einfacher ist vielleicht} 22... Qc5 23. Nd5 (23. Rbd1 a5) 23...
Rf7 24. Qg5 $13 {with a complicated game, where both sides have their chances
mit kompliziertem Spiel, wo beide Seiten ihre Chancen haben.}) 23. Rfd1 (23.
Nd5 Bxd5 24. Ra1 Qb6 25. Qxd5+ Kh8 $11) 23... Rd8 24. Qe2 Rff8 {and Black
shouldn't worry too much. und Schwarz sollte sich nicht allzu sehr sorgen.})
22... Qe5 {A natural response. Eine natьrliche Erwiderung.} ({After Nach} 22...
Qc5 23. Rbd1 {Black's position can be dangerous: kann die schwarze Stellung
gefдhrlich sein:} Be6 24. Rd5 $1 Qf8 25. Rd6 $1) 23. Qxe5 {Black can hardly
have any problems after the queen exchange. Nach dem Damentausch kann Schwarz
kaum irgendwelche Probleme haben.} (23. Nd5 Rf7 24. Qe3 (24. Qd2 a5 $132 (24...
Be6 $2 25. f4 $1 exf3 26. Rfe1)) 24... a5 $5 25. Rfd1 Ba6 {with an unclear
game in both cases. , mit unklarem Spiel in beiden Fдllen.}) 23... Nxe5 24. Nd5
$6 {A step in the wrong direction. Ein Schritt in die falsche Richtung.} ({
Better was Besser war} 24. Rfd1 $5 Rf7 {/\f4} (24... Nd3 25. Nd4 Bf8 26. Bf1)
25. Ra1 (25. Rd8+ Rf8 26. Rd5 f4 $132) 25... f4 $5 26. gxf4 Nf3+ 27. Bxf3 exf3
{and due to the bishop pair Black's chances are not worse. , und aufgrund des
Lдuferpaars sind die schwarzen Chancen nicht schlechter.} (27... Bxa1 28. Bxe4
Rg7+ 29. Kf1 Bc3 {and White has excellent compensation for the exchange. und
WeiЯ hat ausgezeichnete Kompensation fьr die Qualitдt.})) (24. f3 exf3 25. Bxf3
Nxf3+ 26. Rxf3 Rf7 {is ok for Black. ist okay fьr Schwarz.}) 24... Rf7 25.
Ncxb4 a5 $1 26. Nc2 Rfb7 {White wasted 2 moves to win the b4-pawn and gave
Black strong pressure along the b-file. WeiЯ hat zwei Zьge verschwendet, um
den b4-Bauern zu gewinnen, und Schwarz starken Druck in der b-Linie gegeben.}
27. Nce3 $2 {Now Black is seizing the initiative. Nun ergreift Schwarz die
Initiative.} ({After Nach} 27. Rbd1 $1 Nd3 (27... Kf7 28. Nd4) (27... Rxb3 28.
Ne7+ (28. Nd4 a4) 28... Kf8 29. Nxc8 Rxc8 30. Nd4 a4 31. Nxf5 $11) 28. Nce3 {
Black hardly has more than a repetition of moves: hat Schwarz kaum mehr als
eine Zugwiederholung:} (28. f3 Bf8 $1) 28... Rf7 (28... Be6 29. g4 fxg4 30.
Bxe4 Nc5 31. Nf4) 29. Rb1 Rfb7 $11) ({I had expected Erwartet hatte ich} 27.
Nd4 {and was hesitating between either und schwankte dann zwischen entweder} {
big complications after groЯen Komplikationen nach} a4 ({or simplifications,
leading to a draw after oder zum Remis fьhrenden Vereinfachungen nach} 27...
Nxc4 28. Nc6 Nd2 $11 29. Nde7+ Kf7 30. Nxb8 Rxb8 31. Nxc8 Nxb1 32. Nd6+ (32.
Rxb1 Rxc8 $11) 32... Ke6 33. Nxf5 Kxf5 34. Rxb1 Bc3 $11) 28. c5 $1 a3 29. c6 $1
Rf7 30. Ra1 {I had the feeling that Black should be fine here, however the
lines are very complicated. Here are few sample lines discovered with the big
help of a computer. Ich hatte das Gefьhl, dass Schwarz danach ordentlich
stehen sollte, allerdings sind die Abspiele sehr kompliziert. Hier ein paar
Beispielvarianten, entdeckt mit der groЯen Hilfe eines Computers.} Nd3 $1 (
30... Nf3+ 31. Nxf3 Bxa1 32. Rxa1 exf3 33. Bf1 $1 (33. Bxf3 Ra7 34. b4 Kg7 $15)
33... Ra7 (33... Be6 34. Bc4) 34. Bc4 Kf8 35. c7 Rbb7 36. Kf1 $11) 31. c7 $1
Rb7 $1 (31... Ra8 32. Nb6 Ra6 33. Nxc8 Rxc7 34. Rxa3 Rxa3 35. Nxf5 $11) 32.
Nxf5 $8 Bxf5 (32... Bxa1 33. Nh6+ (33. Bxe4 Bg7 34. Nfe7+ Kh8 35. Nxc8 Rxf2 36.
Rd1 a2 $17) 33... Kf8 34. Nxf7 Bd4 35. Nd6 $5 (35. Bxe4 Kxf7 36. Bxd3 Ra7 $15)
35... Bxf2+ $1 36. Kh1 e3 37. Bf3 (37. Nxe3 Rxc7 38. Nb5 {should also be
sufficient. sollte ebenfalls ausreichen.}) 37... Rxc7 $1 38. Nxc7 Ne1 $1 39.
Nd5 a2 40. Nxe3 a1=Q 41. Rxf2 Nxf3+ 42. Kg2 Be6 43. Rxf3+ Kg8 44. Ndf5 $11 {
/\g4, '}) 33. Rxa3 Rfxc7 34. Nxc7 Rxc7 35. Ra4 Re7 {and Black is slightly
better. und Schwarz steht leicht besser.}) (27. Ra1 Nc6 $15) 27... Nc6 {
I liked this move, consolidating my position, but even stronger was the direct
Mir gefiel dieser Zug, da er meine Stellung konsolidiert, aber noch stдrker
war das direkte} (27... a4 28. b4 Be6 $1 29. Rbd1 $8 (29. c5 a3 $17) 29... a3
30. Bh3 Rf8 $1 $17 {and White is in real trouble. und WeiЯ steckt in echten
Schwierigkeiten.}) 28. c5 ({I had thought about Nachgedacht hatte ich auch ьber
} 28. Bh3 a4 29. Bxf5 Bxf5 30. Nxf5 Rxb3 31. Rxb3 Rxb3 32. Nxg7 Kxg7 $15) ({
Both of us had missed that after the N had left e5 White could break Black's
centre by Wir beide hatten ьbersehen, dass nachdem der N das Feld e5
verhlassen hat, WeiЯ das schwarze Zentrum aufhebeln konnte mit} 28. g4 $1 fxg4
(28... a4 29. Nxf5 Bxf5 30. gxf5 Be5 31. Bxe4 a3 32. b4 a2 33. Ra1 $11 {/= /=})
29. Bxe4 Rxb3 30. Rxb3 Rxb3 31. c5 $132 {and when White's bishop gets into the
game he has equal chances. , und wenn der Lдufer von WeiЯ ins Spiel kommt, hat
er gleiche Chancen.}) 28... Rxb3 29. Nb6 $2 {It was still time to return to
the correct idea: Es war noch immer Zeit, zur richtigen Idee zurьckzukehren:} (
29. Rxb3 Rxb3 30. g4 $1 Ba6 (30... fxg4 31. Bxe4 {cf7 cf7}) (30... a4 31. Nxf5
Bxf5 32. gxf5 Bd4 33. Bxe4 a3 34. Nf4) 31. Re1 fxg4 32. Bxe4 $132) 29... Rxb1
30. Rxb1 Be6 ({A more precise way was Ein genauerer Weg war} 30... Bd4 31. Rc1
(31. Rb5 Ba6 $19) 31... Be6 $17 {but it is hard to realise that White's rook
is better placed on b5 than on c1. The difference is that the a5-pawn would be
under attack. , aber es ist schwer zu erkennen, dass der weiЯe Turm auf b5
besser steht als auf c1 . Der Unterschied ist, dass der a5-Bauer angegriffen
wдre.}) 31. Bf1 Bd4 ({I rejected Ich verwarf} 31... a4 32. Bb5 ({or oder} 32.
Bc4 $5 Bxc4 33. Nexc4 Bd4 34. Rd1 Bxc5 35. Nxa4 Bd4 36. Nab6 $1 Bxb6 37. Rd6
Bxf2+ 38. Kxf2 {with excellent drawing chances. mit ausgezeichneten
Remischancen.}) 32... a3 33. Bxc6 a2 34. Rf1 a1=Q 35. Rxa1 Bxa1 36. Bd5 Kf7 37.
Nxf5 Bxd5 38. Nxd5 {and White should be able to hold. und WeiЯ sollte sich
halten kцnnen.}) 32. Rb5 Kf7 (32... Bxe3 33. fxe3 Rd8 34. g4 fxg4 35. Bg2 {
makes White's task easier and who would voluntarily exchange such a bishop?
erleichtert die weiЯe Aufgabe, und wer wьrde freiwillig einen solchen Lдufer
abtauschen?}) 33. Nec4 {When I faced this move I panicked first, but it turns
out to be a waste of time. Als ich diesen Zug vorgesetzt bekam, geriet ich
zuerst in Panik, aber er erweist sich als Zeitverschwendung.} ({For some
reason, after Aus irgendeinem Grund ist es nach} 33. Kg2 $5 {it is hard for
Black to achieve anything substantial: fьr Schwarz schwer, irgendetwas
Substanzielles zu erreichen:} Rd8 (33... Bxe3 34. fxe3 Rd8 35. Nc4) (33... Ke7
34. Nbd5+) (33... Bxc5 34. Rxc5 Rxb6 35. Bc4) 34. Nbc4 a4 35. Rb6 Bd7 36. Nd5
$132 Bxc5 37. Ra6 {and the activity of White's pieces should be enough for a
draw. , und die Aktivitдt der Figuren von WeiЯ sollte zum Remis ausreichen.})
33... Kg7 $1 34. Nd6 (34. Nxa5 Na7 {leads to big material losses fьhrt zu
groЯen Materialverlusten}) (34. Ne3 Bxe3 {Again Black should dare to exchange
his powerful bishop, except with an extra tempo. Hier sollte Schwarz es wagen,
seinen mдchtigen Lдufer zu tauschen, allerdings mit einem Extraempo.} 35. fxe3
Rd8 $17) 34... Kf6 {Natural and strong Natьrlich und stark.} (34... Bxc5 35.
Rxc5 Rxb6 36. Bc4 Kf6 37. g4 $1 a4 38. gxf5 Bxc4 39. Nxe4+ Kg7 40. Rxc4 a3 41.
Nc3 Ra6 42. Na2 {with good drawing chances. mit guten Remischancen.}) ({
The computer also indicates Der Computer zeigt auch} 34... Be5 $5 35. Ndc4 (35.
Nbc4 Bxd6 36. Nxd6 a4 $19) 35... Bc3 $17) 35. Na4 (35. Kg2 $142 Bc3 $17) 35...
e3 $1 {Suddenly a mating attack is started with the limited material remaining
on the board. Plцtzlich wird mit dem begrenzten Restmaterial auf dem Brett ein
Mattangriff eingeleitet.} 36. fxe3 Bxe3+ 37. Kg2 (37. Kh1 Bd5+ 38. Bg2 Rxb5 39.
Nxb5 Ke5 $19) 37... Bd5+ 38. Kh3 Rxb5 39. Bxb5 Ne5 40. Nc3 (40. Nb6 {would
require some technique from Black wьrde Schwarz einige Technik abverlangen.}
Bf3 $1 {Keeping the king in the cage. Lдsst den Kцnig im Kдfig.} ({or oder} 
40... Be6 41. Ne8+ Kg5 42. Nc7 Bb3 43. Na4 f4 44. gxf4+ Kxf4 45. Kg2 Bd4 {
and Black is close to victory, but due to the limited material left, some
difficulties are possible. und Schwarz steht dicht vor dem Sieg, aber aufgrund
des begrenzten Restmaterials sind noch ein paar Schwierigkeiten mцglich.}) 41.
Ndc4 Nxc4 (41... Ng4 42. Nxe3 Nxe3 43. g4 Ke5 $1 {is too sophisticated ist zu
hochgestochen} ({while , wдhrend} 43... f4 44. Kh4 Bxg4 45. Nd5+ Nxd5 46. Kxg4
Ke5 47. Kf3 Nc3 48. Bd3 h6 49. c6 Kd6 50. Kxf4 a4 51. Ke3 a3 52. Bc4 Kxc6 53.
Kd3 {lets White escape. WeiЯ entkommen lдsst.})) 42. Bxc4 (42. Nxc4 Be2 $19)
42... Kg5 43. Nd7 (43. Na4 Bc6 44. Bb3 Kf6 $19) 43... a4 44. Ne5 Bg4+ $1 45.
Nxg4 fxg4+ 46. Kg2 Bxc5 $19 {leads to victory as White's king has to protect
the weak pawns and cannot run to the queenside. fьhrt zum Sieg, denn der weiЯe
Kцnig muss die schwachen Bauern schьtzen und kann nicht zum Damenflьgel laufen.
}) 40... Bf3 $1 41. Be2 (41. Nc4 Bxc5 $19) 41... Bxe2 42. Nd5+ (42. Nxe2 Bxc5
$19) 42... Kg5 43. Nxe3 Ng4 $1 ({Black had the nice alternative Schwarz hatte
die schцne Alternative} 43... Bf3 $1 {/\Ng4-+}) 44. Kg2 (44. Ndxf5 Bf3 $19 {
An amazing position! A mating attack with just a few pieces on the board. Eine
verblьffende Stellung! Ein Mattangriff mit nur wenigen Figuren auf dem Brett.})
44... Nxe3+ 45. Kf2 Nc4 ({The computer indicates also Der Computer zeigt auch} 
45... a4 $19 46. Kxe3 a3 47. Kxe2 a2 48. c6 a1=Q 49. c7 Qa6+) ({But what could
be simpler than a won pawn ending? Aber was kцnnte einfacher sein als ein
gewonnenes Bauernendspiel?} 45... Nc4 46. Kxe2 Nxd6 47. cxd6 Kf6 48. Kd3 Ke6
49. Kc4 Kxd6 50. Kb5 Kd5 51. Kxa5 Ke4 52. Kb5 Kf3 53. Kc5 Kg2 54. Kd4 Kxh2 55.
Ke5 Kxg3 56. Kxf5 h5 $19) 0-1

[Event "Beijing FIDE GP"]
[Site "Beijing"]
[Date "2013.07.12"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Ivanchuk, Vassily"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E97"]
[WhiteElo "2773"]
[BlackElo "2733"]
[Annotator "Pavlovic,M"]
[PlyCount "143"]
[EventDate "2013.07.04"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "CHN"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 156"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.09.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.09.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Nf3 e5 7. O-O Nc6 8. d5
Ne7 9. b4 {The Bayonet line has been very popular during the past decade and
mainly due to the famous game Kramnik-Kasparov. Big disputes are taking place
here as to whether can White achieve something or not. To me it looks
unbalanced.} Nh5 10. g3 {A highly fashionable line these days.} a5 $5 {Much
less played than the common 10...f5, but an interesting line.} 11. bxa5 ({
Another possibility for White is} 11. Ba3 f5 {, with precise play this
position looks ok for Black:} 12. c5 (12. bxa5 fxe4 $5 (12... Rxa5 13. Bb4 Ra8
14. c5 $14 {1-0 (31) Zoler,D (2533)-Ulanowski,K (2091) Legnica POL 2013}) 13.
Nxe4 Nf6 14. Nfg5 (14. Nxf6+ Bxf6 15. Bb4 Bh3 (15... e4 16. Nd4 Nf5 17. Nxf5
Bxf5 18. Rc1 Bg5 19. Rc3 Bh3 20. Re1 Qf6 21. f4 exf3 22. Bxf3 b6 $13) 16. Re1
e4 17. Nd4 c5 18. dxc6 Nxc6 19. Nxc6 bxc6 20. Bxd6 (20. Qxd6 Bxa1 21. Qxf8+
Qxf8 22. Bxf8 Bc3 23. Rc1 Rxa5 24. Bc5 Rxa2 25. Bf1 Bd2 26. Rb1 Bxf1 $11) 20...
e3 21. fxe3 Bxa1 22. Bxf8 Bc3 $15) 14... Nxe4 15. Nxe4 Bf5 16. Bd3 Bxe4 17.
Bxe4 Rxa5 18. Bb4 Ra8 19. c5 Nf5 $13) (12. Ng5 $6 h6 $1 13. Nf3 {Black has
simply gained a tempo} (13. Ne6 Bxe6 14. dxe6 axb4 15. Bxb4 c5 $19) 13... Nf6
14. exf5 e4 $1 (14... gxf5 15. Nh4 $5 e4 (15... f4 16. Bd3 $1 Bh3 17. Re1 e4
18. Nxe4 Nxe4 19. Bxe4 $40) 16. bxa5 Nd7 17. Bb4 c5 (17... Nc5 18. Qd2 $16 {
1-0 (39) Nguyen Duc Hoa (2492)-Wang Jue (2390) Ho Chi Minh City VIE 2013}) 18.
dxc6 Nxc6 19. Qxd6 Nxb4 20. Qxb4 Qxa5 21. Qxa5 Rxa5 22. Rac1 Bxc3 23. Rxc3 Rxa2
24. Re1 Nc5 $11) 15. Nh4 Bxf5 16. Qd2 axb4 17. Bxb4 Bh3 18. Rfe1 g5 19. Ng2
Bxg2 20. Kxg2 Qd7 $132 21. Bd1 $2 Ng4 $17) 12... Nf6 13. cxd6 cxd6 14. Nd2 Nxe4
15. Ndxe4 fxe4 16. Nxe4 Bf5 17. Bf3 (17. Ng5 Qb6 18. b5 e4 19. Rc1 h6 20. Ne6
Bh3 $15) 17... Bxe4 $1 (17... Qb6 18. bxa5 Rxa5 19. Rb1 Qa6 20. Be2 Qa7 21.
Bxd6 $1 $16 {1-0 (34) Schlosser,P (2567)-Vandevoort,P (2389) Belgium BEL 2008})
18. Bxe4 Nf5 19. b5 Qb6 $13) 11... Rxa5 12. Nd2 Nf6 13. a4 Ra8 $5 (13... c5 14.
Nb3 (14. Nf3 $5 {[%cal Gc1d2,Ga1a3,Gc3b4,Gc3b5] This would be another way of
handling this line very similar to 10.Re1 a5, and I am sure this is the reason
why Ivanchuk went first ...Ra8.}) 14... Ra6 15. Be3 (15. Bd2 {This would be
similar to Gelfand-Ivanchuk with the difference that here the rook is on a6.
In this case Black would profit more.}) 15... Nd7 16. Qd2 f5 17. exf5 Nxf5 (
17... gxf5 $5 {such a move is always important, to cover} 18. f4 (18. Bg5 e4
19. f3 (19. a5 Ne5 20. Ra2 Nf7 21. Bh4 Qe8 22. Nb5 Qd7 23. f3 Ng6 24. fxe4 Nxh4
25. gxh4 fxe4 26. Bh5 Qe7 27. Bxf7+ Rxf7 28. Rxf7 Qxf7 $132) 19... exf3 20.
Rxf3 Ne5 21. Rff1 Nf7 22. Be3 Ng6 $132) 18... Ng6 19. Ra2 exf4 20. gxf4 Nf6
$132) 18. Bg5 Nf6 19. Bf3 h6 20. Bxf6 Qxf6 21. Ne4 Qe7 (21... Qd8 $5) 22. Bg2
h5 23. h3 Bh6 24. Qd3 Kh7 25. Rfe1 Qd8 26. Ra2 Rf7 (26... h4 $1 27. g4 Nd4 28.
Nxd4 exd4 $132) 27. Rb1 $13 Ra8 28. Nc3 Ne7 29. Nd2 Bf5 30. Nde4 $14 Nc8 $6 {
Black decided to go with the knight all the way back to c8 which I find wrong}
31. Rab2 b6 32. Re1 Rf8 33. Qd1 Ra7 34. Qb3 g5 35. Nd2 Kh8 36. Qd1 g4 37. h4
Raf7 $14 {interesting manouvering from both sides, White does have slightly
better chances due to the possibility to break with a5, but Black plays well.}
38. Nde4 Bg6 39. Qe2 Qd7 40. Ra1 Qd8 $1 41. Rba2 Ra7 $1 42. Rb2 Ra6 43. Nb5 Bf5
44. Rb3 Rf7 45. Ra2 Ra8 46. Raa3 Ra5 $6 47. f3 $1 $16 {combined play on both
wings finally gave White chances} Rg7 48. fxg4 Bxg4 49. Qf2 Qe7 50. Bf3 Bf5 51.
Bg2 Bg4 52. Qf6 Qxf6 53. Nxf6 Bd1 54. Rb1 Bc2 55. Rf1 Rxa4 56. Nxh5 Rg8 57.
Rxa4 Bxa4 58. Rf6 $1 (58. Be4 $2 Rf8 $1 59. Rxf8+ Bxf8 60. g4 Bxb5 61. cxb5 c4
62. Bc2 Ne7 63. Be4 Nc8 64. Bc2 Ne7 65. Be4 {1/2-1/2 (65) Jumabayev,R (2548)
-Ding Liren (2702) Incheon KOR 2013}) 58... Be3+ 59. Kh2 Bxb5 60. cxb5 c4 61.
Be4 $18) 14. Nb3 c5 $1 {Chuki is playing elastic, only after Nb3 he goes ...c5.
} 15. Bd2 Nd7 16. a5 f5 17. f3 Nf6 {We got a typical King's Indian position.} (
17... Kh8 $5 18. Qc2 f4 19. g4 Ng8 20. Nb5 Ndf6 21. Kh1 Ne8 22. Nc1 Bf6 23. Nd3
Rf7 24. Bc3 h6 $14 (24... h5 25. g5 $1 $16)) 18. Qc2 h5 (18... f4 19. g4 h5 20.
h3 (20. g5 Nh7 21. h4 Nxg5 22. hxg5 Nf5 23. exf5 (23. Rf2 Qxg5+ 24. Rg2 Ng3 25.
Bf1 Bh3 $17) 23... Qxg5+ $11) 20... g5 21. Na4 Ng6 22. Nb6 Rb8 23. Nc1 Kf7 24.
Be1 Rh8 25. Bd1 Rh7 26. Rf2 {White is aiming at the bishop on c8 and also
defending his king. To tell the truth I don't see anything here for White, the
position simply looks balanced} Bf8 27. Rh2 Be7 28. Ra2 Qh8 29. Qb1 Bd7 30.
Nxd7 Nxd7 31. Rab2 Qc8 32. Ba4 Nf6 {That is the best White can achieve, but
still not much if anything at all.}) 19. Na4 fxe4 {Ivanchuk obviously has a
different approach in mind, let us see...} (19... f4 {was also possible:} 20.
Nb6 Ra6 21. gxf4 $5 exf4 22. Bc3 Bh3 23. Rf2 g5 (23... Nd7 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25.
Nxd7 Qxd7 26. Qc3+ Kh7 27. Bd3 $36 {[%cal Ge4e5]}) 24. e5 $16) 20. fxe4 Bh3 21.
Rf3 Kh7 22. Bf1 Bg4 23. Rf2 Bh6 24. Bg2 Neg8 25. Nb6 Rb8 26. Raf1 $14 {This is
clear and easy play for White.} Qe7 27. h3 Bd7 28. Bxh6 Kxh6 29. Qd2+ Kg7 30.
Qg5 Rf7 31. Nd2 $1 Rbf8 32. Qh4 Nh7 33. Qxe7 Rxe7 34. Rxf8 Nxf8 35. Nf3 Nh7 36.
Nxd7 Rxd7 37. h4 $1 $14 {[%cal Gg2h3] Gelfand plays this game nicely. I can't
evaluate the white advantage as more than a modest +/=, but it is obvious that
his pressure is highly unpleasant.} Ngf6 38. Bh3 Rc7 39. Nd2 Ng4 40. Rb1 Nhf6
41. Rb6 Rd7 42. Bf1 Kf8 43. Bd3 Nh6 44. Bc2 Nf7 45. Nb1 $1 Rc7 46. Nc3 Nd7 47.
Rb1 Ke7 48. Ba4 Nd8 {Nice manouvering gave White tremendous pressure in this
endgame.} 49. Bxd7 $1 Kxd7 50. Kg2 Nf7 51. g4 $1 hxg4 52. Kg3 Nh6 53. Rb6 Ke7
54. Nd1 Ng8 55. Kxg4 Nf6+ 56. Kf3 Rd7 57. Nc3 Kf8 58. Nb5 Ke7 59. Nc3 Kf8 60.
Rb1 Kg7 61. Ke2 Kh6 62. Rf1 Nh7 63. Nb5 Kh5 64. Ke3 Kg4 65. Kd3 Kh3 66. Rg1 $16
Nf8 67. Ke3 Kh2 68. Rf1 Nh7 69. Rf3 Kg2 70. Nc3 g5 71. hxg5 Nxg5 72. Rf5 {
This game is instructive for the handling of some types of middlegame and
endgame in the King's Indian.} 1-0

[Event "Beijing FIDE GP"]
[Site "Beijing"]
[Date "2013.07.15"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E91"]
[WhiteElo "2773"]
[BlackElo "2780"]
[Annotator "Pavlovic,M"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2013.07.04"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "CHN"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 156"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.09.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.09.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Be2 O-O 6. Bg5 Na6 7. Nf3 $5 {
Not the main line in the Averbakh system, but due to recent efforts, the line
is gaining popularity. White is trying to transfer to a Na6 Classical line
with this slightly unusual move order. Certainly interesting we will see in
the future, how the line develops, at the moment it's too early to tell.} h6 (
7... Qe8 8. Nd2 $5 e5 9. d5 c5 10. a3 h6 11. Bh4 Nh7 12. Qa4 Bd7 13. Qb3 Qb8
14. Nb5 f6 15. f3 Ng5 16. Qc2 Nf7 17. O-O Nc7 18. b4 Na6 19. Rab1 b6 20. Bf2
Nd8 21. Be3 Nb7 22. f4 $16 {1-0 (42) Roiz,M (2618)-Kadric,D (2423) Sibenik CRO
2012. Passive play by Black gave White a clear advantage.}) (7... c5 8. d5 Nc7
9. O-O h6 10. Bd2 Rb8 11. a4 $1 (11. a3 e6 12. b4 exd5 13. cxd5 Re8 14. Bd3 c4
15. Bc2 Bg4 $1 (15... Nh5 16. h3 Qf6 17. Nh2 Nf4 18. Qf3 g5 19. Ng4 Qg6 20. Ne3
Be5 $2 21. Nxc4 $18 {1-0 (44) Drenchev,P (2521)-Raeva,E (2297) Plovdiv BUL 2011
}) 16. h3 Bxf3 17. Qxf3 a6 18. a4 Nh7 $132) 11... e6 12. h3 exd5 13. cxd5 Re8
14. Bd3 $14) 8. Be3 (8. Bh4 {not a popular idea but still a logical one} c6 (
8... g5 9. Bg3 Nh5 10. O-O e6 11. Qd2 f5 (11... Nxg3 12. hxg3 c5 13. d5 e5 14.
Nh2 f5 15. exf5 Bxf5 16. Bd3 Qd7 17. Bxf5 Qxf5 18. f3 Qd7 19. Ne4 $16 {1-0 (39)
Echeguren,G (2567)-Haufe,W (2495) CXEB 1999}) 12. exf5 exf5 13. Ne1 g4 14. Nd5
c5 15. Nc2 cxd4 16. Nxd4 f4 $2 (16... Nc5 17. Nb5 Nxg3 18. hxg3 a6 19. Nbc3 Qg5
20. Rad1 Bd7 $14) 17. Nxf4 $1 (17. Nb5 fxg3 18. hxg3 $17 {0-1 (27) Nedobora,M 
(2425)-Smirin,I (2649) Israel ISR 2008}) 17... Qg5 18. h4 $1 gxh3 19. Bxh5 $18)
9. O-O g5 10. Bg3 Nh5 {a flexible approach by Black} 11. d5 (11. Re1 Nxg3 12.
hxg3 Bg4 $6 (12... e6 $1 13. d5 Nc5 $13) 13. Nh2 $1 Bd7 14. Qd2 e6 $14 {
1/2-1/2 (41) Aleksandrov,A (2636)-Czarnota,P (2479) Warsaw POL 2005}) 11...
Nxg3 12. hxg3 e6 13. dxe6 Bxe6 14. Rc1 Qb6 15. Na4 Qa5 16. a3 Nc5 17. Nc3 Bxc3
18. Rxc3 Nxe4 $15 {1/2-1/2 (32) Aleksandrov,A (2617)-Yevseev,D (2534) St
Petersburg RUS 2008}) 8... e5 (8... Ng4 9. Bd2 {This approach is a bit too
optimistic.} (9. Bc1 e5 10. O-O {transposes to the main line}) 9... e5 10. d5
f5 11. exf5 gxf5 12. g3 Nc5 $5 (12... e4 13. Nh4 Nc5 14. Ng2 Qe8 15. O-O Qh5
16. h4 Qe8 17. b4 $14 {1-0 (40) Gareev,T (2570)-Panjwani,R (2310) Pawtucket
USA 2008}) 13. Nh4 f4 14. O-O Qd7 15. b4 (15. Ng2 a5 16. gxf4 e4 17. Qc2 Qf5
18. Bxg4 Qxg4 19. Nxe4 Qg6 20. f3 Bf5 21. Rae1 Rae8 $36) 15... Nxh2 16. bxc5
Qh3 17. Ne4 Bf5 18. Qc2 (18. Nxf5 Rxf5 $19) 18... Bf6 $17) 9. O-O Ng4 (9... Qe8
10. dxe5 dxe5 11. h3 b6 12. a3 Bb7 13. Qc2 Nc5 14. Bxc5 bxc5 15. Nd5 Qd8 16.
Rfd1 c6 17. Nxf6+ Qxf6 18. Rd2 Rfd8 19. Rad1 Qe7 20. Qb3 Rxd2 21. Rxd2 $14 {
1-0 (70) Ponomariov,R (2743)-Mamedov,R (2637) Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2013}) (9...
c6 10. d5 (10. dxe5 dxe5 11. Nxe5 Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Bxe5 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Bxh6
Bxb2 15. Rad1 Re8 16. Bf3 Be6 17. Nd6 Re7 18. Rfe1 Nc5 $13) 10... Ng4 11. Bd2
f5 12. h3 (12. a3 Nc5 13. exf5 gxf5 14. b4 Nd7 15. h3 Ngf6 16. Nh4 Nxd5 17.
cxd5 Qxh4 18. dxc6 bxc6 19. b5 Bb7 20. bxc6 $1 (20. Be1 Qd4 21. Qb3+ d5 22. Rd1
Qb6 23. a4 a5 24. Qa2 Nf6 $15 {0-1 (58) Bitalzadeh,A (2409)-Jones,R (2388)
Rogaska Slatina SLO 2011}) 20... Bxc6 21. Nb5 $36) 12... Nf6 13. Nh4 $1 Nxe4
14. Nxg6 Nxc3 15. Bxc3 Rf6 16. Bh5 Kh7 17. Nh4 Rf8 18. Bg6+ Kg8 19. dxc6 bxc6
20. Qh5 Qg5 21. Rad1 $16) 10. Bc1 {We have a strange situation here: Black is
with the h6 move a tempo up compared to a regular Na6 Be3 line in the Gligoric
Variation, but still White allows it.} Nf6 (10... c6 11. d5 (11. dxe5 dxe5 12.
h3 Nf6 13. Qxd8 Rxd8 14. Be3 Nh5 15. Rfd1 Re8 16. a3 Nf4 17. Bf1 g5 18. Kh2 Nc7
19. g3 Nfe6 20. b4 Bf6 21. Kg2 h5 22. Be2 Kg7 23. c5 a6 24. Na4 Rb8 25. Nb6 Nb5
26. Bxb5 (26. Nd2 Nc3 27. Re1 Nxe2 28. Rxe2 Nf4+ 29. gxf4 exf4 30. Bxf4 gxf4
31. Rd1 Be6 $13 {0-1 (36) Ponomariov,R (2723)-Grischuk,A (2752) Beijing CHN
2011}) 26... axb5 27. a4 bxa4 28. Rxa4 $14) 11... f5 (11... c5 12. Ne1 h5 13.
h3 Nh6 14. Nd3 (14. Nf3 $5 {obviously wants to have the g5-square in case of ..
.f5, but it looks extravagant} Bd7 15. a3 f6 16. Bd3 Be8 17. Be3 Kh7 18. Qd2 g5
19. Rab1 Qe7 20. Be2 b6 21. Ne1 h4 22. Nd3 Bg6 23. g3 Qd7 24. Kh2 Nc7 $13 {
1-0 (49) Raykin,L (2494)-Plomp,M (2600) ICCF 2009}) 14... f5 15. f4 fxe4 16.
Nxe4 Bf5 17. Bf3 Nf7 18. fxe5 Nxe5 19. Nxe5 Bxe5 20. Bh6 Rf7 21. Qd2 $14) 12.
g3 $1 {that is clearly White's idea} cxd5 13. cxd5 fxe4 (13... f4 14. Nh4 g5
15. Ng6 Rf6 16. Nxf4 Nxh2 17. Nh5 Nxf1 18. Nxf6+ Qxf6 19. Bxf1 $16) 14. Nh4 Nf6
15. Nxg6 Rf7 16. Be3 Qd7 17. Re1 Nb4 18. Nh4 b6 19. a3 Nd3 20. Bxd3 exd3 21.
Qxd3 $16 {1-0 (37) Roiz,M (2617)-Gallagher,J (2507) Legnica POL 2013}) 11. Re1
{Now we have Re1 against Na6, but with the extra h6 move for Black!} c6 (11...
Qe8 $5 12. Bf1 Bg4 13. d5 Nb4 14. Be2 a5 $13 {this appears best to me}) (11...
Nh7 $5 12. Bf1 (12. dxe5 dxe5 13. Be3 Qxd1 14. Rexd1 Bg4 15. a3 c6 16. b4 Rfc8
{[%cal Gh7f8,Gf8e6]}) 12... Bg4 13. d5 f5 $13) 12. Bf1 Bg4 (12... exd4 13. Nxd4
Ng4 (13... Re8 14. f3 Nh7 15. Be3 h5 16. Qd2 Be5 17. Rad1 $14) 14. h3 Qb6 15.
hxg4 {Now Black can't take with the queen, which is considered best} Bxd4 16.
Be3 $14) 13. d5 c5 (13... Nb4 14. Be2 a5 15. Be3 $13) (13... Nh7 14. Be2 Bc8
15. g3 $1 $14) 14. Be2 {Now although h6 is a tempo up here it loses its
strength.} Nh7 15. g3 $1 {Having Nh4 in mind, this is a very important
positional asset for White in such types of position.} Bd7 16. Bd2 Ng5 17. Qc1
Nxf3+ (17... Nh3+ 18. Kg2 Kh7 19. a3 f5 20. exf5 Bxf5 21. Nh4 Qf6 22. f3 $16)
18. Bxf3 Kh7 19. Bg2 f5 20. f4 $1 {Gelfand is really good in handling King's
Indian types of position.} Qf6 21. fxe5 dxe5 22. Rf1 Rf7 23. a3 Raf8 24. Bh3
Qd6 25. exf5 gxf5 26. Qc2 $14 Qg6 27. Rae1 b6 28. Kh1 Qh5 (28... Nc7 29. b4 $1
Ne8 30. bxc5 bxc5 31. Be3 $18) 29. Bg2 Qg6 30. Nd1 $1 Nc7 31. b4 $16 h5 32. Bc3
e4 33. Bxg7 Kxg7 34. bxc5 bxc5 35. Rf4 $1 Ne8 36. Qf2 Nd6 37. Bf1 Rc8 38. Be2
Rf6 39. Rh4 Qe8 40. Qf4 {Between moves 32 and 40 Gelfand really played nicely,
and Black's position simply collapsed.} Rh6 41. Rxh5 Rxh5 42. Bxh5 Qe7 43. g4
Rf8 44. gxf5 Bxf5 45. Rg1+ Kh8 46. Qh6+ Bh7 47. Ne3 Rf6 48. Rg6 Rxg6 49. Bxg6
Qg7 50. Qxg7+ Kxg7 51. Bxh7 Kxh7 52. Kg2 Kg6 53. Kg3 Kg5 54. h3 Nf7 55. h4+ Kh5
56. Nf5 Ne5 57. d6 Kg6 58. Kf4 Kf6 59. h5 Ke6 60. h6 e3 61. Nxe3 Kxd6 62. Kf5
1-0

[Event "Paris FIDE GP"]
[Site "Elancourt"]
[Date "2013.09.22"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Giri, Anish"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D12"]
[WhiteElo "2764"]
[BlackElo "2737"]
[Annotator "Postny,E"]
[PlyCount "106"]
[EventDate "2013.09.22"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 157"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bf5 5. Nc3 e6 6. Nh4 Be4 7. f3 Bg6 8. Qb3
Qc7 (8... Qb6 {is another option, but normally after the exchange of queens
White can achieve a slight pull without any risk.}) 9. Bd2 Be7 10. g3 ({
A few rounds later Giri played another game in this line:} 10. Nxg6 hxg6 11.
O-O-O dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 a6 14. Kb1 c5 15. dxc5 Nbd7 16. Ne4 Nxe4 17.
Bxe4 Nxc5 18. Qc3 Bf6 19. Qc2 Rc8 $11 {1/2-1/2 (43) Wang Hao (2736)-Giri,A 
(2737) Elancourt FRA 2013}) 10... O-O 11. Rc1 Qd7 $1 $146 {Normally this
square belongs to the queenside knight, but Black needs to move his queen away
from the x-ray of White's rook.} (11... dxc4 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Nxg6 hxg6 14. Bd3
a6 15. g4 $2 (15. a4 $14 {White must fight against the strike c6-c5.}) 15... c5
16. dxc5 Nbd7 $15 {1/2-1/2 (20) Bacrot,E (2705)-Magem Badals,J (2470) Evry 2008
}) 12. Nxg6 hxg6 13. Bh3 $6 {It makes sense to pin the e-pawn in order to
prevent the advance e6-e5. However, Black still has the idea c6-c5 at his
disposal and after opening up the position the bishop on h3 may become out of
play.} (13. Be2 {is more natural.} dxc4 14. Qxc4 Rd8 15. Nb1 $1 {At first
sight it's strange to move the knight back to its initial square, but it's
really important for White to fight against the advance c6-c5, and, at the
same time to protect the Bd2.} (15. Rd1 b5 16. Qb3 a6 17. a4 b4 18. Ne4 Nxe4
19. fxe4 c5 $132) (15. b4 $2 e5 $17) (15. Kf2 c5 16. Rhd1 cxd4 17. Qxd4 Qxd4
18. exd4 Nc6 19. Be3 Nb4 $11) 15... Na6 16. Qa4 Nc7 17. O-O {I don't claim
that White is better, but as long as he has space superiority, he keeps some
pressure.}) 13... dxc4 14. Qxc4 Rd8 {Now Black is threatening c6-c5. Actually,
it was also possible to play it immediately.} (14... c5 15. dxc5 Rd8 16. Rd1
Qc6 17. O-O Bxc5 $11) 15. b4 (15. Rd1 Na6 16. O-O c5 $11) (15. Nb1 $6 {Now
this idea is not very good as the light squared bishop is away from the
queenside.} Na6 16. Qa4 c5 $11) 15... a5 16. b5 Bb4 {[%csl Rb5]} 17. bxc6 bxc6
(17... Nxc6 18. O-O (18. Kf2 Rac8 19. Qb5 Qd6 $15) 18... Rac8 19. Qe2 Nd5 $132)
18. Na4 $6 {White doesn't have time to castle, but it was preferable to
simplify the position by 18.Ne4. Basically, Black is the side that is looking
for chances to exert pressure.} (18. Ne4 Qe7 19. O-O Nbd7 20. Rfd1 c5 $11) (18.
O-O $6 c5 $15) 18... Qe7 (18... Qa7 $1 {The queen is well placed here,
pressing along the diagonal a7-g1:} 19. Rc2 Na6 20. Ke2 (20. O-O c5 $15) 20...
c5 21. Nxc5 Nxc5 22. Bxb4 axb4 23. dxc5 Nd5 $17) 19. Rc2 Nbd7 20. Kf2 Nd5 $6 {
It was preferable to swap bishops.} (20... Bxd2 21. Rxd2 c5 22. Rhd1 cxd4 23.
Qxd4 Rdb8 24. Qd6 Qxd6 25. Rxd6 Rb4 26. R6d4 $11) 21. Bc1 $1 ({The pawn is
untouchable:} 21. Qxc6 $4 Bxd2 22. Rxd2 Qa3 23. Re1 Nb4 24. Qb5 Rab8 25. Qxa5
Ra8 $19) 21... Rab8 22. e4 (22. Qxc6 $2 {is bad again, but the variations are
more complicated:} Qe8 $1 {[%cal Gd8c8]} 23. Qc4 Rdc8 24. Qe2 (24. Qd3 $2 Ne5
$1 25. dxe5 Be1+ $1 26. Rxe1 Nb4 27. Qd6 Rxc2+ 28. Kg1 Rc6 29. Qd1 Rd8 30. Qb3
Nd3 $19) 24... Ne5 $1 {[%csl Ra4]} 25. Nc5 (25. dxe5 $2 Qxa4 26. Rb2 Nc3 27.
Qd3 Rd8 28. Qc2 Rbc8 29. Qxa4 Nxa4 30. Re2 Nc3 31. Ree1 Nxa2 $19) 25... Bxc5
26. dxc5 Qa4 $17) 22... N5b6 23. Nxb6 Nxb6 24. Qa6 Rxd4 $1 {This is an
exchange sacrifice - the best decision.} 25. Be3 c5 (25... Qd6 26. Bxd4 Qxd4+
27. Kg2 c5 $44) 26. Bxd4 cxd4 27. Rhc1 Bc3 $44 28. Rb1 Qd8 $2 {Wrong square.
It was important to put the queen on the c-file, creating a threat along the
way.} (28... Qc7 {[%csl Rc2][%cal Gc3e1]} 29. Kg1 Nc4 30. Rxb8+ Qxb8 31. Bf1
Ne3 32. Rf2 Nd1 $11) 29. Bf1 {Now White is just in time to consolidate his
forces and the extra exchange becomes a serious factor.} Nd7 30. Rxb8 Qxb8 31.
Qb5 Qc7 32. Bd3 Ne5 33. Ke2 Kh7 ({Here and on the next few moves it was
logical to play} 33... g5 {Later on if White plays f3-f4, his king will become
vulnerable.}) 34. Rc1 Qd6 35. Rb1 Bb4 36. Rc1 Bc3 37. Rb1 Bb4 38. f4 Nd7 (38...
Nxd3 39. Kxd3 f5 40. Rb3 fxe4+ 41. Kxe4 {The king is pretty safe in the centre
of the board! Still, it was the lesser evil for Black.}) 39. Rc1 $2 (39. h4 $1
$18 {[%cal Gh4h5]}) 39... Bc3 $2 {Missing a chance in time-trouble.} ({After} 
39... Nc5 40. h4 e5 {matters could become very unclear.} 41. Qe8 exf4 42. Qxf7
Qe5 $132) 40. Rb1 Bb4 41. h4 {After the time-control is passed, Boris could
figure out the right path to victory.} e5 42. Qd5 exf4 $6 {After the exchange
of queens Black is completely lost.} ({It was more resilient was to keep the
queens on the board:} 42... Qe7 43. h5 (43. a3 Bd6) 43... g5) 43. Qxd6 Bxd6 44.
gxf4 Bxf4 45. Rb5 Ne5 46. Rxa5 f6 47. a4 {This passed pawn decides the game
easily.} g5 48. hxg5 fxg5 49. Rb5 g4 50. a5 g3 51. a6 Nxd3 52. Kxd3 g2 53. Rb1
Bb8 1-0

[Event "Paris FIDE GP"]
[Site "Elancourt"]
[Date "2013.09.24"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Dominguez Perez, Leinier"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D37"]
[WhiteElo "2764"]
[BlackElo "2757"]
[Annotator "Gelfand/Huzman"]
[PlyCount "193"]
[EventDate "2013.09.22"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 157"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 {I had to face this system for the
4th time this year.} 5. Bf4 (5. Bg5 c6 {was my choice against Magnus Carlsen
in the candidates tournament in London.}) 5... dxc4 6. e3 a6 (6... Nd5 7. Bxc4
Nxf4 8. exf4 {was played by Michael Adams in the Alekhine memorial in April.})
7. a4 Bd6 8. Bg5 {After some thoughts I decided to deviate from my game vs
Carlsen in the Tal memorial, where I got a small but pleasant edge after 8.
Bxd6. Curiously, on the next board we had the same position in
Grischuk-Ponomariov and Alexander had chosen the third path, but failed to get
anything substantial.} (8. Bg3 Bxg3 9. hxg3 c5 10. Bxc4 Nb6 11. Bb3 cxd4 12.
exd4 Bd7 13. a5 Nbd5 14. Bxd5 Nxd5 15. Nxd5 exd5 16. Qe2+ Be6 {1/2 Grischuk,A 
(2785)-Ponomariov,R (2756)/Elancourt FRA 2013 (86)}) (8. Bxd6 cxd6 9. Bxc4 O-O
10. O-O d5 11. Bd3 b6 12. Qb3 Qe7 13. Rfc1 Bb7 14. Rc2 Rfc8 15. Rac1 Qd6 16.
Na2 Rxc2 17. Rxc2 Rc8 18. Rxc8+ Bxc8 19. Qc3 Bb7 20. b4 $14 {1/2 Gelfand,B 
(2755)-Carlsen,M (2864)/Moscow RUS 2013 (55)}) 8... h6 9. Bh4 c5 ({In practice
} 9... b6 {has also been seen:} 10. Bxc4 Bb7 11. O-O Qe7 12. d5 e5 13. Qe2 g5
14. Bg3 Nf8 15. Nd2 Ng6 16. f3 h5 17. Nde4 Nxe4 18. fxe4 Bc8 19. Be1 g4 20. Qd3
Qg5 {Ding Liren-Ipatov,A/Athens GRE 2012}) 10. Bxc4 O-O 11. O-O cxd4 12. exd4 {
White has got a position with an isolated pawn, as he intended. If the black
bishop were on e7 it would be a position from the Queen's Gambit, while if on
b4 from the Nimzo-Indian. But the bishop is on d6 and it gives White more
chances for the breakthrough d4-d5. Note that White's loss of tempo Bf4-g5 is
compensated for by their direct capture on c4, while in the Nimzo-Indian and
Queen's Gambit White does it in 2 moves Bd3xc4. Moreover, White must do it, as
otherwise Black would have good play.} Qc7 13. Bb3 {The right idea,} ({Butan
even more precise move was} 13. Ba2 $5 Qb8 (13... b6 14. Rc1 Bf4 15. Rc2 Qd6
16. Bxf6 $5 (16. d5 $36) 16... Nxf6 17. g3 Bb7 18. d5 $16) 14. d5 e5 15. Nd2 b5
{I had preferred 13.Bb3 in order to prevent b7-b5 in such a position, but here
White is better after} 16. Qc2 $5 ({or} 16. Re1 $14 bxa4 17. Nc4 $36) 16...
bxa4 17. Bb1 $36) ({Probably Lenier was counting on} 13. Qe2 b6 14. d5 exd5 15.
Nxd5 Nxd5 16. Bxd5 Bb7 {when he is in time to equalise.}) 13... b6 14. Rc1 Qb8
{Black is following a setup with the queen on b8 which was successfully used
by Vladimir Kramnik against myself in the London Candidates. However here
Black still didn't have time to develop his bishop on b7...} ({Black could
minimise White's edge with the risky} 14... Bf4 15. Rc2 Qd6 $5 (15... Qb8 16.
d5) 16. Ne2 (16. d5 Nc5 17. Bxf6 Nxb3 18. Bh4 Bb7 19. g3 exd5 20. gxf4 d4 $132)
(16. g3 Qb4 {Here we note that the bishop would be better placed on a2}) 16...
Bb7 17. Nxf4 Qxf4 18. Bg3 Qf5 19. Rc7 Be4) 15. d5 $1 {Just in time before
Black developed his bishop.} e5 (15... exd5 16. Nxd5 Nxd5 17. Bxd5 Ra7 18. Nd4
$18) 16. Nd2 $1 {Another energetic move.} e4 $2 {An attempt to get counterplay,
but it is refuted by White's series of strong 20-22nd moves.} ({I spent a lot
of time trying to choose the best reply against the most natural move} 16...
Bb7 17. Nde4 ({I also considered the introductory move} 17. a5 $5 {with the
idea to to away the c5-square from Black's knight} bxa5 (17... e4 18. Kh1 Bf4
19. axb6 $14) (17... b5 18. Nde4 Nxe4 19. Nxe4 Kh8 20. g4 $1 {and White's
attack seems unstoppable}) 18. Nde4 (18. Nce4 $5) 18... Be7 (18... Ne8 19. Ba4
$1 Nc5 20. Nxc5 Bxc5 21. Ne4) (18... Nxe4 19. Nxe4) 19. Re1 $5 {/\ Bg3, Ba4}
Bd8 (19... Ra7 20. Ba4 Bd8 21. Bg3 $14 Nxe4 22. Nxe4 {cf7}) 20. Bg3 (20. Bxf6
$5 Nxf6 21. Nxf6+ Bxf6 22. Ne4 Qd8 23. Rc3 $36) 20... Nxe4 21. Nxe4 Ra7 22. d6
{and Black's position looks horrible, but of course it is not easy to prove
that to a computer.}) 17... Nxe4 18. Nxe4 Kh8 (18... Nc5 {is bad because of}
19. Rxc5 $1 bxc5 20. Nf6+ Kh8 21. Qd3 e4 (21... g6 22. Qe3 Kg7 23. Ng4 $18) 22.
Qxe4 g6 23. Bg3 $16) 19. Rc6 $1 (19. g4 Nc5 20. Bc2 {with some initiative} (20.
Rxc5 Bxc5 21. g5 Qd8 22. Qh5 Bxd5 {is ok for Black})) (19. a5 f5 20. Nxd6 Qxd6)
19... Bxc6 20. dxc6 Nc5 21. Nxd6 Nxb3 22. Be7 Nd4 23. f4 $1 Qc7 24. Bxf8 Rxf8
25. fxe5 Nxc6 {and Black's position looks dubious, but he has defensive chances
} 26. Qc2 (26. Qd5 Nd8 $14) (26. e6 $5) 26... Qd7 27. Nxf7+ Rxf7 28. Rxf7 Qxf7
29. Qxc6 Qf4 30. Qxb6 (30. e6 Qd4+ 31. Kf1 Qf6+ 32. Ke2 Qxb2+ 33. Kd3 $14)
30... Qxe5 31. Qd8+ Kh7 32. Qd3+ Kh8 33. Qc3 $16 {with an extra pawn in the
ending}) (16... Kh8 {is too provoctaive:} 17. Re1 (17. Nce4 Nxe4 18. Nxe4 Nc5
19. f3 f5 20. Nxd6 Qxd6 21. a5 $140 bxa5 {looks defendable}) (17. g4 Bb7 18. g5
hxg5 19. Bxg5 Nh7 {is not very impressive}) 17... Bb7 (17... b5 18. Nce4 Nxe4
19. Nxe4 Bb4 20. Re3 f5 21. Rg3) (17... Ng8 18. Nc4) 18. a5 b5 19. Nde4 Nxe4
20. Nxe4 Bb4 21. Re3 f5 22. Rg3 {and the black king is in danger}) (16... Ra7
$5 17. Nc4 Bb4 18. Ne3 $36) 17. Ncxe4 Nxe4 (17... Bxh2+ 18. Kh1 Be5 19. Re1 $16
) 18. Nxe4 Bxh2+ 19. Kh1 Qf4 {Other moves are also bad.} (19... Bf4 20. Rc3 $18
) (19... Nc5 20. Nxc5 (20. Ng3 Bxg3 21. Bxg3 $16) 20... bxc5 21. Be7 $16) 20.
Be7 $1 Qxe4 (20... Re8 21. d6 Bb7 (21... Rxe7 22. dxe7 Qh4 23. e8=Q+ Kh7 24.
Ng5+) 22. Ng3 Bxg3 23. fxg3 Qxg3 24. Bxf7+ Kh8 25. Bd5 $18) (20... Ne5 21. Bxf8
Qh4 (21... Kxf8 22. Qh5) 22. Be7 f6 (22... Qxe7 23. Kxh2 Qh4+ 24. Kg1 Ng4 25.
Re1) 23. Bxf6 gxf6 24. Qh5) 21. Re1 Qf4 22. Rc4 $1 Qxf2 ({Hopeless is} 22...
Qb8 23. d6 Be5 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 25. Rc7) 23. Kxh2 Bb7 (23... Re8 24. Re2 Qf5 25.
Bc2 Qh5+ 26. Rh4 $18) ({In case of} 23... Nf6 {I intended} 24. Rf1 $1 Qxb2 (
24... Ng4+ 25. Rxg4 Bxg4 26. Rxf2 Bxd1 27. Bxd1 $18) 25. Bxf6 gxf6 26. Rf3 {
with a mating attack} Kh8 27. Rh4 Rg8 28. Rxh6+ Kg7 29. Rhxf6 Qxf6 (29... Ra7
30. d6 $18) 30. Rxf6 Kxf6 31. Qd4+ $18) 24. Bc2 $1 {I had spent a lot of time
on this move. I felt that White has a clear cut win and tried hard to find it.
Of course I had realised that} (24. Bxf8 Rxf8 25. Re7 Nc5 26. Bc2 $16 {is also
good enough, but here White still has to show some technique}) (24. Re2 $5 Qf5
25. Bc2 Qxd5 26. Rd4 Qh5+ 27. Kg1 $18 {was also winning, as the computer
indicates, but during the game it was not so obvious to me} Bc6 (27... Ne5 28.
Rh4 $18 Nf3+ 29. gxf3 Qxf3 30. Qd3 $18) (27... Nf6 28. Bxf6 gxf6 29. Qd3 f5 30.
Re3 $1 $18) 28. Qd3) ({Also good enough was} 24. Rg4 $5 {/\ Re2, Qd4} Rae8 25.
Re2 Qf5 26. Qd4 f6 27. d6+ Kh8 28. Bc2 $18 Qh5+ 29. Kg1) 24... b5 {Otherwise
the queen would be trapped.} 25. Re2 Qb6 (25... Qxe2 26. Qxe2 bxc4 27. Qe4 (27.
Bf5) 27... g6 28. Qg4 Bc8 29. Bxf8 Nxf8 30. Qxc4 $18) 26. a5 $1 {A very
stylish move in my opinion. White is winning another important tempo.} (26. Qd3
f5 27. Rf4 $18) 26... Qxa5 27. Qd3 f5 (27... g6 28. Rg4 $18) 28. Rf4 {I think
I had played well so far and my friend Jacob Aagaard can include this piece of
the game in his next "Attacking Manual" book!} Rf7 29. Rxf5 {I hurried up a
bit.} ({A more precise move was} 29. d6 $1 $18 {and the queen cannot join the
battle.}) 29... Qc7+ 30. d6 Qc4 {Here both of us were already in severe time
trouble .} 31. Qe3 ({More practical was} 31. Rxf7 Qxd3 32. Bxd3 Kxf7 33. Bf5
Bc8 (33... Bc6 34. Be6+ Kg6 35. Rc2 $18) 34. Bh4 g5 35. Be1) 31... Bd5 32. b3 (
{Or} 32. Bd3 Rxf5 (32... Qc6 33. Rc2 $18) 33. Bxf5 Nf8 34. Rc2 Qf1 35. Rf2 Qc4
36. Bxf8 Rxf8 37. Rf4 Qb3 38. Qxb3 Bxb3 39. Bh7+ $18) 32... Qxc2 33. Rxc2 Rxf5
34. Qd3 (34. Rc7 Ne5 35. Kg1 $1 $18) 34... Rh5+ 35. Kg1 Re5 36. Re2 (36. Rc7
$18) 36... Rh5 37. Qg6 Bf7 38. Qg4 Ne5 39. Qe4 $2 {With seconds left I lost
control of the situation and almost spoiled such a game.} (39. Rxe5 $1 Rxe5 40.
Bf6 $18 {would win immediately}) ({But the simplest was to repeat moves twice
and easily find a win after the time control} 39. Qg3 Nd7 40. Qg4 (40. Rf2 $18)
40... Ne5) 39... Rc8 40. Rc2 $4 ({But} 40. Re1 $18 {was simple and strong}) ({
It was impossible to calculate} 40. g4 Rc1+ 41. Kg2 Rd1 42. gxh5 Bd5 43. Qxd5+
Rxd5 44. Rxe5 Rxe5 45. d7 Rd5 46. d8=Q+ Rxd8 47. Bxd8 $18 {with seconds
remaining.}) 40... Rxc2 41. Qxc2 Be6 {Now the fight starts again. I assessed
my winning chances as 50%.} 42. Qe4 {I had decided for the following plan -
activate my queen, transfer the bishop to the big diagonal and combine mating
threats with attack on a6- and b5-pawns.} (42. Qa2 Ng4 43. Qxa6 Rc5 44. Kf1
Rf5+) ({It was possible to fix the pawn on a6 now or in the next move, but it
would allow Black to regroup his pieces.} 42. b4 Kf7 43. Qc7 Nd7 44. Qb7 Rd5
45. Qxa6 Ne5) 42... Kf7 43. Bh4 Nd7 44. Qf3+ {An important intermediate check.}
Kg6 ({The black pieces would be more compact after} 44... Rf5 45. Qa8 Rc5 (
45... Bxb3 $140 $4 46. Qd8 $18) (45... Rd5 46. Qd8) 46. Qd8 $1 {at least
separating Black's king from other pieces} (46. Bf2 Rd5 47. Qxa6 Nf6 48. Bd4
Bd7) 46... Bf5 47. Qe7+ Kg8 48. Qe8+ Kh7 49. Qf7 Re5 50. Bf2 Be6 51. Qe8 {
with good winning chances.}) 45. Be1 Rd5 46. Bc3 h5 $2 {A serious mistake.} ({
I was expecting} 46... Rg5 47. Qa8 Kf7 {when the strongest is} 48. b4 $1 {
trying to win a tempo due to zugzwang} (48. Qd8 Nf8 49. Bb4 Bd7 50. Qa8 $16)
48... Rd5 49. Qxa6 Rd1+ 50. Kf2 Rd3 51. Qc6 {and Black is in trouble.}) (46...
a5 47. Qg3+ Rg5 48. Qe3 Kf7 49. Bxa5) 47. Qe4+ {I jumped on the occasion to
win the pawn on g7, but even stronger was} (47. b4 $1 {and Black is in
zugzwang!} h4 $8 (47... Rg5 48. Qe3 {/\Bg7}) (47... Nf6 48. Bxf6 gxf6 49. Qxd5
$18) 48. Qe4+ Kf7 49. Bxg7 Kxg7 (49... Rxd6 50. Qf4+ Ke7 51. Qxh4+ $18) 50.
Qxe6 Rd1+ 51. Kh2 Nf6 52. Qe2 Rd5 53. Qe7+ Kg6 54. Kh3 $18) 47... Kf7 48. Bxg7
Nf6 $1 {I had missed this resource.} (48... Rxd6 49. Qf4+ Ke7 50. Bc3 $18) (
48... Kxg7 49. Qxe6 Rd1+ 50. Kf2 Nf6 51. Ke2 Rd4 52. g3 Kg6 53. b4 Kg7 54. Qe5
$18) 49. Bxf6 Kxf6 50. Qf4+ Bf5 51. Qh4+ Ke5 52. Qxh5 Kxd6 53. b4 Be6 54. Qh8
Kc7 55. Qg7+ ({White could easily fall into a nice trap} 55. Qc3+ Kb7 56. Qe3
Rd6 57. g4 Bxg4 $1 58. Qe4+ Rc6 59. Qxg4 Rc4 {with a fortress. As we'll learn
later, this ending is won if White's king had passed the 4th rank.}) 55... Rd7
56. Qe5+ Rd6 57. Kf2 Kc6 58. g4 (58. Ke3 $5) 58... Bc4 ({As I had discovered
while doing this commentary, Black had a good practical chance} 58... Bxg4 59.
Qe4+ Kc7 60. Qxg4 Rc6 61. Qd4 Kb7 62. Qd5 Kb6 63. Ke3 Rc4 {Black just needs
one move to put his king on a7-b8 with a draw, but} 64. Qd7 Rc7 (64... Rxb4 65.
Qd6+ Ka5 66. Qd2 Ka4 67. Qa2#) 65. Qd6+ Kb7 66. Kd4 Rc4+ 67. Kd5 Ka7 68. Ke6
Kb7 69. Kd7 Ka7 {and finally a triangular} 70. Qe7 Kb6 71. Qf8 Ka7 72. Qf2+ Kb7
73. Qc5 $1 {and White is winning.}) 59. Qe8+ Kc7 60. Qe7+ Rd7 ({Black could
try to run with his king to f7, but it would hardly save him} 60... Kc6 61. Qa7
Kd5 62. Qc5+ Ke6 63. Ke3 Kd7 64. Qa7+ Ke8 65. Qb8+ Kd7 66. Qb7+ Ke8 67. Qc8+
Ke7 68. Qc7+ Rd7 69. Qe5+ Kf7 70. Qf5+ Ke8 71. g5) 61. Qe5+ $6 {An inaccurate
move, which allows counterplay.} ({White could prevent it by} 61. Qc5+ Kb7 62.
g5) 61... Kb7 62. g5 a5 $1 {Of course, Black is jumping at his chance.} 63.
bxa5 Ka6 64. Qc3 (64. Qa1 Rf7+ 65. Ke3 Re7+ 66. Kf4 Re6 67. Qc3 {would make
White's task simpler.}) 64... Rd3 65. Qb4 (65. Qa1 $5) 65... Rb3 66. Qe1 Ra3
67. g6 Rxa5 68. g7 (68. Ke3 Ra3+ 69. Kd4 $5) 68... Ra2+ 69. Kf3 Ra4 70. Qd2 (
70. Kf4 {would allow the king to cross the 5th rank.}) 70... Kb6 ({Black could
try his chance by} 70... Ba2 71. Qd6+ (71. Qxa2 Rxa2 72. g8=Q Ra4 {is a
theoretical draw, as I was told}) 71... Kb7 72. Qc5 Ka6 73. Ke3 Ka5 74. Kd3 $1
Ka6 75. Qc6+ Ka5 76. Qb7 Bc4+ 77. Kd4 Kb4 78. Qh1) 71. Ke4 Ra8 72. Qd6+ Kb7 73.
Qd7+ Kb6 74. Kd4 {The king has joined the action and Black is hopeless.} Ra4 (
74... Rg8 75. Qd6+ Kb7 76. Qf8) (74... Ra6 75. Qe8 Kb7 76. Kc5) (74... Rb8 75.
Ke5 Ra8 76. Kd6) 75. Qd6+ Kb7 76. Kc5 Ra6 77. Qe7+ Kb8 78. Qd7 Ka8 79. Qxb5
Bxb5 80. g8=Q+ Kb7 81. Qf7+ Kc8 82. Kxb5 {Now I kind of got nervous. Of course
I was familiar with ideas of the Q vs R ending, but in the 8th hour of play
and with a lot of emotions involved it is possible to go wrong.} Rd6 83. Kc5
Ra6 84. Qe7 Kb8 85. Kb5 Ra7 86. Qf8+ (86. Qd8+ Kb7 87. Qd4 $1) 86... Kc7 87.
Qf4+ Kc8 88. Kb6 Re7 89. Qf5+ Kd8 90. Kc5 Kc7 91. Qd5 Rd7 92. Qe5+ Kb7 93. Kb5
Rc7 94. Qd5+ Ka7 (94... Kc8 $1) 95. Ka5 Rb7 (95... Rh7 $1) 96. Qd4+ Kb8 97. Ka6
1-0

[Event "Paris FIDE GP"]
[Site "Elancourt"]
[Date "2013.09.29"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A40"]
[WhiteElo "2764"]
[BlackElo "2785"]
[Annotator "Gormally,D"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2013.09.22"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 157"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Bb4+ {A favourite of my good friend Grandmaster Keith Arkell,
who tends to favour very solid setups with Black.} 3. Nd2 {This would
certainly be my choice if I was ever to face this opening, keeping as much
funk in the position as possible.} ({After the standard} 3. Bd2 {the almost
inevitable exchange of bishops will take some of the sting out of the position
for White. You could argue that this opening and the Bogo-Indian represent
some kind of Anti-chess, aiming to exchange pieces at the first available
opportunity. You might not be a million miles off, but then as Black the first
task in chess is to equalise. As such an exchange arguably brings him closer
to this goal, it's a valid strategy.}) 3... b6 ({With} 3... f5 $140 $5 {
Black can grab some central squares, in typical Dutch fashion. One of the
typical strategies White will employ in the main-line Dutch Stonewall is to
try and exchange his opponent's dark-squared bishop. With this bishop already
on b4, Black will either have to exchange it off or lose time. However this is
more of a hybrid Dutch than a Stonewall, as in the Stonewall the Black pawn
goes to d5, weakening the e5-square, which needs the protection of the
dark-squared bishop.} 4. g3 Nf6 5. Bg2 O-O 6. Ngf3 a5 7. O-O b6 8. Ne5 Ra7 9.
Nd3 Bxd2 10. Qxd2 Bb7 11. Bxb7 (11. f3 $5) 11... Rxb7 12. b3 Qe7 13. Bb2 d6 14.
d5 $1 e5 15. f4 $1 e4 16. Ne1 {Now the knight is heading for the d4-square,
eyeing up f5 and e6, so White was better in the game Nielsen,P (2662)-Nikolic,
P (2638) Barcelona 2012.}) 4. a3 Bxd2+ 5. Qxd2 Bb7 6. Nf3 f5 {This is the main
advantage of playing ...Bb4 check before developing the Knight to f6, as Black
can play ..f5, further increasing his influence over the e4-square. This is
more of a Nimzowitschian strategy than the Nimzo itself!} 7. g3 (7. e3 $5 {
is another typical option.} Nf6 8. b4 a5 9. b5 d6 10. Be2 Nbd7 11. O-O O-O 12.
a4 Qe8 13. Ne1 g5 $5 {with unbalanced play in the game Ding,L (2702)-Ivanchuk,
V (2766) Beijing 2012.}) 7... Nf6 8. Bg2 O-O 9. O-O Qe8 (9... a5 10. b3 d6 11.
Bb2 Nbd7 12. Rac1 Ra7 13. Rfd1 Qa8 $1 {was a clever way to re-organise in the
game Krejci,J (2486)-Sedlak,N (2592) Aschach 2011.}) 10. b4 d6 11. Bb2 Nbd7 12.
Rac1 Be4 13. a4 $6 ({In such positions both players have many strategic ideas
and plans to choose from. one typical idea is} 13. d5 $5 {to try and bring
alive the bishop on b2, and also free the important square on d4 for the
knight.} exd5 14. cxd5 Nxd5 {which at first glance just looks like a pawn down
for White, until you see the very powerful} 15. Rc4 $1 $36 Kh8 (15... N7f6 16.
Bxf6 Nxf6 (16... Rxf6 $2 17. Rxe4 $1) 17. Rxc7 {and White regains his pawn
with advantage;}) 16. Ng5 $1 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 N7f6 18. Bxf6 Nxf6 19. Rxc7 $16) (
13. Ne1 $6 Bxg2 14. Nxg2 {is something that White will generally try to avoid,
as the exchange of light-squared bishops makes his kingside more vulnerable.})
({So to that end another typical plan might be to play something like} 13. Bh3
{quite a sly idea, as White plans Ne1, followed by f3, but not allowing the
exchange of bishops. The problem is that in this particular position is that
it simply runs into} Qh5 $1) 13... a5 14. b5 Qh5 15. Ba3 Bb7 16. Qc2 Be4 17.
Qd2 Bb7 18. Qc2 $6 {More or less offering a repetition, but Grischuk wants
more.} f4 $1 $36 19. gxf4 Bxf3 20. Bxf3 Ng4 21. Bxg4 Qxg4+ 22. Kh1 Qxf4 23.
Rcd1 Rf5 {Black now has a very nice position, with very good attacking chances,
as with the exchange of light-squared bishops the White king is very
vulnerable. However it is never that easy to just mate the top players, and
Gelfand offers stubborn resistance.} (23... e5 $5 24. c5 $1 dxc5 25. dxc5 Nxc5
26. Bxc5 bxc5 27. Qxc5 Qe4+ 28. f3 Qxe2 29. Rde1 {only leads to rough equality.
}) 24. f3 Rh5 25. e3 $1 Qh4 (25... Qxe3 $4 26. Bc1) 26. Qf2 Qf6 27. Rg1 Rf8 28.
Rg3 Rf7 29. Rdg1 Nf8 30. Qc2 Ng6 31. c5 {The game at this point was reaching a
crescendo as both players were entering desperate time-trouble, which may
explain the many almost comical blunders that now ensue. White's king looks
the more vulnerable, but appearances can be deceptive. The two white rooks on
the g-file, combined with the seemingly dormant bishop on a3, form a latent
trap into which Grischuk quickly falls.} Nh4 $2 {Grischuk as is his style,
puts his store in an all-out assault on the white king, but this proves to be
a huge blunder. He should have taken care of the queenside situation first.} (
31... dxc5 32. dxc5 bxc5 33. Bxc5 Rf5 34. f4 {would have led to unclear play.})
32. cxd6 $1 Qd8 {A depressing retreat, Grischuk must have realised that
something had gone terribly wrong.} ({After} 32... Nxf3 {the cold-blooded} 33.
dxc7 {pours cold water over Black's attacking prospects.}) 33. dxc7 $2 (33.
Rxg7+ $1 Rxg7 34. Rxg7+ Kxg7 35. Qxc7+ Qxc7 36. dxc7 {would have ended the
game on the spot. Although this may seem harsh, maybe this is the difference
between Gelfand and Carlsen. We have become used to seeing how ruthless
Carlsen is in such situations, when he gets a chance, but Gelfand by contrast
almost lets Grischuk back in the game.}) 33... Rxc7 34. Qe4 $1 Qd5 35. Qf4 (35.
Qg4 $5 {introduces a massive threat of taking on g7, forcing Black into a very
poor ending after} Nf5 36. e4 Nxg3+ 37. Rxg3 Rxh2+ 38. Kxh2 Qa2+ 39. Kh3 Qxa3
40. Qxe6+ Rf7 41. Qxb6 Qxa4 42. Qb8+ Rf8 43. Qe5 g6 $16) 35... Qd8 36. e4 Ng6
37. Qd6 $2 (37. Qg4 Rh4 38. Qxe6+ Kh8 39. Bd6 Rc2 40. R3g2 {should be easily
winning, but short of time Gelfand starts to see ghosts, and offers the
exchange of queens, to try and reduce any potential danger.}) 37... Qc8 $2 (
37... Qxd6 38. Bxd6 Rc4 {and White would have to show some serious technique
to win this game.} 39. Ra1 Kf7 {and it's not at all easy for White to make
progress, as the rook on c4 is very strong.} 40. Rgg1 Rxd4 $1 41. Bc7 Ne5 42.
Bxb6 Nxf3 43. Ra2 Rxe4 44. Rf1 Rf5 45. Bxa5 Ke7 46. Bc3 {and although White is
certainly much better, it's far from over.}) 38. d5 $6 ({The cold-blooded} 38.
Qxb6 $1 Rc2 39. R3g2 {was good enough.}) 38... Rc2 $2 (38... exd5 $1 39. exd5
Qd7 $1 40. Qxd7 Rxd7 41. d6 Rf5 {creates a kind of blockade for Black, where
again White would have great difficulty making progress, but it wasn't easy to
understand all this with your flag hanging.} 42. Rc1 {and probably White will
win in the end with Black having to suffer for many moves, so perhaps it was
better to get it over with quickly.}) 39. R3g2 Rxg2 40. Rxg2 exd5 41. Qc6 $1 {
The time control had been reached and Grischuk realised the hopelessness of
his situation, so he resigned.} 1-0

[Event "Paris FIDE GP"]
[Site "Elancourt"]
[Date "2013.10.03"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Nakamura, Hikaru"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B90"]
[WhiteElo "2772"]
[BlackElo "2764"]
[Annotator "Gormally,D"]
[PlyCount "82"]
[EventDate "2013.09.22"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "FRA"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 157"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2013.11.12"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{Games between Nakamura and Gelfand are always interesting, as both players
are fighters, and they also represent two very different generations. This
game turned out to be one of the most impressive attacking games I have seen
in the last few years. Maybe ever?!} 1. e4 {[%mdl 1]} c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4
4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be3 Ng4 7. Bc1 {Will the uncompromising Naka settle
for an early draw?} Nf6 8. Be3 Ng4 9. Bg5 {Of course not! This kid has balls!
Actually Naka had a big incentive to play for a win in this game- not only
would he leapfrog both Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik into number two on
the live rating list, but he would also move tantalisingly close to joining
the 2800 club - a club that has only a handful of very select members.} h6 10.
Bh4 g5 11. Bg3 Bg7 12. h3 Ne5 {Kasparov was the first to popularise this line,
where Black aims for rapid piece development, perhaps at the cost of weakening
the kingside somewhat. However Gelfand must now be considered the main expert
here, which requires serious work, as the slightest mistep by either player
can lead to disaster.} ({Recently in a game against Kamsky, in an analogous
position, Nakamura had tried} 12... Nf6 {but the move played by Gelfand is
easily the main-line.}) 13. f3 Nbc6 14. Bf2 Be6 15. Qd2 Rc8 16. O-O-O Nxd4 17.
Bxd4 Qa5 18. a3 O-O 19. h4 g4 $1 {It looks as if White can now destablise the
knight on e5 by playing f4, but of course Black has devious intentions against
the white king.} 20. Qf2 $6 {Naka wants to play f4, but in an improved
situation. However the queen isn't so well placed here, for reasons which
weren't easy to foresee.} ({If he plays it straight away, he will lose too
much time with his queen;} 20. f4 Nc4 21. Bxc4 Bxd4 $1 ({the line} 21... Rxc4
$2 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. f5 Rfc8 24. fxe6 Rxc3 25. Qd4+ f6 26. bxc3 {just doesn't
work}) 22. Qxd4 Rxc4 23. Qe3 Rfc8 24. f5 Rxc3 25. bxc3 Bd7 {where Black has
very good action for the exchange.}) (20. Qe3 $1 {was the right way. There is
a subtle difference between having the queen on e3 rather than f2, which
becomes clear if Black plays the same way he does in the game:} Rc6 21. f4 Rfc8
22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Ba7 $1 b6 24. Rd5 Bxd5 25. Nxd5 Rxc2+ 26. Kb1 {and although
still very sharp, at least White is in the game.}) 20... Rc6 $1 21. f4 Rfc8 $3
{[%mdl 512] Brilliant! Black's attack down the c-file is all that matters.} ({
By contrast,} 21... Nc4 $6 22. Bxc4 Rxc4 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. f5 {is what Naka
was playing for and really a nightmare scenario for Black in such a variation,
as his queenside initiative will come to an end, when he'll be left with these
horrible weaknesses on the kingside. He must play for the initiative always!}
Bd7 25. f6+ $18) 22. Qg3 $2 (22. fxe5 dxe5 23. Ba7 Rxc3 24. bxc3 Qxa3+ 25. Kd2
Qxc3+ {This is the difference between 20.Qf2?! and 20.Qe3! with the queen on
e3 this variation would be impossible, as the c3-pawn would be protected.}) ({
However White should have continued the theme of fighting for the intiative at
any cost -} 22. f5 $1 {the problem is that pyschologically it's very tough to
make such a move, as the plan of undermining the knight on e5 has gone forever.
} Bd7 {would have led to a complete mess, but one in which you feel that Black
is more than ok. A typical continuation could be something like} (22... Bc4 23.
Bxc4 Rxc4 $2 (23... Nxc4 24. Bxg7 Kxg7 25. f6+ {and White's attack is quicker})
24. Bb6) 23. Qe3 e6 $1 24. f6 Bxf6 25. Qxh6 Bg7 26. Qd2 b5 $1 {when Black's
queenside intiative is still more than kicking. In fact I'd wager that 99
percent of players would prefer to play Black in such a position, where all
his pieces are primed for a brutal assault on the white king.}) 22... Nd7 $1 {
Now White can't prevent an eventual exchange sac on c3, after which Black will
always get terrific compensation.} 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. f5 Rxc3 $6 {Tempting, but
missing something even stronger.} (24... Ne5 $1 $40 25. fxe6 Rxc3 26. bxc3 Rxc3
27. Qf2 Rxa3 {and it's pretty much over.}) 25. bxc3 Qxa3+ (25... Ne5 $1 {
was again very strong, as White's queenside is falling apart.}) 26. Kd2 Nf6 {
Gelfand must have been having a lot of fun here.} 27. Qd3 $1 Bc4 {Gelfand goes
for the safe continuation. Of course after this he is much better, as White's
co-ordination is all over the place, but Naka's defensive skills are so good
that he slowly creeps back into the game.} ({In such positions when your
opponent's king is looking more exposed than Chace Crawford on a hen night,
you have a lot of choice.} 27... Nxe4+ $1 28. Qxe4 Qxc3+ 29. Kc1 Qa3+ 30. Kd2
Qa5+ 31. Ke2 Bxf5 32. Rd5 Bxe4 33. Rxa5 Rxc2+ {would have led by force to this
ending where Black is surely winning. He just has too many pawns!  But it's
very tempting to keep the queens on. It's certainly a good practical decision.
The reality is it's extremely difficult for White to defend such a fractured
position, in a practical game with the clock ticking, especially when your
king is floating about in the centre. Maybe only a supercomputer could do it.})
28. Qd4 d5 {Opening up the position yet further starts to make the white king
look more and more vulnerable.} 29. exd5 Bxd5 30. Rg1 Be4 $1 31. Bd3 Qa5 $1 32.
Qb4 $1 (32. Bxe4 $2 Rd8 $19) 32... Qc7 33. Bxe4 $2 {Under the greatest of
pressure, Naka finally cracks.} ({He had to try} 33. Kc1 a5 34. Qd4 {when
there is still something left to play for.}) 33... a5 (33... Qf4+ $1 34. Ke2
Nxe4 35. Qd4+ Kg8 {and Black has a huge attack and must surely be winning.} 36.
Rgf1 Nxc3+ 37. Ke1 Qg3+ 38. Rf2 Nxd1 {and it's over.}) 34. Qxb7 Qf4+ (34...
Qxc3+ 35. Ke2 Rc4 $1 36. Bd3 Qe5+ 37. Kd2 Qf4+ 38. Ke2 Ne4 $1 {was killing.})
35. Ke2 Rc7 $1 (35... Rc4 $1 36. Bd3 Qe5+ 37. Kd2 Qxc3+ 38. Ke3 Qd4+ 39. Ke2
Qe5+ 40. Kd2 Qf4+ 41. Ke2 Ne4 {would transpose back into the earlier variation,
but Gelfand's choice is more "human".}) 36. Qb6 Nxe4 37. Qd4+ Kh7 38. c4 $2 {
Allowing an immediate kill, but White's task was pretty hopeless in any case.}
(38. Rgf1 Nxc3+ 39. Qxc3 Qxf1+ 40. Kxf1 Rxc3 41. Rd7 Rxc2 42. Rxe7 Kg7 {
and Black should easily win the endgame.}) 38... Rd7 $1 {Gelfand's tactical
sharpness is remarkable.} 39. Qe3 (39. Qxd7 Qf2+ 40. Kd3 Nc5+ 41. Kc3 Nxd7 $19)
39... Ng3+ 40. Qxg3 Qxg3 41. Rxd7 Qe5+ {A superb achievement by big booming
Boris.} 0-1

[Event "Tata Steel-A 76th"]
[Site "Wijk aan Zee"]
[Date "2014.01.26"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Harikrishna, Pentala"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D36"]
[WhiteElo "2777"]
[BlackElo "2706"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "93"]
[EventDate "2014.01.11"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "NED"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 159"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2014.03.17"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2014.03.17"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2 ({With a slightly
different move order, the game could transpose to the tabiya examined in my
article for CBM 156:} 6. e3 Be7 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Nf3 h6 9. Bh4 O-O 10. Qc2 Re8
11. O-O Ne4) 6... Be7 7. e3 Nbd7 8. Bd3 h6 9. Bh4 Nh5 ({If} 9... O-O {White
could consider deviating from the variation above with} 10. Nge2 {although I
am not sure if this really offers him any profit.}) 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O-O {
White decides to prepare the knight's natural development to f3.} ({The main
alternative is} 11. Nge2 Nb6 12. O-O (12. h3 Bd7 13. O-O-O O-O-O 14. Kb1 Kb8
15. Rc1 Rhe8 $11 {Balla,T (2376)-Marin,M (2560) Mamaia 2013 (0-1, 53)}) (12.
O-O-O Bg4 $5) 12... O-O 13. Rab1 a5 {Leko,P (2737)-Adams,M (2740) Dortmund
2013 CBM 156 [Marin,M] (1/2, 27)}) (11. Nf3 $6 Nf4) 11... Nb6 12. h3 (12. Nf3
Bg4) 12... Be6 ({The plan} 12... g6 13. Nf3 Ng7 {aiming at exchanging the
bishops with ...Bf5, does not work out too well in this variation:} 14. Rhe1
Be6 15. Kb1 O-O-O (15... Bf5 16. Bxf5 $16 Nxf5 $2 17. e4 $18) 16. Ne5 Rhe8 (
16... Bf5 17. e4 dxe4 18. Bxe4 $14 Qc7 19. Bxf5+ Nxf5 20. d5 $36 cxd5 21. Qb3
$18 {[%csl Gc8,Gf7][%cal Gc3b5]}) 17. g4 $14 {Schandorff,L (2537)-Lund,S (2431)
Borup 2008 (1-0, 54)}) 13. Nf3 O-O-O 14. Kb1 {White starts a slow but
consistent queenside attack.} Kb8 15. Rc1 (15. Ne5 Nf6 16. Rc1 (16. f4 Nfd7 17.
Nf3 {Le Quang,L (2647)-Chiraranjan,B (1912) New Delhi 2010 (1-0, 37)} f6 $5 $11
{[%csl Ge3]}) 16... Rc8 17. Ka1 Rc7 18. Na4 Nxa4 19. Qxa4 Nd7 20. Nxd7+ Bxd7
21. Rhd1 c5 22. Qa3 Rhc8 23. dxc5 Rxc5 24. Rxc5 Rxc5 25. Bb1 Be6 26. Qb4 Qc7
27. h4 a5 28. Qd4 f6 29. g3 {1/2 Tomashevsky,E (2706)-Andreikin,D (2716)
Tromso 2013}) 15... Nf6 {It is a good idea to return with the knight into play
as soon as possible.} ({If} 15... Rc8 16. Na4 Nxa4 17. Qxa4 {there would be
nothing better than} Nf6 {anyway.} 18. Rc3 $1 {The only way to take advantage
of the delayed knight manoeuvre. True, things are not entirely clear since
Black has defensive resources, but White can count on a slight edge.} (18. Rc5
$6 {This loses a tempo allowing Black to normalise his position.} Nd7 19. Rc3
Nb6 20. Qa5 Rc7 21. Ra3 Nc8 22. Rc1 f6 23. Nh4 Qd7 24. Ng6 Re8 25. g4 h5 $11 {
Enchev,I (2445)-Todorov,O (2252) Sunny Beach 2013 (1/2, 31)}) 18... Ne4 19. Ra3
a6 $5 (19... b6 20. Bxe4 dxe4 21. Ne5 Bd5 22. Rc1 $16) 20. Bxa6 $1 bxa6 21.
Qxa6 Nd6 (21... Kc7 22. Ne5 Kd6 23. Rc1 Qc7 24. Ka1 {[%cal Ga3b3]} f6 25. Rb3
fxe5 26. Rb7 $16) 22. Rb3+ Nb5 23. a4 Bf5+ 24. Ka2 (24. Kc1 {defends c2, but
places the king on a dangerous file.} Qa7 25. Qxa7+ Kxa7 26. axb5 cxb5+ 27. Rc3
Kb6 {[%cal Gb5b4]}) 24... Bc2 (24... Qa7 25. axb5 $18 {and} cxb5 {arrives
without check with respect to the previous line.}) 25. axb5 Bxb3+ 26. Kxb3 Qa7
27. Qxa7+ Kxa7 28. Ra1+ Kb6 29. bxc6 f6 30. Ne1 Rxc6 31. Nd3 $14) 16. Na4 (16.
Nd2 Ne8 17. Nb3 Nd6 18. Nc5 Qf6 19. Rhe1 h5 20. a4 {1/2 Levin,E (2488)-Kim,A 
(2460) Peterhof 2008}) 16... Ne4 $5 $146 {As far as I know, not only a new
move in this concrete position, but also a new way of reacting to Nc3-a4 in
general.} (16... Nxa4 17. Qxa4 {would have transposed to an earlier game.} Nd7
18. Rc3 (18. Qa5 Nb6 19. Ne5 {does not bring in anything concrete in view of}
Nd7 $5) 18... Nb6 19. Qa5 f6 (19... Nc4 $5) 20. Rhc1 (20. Ra3 Nc8 21. Rc1 Qc7
22. Qa4 Bd7 23. Qb4 g5 {[%cal Gc7d6,Gc8d6]}) 20... Nc4 21. Qc5 (21. Bxc4 dxc4
22. Ra3 b6 $15 {[%cal Ge6d5]}) 21... Qxc5 (21... Qc7 $5 $11) 22. dxc5 Ne5 23.
Nd4 Nxd3 24. Rxd3 Rhe8 25. Kc2 Kc7 26. Kd2 Bd7 27. b4 {Kovacevic,B (2454)
-Ascic,P (2347) Neum 2003 (0-1, 73). White has the more pleasant position, but
he did not manage to prove a convincing way to an advantage; quite the
opposite, in fact...}) 17. Bxe4 dxe4 18. Ne5 ({White does not get anything by
attacking e4:} 18. Nd2 Nxa4 19. Qxa4 Rd5 20. Ka1 Rb5 21. Qc2 (21. Nxe4 Bb3 $5
22. axb3 Qxe4 23. Rhg1 Qf5 {[%cal Gb5a5,Gf5f2]} 24. d5 $8 Qxd5 $15) 21... f5
22. Nc4 Bxc4 ({Or maybe the bishop is not really "bad" and it would be worth
keeping it?} 22... Rd8 23. Ne5 Ra5 $36) 23. Qxc4 Rd8 $15 {[%cal Gd8d5] Unlike
in the game, White cannot activate his rook with Rc1-c5 and Black stays in the
control of the position.}) 18... Nxa4 19. Qxa4 {In the endgame, Black may have
problems because the knight could exploit the slight weakening of the dark
squares, but in the middlegame things are at least unclear.} Rd5 20. Rc3 Rb5
21. Ra3 a5 {The most natural answer, but not the only one.} (21... a6 $5 22.
Qxa6 f6 (22... Qb4 {transposes}) 23. Ng6 (23. Qa8+ $2 Kc7 24. Qxh8 Qxa3 $19)
23... Qb4 24. Qa7+ Kc7 25. b3 Bc4 26. Nf4 Bd3+ 27. Nxd3 exd3 $13) (21... Qb4 {
would be an invitation to transposing to the same variation, but some players
may dislike the ending after} 22. Qxb4 Rxb4 23. Rc3) 22. Rc3 Rd8 23. Rhc1 Qb4 (
23... f6 {offers White some attacking chances.} 24. Nxc6+ ({If} 24. Rxc6 Rdd5
25. Rxe6 Qxe6 26. Nc4 {White's compensation is less clear.}) (24. Ng6 Qb4 25.
Qc2 Bf7 26. Nf4 g5 27. Ne2 $13) 24... bxc6 25. Rxc6 $44) 24. Qc2 Bd5 25. Qe2 f6
26. Nc4 (26. Ng6 Bf7 27. Nf4 g5 $36 {[%csl Ge2]}) 26... Bxc4 {Once again, it
is a good question whether Black needed this exchange. His bishop is a perfect
link between the structures on the opposing wings and it can serve for
attacking purposes.} (26... Qe7 $5) 27. Rxc4 Qe7 28. Rc5 Rxc5 29. Rxc5 {
White has finally obtained some micro-initiative, but Black could have
extinguished it with just one accurate move.} Qc7 $6 {This allows White too
much play out of nothing.} (29... Rd5 $1 30. Rxd5 cxd5 31. Qb5 {Black might
have thought he would just lose a pawn here, but:} Qd6 $1 32. Qxa5 Qh2 $11 {
White can give perpetual check now or he can delay this result for a while,
but the draw is inevitable anyway.} 33. Qxd5 Qg1+ 34. Kc2 Qxf2+ 35. Kb3 Qxe3+
36. Kb4 $11) 30. Qg4 $36 b6 $6 (30... Re8 31. Qg3 (31. d5 $2 Re5) 31... Qxg3 (
31... a4 32. Qxc7+ Kxc7 33. Ra5 b5 $2 34. Ra7+ $18) 32. fxg3 a4 33. Kc2 {
[%cal Gc2c3,Gc3b4]}) 31. Rc4 Re8 32. d5 $1 c5 33. Rxe4 Rd8 34. Qh5 Qd7 35. Re6
Qxd5 36. Qxd5 Rxd5 37. Kc2 $1 {A strong prophylactic move.} ({The ending
resulting after} 37. Rxb6+ Ka7 38. Rb5 Ka6 39. a4 Rd2 {is far from clear.})
37... Kc7 {Allowing the transposition to a lost pawn ending, but there is no
satisfactory defence:} (37... Rg5 38. g4 Kc7 39. f4 Rd5 40. Re7+ Rd7 41. Rxd7+
Kxd7 42. a4 $18) (37... b5 38. Rb6+ Ka7 39. Rxb5 Ka6 40. a4 $18 {[%csl Gd2]})
38. Re7+ Rd7 39. Rxd7+ Kxd7 40. a4 $1 $18 {The engines' +/= on level 27 is
amusing. Even schoolboys should know that White should win due to his mobile
kingside majority compared to the semi-blocked black majority.} Kc6 41. Kc3 b5
42. axb5+ Kxb5 43. e4 g5 44. g3 h5 45. f4 gxf4 46. gxf4 c4 47. e5 1-0

[Event "Baku FIDE GP"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2014.10.02"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Andreikin, Dmitry"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E16"]
[WhiteElo "2748"]
[BlackElo "2722"]
[Annotator "Sagar Shah"]
[PlyCount "45"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "AZE"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 163"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 e6 2. c4 Nf6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 (4... Ba6 5. Qc2 Bb7 6. Bg2 c5 7. d5 {
is one of the topical lines. The main difference with this position and the
one that was reached in the game was that after} exd5 8. cxd5 {Black can take
here with the knight on d5.} Nxd5 $13 {whereas in the game it is not possible.}
) 5. Bg2 c5 {It has been proved before that this move is not the best. However,
Black players try to come well prepared with computer analysis and are able to
hold the position. In this game though, Boris Gelfand was one step ahead of
Andreikin when it came to being acquainted with opening theory.} 6. d5 exd5 7.
cxd5 {This is not a new move but only 22 games have been played in it before.
White's results are excellent and even Boris Gelfand thinks this is the best
move which makes me wonder why this line is not so popular? I do not know.
Maybe this game will change the trend.} (7. Nh4 {was played by Gelfand against
Gashimov in the year 2012. Andreikin might have based his preparations on that
game.}) 7... Bxd5 (7... Nxd5 {is no longer possible as White just plays} 8. Nh4
$1 $18 {and Black loses a piece.}) 8. Nc3 Bc6 (8... Bb7 {is another
possibility that keeps the c6-square free for the knight.} 9. e4 {Just like in
the game White prevents d5.} Nxe4 10. Nd5 $5 $44 {With the bishop on b7 , this
might be even better.} (10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Qe2 Qe7 12. O-O Nc6 $5 13. Bf4 $1 {
as shown in the main continuation.})) 9. e4 $1 d6 {This is just an admission
that Black is worse in the position.} (9... Nxe4 {looks like the critical move
but White gets excellent compensation.} 10. Nxe4 Bxe4 11. Qe2 Qe7 12. O-O Nc6 (
12... d5 {was played in the Brunello-Al Taher and it seems like a mistake} 13.
Re1 $1 Nd7 (13... Nc6 14. Qb5 Qd7 15. Bh3 $18) 14. Qb5 f5 15. Bf4 $18) 13. Bf4
$1 (13. Re1 $6 Bxf3 14. Bxf3 Qxe2 15. Rxe2+ Be7 16. Bxc6 dxc6 17. Bg5 f6 18.
Rae1 O-O-O 19. Rxe7 fxg5 $11) 13... d5 (13... Bf5 14. Qb5 $36) 14. Rfe1 O-O-O
15. Qb5 $1 $44 {should give White excellent compensation.}) 10. O-O (10. Qb3 {
was also fairly strong. Amongst many other ideas is to play e4-e5 and Bf4 with
0-0-0.} Nbd7 (10... Be7 11. e5 $1 Ne4 (11... dxe5 $2 12. Nxe5 $18) 12. Nxe4
Bxe4 13. exd6 Qxd6 14. O-O $44 {[%cal Gc1f4,Gf1e1,Ga1d1]}) 11. O-O Rc8 12. Nb5
$1 $36) 10... Be7 (10... g6 $2 11. Re1 $1 Bg7 12. e5 $18) 11. Nh4 $1 {This was
first played between Sargissan-Socko in 2012. Till now 5 games have been
played in it with 4 wins for White. The threat is to play Nf5 and leave Black
just one tempo short of being able to co-ordinate himself perfectly. 11...g6
stops Nf5 but allows Bh6 as in the game but 11...0-0 allows Nf5 with an
initiative.} g6 $2 $146 {Andreikin was definitely not prepared for the fact
that Gelfand would be so well prepared! He plays a new move in the position
but one that is not at all good.} ({Here are some sample games that have been
played before.} 11... O-O 12. Nf5 Re8 (12... g6 13. Nxe7+ Qxe7 14. Bg5 Qe6 15.
Re1 (15. Qd2 $1 b5 16. Rad1 b4 17. Bxf6 Qxf6 18. Nd5 $16) 15... Nbd7 16. f4
Rfe8 17. Qd2 b5 18. h3 h5 19. a3 a5 20. Kh2 b4 21. Nd5 Bxd5 22. exd5 Qf5 $15 {
0-1 (44) Bellon Lopez,J (2382)-Urkedal,F (2492) Stockholm SWE 2013}) 13. Bf4 (
13. Bg5 Bf8 14. Re1 Nbd7 15. Nxd6 Re6 16. Nf5 Qe8 17. Nd5 Bxd5 18. exd5 Rxe1+
19. Qxe1 Qxe1+ 20. Rxe1 $16 {1-0 (45) Holt,C (2513)-Shankland,S (2612) Saint
Louis 2013}) 13... Bf8 14. Re1 Nbd7 15. Nxd6 (15. Bxd6 $1 $16) 15... Bxd6 16.
Bxd6 Ne5 17. Bxe5 Rxe5 18. Qxd8+ (18. Qc2 Qc7 19. f4 Ree8 20. e5 Nd7 21. Rad1
$16 {1-0 (47) Moranda,W (2570)-Dragun,K (2523) Wroclaw 2013}) 18... Rxd8 19.
Rad1 Rxd1 20. Rxd1 g5 21. f4 gxf4 22. gxf4 Re8 23. e5 Bxg2 24. Kxg2 Nh5 25. Kf3
Kf8 26. Ne4 Ng7 27. Nf6 $18 {1-0 (40) Sargissian,G (2666)-Socko,B (2631)
Warsaw 2012}) 12. Bh6 {Preventing 0-0.} Bf8 {Gelfand had a long think at this
point. He could have gone back Bg5 which also retains an initiative but
finally decided to play the simplest move which I think is the best.} (12...
Nbd7 $4 13. e5 $1 Nxe5 (13... Bxg2 14. exf6 Bxf1 15. fxe7 Qxe7 16. Qxf1 $18)
14. f4 $1 Bxg2 15. fxe5 Bxf1 16. exf6 Bxf6 17. Qa4+ {[%cal Rd8d7,Ga4e4,Ge4a8]}
b5 (17... Qd7 18. Qe4+ $18) 18. Qe4+ {[%csl Ra8]} Kd7 19. Rxf1 $18) 13. Bxf8 $1
(13. Bg5 $5 h6 $2 (13... Be7 {is relatively the best. White will most probably
go back} 14. Bh6 {when after} Bf8 {taking on f8 looks the best.}) 14. Bxf6 $1
Qxf6 15. Nd5 Qd8 16. e5 $1 dxe5 17. Qc2 $3 {a sacrifice is looming on g6.} Bxd5
18. Rad1 Bxg2 19. Rxd8+ Kxd8 20. Kxg2 $18) 13... Kxf8 14. Qd2 {A simple yet
important move connecting the rooks, preparing Rad1 putting pressure on d6 and
also threatening to enter on h6. Not to forget that many times Nf5 sacrifice
can be played and the queen enters the attack via g5.} (14. f4 {would give
Black time to organise his pieces.} Kg7 15. Qd2 b5 {[%csl Re4][%cal Gb5b4]})
14... Ne8 (14... Kg7 15. Rad1 Ne8 {tranposes to the game.}) 15. Rad1 Kg7 16. f4
$1 {Gelfand plays this game very nicely. He doesn't try to hard to find some
deep moves. He just keeps on strengthening his position till the point when
Black can no longer hold his position.} Qc8 {[%cal Gb8d7,Gc8c6]} (16... Nd7 17.
e5 $1 Bxg2 18. Qxg2 {White's position is too strong. He is threatening not
only to invade with something like Qb7 but also ideas like f5 blasting through
towards the black king. And not to forget Nb5 with the simple idea of taking
on d6.} Rc8 19. Nb5 $1 $18) ({Black has no time to develop} 16... Na6 17. f5
Nac7 18. e5 Bxg2 19. Qxg2 $18 {[%csl Ge5,Gf5][%cal Gd1d8]}) (16... a6 {is the
computer's choice of trying to defend the position. The idea is to defend by
acitvating the rook on a7. Ingenious but White just plays simple chess.} 17. f5
$1 Ra7 18. f6+ Kg8 19. Nf5 gxf5 $2 20. Qg5+ Kf8 21. Qh6+ Kg8 22. Rxf5 $18 {
[%cal Gf5g5]}) 17. Nd5 Rf8 (17... Bxd5 18. Qxd5 {[%cal Gd5a8]} Nd7 19. e5 $18
Rb8 20. Nf3 $1 {Gelfand when analysing this position stressed this move saying
that it was very nice with the idea of bringing the knight to g5. Really it is
pretty and shows the importance of activating your worst placed piece even in
superior positions.} h6 (20... Qb7 21. Qd2 $18) 21. f5 $5 gxf5 22. Nh4 $1 $18)
18. e5 $1 {Gelfand is very alert to all the tactical possibilities in the
position.} (18. Ne7 $2 Qd7 19. Nxc6 Nxc6 {[%cal Gc6d4] would botch up a lot of
the advantage for White.}) (18. f5 Bxd5 19. Qxd5 Nd7 20. fxg6 fxg6 (20... hxg6
21. Qg5 $18 {[%cal Gh4f5]}) 21. Rxf8 Nxf8 22. Rf1 $18) 18... dxe5 19. f5 $1 {
A very nice and typical pawn sacrifice by Gelfand. He could have just played
18.f5 but that would have kept his Bg2 closed. Now it is open and emitting
fire in the position.} Qd8 (19... f6 20. fxg6 hxg6 21. Nxg6 $1 Kxg6 22. Ne7+
$18) (19... Qd7 20. f6+ Nxf6 21. Nf5+ $18) 20. f6+ Nxf6 21. Nf5+ Kh8 (21...
gxf5 22. Qg5+ Kh8 23. Nxf6 Qe7 24. Qh6 $18) 22. Qh6 Rg8 23. Nxf6 (23. Nxf6 Qxf6
24. Nd6 $18 {[%cal Gf1f7,Gd6f7] A powerful game by Gelfand who might have just
put to rest the debate as to whether this line of the Queen's Indian starting
with 5...c5 is playable for Black or not.}) 1-0

[Event "Baku FIDE GP"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2014.10.04"]
[Round "3"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E18"]
[WhiteElo "2748"]
[BlackElo "2797"]
[Annotator "Roiz,M"]
[PlyCount "120"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "AZE"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 163"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 Na6 8. Nc3
Ne4 9. Bf4 d6 $146 {Alexander comes up with a novelty, which doesn't really
help Black to solve all the problems.} ({Black has a wide choice of
alternatives, but usually White is able to develop some initiative, mainly due
to a poor Na6:} 9... Nxc3 10. bxc3 Be4 11. Nd2 (11. Bf1 Nb8 12. Nd2 Bb7 13. e4
d6 $11 {1-0 Tkachiev,V (2649)-Riazantsev,A (2708)/Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2013 (40)
}) 11... Bxg2 12. Kxg2 d6 13. e4 Nb8 14. a4 Nc6 15. Nb3 Rb8 16. h4 Qd7 17. Qg4
Rfd8 18. h5 $14 {1-0 Sargissian,G (2671)-Abasov,N (2517)/Minsk BLR 2014 (50)})
(9... f5 10. Qb3 c5 11. d5 Nxc3 12. Qxc3 Bf6 13. Qb3 Qe7 14. e4 fxe4 15. Nd2
Bd4 16. Nxe4 $14 {0-1 Wojtaszek,R (2701)-Predke,A (2494)/Legnica POL 2013 (48)}
) (9... d5 10. cxd5 exd5 11. Rc1 c5 12. dxc5 Bxc5 13. e3 Nxc3 14. bxc3 Qe7 15.
Nd4 $14 {1-0 Carlsen,M (2714)-Tiviakov,S (2643)/Heraklio 2007/CBM 121 (62)})
10. Qc2 {Fighting for control over the key central square is typical for such
positions.} Nb4 (10... Nxc3 11. bxc3 {could hardly suit Black, but Grischuk's
move has a concrete problem.}) 11. Qb3 Nxc3 ({Unfortunately, the natural} 11...
c5 {fails to} 12. dxc5 $1 dxc5 13. Ne5 Nd6 (13... Nd2 14. Bxd2 Bxg2 15. Kxg2
Qxd2 16. Red1 Qg5 17. f4 $16) 14. Bxb7 Nxb7 15. a3 $16) 12. Qxc3 c5 13. e4 $1 {
Exploiting the awkward placement of Black's knight in order to seize the
centre.} Nc6 {This move looks natural, but Black is spending much time trying
to attack White's centre.} (13... Bf6 14. Rad1 Qc7 15. Bxd6 Qxd6 16. e5 Bxe5
17. Nxe5 {is quite unpleasant for Black, as White's major pieces are very
active.}) 14. d5 (14. Rad1 $5 {was another good possibility, keeping the edge
in all cases:} g5 (14... cxd4 15. Nxd4 Nxd4 16. Rxd4 Qb8 17. e5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 (
18. exd6 $5 Bf6 19. Kxg2 Qb7+ 20. Kg1 Bxd4 21. Qxd4 Qd7 22. b4 $14) 18... Qb7+
19. Kg1 dxe5 20. Bxe5 f6 21. Bd6 e5 22. Rd5 Bxd6 23. Rxd6 Rad8 24. Red1 $14)
15. Bd2 g4 16. d5 Bf6 17. e5 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 exd5 (18... Bxe5 19. Rxe5 dxe5 20.
Qxe5 exd5 21. Bc3 f6 22. Qe6+ Rf7 23. Qxg4+ Rg7 24. Qe6+ Rf7 25. cxd5 $16) 19.
Bf4 d4 20. Qd3 dxe5 21. Bxb7 Rb8 22. Bxe5 Bxe5 23. Be4 Re8 $14) 14... Bf6 {
Grischuk's move is not bad, but it gives White some additional options.} (14...
exd5 15. cxd5 Bf6 {forces some simplifications, but after} 16. e5 Nxe5 17. Nxe5
dxe5 (17... Qb8 18. Re3 dxe5 19. Bxe5 Bxe5 20. Rxe5 Re8 21. f4 $14) 18. Bxe5
Bxe5 19. Rxe5 Qd7 20. Rae1 Rae8 21. f4 $14 {White's strong passed Pd5 is
extremely strong.}) 15. Qd2 {Boris decides to avoid the isolated pawn and
keeps a small, but stable edge as well.} (15. e5 Nxe5 16. Nxe5 dxe5 17. Bxe5
Bxe5 18. Rxe5 exd5 19. cxd5 {could have transposed to the above mentioned line.
}) 15... Nd4 ({The following alternative led to a solid, but passive position:
} 15... exd5 $5 16. exd5 Nd4 17. Nxd4 Bxd4 18. Bg5 Bf6 19. Bxf6 Qxf6 20. Bh3
Rae8 (20... Rfe8 21. Bd7 Rxe1+ 22. Rxe1 $14) 21. Bd7 Re7 22. Rxe7 Qxe7 23. Ba4
$14) 16. Nxd4 Bxd4 17. e5 {Obviously, White shouldn't give Black time for
consolidating.} dxe5 ({Alexander could have tried} 17... Re8 $5 18. dxe6 Bxg2
19. exf7+ Kxf7 20. e6+ $1 Kg8 21. Kxg2 Qf6 $14 {winning the pawn back, but his
structure would be permanently worse.}) 18. Bxe5 Bxe5 19. Rxe5 exd5 20. Rae1 {
White is not obliged to take the pawn back immediately, so there is time for
mobilising all his forces.} Qd6 21. Re7 {As before, Boris prefers to deviate
from creating an isolated pawn.} (21. cxd5 $5 Rad8 22. Qe2 $14) 21... Bc6 22.
Bxd5 Rad8 (22... Bxd5 23. Qxd5 Qxd5 24. cxd5 {leads to a very difficult rook
endgame:} Rad8 ({after} 24... Rfd8 25. d6 Kf8 26. d7 b5 27. Kf1 $16 {Black is
paralysed.}) 25. Rd1 Rfe8 26. Rxa7 Kf8 27. Ra6 Rd6 28. Rd2 $16) 23. Rxa7 {
This move leads to a rook ending with an extra pawn.} ({After} 23. R1e5 Bxd5
24. cxd5 b5 $14 {White could put some pressure on the opponent's king, but
Black's queenside pawns may offer some counterchances.}) 23... Bxd5 24. Qxd5 $6
{A somewhat inaccurate move.} (24. cxd5 Qxd5 25. Qxd5 Rxd5 26. Rb7 {would
transpose to the game.}) 24... Qxd5 $6 {Alexander mised a golden opportunity
to avoid the loss of a pawn.} (24... Qf6 $1 {was much better:} 25. Qe5 Rd1 $1
26. Kg2 Rxe1 27. Qxe1 Qxb2 28. Qe4 g6 29. a4 Kg7 $14 {and Black should be able
to hold this position with a precise defence.}) 25. cxd5 Rxd5 26. Rb7 Rd6 27.
Re3 g6 (27... f5 $5 28. Ree7 Rg6 $14 {keeping the material balance was an
option worth considering, but it is a difficult decision, especially when you
are in time trouble.}) 28. Rb3 c4 29. R3xb6 Rxb6 30. Rxb6 {Finally White has
won a pawn, but now Black can activate the rook.} Ra8 31. a3 c3 32. bxc3 Rxa3
33. Rc6 h5 34. h4 Kf8 35. Kg2 (35. Rc7 Kg7 36. Kg2 Kf6 37. Kf3 Ke5 {is hardly
an achievement for White.}) 35... Ke7 36. Kf3 Ra2 (36... Kd7 $5 37. Rc4 Kd6)
37. Ke3 Rc2 38. Rc4 ({After} 38. c4 Rc3+ 39. Kd2 Rf3 40. Ke2 Rc3 {it would be
difficult to make a progress.}) 38... Kf8 (38... f6 $5 {deserved serious
attention, with the intention to exchange the k-side pawns.}) 39. f3 Ke7 40.
Kf4 Rf2 {For some reason, Alexander delays the f7-f6 advance.} ({After} 40...
f6 $5 41. Rc7+ Ke6 {it looks like White has nothing better than} 42. Rg7 Rxc3
43. Rxg6 Rc4+ 44. Ke3 Rc3+ 45. Ke4 Rc4+ 46. Kd3 Rc1 {with a drawish position.})
41. Re4+ Kd6 42. Re3 {Now the Pf3 is protected, so Back must prevent White
from bringing the king to f6.} f6 ({Another way to stop White's king was:} 
42... Rg2 $5 43. Rd3+ Ke6 44. c4 f6 (44... Rc2 45. Re3+ Kf6 46. Re4 Rc3 47. g4
$16) 45. Rc3 Kd6) 43. Ke4 Ra2 ({It looks like} 43... Kc5 $1 44. Kd3 Rg2 {
was an easier way:} 45. f4 f5 46. c4 Ra2 47. Re5+ Kd6 48. Kd4 Rd2+ 49. Kc3 Rg2
{I don't see how White can make any progress here.}) 44. Rd3+ Ke6 45. c4 Rc2
46. Kd4 Kd6 $6 ({Once again,} 46... g5 {starting some counterplay was possible:
} 47. Re3+ Kd6 48. hxg5 fxg5 49. f4 gxf4 50. gxf4 Rd2+ 51. Rd3 Rc2 52. Rh3 Rd2+
53. Ke4 Rc2 $11) 47. f4 Rc1 48. Rf3 $1 {Boris Gelfand finds an excellent
resource - now the threat of f4-f5, breaking up Black's pawns is very
unpleasant.} Rd1+ (48... f5 49. Ra3 Rd1+ 50. Kc3 Kc5 51. Ra5+ Kb6 52. Rb5+ Kc6
53. Re5 Rf1 54. Kd4 {looks dangerous now.}) 49. Kc3 Rb1 $2 {Finally Alexander
makes a decisive mistake and allows White to achieve his goal.} ({Black's task
was difficult, but the position still was drawish had he played:} 49... Ra1 $1
50. Kb4 Kc6 51. f5 {and now} g5 $1 52. hxg5 fxg5 53. f6 Ra8 54. Rf5 Rf8 55.
Rxg5 Rxf6 56. Rxh5 Rg6 57. Rh3 Rg5 $11) 50. f5 gxf5 ({Now it's too late for} 
50... g5 51. hxg5 fxg5 52. f6 Rb8 {as White's king is closer than before:} 53.
Kd4 Ke6 54. c5 Rb4+ (54... h4 55. gxh4 g4 56. Re3+ Kxf6 57. c6 $18) 55. Kc3 Ra4
56. Kb3 Ra8 57. Kc4 Rf8 58. c6 Kd6 59. Kd4 $1 h4 60. gxh4 gxh4 61. c7 Kxc7 62.
Ke5 $18) 51. Rxf5 Ke6 52. Rxh5 (52. Rf3 $1 Ra1 53. Kb4 Rb1+ 54. Kc5 {was
convincing enough:} Rb8 55. Re3+ Kd7 56. Kd5 Rb1 57. Rf3 Rd1+ 58. Kc5 Rd6 59.
Rf5 Ra6 60. Kb5 Ra3 61. Rxf6 Rxg3 62. Rf5 $18) 52... Rg1 53. Rh8 $2 {Returning
the favour.} ({White loses priceless time and deviates from:} 53. c5 Rxg3+ 54.
Kc4 Rg1 (54... Rg8 55. Rd5 Rg2 56. Rd8 f5 57. c6 Rc2+ 58. Kb5 Rb2+ 59. Ka6 Rc2
60. Kb7 $18) 55. Rh8 f5 56. h5 f4 57. h6 Rc1+ 58. Kd3 Kf7 59. Rc8 Kg6 60. Kd2
$1 Rc4 61. Rc6+ Kh7 62. Kd3 Rc1 63. Ke4 Rc4+ 64. Kf3 $18) 53... Rxg3+ 54. Kb4
f5 $1 {As a result, Black is just in time to push the pawn now.} 55. h5 (55. c5
f4 56. Rf8 Ke5 57. h5 Rh3 58. Re8+ Kd5 59. Rd8+ Kc6 60. Rd6+ Kc7 61. h6 f3 $11)
55... Rg7 $2 {Both players had to find precise moves under time pressure.
Mistakes are practically unavoidable in such a situation.} (55... f4 56. c5 f3
57. Rf8 Kd5 58. h6 Rh3 59. Kb5 Ke4 60. Rf6 Ke5 $1 61. Rf7 Ke6 62. Rf8 Rxh6 63.
Rxf3 Kd7 $11) 56. h6 Rf7 57. Re8+ $2 ({For the second time, Boris Gelfand
misses a clear win and refuses:} 57. c5 f4 58. c6 Kf5 59. Rg8 Rh7 60. Kc5 Ke4
61. Rg6 f3 62. Rf6 Ke3 63. Kb6 f2 64. c7 Rh8 65. Kb7 $18) 57... Kf6 $11 {
Now the position is completely drawish!} 58. Re1 (58. c5 Kg5 59. c6 Kxh6 $11)
58... f4 59. Kc5 f3 ({There was nothing wrong with} 59... Kg6 {either:} 60. Kd6
Kxh6 61. c5 Kg5 $11) 60. Kd6 Kg6 {Unfortunately for Alexander Grischuk, he ran
out of time for the 1st time in his career. A dramatic end to this spectacular
game!} 1-0

[Event "Baku FIDE GP"]
[Site "Baku"]
[Date "2014.10.13"]
[Round "10"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Radjabov, Teimour"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E05"]
[WhiteElo "2748"]
[BlackElo "2726"]
[Annotator "Marin,M"]
[PlyCount "55"]
[EventDate "2014.10.02"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "AZE"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 163"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2014.11.11"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. Qxc4
b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 Be4 11. Qc1 Bb7 {A solid move if Black is content with a
draw. If he wishes more, it can also be a psychological trick, inviting White
to display his level of ambitions. but in top level events a draw by
repetition at this stage of the game is out of the question, of course.} 12.
Bf4 (12. a3 {Rodshtein,M (2609)-Giri,A (2672) Biel 2010 CBM 138 [Stohl,I] (1-0,
39)}) 12... Nd5 13. Rd1 $5 {A relativey rare move.} ({The main line goes} 13.
Nc3 {The latest annotated game went} Nxf4 14. Qxf4 Nd7 15. Rac1 $146 {
Andreikin,D (2687)-Bruzon Batista,L (2693) Havana 2011 CBM 143 [Ftacnik,L] 
(1-0, 48)}) 13... Nxf4 {Abstractly, I would consider this a concession. Since
White has delayed the development of his queen's knight, it is to be expected
that he is planning Nbd2. But this would not be too effective with the queen
on c1.} (13... Nd7 14. Nc3 Nxf4 15. Qxf4 Bd6 16. Qe3 {Ponomariov,R (2739)-Leko,
P (2752) Moscow 2009 CBM 133 [Marin,M] (1/2-1/2, 31)}) 14. Qxf4 (14. gxf4 {
is just illogical, this is not what White was playing for.} c5 (14... Bd6 $5 {
Andersen,M (2461)-Berger,S (2400) Germany 2013 (1/2-1/2, 56)}) 15. dxc5 Qc7 16.
Ne5 Bxg2 17. Kxg2 Bxc5 $11 {Johannessen,L (2538)-Sammalvuo,T (2445) Gausdal
2004 CBM 104 [Ribli] (1-0, 34)}) 14... Qd6 $6 $146 {Black adopts a popular
setup in the 13.Nc3 variation, but things are different here.} (14... Bd6 {
Kramnik,V (2785)-Radjabov,T (2744) Kazan 2011 CBM 143 [Marin,M] (1/2-1/2, 61)})
15. Nbd2 $1 {[%cal Ga1c1] Suddenly, it appears that it will not be easy for
Black to free his position with ...c7-c5. And actually this move could also
deserve a "N".} ({Indeed,} 15. Nc3 Nd7 {would transpose to a known position,
Romanishin,O (2550)-Janjgava,L (2470) Simferopol 1988 (1-0, 41)}) 15... Nd7 (
15... c5 16. Qxd6 Bxd6 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. Rac1 Bb6 19. Ne5 $14 {[%csl Ra5,Rb8,
Rc5]}) (15... Qxf4 16. gxf4 c5 17. dxc5 Bxc5 18. Rac1 Bb6 19. Ne5 $14) 16. Rac1
$14 {White has completed his development and is ready to fight for the
blockade on c5 with Nb3. Besides, there are tricks based on Nf3-e5 all the way.
} Rad8 {Over-protecting d7 in view of the aforementioned tactical threat, but
neglecting the c-file completely. Black has a wide choice, but none of the
available continuations is entirely satisfactory.} (16... Rac8 17. Qxd6 $1 cxd6
(17... Bxd6 18. Ne5 Bxg2 19. Nxd7 Rfd8 20. Kxg2 Rxd7 21. Rc6 $16) 18. Ne5 Bxg2
(18... dxe5 19. Bxb7 {We can see why it was a good idea to wait with this
trick until the rook occupied the c8-square. With the rooks on a1 and a8,
Black could answer ...Ra7, defending everything.} Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Bg5 21. Rc2
exd4 22. Bxa6 b4 23. Ne4 Be7 24. Rc7 $14) 19. Nxd7 Rxc1 20. Rxc1 Rd8 21. Kxg2
Rxd7 22. Nb3 $14) (16... Rfd8 $2 17. Ne5 Bxg2 18. Qxf7+ $1 $18) (16... Qxf4 17.
gxf4 Rac8 (17... c5 18. Ne5 Bxg2 19. Nxd7 Rfd8 20. Nxc5 $14) 18. Ne5 Bxg2 19.
Kxg2 ({This is more active than} 19. Nxd7 Rfd8 20. Kxg2 Rxd7 21. Nb3 c6 {
since in the main line White will have better control in the centre.}) 19...
Nxe5 20. fxe5 c6 21. Nb3 $14) (16... c5 17. Qxd6 Bxd6 18. dxc5 Nxc5 19. Nc4 $36
) 17. Nb3 {Calmly continuing his plan.} (17. Rxc7 $2 {did not work due to} e5
$1 18. Rxd7 exf4 $17) ({But the plan initiated by} 17. Qxd6 {looks entirely OK.
} Bxd6 (17... cxd6 18. Rc7 $36) 18. Ne1 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 f5 20. Nd3 $14 e5 21. Nb3
$14 {[%csl Ga5,Ra6,Gc5,Gc6]}) 17... Bd5 18. Nfd2 Nb6 $6 {This loses a pawn
with just some compensation. But Black was under unpleasant pressure anyway.}
19. Rxc7 Bxb3 $2 {After giving away the control over the light squares Black
lands up in a very bad position.} (19... e5 $2 20. Qxe5 $18) ({Good or bad,
Black should have chosen something like} 19... Qxf4 20. gxf4 Bd6 21. Ra7 Na4
22. Rb1 Ra8 23. Rxa8 Rxa8 24. Bxd5 exd5 25. e3 Rc8 26. Na1 $14 {White is a
pawn up and has stopped Black's counterplay. Whether he will manage to rid
himself of the queenside pressure - that is another question.}) 20. Nxb3 Nc4 ({
Possibly, Radjabov overlooked that the last exchange had cleared the c1-f4
diagonal, allowing White to meet} 20... e5 {, based on the pin of the d-pawn,
with} 21. Qc1 $1 $18) 21. Qxd6 Bxd6 22. Ra7 a5 (22... Nxb2 23. Rc1 Rc8 24. Rc6
Rxc6 25. Bxc6 $16) 23. Rb1 Bb4 24. a3 (24. e3 $16) 24... Nd2 $2 {The decisive
mistake in a difficult position.} (24... a4 $5) 25. axb4 Nxb1 26. bxa5 {
[%cal Gg2e4] Even if Black could save his knight the a-pawn sustained by the
Catalan bishop would give him a hard time. But with the knight prisoner on b1,
his game is just lost.} f5 {[%csl Ge4]} (26... Rc8 27. Be4 $18) 27. Rc7 e5 28.
Rc1 1-0

[Event "Bundesliga 1415"]
[Site "Germany"]
[Date "2014.12.06"]
[Round "5.1"]
[White "Bacrot, Etienne"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D70"]
[WhiteElo "2719"]
[BlackElo "2748"]
[PlyCount "66"]
[EventDate "2014.10.18"]
[EventType "team-tourn"]
[EventRounds "15"]
[EventCountry "GER"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 164"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]
[WhiteTeam "Baden-Baden"]
[BlackTeam "Schwaebisch Hall"]
[WhiteTeamCountry "GER"]
[BlackTeamCountry "GER"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. f3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e4 Nb6 6. Nc3 Bg7 7. Be3 O-O 8. Qd2
Nc6 9. O-O-O Qd6 10. h4 Rd8 11. Nb5 Qd7 12. h5 a6 13. Nc3 Bxd4 14. Qf2 e5 15.
Nge2 Bxe3+ 16. Qxe3 Qe6 17. Rxd8+ Nxd8 18. Qh6 Qe7 19. Nd5 Nxd5 20. exd5 Qf8
21. Qe3 f6 22. hxg6 hxg6 23. Nc3 Nf7 24. g4 Kg7 25. Ne4 Qb4 26. g5 fxg5 27.
Nxg5 Nxg5 28. Qxe5+ Kf7 29. Qxg5 Qe1+ 30. Kc2 Bf5+ 31. Kb3 Qd1+ 32. Kb4 a5+ 33.
Kc5 Qc2+ 0-1

[Event "Moscow Petrosian Memorial"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2014.11.09"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Morozevich, Alexander"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[WhiteElo "2759"]
[BlackElo "2724"]
[Annotator "CB"]
[PlyCount "81"]
[EventDate "2014.11.04"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 164"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 d5 3. c4 c6 4. e3 a6 5. Nc3 b5 6. c5 g6 7. Ne5 Nfd7 {rare but
logical. Usually Black develops the bishop first.} 8. Nd3 e5 9. a4 Bb7 10. axb5
axb5 11. Rxa8 Bxa8 12. b4 e4 $2 {I dont' think locking the center ri ght away
brings any benefit to Black.} 13. Nf4 Be7 {Alreayd it was hard to avoid White
sacrificing on d5.} (13... Bg7 14. Nfxd5 cxd5 15. Bxb5 O-O 16. O-O $14) (13...
Nf6 {was probably objectively better.}) 14. Nfxd5 cxd5 15. Bxb5 O-O 16. O-O Nf6
17. Be2 Bb7 18. b5 Bc8 19. Qa4 {Black has no plan, White has two passed pawsn.
That's worth the piece easily.} h5 20. Bd2 Be6 21. Qa7 Nbd7 22. Rc1 Ng4 23. Nd1
Kg7 24. Ra1 Bh4 25. c6 (25. h3 {there was no reason not to kick out the knight
first.}) 25... Nb6 26. c7 $2 Qf6 (26... Qd6 $1 {Morozevich misses his only
chance to equalize.} 27. Bxg4 Ra8 $1 {The players must have missed this
resource.} 28. Qxa8 (28. Bxe6 Rxa7 29. Rxa7 Qxe6 30. Ba5 Nc8 31. Ra8 Be7 $1 32.
b6 Qc6 $1 33. Rxc8 Qc1 $1 {and magically Black doesn't have enough to repel
Black's threats. This is why Be7 is important, to have Bd6+ after h3.}) 28...
Nxa8 29. c8=Q Bxc8 30. Bxc8 $11) 27. Be1 {playing it a little too safe.} Bc8 $2
(27... Ra8 $1) 28. h3 Nh6 29. Bb4 Rh8 30. Rc1 Nc4 31. Bxc4 dxc4 32. d5 {
Now the pawns just roll forward.} Qg5 33. Qd4+ Kh7 34. Qxe4 Bb7 35. Nc3 Nf5 36.
Qe5 Ra8 37. Ne4 Qh6 38. Rxc4 Nxe3 39. fxe3 Bxd5 40. c8=Q Rxc8 41. Rxc8 1-0

[Event "Moscow Petrosian Memorial"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2014.11.11"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Leko, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D41"]
[WhiteElo "2759"]
[BlackElo "2731"]
[Annotator "Krasenkow,M"]
[PlyCount "73"]
[EventDate "2014.11.04"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "7"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "20"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 164"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2015.01.15"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. d4 e6 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. Bg2 cxd4 8.
Nxd4 Nxc3 9. bxc3 Nxd4 10. Qxd4 Qxd4 11. cxd4 Bb4+ 12. Bd2 Bxd2+ 13. Kxd2 {
This well-known theoretical variation has been examined in several CBM issues
- see e.g. CBM 105, annotations to Van Wely - Polgar by GM Igor Stohl. White's
strong g2-bishop guarantees him some edge but Black's position is quite solid.}
Ke7 {Black's defensive plan includes ...Rh8-d8-d6 or d7, ...Ke7-d8 (if
necessary), ...Ra8-b8, ...b7-b6 and ...Bc8-b7. It looks quite slow but
surprisingly, it is not easy for White to prevent it or gain something in the
meantime. Alternatives:} (13... Kd8) (13... Rb8) 14. Rhc1 (14. a4 Rd8 15. Ke3
Rb8 16. a5 Bd7 17. Rhb1 Bc6 18. Bxc6 bxc6 19. Kd3 Rb5 $11 {1-0 (51) Berkes,F 
(2617)-Horvath,A (2555) Kazincbarcika 2005}) 14... Rd8 15. Rc7+ {White trades
Black's active rook.} (15. Ke3 Rb8 $1) (15. Rc4 Rd6 (15... Rd7 16. a4 Rb8 17.
a5 Kd8 $1 18. Rac1 Rd6 19. f4 Ra6 20. Rc5 b6 21. axb6 axb6 22. Rh5 h6 23. g4
Ra2+ 24. Ke3 Bb7 $11 {1/2 (58) Van Wely,L (2679)-Polgar,J (2728) Wijk aan Zee
2005 CBM 105 [Stohl,I]}) 16. Rac1 Kd8 17. Ke3 (17. e3 Rb8 18. Rc7 Rd7 19. Rxd7+
Bxd7 20. f4 b6 21. Be4 h6 22. h4 Rc8 23. Rxc8+ Bxc8 {1/2 (31) Salgado Lopez,I 
(2622)-Hansen,E (2577) Doha QAT 2014}) 17... Rb8 18. g4 h6 19. h4 Bd7 20. g5
Ra6 21. gxh6 gxh6 22. R1c2 Rc8 $11 {1/2 (49) Vaganian,R (2640)-Bauer,C (2525)
Germany 1998}) 15... Rd7 16. Rac1 Kd8 17. Rxd7+ (17. R7c4 {is now just a loss
of a tempo, and Black easily equalizes:} Rb8 18. a4 b6 19. Bc6 Rc7 20. e4 {
1/2 (20) Hillarp Persson,T (2443)-Psakhis,L (2575) Ohrid 2001}) 17... Kxd7 {
[%mdl 4096]} 18. g4 {[%cal Yg4g5] White starts some kingside action. Practice
has seen some other moves, too:} (18. Be4 h6 19. h4 Rb8 20. g4 Kd6 21. f4 Bd7
22. Bf3 b6 23. e4 Rc8 24. e5+ Ke7 25. Rxc8 Bxc8 26. Kc3 g6 {1/2 (26) Zoler,D 
(2541)-Zilberman,Y (2423) Israel 2011}) (18. e4 b6 (18... Rb8 19. e5 Kd8 20.
Be4 h6 21. Ke3 b6 22. f4 Bb7 {1/2 Benko,P-Farago,I/Szolnok 1975 (22)}) 19. e5
Rb8 20. Bc6+ Kd8 21. d5 exd5 22. Bxd5 Be6 23. Bxe6 fxe6 24. Rc4 Rb7 25. Rh4 h6
26. Rg4 Ke8 27. Rc4 Rd7+ 28. Ke3 Rd5 29. f4 Ra5 $11 {1/2 (38) Ftacnik,L (2546)
-Rapport,R (2444) Szentgotthard 2010}) (18. f4 Rb8 19. d5 (19. e4 b6 20. Ke3
Bb7 21. Bh3 Kd8 $5 (21... Rc8 22. Rxc8 Bxc8 23. d5 Kc7 24. e5 b5 25. Kd4 Kb6
26. d6 $16 {1-0 (61) Benko,P-Donner,J Wijk aan Zee 1970}) 22. d5 exd5 23. exd5
Bc8 24. Bg2 Bf5 25. Kd4 f6 $11 {I.Tsesarsky}) 19... exd5 (19... Kd6 $5 20. e4
f6 21. Bh3 $140 Bd7 22. Bxe6 Bxe6 23. dxe6 Kxe6 24. Rc7 Rd8+ 25. Ke3 Rd7) 20.
Bxd5 f6 21. e4 Kd6 22. Ke3 Bd7 23. Kd4 {[%cal Ge4e5]} Rc8 $8 24. e5+ fxe5+ 25.
fxe5+ Ke7 26. Rxc8 Bxc8 27. Kc5 Be6 $1 $11 {0-1 (39) Huzman,A (2574)-Psakhis,L
(2599) Haifa 2000 CBM 074 ext [Psakhis,L]}) 18... h6 (18... Rb8 $143 19. g5 $1
{[%cal Yc1c3,Yc3h3]} b5 $1 20. Rc5 $14 (20. Rc3 $143 b4 21. Rh3 Rb5 22. d5 Ra5
23. Rxh7 Rxa2+ 24. Kc1 Rxe2 25. Rxg7 Rxf2 26. dxe6+ Kxe6 27. Bh3+ f5 28. Rxa7
Rxh2 29. Rh7 Rh1+ 30. Kb2 Rg1 31. Rc7 Bd7 32. Bxf5+ Kxf5 33. Rxd7 Rxg5 {
1/2 (33) Werle,J (2443)-Sax,G (2511) Fuerth 2002})) 19. h4 (19. f4 Rb8 20. g5 (
20. e4 b6 21. h4 Bb7 22. Ke3 g6 23. Bf1 {1/2 (23) Ruck,R (2551)-Horvath,A 
(2555) Kazincbarcika 2005}) 20... hxg5 $1 (20... b6 $6 21. gxh6 gxh6 22. Rc3
Bb7 23. Bxb7 Rxb7 24. Rh3 $14 {1-0 (42) Kramnik,V (2730)-Lautier,J (2645)
Belgrade 1995 CBM 051 [Kortschnoj]}) 21. fxg5 b6 22. g6 (22. h4 {[%cal Rh4h5]}
g6 23. Ke3 (23. Bc6+ Kd6 24. Be8 Ke7 25. Bb5 a6 26. Bd3 Kd6 27. Rf1 Ke7 28. Rc1
Kd6 {1/2 (28) Volke,K (2458)-Farago,I (2507) Budapest 2004}) 23... Ba6 24. Bf3
Rh8 25. Rh1 Bc4 26. Kf4 b5 $132 {1/2 (33) Psakhis,L-Zilberman,Y/ISR-ch Tel
Aviv 1998}) 22... fxg6 23. Be4 Kd6 24. Rc6+ Kd7 25. Rc1 Kd6 26. Bxg6 Bd7 27. h4
Rf8 28. h5 Rf2 29. Rg1 {1/2 (50) Jakovenko,D (2747)-Radjabov,T (2726) Tashkent
UZB 2014} Rh2 $11) (19. Rc5 Rb8 20. Ra5 $5 a6 21. Rh5 {is an interesting
attempt, Black needs accurate play to defend:} Kd6 22. g5 hxg5 23. Rh8 (23. Rh7
Bd7 24. Rxg7 f6 25. e4 Bc6 26. Rf7 Rh8 27. Rxf6 Rxh2 28. e5+ Ke7 29. Bxc6 bxc6
30. Kc3 a5 31. Kc4 Rh1 32. Rg6 Rc1+ 33. Kb3 Rf1 34. Rxg5 Rxf2 $11 {1/2 (52)
Fridman,D (2629)-Meier,G (2610) Dortmund 2013}) 23... g4 $5 24. Rg8 g6 25. f3
gxf3 26. Bxf3 b5 27. h4 Kc7 28. Rg7 Bd7 29. Rxf7 Rh8 30. Rf4 Kd6 $11 {1/2 (39)
Gelfand,B (2773)-Leko,P (2737) Beijing 2013}) 19... Rb8 20. f4 (20. g5 hxg5 ({
even} 20... b6 {is now playable since White can't bring his rook to h3
attacking the h6-pawn:} 21. Bc6+ Kd6 22. Be8 hxg5 23. hxg5 f6 {1/2 (23)
Krivoshey,S (2504)-Sax,G (2535) Balatonlelle 2004}) 21. hxg5 b6 22. Rh1 Ba6 23.
Rh7 Rg8 24. e4 Bc4 25. a3 b5 26. Kc3 a5 27. d5 Kd6 28. Kd4 e5+ 29. Kc3 Kc5 $132
{1/2 (46) Buss,R (2270)-Miniboeck,G (2348) St Poelten 2002}) 20... b6 21. Bc6+
Kd8 (21... Ke7 22. e4 Bd7 23. h5 f6 24. Bxd7 Kxd7 25. e5 {(a similar ending
happened in the game under examination, but GM T.Radjabov defends more
successfully - the question is whether his opponent could have posed more
problems to him)} b5 26. Rc5 Rb6 27. Kd3 fxe5 28. dxe5 a5 29. f5 a4 30. Kc2 b4
31. Ra5 b3+ 32. axb3 axb3+ 33. Kb2 exf5 34. gxf5 Ke7 35. Ra7+ (35. e6 Kf6 36.
Ra8 Rb5 37. Rf8+ Ke7 38. Rf7+ Ke8) 35... Kf8 36. Ra8+ Ke7 37. Ra7+ Kf8 38. Ra8+
Ke7 39. Ra7+ {1/2 (39) Fressinet,L (2712)-Radjabov,T (2717) Bilbao ESP 2014}) (
{There is apparently nothing wrong with} 21... Kd6 {, e.g.} 22. e4 (22. Be8 Bb7
$1 23. Bxf7 Rf8) 22... Ba6 23. e5+ Ke7 {[%cal Yb8c8]} 24. Rc3 Rc8 25. Ra3 Rxc6
26. Rxa6 Rc7 {but White can try the same plan as in the game:} 27. h5 Kd7 28.
Ra3 {[%cal Ya3c3]}) 22. e4 Bd7 {Surprisingly, the bishop exchange might be
wrong!} (22... Ba6) 23. h5 b5 ({The key to the position is that the pawn
endgame after} 23... Rc8 24. Bxd7 Rxc1 25. Kxc1 Kxd7 26. e5 {is probably
winning for White: Black's king will have to protect his kingside from the
threat of a pawn break; meanwhile White's king will find its way to Black's
queenside pawns. The full analysis of this ending is quite extensive; here are
some lines:} Ke7 27. Kd2 Kf8 $5 (27... g6 $2 28. g5 hxg5 29. h6 Kf8 30. fxg5
$18) (27... Kd7 28. Kd3 Ke7 (28... Kc6 29. f5 {[%cal Rf5f6]}) 29. Kc4 a6 30. d5
) 28. f5 $1 (28. Kd3 g6 29. Kc4 gxh5 30. gxh5 a6 31. d5 Ke7 32. Kd4 Kd7 33. Ke4
Ke7 34. f5 Kd7 {with a fortress}) 28... Ke7 (28... g6 29. fxg6 fxg6 30. g5 $1 {
, and White wins by getting a second passed pawn with a d4-d5 break}) 29. Kd3
Kd7 (29... b5 30. Ke4 a5 31. d5 {[%cal Ye4d4]}) 30. Ke4 Ke7 31. d5 exf5+ (31...
Kd7 32. g5 $1 exf5+ 33. Kxf5 hxg5 34. e6+ Ke7 35. Kxg5 b5 36. exf7 Kxf7 37. d6
Ke6 38. Kg6 $18) 32. gxf5 Kd7 33. e6+ Ke7 34. Ke5 f6+ 35. Kd4 Kd6 36. a4 a6 37.
Kc4 Ke7 38. a5 b5+ 39. Kc5 $18) (23... Bxc6 $5 24. Rxc6 Kd7 25. Rc3 f6 {
deserved serious attention - see Fressinet-Radjabov above}) ({or an immediate} 
23... f6 $5 {I guess this ending is going to be the subject of the most
extensive analysis by... opening specialists!}) 24. Bxd7 Kxd7 25. Rc5 Rb6 $6 ({
Probably the last moment to play} 25... f6 $5) 26. Kc3 a5 27. e5 g6 {This move
allows White to create connected passed pawns in the centre but, amazingly, I
don't see a good defence any more!} (27... Rc6 {was still hopeless due to} 28.
Rxc6 Kxc6 29. f5 Kd7 30. d5 exd5 31. Kd4) ({It was probably too late to try
Radjabov's plan:} 27... f6 28. exf6 $1 gxf6 29. g5 $1 fxg5 30. fxg5 hxg5 31.
Rxg5 Rb8 32. h6 Rh8 33. Rg7+ $1 (33. Rh5 Rh7 34. Kd3 Ke7 35. Rxb5 (35. Ke4 b4
36. Kd3 a4 37. Kc4 b3 38. axb3 axb3 39. Kxb3 Kf6) 35... Rxh6 36. Rxa5 Rh1 {
, and White should not win}) 33... Kd6 34. h7 Kd5 35. Kd3 e5 36. dxe5 Kxe5 37.
Rb7 Rd8+ 38. Kc3 Kf6 39. Rxb5 Kg7 40. Rxa5 Kxh7 41. a4 {- this endgame is
winning}) ({Passive defence like} 27... Rb8 {was hardly enough either.}) 28.
hxg6 fxg6 29. a4 $2 {But this move probably lets White's advantage slip.} (29.
d5 $1 exd5 30. Kd4 Ke6 31. Rc8 {[%cal Yd4c5] was very strong.}) 29... b4+ $6 (
29... bxa4 {was probably even simpler: after} 30. Rxa5 Rb3+ 31. Kc4 Rf3 {
I don't see a win for White, e.g.} 32. Rxa4 (32. f5 gxf5 33. gxf5 Rxf5 34. Kc5
Rf7) 32... Rxf4 33. Kc5 Ke7 34. Ra7+ Kf8 35. d5 exd5 36. Kd6 d4 37. e6 d3 38.
e7+ Kf7 39. Ra8 Re4 40. Rf8+ Kg7 {, and White's e-pawn can't queen.}) 30. Kb3
Ra6 31. f5 gxf5 32. gxf5 exf5 33. d5 h5 $2 {According to GM A.Tukhaev, Black
could have held his ground by means of} (33... f4 34. Rc4 h5 35. Rxf4 Rh6) ({or
} 33... Ra7 34. Rc6 f4 35. Rxh6 Rc7) 34. e6+ Kd6 35. Kc4 Ke5 $4 {This blunder
ends the game at once but after} (35... h4 36. Rb5 {[%cal Yc4d4,Yb5b7] Black's
blockade would be lifted very soon, e.g.} f4 (36... h3 37. Rb7 Ke5 38. e7 Ra8
39. Rb6 h2 40. Re6+ Kf4 41. Re1 {[%cal Yd5d6]} Kg5 42. d6 Kf6 43. Kd4 Rb8 44.
d7 h1=Q 45. e8=Q) 37. Kd4 {[%cal Rb5b7]} Ra8 38. Rb6+ Kc7 39. Kc5 {[%cal Yd5d6]
etc.}) 36. e7 Ra8 37. Rc6 {[%cal Rc6e6]} 1-0

[Event "Khanty-Mansiysk FIDE GP"]
[Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"]
[Date "2015.05.22"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Svidler, Peter"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D97"]
[WhiteElo "2744"]
[BlackElo "2734"]
[Annotator "Stohl,I"]
[PlyCount "123"]
[EventDate "2015.05.14"]
[EventType "tourn"]
[EventRounds "11"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[EventCategory "21"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 167"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2015.07.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2015.07.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 {[%emt 0:00:01]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 2. c4 {[%emt 0:00:02]} g6 {[%emt 0:
00:05]} 3. Nc3 {[%emt 0:00:05]} d5 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 4. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Bg7
{[%emt 0:00:04]} 5. Qb3 {[%emt 0:00:03]} dxc4 {[%emt 0:00:04]} 6. Qxc4 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:06]} 7. e4 {[%emt 0:00:03]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:56]
The most popular choice against the Russian System.} ({However,} 7... Na6 {
also remains topical and was recently featured in two important games:} 8. Be2
c5 9. d5 e6 10. O-O exd5 11. exd5 Re8 ({In a survey about this line in CBM 156
I concentrated on the move order with} 11... Bf5 {This still seems to me a
roughly equivalent alternative; the resulting positions are often the same due
to transposition.}) 12. Rd1 (12. Bg5 h6 13. Be3 Bf5 14. Rad1 Ne4 15. Nxe4 Bxe4
16. Qc1 (16. d6 $5 $36) 16... Qf6 ({Houdini recommends the unprejudiced} 16...
Nc7 $5 17. Bxh6 Nxd5 18. Bxg7 Kxg7 19. g3 Qf6 20. Ng5 Nb6 $11) 17. Bxh6 Qxb2
18. Qxb2 Bxb2 19. Ng5 Bd4 20. Nxe4 Rxe4 21. Bf3 Re7 22. d6 Rd7 23. Bf4 Nb4 24.
Rd2 (24. a3 $5 Nc6 25. Rfe1 $14) 24... Re8 25. Rc1 Re6 26. h4 Be5 27. Bxe5 Rxe5
28. Bxb7 Rxb7 29. d7 Nc6 $11 {Anand,V (2792)-Carlsen,M (2863) WCh Sochi 2014
For more details see the notes by Krasenkow in CBM 164.}) 12... Bf5 13. d6 h6
14. Be3 $5 ({A fresh idea instead of the older} 14. Bf4 Nd7 15. Rd2) 14... Ng4
15. Bf4 $1 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Re4 17. Qb5 Rxf4 18. Qxb7 Ra4 (18... c4 $5 19. Qxa6
Bd3 20. Bxd3 Rxf3 21. gxf3 Qh4 $11) 19. d7 Be4 (19... Nc7 20. h3 Nxf2 21. Kxf2
Bxd7 22. Bb5 Nxb5 23. Rxd7 Qb8 24. Qd5 Qf8 25. Qb3 Ra5 26. Ne5 c4 27. Qxc4 Na3
$5 28. Qf4 Nc4 $1 $11) 20. Qb3 Bc6 $2 (20... Ra5 $8 21. Nd2 Bxg2 $1 $132) 21.
Rd6 Bxd7 22. Rad1 Qb8 23. Rxd7 $18 {Anand,V (2797)-Aronian,L (2777) Zuerich
2015 For more details see the notes by Roiz in CBM 165.}) ({Another line that
has its fans among top players is} 7... Nc6) 8. Be2 {[%emt 0:02:55] Currently
White prefers this developing move.} ({In the other main line} 8. e5 b5 9. Qb3
Nfd7 {Black withstands the direct onslaught, so White has been mostly trying
sidelines.} {One of these is} 10. Ng5 {introduced into serious practice by
Carlsen:} (10. e6 fxe6 11. Be3 Nf6 12. a4 b4 $5 13. Qxb4 Nc6 14. Qa3 Qd6 15.
Be2 Nb4 16. Rc1 Bb7 17. h3 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Nbd5 19. a5 Rfb8 20. Bd2 Qxa3 21. bxa3
Nxc3 22. Rxc3 {½, Moiseenko,A (2699)-Gelfand,B (2764) Tromsoe WCup 2013} Nd5
$15) (10. Be2 c5 11. e6 fxe6 12. Qxe6+ Kh8 13. dxc5 Ne5 14. Qd5 Qxd5 15. Nxd5
Nxf3+ 16. Bxf3 Bb7 17. Nc7 Bxf3 18. gxf3 Ra7 19. Ne6 Rxf3 20. Ke2 Rf6 (20...
Rf5 $5 $11 {is maybe slightly more accurate}) 21. Nxg7 Kxg7 22. Be3 Nc6 23.
Rad1 Rf5 24. h4 Kf7 $11 {Kasimdzhanov,R (2706)-Caruana,F (2844) Baku 2014
Black's setup is very solid and the _|_ is drawish.}) 10... Nb6 (10... e6 $6 {
is passive:} 11. h4 h5 12. Nce4 c5 13. Nd6 cxd4 14. Ngxf7 Qb6 15. Nxc8 Rxc8 16.
Nd6 Nc5 17. Nxc8 Qa5+ 18. Bd2 Nxb3 19. Bxa5 Nxa1 20. Nb6 Ra7 21. Bd3 $16 {
[%csl Ra1] Horvath,C (2537)-Guido,F (2356) Bratto 2008}) ({An enterprising
novelty is} 10... c5 11. e6 ({The critical try is} 11. Nxf7 $5 Rxf7 12. e6 Nc6
13. exf7+ Kf8 14. Ne2 $13 {/+/=}) 11... cxd4 12. Nce4 Nf6 13. exf7+ Kh8 14. Bd3
(14. h4 $13) 14... Nc6 15. h4 Ne5 16. h5 gxh5 17. Bf4 $2 (17. Bb1 $142) 17...
Nxd3+ 18. Qxd3 Bf5 19. g4 Nxe4 20. gxf5 Nxg5 21. Bxg5 Qd5 22. Kd2 Qxf7 23. Rae1
Qxf5 $19 {Holt,C (2530)-Robson,R (2656) Saint Louis 2015}) 11. Be3 {Humans
prefer} Nc6 (11... h6 12. Nge4 ({Engines have also tested} 12. Nf3 $13) 12...
Be6 13. Qc2 (13. Qd1 Bc4 14. Bxc4 Nxc4 15. Qb3 Nd7 16. Rd1 e6 17. O-O c5 18.
dxc5 Nxe3 19. fxe3 {1/2-1/2 (29) Alonso Rosell,A (2507)-Alsina Leal,D (2547)
Sabadell 2010} Qc7 $5 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. exf6 Nxc5 $11 {/=/+}) 13... Bf5 (13...
Nc6 14. Rd1 Bf5 15. Be2 Nb4 16. Qd2 Nc4 17. Bxc4 bxc4 18. O-O Kh7 {Zhao,X 
(2490)-Cmilyte,V (2485) Dagomys 2010} 19. f3 $13 {/+/=}) 14. Rd1 Nd5 $5 15. Be2
Nxe3 16. fxe3 c5 17. g4 Bxe4 18. Qxe4 Nd7 19. h4 cxd4 20. exd4 Nb6 $132 {
1/2-1/2 (111) felix 2,h (2709)-bouddha#77,h (2560) Engine Room 2012}) 12. Rd1
Na5 ({This has fully replaced} 12... Bf5 {Carlsen,M (2810)-Dominguez Perez,L 
(2712) Wijk aan Zee 2010 See the notes to this game by Krasenkow in CBM 135.})
13. Qb4 {A more natural move is} Nac4 (13... Nbc4 14. Bc1 (14. b3 $6 c5 $1 15.
Qxc5 (15. dxc5 Nc6 {[%csl Rb4]}) 15... Nxe3 16. fxe3 Bg4 $32 17. Rd3 Rc8 18.
Qa3 Nc6 19. Qb2 Bh6 20. h3 Nb4 $17 {Holt,C (2530)-Troff,K (2532) Richardson
2015}) 14... Bb7 15. Nce4 h6 16. Nc5 hxg5 17. Nxb7 Nxb7 18. Bxc4 bxc4 19. Qxb7
c5 20. O-O cxd4 21. Qe4 Qc7 22. Rxd4 Qxe5 23. Rxc4 Qxe4 24. Rxe4 Rfc8 25. Bxg5
Rc2 26. Ra4 Rxb2 27. Bxe7 Re8 28. Bc5 Ree2 29. a3 Bf8 30. Be3 Ra2 31. Rxa6 Rxa3
$14 {/=, Korobov,A (2702)-Gupta,A (2662) New Delhi 2012}) 14. Bc1 Bg4 $1 {
Forcing the the weakening f3 before developing the bishop to f5.} 15. f3 Bf5
16. Nge4 (16. b3 Bc2 17. bxc4 Bxd1 18. Nxd1 Qxd4 19. f4 {Holt,C (2555)-Troff,K
(2459) Dallas 2014} Rfd8 20. Nc3 Na4 $44) 16... c6 (16... Nd5 $5) 17. Bxc4 ({
Probably more circumspect is} 17. b3 Nd5 18. Nxd5 cxd5 19. Nc5 a5 20. Qxb5 Rb8
21. Qc6 Rb6 22. Qa4 Rb4 $11) 17... Nxc4 18. b3 Nb6 19. O-O a5 20. Qc5 Rc8 21.
Bg5 f6 22. exf6 exf6 23. Bh4 Nd7 24. Qd6 Re8 25. d5 b4 $1 26. dxc6 Qb6+ 27. Bf2
Qxc6 $15 {Abbasov,F (2549)-Safarli,E (2603) Baku 2010}) 8... b5 {[%emt 0:00:20]
} 9. Qb3 {[%emt 0:00:22]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:05]} 10. dxc5 {[%emt 0:00:04]} Bb7 {
[%emt 0:00:02] Svidler hasn't played this move since 2007.} ({In his more
recent games he has preferred} 10... Be6 11. Qc2 Nbd7 12. Be3 Rc8 13. Rd1 b4
14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. exd5 Nxc5 16. O-O {and now:} {Lately Black's efforts have
concentrated mainly on} Nce4 (16... Qd6 17. Qc4 (17. Rc1 Qb8 $1 18. Bxc5 Nd7
19. Bxa6 Rxc5 $44) 17... Na4 (17... Nfd7 18. Rd2 a5 (18... Nb6 19. Qxb4 Nxd5
20. Qa3 $5 $14) 19. Qh4 Nf6 20. Bf4 Qb6 21. d6 Nce4 22. dxe7 Rfe8 23. Rd4 Rxe7
$132 {Wojtaszek,R (2736)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2710) ECC Bilbao 2014}) 18. Qb3 Nc5
19. Qxb4 Nxd5 20. Qh4 Qc6 21. Bd4 Rfd8 22. Bxg7 Kxg7 23. Bc4 e6 $11 {
Tomashevsky,E (2709)-Popov,I (2632) Ekaterinburg 2013}) (16... a5 17. Bb5 Nce4
18. Qd3 (18. Bc6 Nd6 19. Qc5 (19. Qe2 Qc7 20. Rc1 Nf5 21. Bc5 {Wang,H (2739)
-Giri,A (2696) Biel 2012 See the notes to this game in CBM 150 for more
details about the whole line.} Nd7 $5 $11) 19... Qc7 20. Qb6 Qxb6 21. Bxb6 Nc4
22. Bd4 e6 23. b3 exd5 24. Bxd5 Nd6 25. Be5 Nfe4 26. Ng5 Bxe5 27. Nxe4 Nxe4 28.
Bxe4 Rfd8 $11 {1/2-1/2 (37) Soumya,S (2366)-Gopal,G (2575) Kolkata 2015}) 18...
Nc5 (18... Qd6 $5 $132 {[%cal Yf8d8,Ye7e6]}) 19. Qc4 Na4 20. Qe2 Nb6 21. d6
exd6 22. Ba6 Ra8 23. Bb7 Rb8 24. Bc6 Qc8 25. Rc1 Qe6 26. Nd4 Qxa2 27. Rc2 Nfd5
$2 (27... b3 28. Rcc1 $44 {[%csl Ra2]}) 28. b3 Qa3 29. Bc1 $16 {Volkov,S (2583)
-Areshchenko,A (2684) Abu Dhabi 2014}) 17. Qd3 (17. Qb1 Nc5 $5 (17... Qd6 18.
Rd4 $1 (18. Bd4 Rfd8 19. Rfe1 Nc5 20. Bc4 {Barbosa,O (2571)-Lou,Y (2484)
Tromsoe 2013} Nfd7 $5 $11) 18... Nc5 19. Rfd1 a5 20. Nd2 Qd8 21. Rc4 Nb7 {
Gustafsson,J (2634)-Schandorff,L (2497) Helsingor 2011} 22. Rxc8 Qxc8 23. Nc4
$14) 18. Bc4 (18. Rc1 Qxd5 19. Rc4 {Benzoni,A (2446)-Szczepankiewicz,D (2468)
email 2010} Ne6 20. Rxb4 Qa8 21. Ra4 Nd5 $132) 18... Qd6 19. g3 (19. Bd4 Nfd7
$11) 19... Na4 20. Bf4 (20. Bb3 Nc5 $11) 20... Qb6 21. Bb3 Nc5 22. d6 Nxb3 23.
axb3 exd6 24. Rxd6 Qb7 $11 {Onischuk,A (2666)-Troff,K (2421) Saint Louis 2013})
17... Qd6 (17... a5 18. Ne5 Qc7 {1/2-1/2 (27) Sandipan,C (2641)-Svidler,P 
(2731) Germany 2010} 19. Nc6 e6 20. Rc1 {[%cal Rc6a7]} Qd7 21. dxe6 Qxe6 22.
Qc4 $36) 18. g3 (18. Qxa6 Ra8 $5 (18... Rc2 19. Bd4 Nc5 (19... Qxa6 20. Bxa6
Nd6 21. Rfe1 Rc7 22. Bb6 Rc2 23. Bd4 Rc7 24. a4 bxa3 25. bxa3 Ra8 $11 {Craciun,
G (2055)-Perevozchikov,V email 2011}) 20. Qxd6 exd6 21. Bb5 Nfe4 22. Ne1 Rd2
23. Bxg7 Rxd1 24. Bxf8 Kxf8 25. Nf3 Rxd5 26. Bc6 (26. Bc4 Rf5 27. Nd4 Rf4 28.
Ne2 {1/2-1/2 (32) Moiseenko,A (2701)-Areshchenko,A (2655) Lvov 2014} Rf5 29.
Ng3 Rf4 $11 {Moiseenko,A (2701)-Areshchenko,A (2655) Lvov 2014}) 26... Rd3 27.
Ra1 g5 28. h3 h5 29. Re1 Nf6 30. Nxg5 Rd2 31. Rb1 Nd3 {Jakovenko,D (2722)
-Svidler,P (2749) Moscow 2012} 32. a4 $5 $14) 19. Qc4 Rfc8 20. Qb3 Nc5 21. Qxb4
Nxd5 22. Qh4 e6 23. Bd4 Qf4 24. Qxf4 Nxf4 25. Bc4 Na4 26. b3 Rxc4 27. bxc4 Ne2+
28. Kh1 Nxd4 29. Nxd4 Nb2 30. Rd2 Nxc4 31. Rc2 Na3 32. Rd2 Nc4 33. Rc2 Na3 34.
Rd2 {½, Horvath,C (2537)-Antoniewski,R (2552) Bol 2014}) 18... Rfd8 (18... a5
19. Bf4 Qc5 20. Ne5 Rcd8 $1 (20... Rfd8 $2 21. Qf3 $1 Re8 22. Ba6 Rcd8 23. Rfe1
Qb6 24. Bf1 Nd6 25. Nc6 $16 {Tomashevsky,E (2722)-Schreiner,P (2452) Warsaw
2013}) 21. Qc4 Qxc4 22. Bxc4 Nh5 23. Rfe1 Nd6 24. Bf1 Nxf4 {½, Roiz,M (2589)
-Mikhalevski,V (2519) Beersheba 2014} 25. gxf4 Bf6 $11) 19. Bf4 Qxd5 20. Qxa6
Qa8 21. Qxa8 Rxa8 22. Rxd8+ Rxd8 {A more fighting continuation is} 23. Rd1 (23.
Ne5 Nd5 24. Rd1 Rd6 25. Nxg6 Nxf4 26. Nxf4 Rxd1+ 27. Bxd1 Bxb2 28. Nd3 (28. Bc2
Nf6 29. Nd3 Bc3 30. f4 e6 $11 {Tomashevsky,E (2701)-Grischuk,A (2797) Baku 2014
}) 28... Bc3 29. Kg2 Kg7 $11 {Giri,A (2797)-Grischuk,A (2810) Tbilisi 2015})
23... Nd5 24. Be5 e6 25. Bxg7 Kxg7 26. Bc4 Rc8 27. Bb3 Nef6 28. Ne5 {Grischuk,
A (2794)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2714) Sochi 2015} Ne7 $5 {[%cal Yf6d5]} 29. Rd6 Rc7
$132 {This was played about 2 weeks earlier and Grischuk won the game after a
long fight, perhaps Svidler didn't relish playing such an endgame...}) 11. e5 {
[%emt 0:00:27] Gelfand in turn tries to surprise Svidler by opting for a less
usual continuation.} ({The alternative} 11. O-O Nxe4 12. Nxe4 Bxe4 {is played
more often, but getting an advantage is very difficult:} {A wild new idea is}
13. Ng5 (13. Bf4 Bd5 14. Qe3 Bxb2 15. Rad1 e6 16. Bd6 Re8 $13 (16... Nc6 $5 17.
Bxf8 Qxf8 $44)) (13. Bg5 Qd5 14. Qe3 Nc6 15. Rad1 Qe6 {makes no difference;
what is new is} 16. Rd2 $146 (16. Bh6 Bc2 17. Rd2 Qxe3 18. Bxe3 Bf5 19. Rfd1
Rfc8 20. h3 (20. Ng5 Ne5 21. b3 h6 22. Nh3 g5 23. Rc1 Ng4 24. Bxg4 Bxg4 25. f4
Bxh3 26. gxh3 gxf4 27. Bxf4 Rc6 $11 {Mraz,M (2501)-Bauer,M (2443) email 2009})
20... Be6 21. b3 h6 22. g4 g5 23. Bf1 Rab8 24. Bg2 a5 25. Rb1 Bc3 26. Rc2 Bf6
$11 {Kasimdzhanov,R (2695)-Leko,P (2713) Wijk aan Zee 2002}) 16... Rfd8 17.
Rfd1 Rxd2 18. Rxd2 Rd8 19. Rxd8+ Nxd8 20. Bf4 Bd5 21. Qd2 Nc6 22. b3 Bc3 23.
Qd1 Nd4 {½, Wojtaszek,R (2701)-Volokitin,A (2687) Haguenau 2013} 24. Nxd4 Bxd4
25. Qxd4 Qxe2 26. h4 Qe1+ 27. Kh2 Qe4 $11) 13... Bd5 14. Qh3 h6 15. Nf3 Qc8 16.
Qh4 g5 17. Bxg5 (17. Qg3 f5 $36) 17... hxg5 18. Nxg5 Rd8 19. Rfd1 Nc6 20. Bg4
e6 21. Rd3 Ne5 (21... Ra7 $5 $15) 22. Rg3 Qxc5 23. Qh7+ Kf8 24. Bh5 Qd4 25.
Nxe6+ Bxe6 26. Qxg7+ Ke7 27. Qg5+ Kf8 $11 {Radjabov,T (2734)-Gelfand,B (2743)
Beijing rpd 2014 However, this is hardly suitable for a game with a classical
control.}) 11... Nfd7 {[%emt 0:00:22]} 12. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} ({Black has
excellent piece-play after} 12. e6 $143 $6 Nxc5 13. exf7+ Rxf7 14. Qc2 (14. Qd1
Qxd1+ 15. Nxd1 Nc6 $36) 14... Nbd7 $6 (14... Nc6 $142 15. O-O Rxf3 $1 $40) 15.
O-O Rc8 16. Rd1 e5 17. Be3 Ne6 18. Qb3 $2 (18. Qd2 $142) 18... Nd4 $1 19. Nxd4
(19. Rxd4 exd4 20. Ng5 Ne5 $17) 19... exd4 20. Bxd4 Bxd4 21. Rxd4 Qf6 $19 {
Bernat,M (2220)-Wojciechowski,A (2197) Opole 2006}) 12... e6 {[%emt 0:03:30]} (
12... Nxe5 13. Nxe5 (13. Rd1 Qc7 14. Nd5 Bxd5 15. Qxd5 Nbc6 16. Nxe5 Bxe5 {
is just a transposition}) 13... Bxe5 {also seems playable:} {Black should be
able to hold even after the more refined} 14. Rd1 $5 (14. O-O Nc6 (14... Qc7
15. f4 Bg7 16. a4 bxa4 17. Nxa4 (17. Rxa4 e6 18. Qb6 $5 (18. Qc2 Bc6 19. Ra2
Qb7 20. Bc4 Rd8 21. Qe2 Qb4 22. Rd1 Rxd1+ 23. Nxd1 Nd7 24. Rxa6 Rxa6 25. Bxa6
Bd4 26. Bc4 Qxc5 27. b3 Nf6 $15 {1/2-1/2 (56) Jakovenko,D (2729)-Sutovsky,E 
(2700) Sochi 2012}) 18... Rc8 19. Rd1 Nd7 20. Qxc7 Rxc7 {Schaefer,U-Schunken,R
email 2005} 21. Ra5 $14) 17... Nc6 $5 18. Rfd1 Rab8 19. Nb6 Rfd8 20. Nd5 (20.
Bf3 e6 {is like Tomashevsky-Grandelius below, only White's rook is on a1
instead of f1.}) 20... Qc8 21. Bf3 Qe6 22. Bf2 Nd4 23. Bxd4 Bxd5 24. Bxd5 Qxd5
25. Qxd5 Rxd5 $11) 15. Rfd1 Nd4 $1 16. Bxd4 Bxd4 17. Bf1 e5 18. Ne2 Qg5 $1 19.
Nxd4 exd4 20. Rxd4 Qxc5 21. Rad1 Rae8 $11 {Donnelly,M (2461)-Smith,R (2618)
email 2006}) 14... Qc7 ({Insane complications arose after} 14... Nd7 $5 15. Bg4
e6 16. Bxe6 Bxg2 17. Rg1 fxe6 18. Qxe6+ Rf7 19. Rxg2 Bxc3+ 20. bxc3 Qc7 21. Qd6
Qa5 22. Rxg6+ hxg6 23. Qxg6+ Rg7 24. Qe6+ Kf8 25. Kf1 Re8 26. Qf5+ Kg8 27. Rxd7
Qxc3 {yo20matar,d (2401)-black dynamite,d (2603) Engine Room 2011}) 15. Nd5
Bxd5 16. Qxd5 Nc6 17. Bf3 Rac8 18. Qxc6 Qxc6 19. Bxc6 Rxc6 20. Rd2 f5 $1 (20...
Rfc8 21. Ke2 Kf8 22. Rhd1 Ke8 23. f4 Bf6 24. g4 e6 25. g5 Bg7 26. h4 a5 27. Rd7
R6c7 28. Rxc7 Rxc7 29. Rd6 e5 30. fxe5 Bxe5 31. Ra6 Bxb2 32. Rxa5 b4 33. Kd3
$16 {1-0 (58) Meier,G (2632)-Tari,A (2412) Helsingor 2014}) 21. f4 (21. f3 Kf7
22. O-O a5 23. Re1 Rfc8 24. Ree2 a4 25. Bf2 Bf6 26. Rd7 R6c7 27. Rd5 h6 28. h3
Ke8 29. Red2 Rc6 $11 {Iotov,V (2581)-Georgiev,K (2637) Sunny Beach 2009}) 21...
Bf6 22. Ke2 (22. Kf2 Kf7 23. Rhd1 Rfc8 24. a3 b4 25. a4 {Sandipan,C (2641)
-Maki,V (2409) Plovdiv 2010} e5 $1 26. fxe5 Be7 $11) 22... Kf7 23. Rc1 Rfc8 24.
Kf3 a5 25. Rcc2 Ke8 26. Rd3 Rd8 27. Rb3 Rb8 28. Ra3 a4 29. b3 Ra8 30. bxa4 b4
31. Rb3 Rxa4 32. Rc4 Rxa2 33. Rcxb4 Rc2 34. Rb6 R6xc5 $5 35. Bxc5 Rxc5 $44 {
Wojtaszek,R (2716)-Durarbayli,V (2584) Shamkir 2014 Once again Black achieves
a tenable endgame, which is only symbolically worse (as from
Grischuk-Nepomniachtchi above).}) (12... Qc7 $6 13. Nd5 $1 (13. O-O e6 {
transposes to the game} (13... Nxe5 {- 12...Nxe5})) 13... Qa5+ 14. Kf1 e6 (
14... Nc6 15. e6 $1 fxe6 16. Nxe7+ Nxe7 17. Qxe6+ Rf7 18. Ng5 Bd5 19. Qxd7 $16)
15. Ne7+ $1 (15. Nf4 $2 Nc6 16. Nd3 Ndxe5 17. Nfxe5 Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Bd5 19. Qc3
Qxc3 20. bxc3 Bxe5 21. Bd4 Bxd4 22. cxd4 e5 23. dxe5 Rfc8 24. Bf3 Rxc5 25. Bxd5
Rxd5 $17 {Evdokimov,A (2544)-Gupta,A (2644) Philadelphia 2012}) 15... Kh8 16.
h4 {[%cal Rh4h5,Gh1h8]} Re8 17. Bg5 h5 18. Qe3 Nc6 19. Rd1 Nxe7 20. Rxd7 Nf5
21. Qf4 Bc6 22. Rxf7 Rf8 23. Rxf8+ Rxf8 24. a3 Qc7 25. b4 a5 {Swapnil,S (2474)
-Adhiban,B (2558) Chennai 2013} 26. Kg1 $16) 13. O-O {[%emt 0:01:28]} ({
Mostly engines have tested} 13. a4 $5 Qa5 14. O-O b4 15. Na2 Nc6 16. Rfd1 Ndxe5
(16... Nxc5 $5 17. Qc2 b3 18. Qxc5 bxa2 19. Rxa2 Qxc5 20. Bxc5 Rfd8 21. Rxd8+
Rxd8 22. b4 Nxe5 23. Nxe5 Bxe5 24. g3 Bd4 25. Bxd4 Rxd4 26. Rb2 Kf8 $11 {
zarouthoustra (2610)-mingli,h (2619) Engine Room 2012}) 17. Nxe5 Bxe5 18. f4
Bf6 19. Rd7 Rab8 20. Bf3 Rfc8 21. Nc1 Rc7 22. Rd6 Rcc8 23. Rd7 Rc7 24. Rd6 Rcc8
25. Nd3 Qc7 26. Bxc6 Bxc6 27. Ne5 Be8 $132 {/+/=, Pappier,C (2437)-Molo,R 
(2342) email 2008}) 13... Qc7 {[%emt 0:02:02]} 14. Rad1 {[%emt 0:01:13]} (14.
a4 Nxc5 15. Qb4 Nxa4 16. Nxa4 bxa4 17. Rfc1 Qd7 $5 18. Qxa4 Bd5 19. b4 (19.
Qxd7 Nxd7 20. Bd4 Rab8 21. Re1 f6 22. exf6 Bxf6 23. Bxf6 Rxf6 24. Rxa6 Rxb2 $11
{1/2-1/2 (33) Zakhartsov,V (2536)-Maletin,P (2611) Tomsk 2013}) 19... Qxa4 (
19... Rc8 $5 20. Rxc8+ Qxc8 21. h3 Nc6 22. Bxa6 Qd8 23. b5 Nxe5 24. Nxe5 Bxe5
$11 {Wyder,B (2128)-Killer,O (2277) email 2011}) 20. Rxa4 Nc6 21. Nd4 Nxe5 22.
f4 Nd7 23. Rxa6 Rxa6 24. Bxa6 Nf6 25. Nc6 Bxc6 26. Rxc6 Nd5 27. Bc5 Rb8 28. b5
Bf8 $11 {De la Calle,I (2386)-Balutescu,M (2213) email 2010}) 14... Nxc5 {
[%emt 0:23:49]} (14... Nxe5 15. Nxe5 Bxe5 16. f4 Bg7 17. a4 $1 {seems more
dangerous for Black, but even here he can fight back after} bxa4 18. Nxa4 (18.
Qxa4 Bc6 19. Qc2 Qb7 20. Bc4 Nd7 21. b3 Rfc8 $15 {[%csl Rc5] Karolyi,T (2450)
-Gauglitz,G (2410) Hungary 1989}) 18... Nc6 19. Bf3 Rab8 20. Nb6 Rfd8 $132 {
Gelfand,B (2733)-Svidler,P (2750) Moscow Tal Memorial 1st 2006 (7) 1-0
Tomashevsky,E (2719)-Grandelius,N (2556) EU-ch Legnica 2013 For details about
this game see the notes by Ftacnik in CBM 155. Probably the main reason why
Svidler avoided both 12...Nxe5 and 14...Nxe5 is that he had already lost a
very similar position with Gelfand, arising from the English move order.
Gelfand annotated it himself in CBM 116.}) 15. Qa3 {[%emt 0:01:22]} (15. Qb4 $6
{allows Black to develop more harmoniously with} Nbd7 16. Rd2 Rfc8 17. Rc1 Bxf3
18. Bxf3 Nxe5 $1 19. Bxc5 (19. Bxa8 Ncd3 $17) 19... Nxf3+ 20. gxf3 a5 $1 (20...
Qxc5 $2 21. Rd8+) 21. Nxb5 (21. Qxb5 Rab8 22. Qc4 Rb4 $17) 21... axb4 22. Nxc7
Rxc7 23. Rdd1 Bxb2 24. Rb1 Rxc5 25. Rxb2 Ra3 26. Rxb4 Rxf3 $17 {Elsness,F 
(2498)-Salem,A (2546) Istanbul olm 2012}) 15... Ncd7 {[%emt 0:09:20]} ({
Now after} 15... Nbd7 {Black must reckon with} 16. Rc1 $1 Bxf3 17. gxf3 $5 (17.
Bxf3 b4 18. Qxb4 Nd3 19. Qd6 Qxd6 20. exd6 Nxc1 21. Bxa8 Nxa2 22. Bc6 Nxc3 23.
bxc3 Rd8) 17... Qxe5 (17... Bxe5 18. Ne4 $16) 18. Rfd1 Rfd8 (18... b4 19. Qxb4
$36) 19. b4 Nb7 20. f4 Qb8 (20... Qf5 21. Bf3 Rab8 22. Ne2 $5 $16 {[%csl Rb7,
Rf5]}) 21. Bf3 Bf8 22. Bc6 Nd6 23. Ne4 $1 Nxe4 24. Bxe4 $16) 16. Qe7 {[%emt 0:
01:15]} Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:17]} ({Another interesting try is} 16... Qc8 {[%cal
Yf8e8,Yd7e5]} 17. Qh4 $5 Bxf3 (17... Nxe5 18. Nxe5 Bxe5 19. Ne4 {[%cal Re4f6,
Re4g5,Re4d6]} f6 (19... Bd5 20. Ng5 h5 21. Bxh5 gxh5 22. f4 $1 $40 {/\} Bf6 23.
Qxh5 Qc2 24. Rxd5 exd5 25. f5 $18) 20. Nd6 Bxd6 21. Rxd6 $36) 18. Bxf3 Nc6 19.
Bf4 (19. Bxc6 Qxc6 20. f4 b4 21. Rd6 Qb7 22. Ne2 Rfc8 23. Rfd1 Rc7 $11 {
[%cal Yg7f8]}) 19... Ra7 (19... Ndxe5 20. Bxe5 Bxe5 21. Qe4 $16) 20. Bxc6 Qxc6
21. Rfe1 $13 {[%cal Yc3e4] /+/=}) 17. a4 $1 $146 {[%emt 0:01:27][%mdl 8]
Almost in the middlegame Gelfand comes up with an effective novelty. This
thrust is typical for the whole line and causes Black fresh problems.} ({
The predecessor was} 17. Ng5 Nf8 (17... Nxe5 18. Qxc7 Rxc7 19. Rd8+ Bf8 20.
Nxh7 Kxh7 21. Rxf8 $14) 18. Qxc7 Rxc7 19. f4 h6 20. Nf3 Nc6 21. Nd4 g5 22. Nxc6
Bxc6 23. fxg5 hxg5 24. Bxg5 Bxe5 25. Bf3 Rac8 26. Bxc6 Rxc6 27. Bf6 Bxf6 28.
Rxf6 Rc4 $11 {Onischuk,A (2670)-Dominguez Perez,L (2708) Biel 2008 Black had
no problems whatsoever and even went on to win the game.}) (17. Ne4 Qd8 $1 (
17... Bxe4 18. Ng5 Nf8 (18... Bd5 19. Qxf7+ Kh8 20. Rxd5 exd5 21. Ne6 Qxe5 22.
Bd4 Rf8 23. Qxg7+ Qxg7 24. Bxg7+ Kg8 25. Bxf8 Nxf8 26. Nc7 $16) (18... Nxe5 19.
Qxc7 Rxc7 20. Rd8+ Bf8 21. Nxe4 $18 {[%cal Re3h6]}) 19. Qxc7 Rxc7 20. Nxe4 {()}
) 18. Qxd8+ (18. Qb4 Nc6) 18... Rxd8 19. Bg5 Rf8 20. Nf6+ Bxf6 21. exf6 Bd5 $11
{[%cal Yb8c6]}) 17... b4 $6 {[%emt 0:07:11]} (17... bxa4 $142 18. Nxa4 $5 {
[%cal Rf3g5,Ya4b6]} (18. Ne4 Bxe4 (18... Qd8 19. Qb4 Bd5 20. Nd6 Nc6 21. Qf4
Ncxe5 22. Nxe5 Nxe5 23. Nxc8 Qxc8 24. Rc1 Qb7 25. Bd4 $14) 19. Ng5 Nf8 20. Qxc7
Rxc7 21. Nxe4 Nbd7 22. f4 f6 $11) (18. Ng5 Nxe5 19. Qxc7 Rxc7 20. Rd8+ Bf8 21.
Nxh7 Kxh7 22. Rxf8 a3 23. Bb6 Rc6 24. Bd4 Nbd7 25. Rxa8 Bxa8 26. bxa3 Nc4 $132)
18... h6 $8 $13 {[%cal Yg6g5,Yg7f8]} (18... Bf8 19. Qh4 $36)) 18. Ne4 $1 {
[%emt 0:02:54]} (18. Qxb4 Nc6 $132) 18... Nf8 {[%emt 0:18:58]} (18... Bxe4 19.
Ng5 Nf8 20. Qxc7 Rxc7 21. Nxe4 {[%cal Yd1d8,Ye2f3]} Nbd7 22. f4 $16 {Compared
with the similar line after 17...bxa4, this endgame is clearly favourable for
White.}) (18... Bf8 19. Qh4 {[%cal Ye4d6,Yf3g5] is even more dangerous:} Bxe4 (
19... Bd5 20. Nfg5 h6 21. Rxd5 $1 exd5 22. e6 $18) 20. Ng5 (20. Qxe4 Nc6 21.
Rc1 $16) 20... h6 21. Nxe4 Qxe5 22. Bf3 $40) 19. Qh4 {[%emt 0:57:09]} (19. Qxb4
a5 20. Qd4 Nc6 $11) ({A tempting alternative was} 19. Nf6+ $5 Bxf6 (19... Kh8
20. Qxb4 Nc6 21. Qf4 $18) 20. Qxf6 (20. exf6 Nc6 21. Qxc7 Rxc7 22. Rd2 $36)
20... Nbd7 21. Qf4 $16) 19... Bxe4 {[%emt 0:01:33]} 20. Qxe4 {[%emt 0:00:51]}
Nbd7 {[%emt 0:00:03]} 21. Qxb4 {[%emt 0:00:32] Simplifies the position and
keeps an edge, but releases part of the pressure. The machine prefers} (21. Bd4
$5 {/\} Nb6 (21... Nc5 22. Qe3 $16 Nxa4 $2 23. Ra1 Nc5 24. Rfc1 Nfd7 25. Bxa6
$18) 22. Bxb6 Qxb6 23. Rd6 Qa5 24. b3 {[%csl Ra6,Rf8]}) 21... Nxe5 {[%emt 0:09:
37]} (21... a5 {removes the pawn from the reach of the Be2, but weakens b5:}
22. Qd2 Nxe5 23. Rc1 $16) 22. Nxe5 {[%emt 0:08:23]} Qxe5 {[%emt 0:01:34]} (
22... Bxe5 23. Rc1 (23. f4 Rab8 24. Qe4 $14) 23... Bxh2+ 24. Kh1 Bd6 25. Rxc7
Bxb4 26. Rxc8 Rxc8 27. Bxa6 $36) 23. Qd6 {[%emt 0:10:42]} (23. b3 Rab8 24. Qd6
{is similar, but Gelfand maybe wanted to avoid} a5) 23... Qxb2 {[%emt 0:05:11]}
24. Bf3 {[%emt 0:02:34]} (24. Bxa6 $142 $14 {/+/-}) 24... Be5 {[%emt 0:08:10]}
25. Qd3 {[%emt 0:00:46]} Rab8 {[%emt 0:05:08]} (25... Rd8 26. Qxd8 Rxd8 27.
Rxd8 Qb4 (27... Kg7 $2 28. Bc5 {[%csl Rf8]}) 28. g3 $36) (25... Rc3 $5 26. Qe4
Rcc8 27. Rb1 Qc3 28. Rfc1 Qa5 29. Bb6 Qxb6 30. Qxa8 Rc2 31. Be2 Bxh2+ 32. Kf1
Rxc1+ 33. Rxc1 Bf4 $14) 26. Qxa6 {[%emt 0:07:43][%csl Ga4,Ge3,Gf3] White has a
long-term advantage, but Svidler activates his forces and valiantly fights
back.} Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:56]} 27. Qa5 {[%emt 0:03:44]} (27. a5 Rxe3 $5 (27... Qa3
28. Qa7 $36) 28. fxe3 Bc7 {and White can't retain his passed pawn:} 29. Ra1 Qe5
30. g3 Rb5 $14) 27... Bc7 {[%emt 0:04:31]} 28. Qa7 {[%emt 0:04:42]} Rc4 {
[%emt 0:02:39]} (28... Be5 29. a5 $16) 29. Rc1 {[%emt 0:02:14]} (29. a5 $2 Qe5)
(29. g3 $142 $5 $16 {White needs this move anyway.}) 29... Rbb4 {[%emt 0:00:56]
} 30. Rxc4 {[%emt 0:02:47]} Rxc4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 31. g3 {[%emt 0:00:16]} Qa3 {
[%emt 0:05:15]} 32. Bd1 {[%emt 0:00:12] Rather too passive.} (32. Be2 $142 Rc2
33. Bb5) 32... h5 $1 {[%emt 0:00:43]} 33. Qb7 {[%emt 0:00:51]} (33. Qa6 Rc3 34.
Bd2 $14) 33... h4 {[%emt 0:01:55]} 34. Qb3 {[%emt 0:00:01][%mdl 4096] Forces
an endgame to safeguard his king.} Rc3 $1 {[%emt 0:00:07] Black can't avoid
the Q-swap, but he positions the rook ideally behind the passed pawn.} 35. Qxa3
{[%emt 0:00:22]} Rxa3 {[%emt 0:00:02]} 36. Bc5 {[%emt 0:01:05]} (36. gxh4 Nd7
37. Kg2 Bb6 $132) (36. Bc1 Rc3 37. Bb2 Rd3 $132) 36... Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:47]} (
36... Ra2 $5 {[%cal Yf8d7]}) 37. Bb4 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Rc4 {[%emt 0:00:15]} 38.
Bd2 {[%emt 0:00:02]} Nd7 {[%emt 0:00:44]} 39. Bb3 {[%emt 0:00:14]} (39. a5 Rd4
40. Bc3 Rd3 41. Bb4 Rd4 $11) 39... Rd4 {[%emt 0:00:20]} 40. Rd1 {[%emt 0:00:00]
Allows further simplification.} (40. Be3 $5 Rb4 (40... Rd3 41. Bc4 $14) 41. Rb1
$14) 40... hxg3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 41. hxg3 {[%emt 0:03:00]} Nc5 {[%emt 0:05:33]}
42. Be3 {[%emt 0:03:03]} Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 43. Bxc5 {[%emt 0:08:18]} Rxb3
$11 {[%emt 0:00:09] /+/= Black is still slightly worse, but exchanging one of
the bishops significantly increased his chances of survival. Unfortunately for
Svidler, he mishandles the final phase of the game.} 44. Rd7 {[%emt 0:00:05]}
Ba5 {[%emt 0:05:56]} 45. Kg2 {[%emt 0:15:36]} (45. Ra7 Bc3 46. a5 Rb5 47. Bb6
e5 $11 {[%cal Yc3d4]}) 45... Rc3 {[%emt 0:15:02]} 46. Be7 {[%emt 0:08:35]} Kg7
{[%emt 0:10:57]} (46... Rc2 $142 $1 {[%cal Ya5b6] is simpler:} 47. Bg5 Ra2 (
47... Bb6 48. Rd2) 48. Be3 Bc3 $11 (48... Rxa4 49. Ra7 e5 50. Bd2 Bxd2 51. Rxa4
Kg7 $11)) 47. g4 $1 {[%emt 0:02:26]} Rc4 $6 {[%emt 0:06:29] Only forces the
move White wants to make anyway.} (47... g5 48. Ra7 (48. Bxg5 Rc4 49. f3 Rxa4
50. Ra7 Ra1) 48... Bb6 49. Ra6 Bd4 50. Bxg5 Rc2 51. Bh4 $14) (47... Rc8 48. g5
Bc3 49. Rd3 $14 {[%csl Rg7][%cal Rd3c3] With the cramped king the road to the
draw is not so straightforward anymore.}) 48. g5 {[%emt 0:01:54]} Bc3 {[%emt 0:
00:23]} (48... Rxa4 $2 49. Ra7 $18 {[%cal Re7f6,Ra7a8]}) (48... Rc8 $142) 49.
Rd3 $1 {[%emt 0:03:33][%cal Rd3c3]} Be5 $6 {[%emt 0:03:35]} (49... Kg8 $1 $14
50. Rd8+ Kg7) 50. a5 {[%emt 0:01:55]} Rc6 {[%emt 0:02:45] Black is again under
serious pressure.} (50... Rc7 51. Bd8 Ra7 (51... Rc2 52. Ra3 Bd4 53. a6 $1 $40
{/\} Rxf2+ (53... Bxf2 54. Bf6+ Kf8 55. Rc3 Rxc3 56. Bxc3 Ba7 57. Be1 Ke7 58.
Bf2 Bb8 59. Bc5+ $18) 54. Kg3 Ba7 55. Bf6+ Kh7 56. Rd3 {[%cal Rd3d8,Rd3d1,
Rd1h1]}) 52. Kf3 $16 {[%csl Ga5,Rg7]}) 51. Ra3 $6 {[%emt 0:02:22]} ({Boris was
again running short of time and he misses the decisive} 51. f4 $142 $1 Bb2 (
51... Rc2+ 52. Kf3 Bb2 (52... Ba1 53. a6 Rc7 54. Ra3 Rxe7 55. Rxa1 $18) 53. Rb3
Bd4 54. Ke4 $18) 52. Rd2 Ba1 53. Ra2 Bd4 54. a6 $18 {White ideally combines
pushing the pawn and attacking the Kg7.}) 51... Ra6 {[%emt 0:00:30]} 52. Bd8 {
[%emt 0:02:28] Now Black activates his K.} ({A more natural try was} 52. Kf3 f5
$5 (52... Bb2 53. Ra2 Bc3 54. Rc2 Be5 55. Bb4 {[%cal Yf3e4]} f5 $14) 53. gxf6+
Bxf6 $14) 52... Kf8 {[%emt 0:01:15]} 53. Kf3 {[%emt 0:04:44]} Ke8 {[%emt 0:03:
23]} 54. Bb6 {[%emt 0:00:02]} (54. Ke4 $2 Bd6 $19) 54... Bd6 {[%emt 0:00:29]}
55. Ra2 {[%emt 0:01:00]} Be7 {[%emt 0:00:13]} (55... Kd7 $5) 56. Kg4 {[%emt 0:
00:50]} f5+ $2 {[%emt 0:00:56] Black again slips up. The Pg5 was a target and
the white king had to defend it for the time being. Improving the Ke8 first
retains drawing chances:} (56... Kd7 57. Rd2+ Kc6 58. Rc2+ Kd7 ({or} 58... Kd5
59. Rc7 Kd6) 59. Rc7+ Kd6 60. Rc3 (60. f4 f5+ (60... Bd8 $5 61. Rxf7 Bxb6 62.
axb6 Rxb6 63. Rg7 Rb4 64. Rxg6 Ke7 {is a theoretical draw}) 61. gxf6 Bxf6 $11 {
[%cal Ye6e5]}) 60... e5 $5 (60... f5+ 61. gxf6 Bxf6 62. Rf3 $14) 61. Bc5+ (61.
Rc7 Ra8 62. Rb7 Ra6 $11 {Shipov}) 61... Ke6 62. Bxe7 Kxe7 63. Ra3 Kd7 64. Kf3
f5 65. gxf6 Rxf6+ 66. Ke3 Kc7 67. a6 Kb8 $11) 57. gxf6 {[%emt 0:00:06]} Bxf6 {
[%emt 0:00:02]} 58. Kf4 {[%emt 0:00:16][%csl Gf4][%cal Yf4c4,Yc4b5] White's
king is free to move over to the queenside.} Kd7 {[%emt 0:01:47]} 59. Ke4 {
[%emt 0:00:01]} Bc3 $6 {[%emt 0:01:26]} ({A more resilient way was} 59... Kc6
60. Rc2+ Kd6 (60... Kb5 61. f4 $5 (61. Rc5+ Ka4 62. Rc6 Kb5 63. Rxe6 Bc3 64.
Kd5 (64. Rxg6 Bxa5 $11) 64... g5 65. f3 Bxa5 66. Bxa5 Rxa5 67. Re5 Kb6+ 68. Ke6
Ra3 69. Rf5 Kc6 70. Kf6 Kd6 71. Kxg5 Ke7 $11) 61... Ra8 62. Rc5+ Ka4 (62... Ka6
63. Rc6 Re8 64. Bd8+ Kb5 65. Rb6+ Kxa5 66. Rxe6+ Rxd8 67. Rxf6 Rg8 68. Kf3 $18)
63. Rc6 Ra6 64. Rxe6 Bc3 65. Kd5 Kb5 (65... Bd2 66. Re2 $1 Bxf4 67. Kc4 $18 {
[%csl Ra4]}) 66. Re3 Bxa5 (66... Bb4 67. Rg3 $18) 67. Bxa5 Rxa5 (67... Rf6 68.
Bc7 g5 69. fxg5 Rf5+ 70. Re5) 68. Re6 Kb4+ 69. Ke4 g5 70. f5 $18 {Shipov}) 61.
Kd3 Ra8 $16) 60. Kd3 {[%emt 0:00:00]} Bf6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 61. Kc4 {[%emt 0:06:
18]} Kc6 {[%emt 0:01:48]} 62. Rc2 $1 {[%emt 0:01:04][%cal Rc4b4,Rb4b5] The
position is very simplified, material is still equal, but any meaningful
resistance is over.} (62. Rc2 Be7 63. Re2 {[%csl Re6]} Kd7 64. Kb5 $18) 1-0

[Event "Magas m"]
[Site "Magas"]
[Date "2016.07.14"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E21"]
[WhiteElo "2734"]
[BlackElo "2730"]
[PlyCount "71"]
[EventDate "2016.07.13"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 174"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2016.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2016.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 O-O 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 c5 7. Rc1 cxd4 8.
Nxd4 d5 9. cxd5 g5 10. Bg3 Qxd5 11. e3 Ne4 12. Bd3 Bxc3+ 13. bxc3 Nd7 14. Bxe4
Qxe4 15. O-O b6 16. Nb5 Nc5 17. Nd6 Qg6 18. Qf3 Ba6 19. c4 Rad8 20. Rcd1 Rd7
21. Rd4 f6 22. Rfd1 Rfd8 23. h4 e5 24. h5 Qh7 25. Qxf6 exd4 26. Nf5 dxe3 27.
Rxd7 Rxd7 28. Nxh6+ Qxh6 29. Qxh6 exf2+ 30. Bxf2 Bxc4 31. Bxc5 bxc5 32. Qxg5+
Rg7 33. Qxc5 Bf7 34. Qf5 Be8 35. g4 Bd7 36. Qd5+ 1-0

[Event "Magas m"]
[Site "Magas"]
[Date "2016.07.20"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[WhiteElo "2734"]
[BlackElo "2730"]
[Annotator "Gelfand,Boris"]
[PlyCount "65"]
[EventDate "2016.07.13"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 174"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2016.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2016.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{I was glad to be invited to play a match against current European champion
Ernesto Inarkiev in Magas, capital of Republic of Ingushetia in the south of
Russia. Ernesto showed excellent form recently, which readers of CBM 173 could
witness. The match was excellently organized. It consisted of 6 classical and
6 rapid games. I was leading 3-2 in the classical part and was sure that
Ernesto would try to equalize the score in the last game.} 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6
3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 {Normally Inarkiev plays 4...Bb7, but as I said he was
looking for a more complicated game.} 5. b3 d5 6. Bg2 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Be7 8. cxd5
exd5 9. O-O O-O 10. Nc3 Re8 {This is the main tabiya of this system. I have
some expierence with both colours. Sergey Karjakin had used it with big
success in the latest Candidates tournament.} 11. Ne5 Bb7 12. Bc1 {This is a
side line system, but pretty playable.} Nbd7 13. Bb2 Bd6 (13... Bf8 {is an
alternative. It would transpose to a game from Botvinnik-Bronshtein WCh match!
For the curious readers I have included some more games in my annotations,
both modern and classical ones.} 14. f4 (14. Rc1 Nxe5 15. dxe5 Rxe5 16. Nb5 Re7
17. Bxf6 gxf6 18. e4 dxe4 19. Qg4+ Bg7 20. Rfd1 Qf8 21. Nd4 Bc8 22. Qh4 f5 23.
Nc6 Re8 24. Bh3 Bh6 25. Rc2 e3 {0-1 (39) Botvinnik,M-Bronstein,D Moscow 1951})
14... c5 15. e3 cxd4 16. exd4 Ne4 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Qe2 Nf6 19. g4 a5 (19...
Nd5 20. Bxe4 f6 21. Qd3 g6 22. Bxg6 Re7 23. Nf7 Rxf7 24. Bxf7+ Kxf7 25. Qxh7+
Bg7 26. g5 Qd6 27. g6+ Kf8 28. Rae1 Nb4 $13 {0-1 (43) Evans,L (2545)-Larsen,B 
(2625) San Antonio 1972}) 20. g5 Ba6 21. Qe3 Bxf1 22. Rxf1 Nd7 23. Bxe4 Nxe5
24. fxe5 Rc8 25. Bd3 Re7 26. Qe4 $44 {1/2 (48) Anton Guijarro,D (2639)
-Harikrishna,P (2755) Caleta ENG 2016}) 14. f4 c5 (14... Ne4 {led to an
impressive victory of 6th World Champion. However it can hardly be attributed
to an opening success:} 15. Nxe4 dxe4 16. e3 Nf6 17. a3 c5 18. Qe2 cxd4 19.
Bxd4 Qe7 20. b4 a5 21. b5 Bxe5 22. Bxe5 Nd7 23. Bd4 Nc5 24. f5 Nd7 25. f6 Qe6
26. Qh5 Ne5 27. Rf5 Ng6 28. fxg7 Rad8 29. Qxh7+ {1-0 (27) Botvinnik,M-Padevsky,
N Monte Carlo 1968}) 15. e3 {Black has many plans here and no doubt it would
be tried in further games. My opponent went for the most straightforward one.}
cxd4 16. exd4 Bb4 17. Rc1 Bxc3 18. Rxc3 {I decided to take with a rook, as I
was not impressed by the following line:} (18. Bxc3 Ne4 19. Qh5 Nxe5 20. fxe5
Qe7) 18... Ne4 19. Rc2 {I do believe that has more point to have a rook here
rather than on c1, as they can be doubled. The rook can also join an attack on
the second row.} Nf8 $2 {A grave mistake, which allows White to start a mating
attack. Black had 2 options in his disposal:} (19... f6 {was the most natural
choice in my opinion. Now White has many options:} {There is an interesting
option, but it is hard to to be sure without a computer help:} 20. Bxe4 ({
Probably my opponent has rejected it because of} 20. Nc6 Bxc6 21. Rxc6 f5 22.
Qh5 (22. Qd3 Ndf6 $13) 22... g6 {and White has an option to take a draw:} (
22... Nb8 23. Rd6 $1 {is a cute line} ({or} 23. Rc7 $1)) 23. Rxg6+ hxg6 24.
Qxg6+) (20. Nd3 f5 21. Ne5 {is possible with a long game, where White's
chances are slightly more preferable.}) 20... dxe4 {leaves White with slightly
better chances:} (20... fxe5 21. Bxd5+ $1 (21. Bxh7+ Kxh7 22. fxe5 Kg8) 21...
Bxd5 22. dxe5 Be4 (22... Nc5 23. Rd2) 23. Rd2 Bc6 24. Rd6 Qc7 25. Qd4 {and it
seems that Black are not in time to double their pieces on long diagonal.} Rac8
26. Rc1 Nc5 27. b4 Ba8 28. bxc5 bxc5 29. Qa4 $1 Qb7 $140 30. Qb3+) 21. Nc4 e3 (
21... Nf8 22. Ba3 (22. Ne3 Ba6 23. Re1 Ne6 $13) 22... Qd7 23. Nd6 Re6 24. Nxb7
Qxb7 25. d5 $14) 22. Nd6 Qe7 23. Nxe8 Qe4 24. Qf3 $14) (19... Ndf6 {was a
reasonable plan, with the idea to put knights on d6 and e4:} 20. Qd3 (20. g4
Nd6) 20... Nd6 21. Rfc1 Rc8 22. Rxc8 Bxc8 23. Ba3 {would lead to a complicated
game. Probably White is slightly better.}) 20. Qh5 {Suddenly it is not easy to
protect the f7-pawn.} g6 (20... Nd6 21. f5 f6 22. Nc6 {was probably the lesser
evil, but still White has a huge advantage}) (20... Re7 21. Ba3 Rc7 22. Rxc7
Qxc7 23. Rc1) (20... Qe7 21. Ba3) 21. Qh6 {Suddenly White has a mating attack.}
f6 ({In case of} 21... Nd6 22. g4 f6 {I would have to find} 23. f5 $1 (23. Nc6
$2 {allows} Qd7 $1 24. Bxd5+ Nf7 {and Black is doing fine}) 23... fxe5 24. f6
Qd7 25. dxe5 {with an easy win. Taking into account that I found a similiar
idea on move 23 I hope I would be able to find it here as well.}) 22. Bxe4 fxe5
(22... dxe4 23. Ng4 {is also bad} Rc8 (23... e3 24. d5 $1) (23... Bd5 24. f5)
24. Rxc8 (24. d5 Rxc2 25. Nxf6+ Kf7 26. f5 $1) 24... Bxc8 25. f5 $1 Bxf5 26.
Rxf5 gxf5 27. Nxf6+ Kf7 {and now the most stylish is} 28. d5 $1) 23. f5 $1 {
The pawn joins the attack and Black is hopeless.} ({The computer shows as the
most convincing the following line:} 23. Bxg6 $1 hxg6 24. f5) 23... Re7 (23...
dxe4 24. f6) 24. Bg2 e4 25. Ba3 Rf7 (25... Rg7 26. Bh3) 26. fxg6 (26. Rcf2 {
was also winning.}) 26... Rxf1+ 27. Bxf1 Nxg6 28. Rf2 ({The computer says it
was also possible to win by} 28. Bh3 Bc8 29. Rc6 $3 {, but I missed that move.}
) 28... Qd7 ({I considered} 28... Rc8 {to be the most stubborn:} 29. Bh3 Rc6
30. Bf5 Rf6 {Still white is winning easily after for example} 31. h4) 29. Bh3
Qc6 30. Be7 $1 {A nice way to add the bishop to the attack. The f6-square is
critical.} e3 (30... Nxe7 31. Be6+) 31. Rf6 Qc1+ ({I was hoping for a nice
mate:} 31... e2 32. Be6+ Kh8 33. Rf8+ $1 Rxf8 34. Qxf8+ $1 Nxf8 35. Bf6#) 32.
Rf1 Qc6 33. Bf6 1-0

[Event "Moscow FIDE GP"]
[Site "Moscow"]
[Date "2017.05.18"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Harikrishna, Pentala"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E05"]
[WhiteElo "2724"]
[BlackElo "2750"]
[Annotator "Yuffa,D"]
[PlyCount "103"]
[EventDate "2017.05.12"]
[EventType "swiss"]
[EventRounds "9"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 179"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2017.07.12"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2017.07.12"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

{Boris is a famous Catalan specialist and it shows in this game.} 1. d4 Nf6 2.
c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. g3 Be7 5. Bg2 O-O 6. O-O dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 ({The first point.
It looks like suicide, but it's difficult to prove even a slight advantage for
White:} 7... b5 8. a4 b4 9. Nfd2 (9. Nbd2 Bb7 10. Nxc4 c5 11. Rd1 Nbd7 {
Black is OK there, having a very easy plan to develop the pieces (Rc8 etc.)
while White has to be patient}) (9. Ne5 Qxd4 $44 {Black has serious
compensation here, White's queenside is stuck}) 9... c6 10. Nxc4 Qxd4 11. Rd1
Qc5 12. Nbd2 Ba6 13. b3 Nbd7 14. Bb2 Rad8 15. Rac1 Nb6 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. Ne4
Qf5 18. Nxb6 axb6 19. Qxc6 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Rc8 21. Qxb6 Bxe2 22. Qb7 Bxd1 23.
Qxc8+ Bf8 24. Qd8 Bxb3 25. a5 Kg7 26. a6 Qe5 27. h4 Bd5 28. Nxf6 Qxf6 29. Qxf6+
Kxf6 30. Bxd5 Bc5 {1/2 (30) Aronian,L (2797)-Nakamura,H (2767) Saint Louis
2014. This game looks like a battle of analysis}) 8. a4 $5 (8. Qxc4 {is a bit
more common in this position} b5 9. Qc2 Bb7 10. Bd2 {and sometimes the a-pawn
is useful on a3, but that is a different and absolutely unclear position.})
8... Bd7 {The most popular of late in games of top GMs.} 9. Bg5 (9. Qxc4 Bc6
10. Bf4 {Vladimir Kramnik drew the consequences after the game against So and
just a few days later he beat Eljanov} Nbd7 (10... a5 11. Nc3 Na6 (11... Nbd7 {
Amazingly but this move had been made just twice before Kramnik's game} 12. Qd3
Bb4 13. Rfe1 Re8 14. Qc2 Bxf3 15. Bxf3 c6 16. Rad1 $14 {This position has
occurred in So-Kramnik, 1-0, 2017. A bishop pair and a pawn centre take
control of the board}) 12. Ne5 (12. Rac1 Nb4 $11) 12... Bxg2 13. Kxg2 Nd5 {
Black's position looks very cramped}) 11. Nc3 Bd6 12. e3 (12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6
Nxf6 14. Qd3 Bb4 15. Ne5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 c5 {Black was not at risk in
Bykov-Lugovskoy, 2017}) 12... Nb6 13. Qb3 Bxf4 14. gxf4 a5 15. Ne5 Bxg2 16.
Kxg2 Nbd5 $13 {any result can happen there.}) 9... Bc6 10. Rd1 {A very artful
move, White does not rush to eat the pawn on c4.} ({A pragmatic solution would
be} 10. Qxc4 Bd5 11. Qc2 {I prefer this move} ({instead of} 11. Qd3 {the
d-file is intended for the rook}) 11... Be4 12. Qc1 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Rd1 {
the most flexible} a5 15. Qf4 Bh7 16. Nbd2 c6 17. e4 Na6 18. Nc4 $13 {The PC
says it's equal, but from my point of view it's easier to play with White as
was proved in Xiong-Swiercz, 1-0, 2017.}) 10... Nbd7 ({The most important is
to understand the consequences of} 10... b5 {The game between Postny and
Boruchovsky has shown that Black's queenside configuration is not so solid:}
11. Bxf6 (11. Nc3 Nbd7 12. e4 h6 (12... b4 $5 13. d5 Bb7 14. dxe6 fxe6 15. Bxf6
Bxf6 16. Ne2 Qe7 17. Qxc4 Rae8 18. Qxc7 Nc5 $13 {Like a puzzle}) 13. Bxf6 Nxf6
14. d5 $5 exd5 15. e5 {a typical Catalan idea} Ng4 (15... Nd7 16. Nxd5 Bxd5 17.
Rxd5 c6 18. Rdd1 Qe8 19. e6 $5 (19. axb5 cxb5 20. Ng5 Bxg5 21. Bxa8 Nxe5 22.
Rxa6 Nd3 {threating Nb4, and seems like} 23. Rxd3 cxd3 24. Qxd3 $11 {is the
best continuation}) 19... fxe6 20. Nd4 Rc8 21. Bxc6 Bc5 22. axb5 axb5 23. Bxb5
Qf7 $11 {Black got away with being almost killed, but it remains complicated}))
11... Bxf6 12. Nc3 Qe7 13. e4 g6 (13... Qe8 14. d5 exd5 15. exd5 Bb7 16. Nd4
$36 {and White has a lot of compensation for the pawn}) 14. axb5 axb5 15. Rxa8
Bxa8 16. Nxb5 Qb4 17. Nc3 Nd7 18. Ra1 {and I'd prefer White's position.}) 11.
Nbd2 h6 (11... b5 $5 12. b3 Nd5 13. bxc4 (13. axb5 Nb4 14. Qc1 axb5 15. Rxa8
Bxa8 16. Bxe7 Qxe7 17. bxc4 bxc4 18. Qxc4 c5 19. dxc5 Qxc5 $11) 13... Nb4 14.
Qc3 Bxg5 15. axb5 axb5 16. Nxg5 Bxg2 17. Qxb4 Qxg5 18. Kxg2 bxc4 19. Rxa8 Rxa8
20. Qxc4 Qa5 21. Ne4 Qa2 22. Rc1 {with minimal chances of success. A draw is
the most probable result there.}) 12. Bxf6 Nxf6 13. Nxc4 Be4 14. Qc1 $146 ({
A novelty. Recently Alexander Grischuk played} 14. Qb3 a5 15. Nfe5 Bd5 16. Rac1
Re8 17. Qc2 c6 18. e4 Bxc4 19. Qxc4 Qb6 20. d5 cxd5 21. exd5 Bd6 $11 ({instead
of} 21... Bb4 {that Adams had played}) 22. dxe6 Rxe6 {opposite-coloured
bishops and a symmetrical pawn structure tell us all we need to know about the
result of the game.}) 14... a5 ({Now Black is under pressure.} 14... Rc8 {
looks more principled} 15. Nfe5 Bxg2 16. Kxg2 c6 17. a5 Qd5+ 18. f3 Qb5 19. e4
Rfd8 {leaves the position complicated and unclear.} ({After} 19... c5 $5 {
it all becomes forced:} 20. d5 exd5 21. exd5 Rcd8 (21... Rfd8 $4 22. d6 Bxd6
23. Rxd6 Rxd6 24. Nxd6 Qe2+ 25. Kh1 $18 {and the rook is hanging}) 22. d6 Bxd6
23. Nxf7 Rxf7 24. Rxd6 Rxd6 25. Nxd6 Qe2+ 26. Kg1 Nd5 27. Qe1 $11)) 15. Nfe5
Bxg2 16. Kxg2 c6 17. Qc2 Qc7 18. Rac1 Rfd8 19. Qb3 Bf8 20. Qf3 Rac8 21. e4 b5
22. Ne3 Qb7 23. b3 c5 $2 {Harikrishna could not stand the pressure.} ({It was
important to get the bishop out of the cage:} 23... Bb4 24. g4 ({Probably
Penteala didn't like} 24. h4 $5 h5 25. g4 bxa4 26. bxa4 hxg4 27. N3xg4 {
But there is} Nxe4 $5 (27... Nxg4 28. Qxg4 Rf8 29. h5 f5 30. exf5 c5+ 31. f3
exf5 32. Qg3 cxd4 33. h6 Rxc1 34. Rxc1 Bd2 35. Rh1 $16) 28. Qxe4 f5 29. Qf3
fxg4 30. Qxg4 c5+ 31. Kh3 Qe7 $14 {looks dangerous but does not lose
immediately}) 24... Nh7 25. h4 f6 26. Nd3 bxa4 $13 {Very unusual and
non-typical play for Black, but the engine endorses it.}) 24. d5 exd5 25. Nxd5
Rd6 26. axb5 Qxb5 27. Nxf7 $1 Kxf7 28. e5 Re6 29. exf6 g6 (29... Qe2 30. Qc3 $1
{No mercy!} Qe4+ 31. Kg1 gxf6 32. Nf4 Re5 33. Rd7+ Kg8 34. Qxa5 $18 {Like salt
in a wound. White is a pawn up and close to destroying the remainder.}) 30. Re1
Qc6 31. Rxe6 Qxe6 32. Ra1 (32. h4 {is a bit more tidy if Black plays} Rd8 33.
Rd1) 32... Qf5 (32... Rd8 33. Rd1 Rd6 34. Qd3 {with ideas of h4 or Qb5 just
reaching the surface.}) 33. Rxa5 Qxf3+ 34. Kxf3 Rb8 35. Ke4 Rxb3 36. Ra7+ Ke6
37. Nf4+ (37. Ra6+ {could make Boris' performance perfect.} Kf7 38. f4 c4 39.
Ne3 $1 c3 40. Ng4 {and the knight reaches the best place on the board.}) 37...
Kxf6 38. Ra6+ Kf7 39. Ra7+ Kf6 40. Ra6+ Kf7 41. Nxg6 Bg7 42. f4 Rb2 43. h4 Rg2
(43... c4 44. h5 c3 (44... Re2+ 45. Kf3 Rh2 46. Ra7+ Kg8 47. Ne7+ Kh8 48. Rc7 {
a technical position}) 45. Ra7+ Kf6 46. Ne5 $18) 44. Kf3 Rg1 45. h5 c4 46. Ra7+
Kg8 47. Ne7+ Kf8 48. Ng6+ Kg8 49. Rc7 Rc1 50. Ne7+ Kf8 51. Nf5 Bb2 52. Rc8+ {
An amazing game by Boris Gelfand. He increased the pressure move by move and
deserved to win. Surprisingly the PC evaluates most Catalan positions as equal
and Black can even breathe normally despite his lack of space.} 1-0

[Event "Nazran Tower of Concord m"]
[Site "Nazran"]
[Date "2017.08.03"]
[Round "1"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A17"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2702"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[EventDate "2017.08.03"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 180"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 e6 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O Be7 7. Re1 Ne4 8. Nxe4
Bxe4 9. d3 Bb7 10. e4 O-O 11. d4 cxd4 12. Nxd4 d6 13. b3 a6 14. Bb2 Qc7 15. Qg4
g6 16. e5 Bxg2 17. exd6 Bxd6 18. Kxg2 Nd7 19. Nf3 Rad8 20. Rad1 Be7 21. Qe4
Rfe8 22. h4 a5 23. Nd4 Nc5 24. Qf3 Rc8 25. h5 Qb7 26. Qxb7 Nxb7 27. hxg6 hxg6
28. Nb5 Bf8 29. Bd4 Nc5 30. Bf6 Rc6 31. Be5 Nb7 32. Na7 Rc5 33. Bd4 Rh5 34.
Bxb6 Bc5 35. Bxc5 Nxc5 36. Nc6 Na6 37. Rd6 Ra8 38. Red1 Kg7 39. Rd8 Rxd8 40.
Rxd8 Rc5 41. Rd6 a4 42. b4 Rxc4 43. Na5 Rxb4 44. Rxa6 Kf6 45. a3 Re4 46. Nc6
Rc4 47. Nb4 Ke5 48. Rxa4 Rc3 49. Ra7 f5 50. a4 Ra3 51. a5 Kd6 52. Ra6+ Ke5 53.
Rb6 f4 54. gxf4+ Kxf4 1-0

[Event "Nazran Tower of Concord m"]
[Site "Nazran"]
[Date "2017.08.11"]
[Round "5"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "A29"]
[WhiteElo "2729"]
[BlackElo "2702"]
[PlyCount "99"]
[EventDate "2017.08.03"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 180"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Bc5 7. O-O O-O 8.
d3 Bb6 9. Nxd5 Qxd5 10. b4 Re8 11. Bb2 Qd6 12. b5 Nd4 13. a4 a6 14. a5 Bc5 15.
bxa6 Rxa6 16. Nd2 Qg6 17. e3 Bg4 18. f3 Nf5 19. d4 exd4 20. fxg4 dxe3 21. gxf5
e2+ 22. Kh1 Qg4 23. Qc2 exf1=Q+ 24. Rxf1 Rxa5 25. Nb3 Ra2 26. Nxc5 Qe2 27. Qxe2
Rxe2 28. Rd1 h5 29. Nd3 Rexb2 30. Nxb2 Rxb2 31. Bf3 h4 32. Rd8+ Kh7 33. Rd7 Rb3
34. Kg2 f6 35. Rxc7 hxg3 36. Rxb7 Rxb7 37. Bxb7 gxh2 38. Be4 h1=Q+ 39. Kxh1 Kh6
40. Kg2 Kh7 41. Kg3 Kh6 42. Kg4 Kh7 43. Kh5 Kh8 44. Kg6 Kg8 45. Bf3 Kh8 46. Kf7
Kh7 47. Bh5 Kh8 48. Kf8 Kh7 49. Bf7 Kh8 50. Bg8 1-0

[Event "Nazran Tower of Concord m"]
[Site "Nazran"]
[Date "2017.08.12"]
[Round "6"]
[White "Inarkiev, Ernesto"]
[Black "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "B33"]
[WhiteElo "2702"]
[BlackElo "2729"]
[PlyCount "108"]
[EventDate "2017.08.03"]
[EventType "match"]
[EventRounds "6"]
[EventCountry "RUS"]
[SourceTitle "CBM 180"]
[Source "ChessBase"]
[SourceDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceVersion "1"]
[SourceVersionDate "2017.09.13"]
[SourceQuality "1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. Ndb5 d6 7. Bg5 a6 8.
Na3 b5 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nd5 f5 11. Bd3 Be6 12. O-O Bxd5 13. exd5 Ne7 14. c3 Bg7
15. Qh5 e4 16. Be2 O-O 17. Nc2 Re8 18. g3 f4 19. gxf4 Ng6 20. f5 Nf4 21. Qg4
Nxe2+ 22. Qxe2 Qh4 23. Kh1 Kh8 24. Rg1 Be5 25. Rg2 Rg8 26. Rag1 Rxg2 27. Rxg2
Rg8 28. Qf1 Qh5 29. Ne3 Rg5 30. c4 Qf3 31. cxb5 axb5 32. b3 Bf4 33. Kg1 Bxe3
34. fxe3 Qxe3+ 35. Kh1 Rxg2 36. Kxg2 Qd2+ 37. Kh3 Qxd5 38. Qf4 f6 39. a4 Qd3+
40. Kg2 e3 41. Qf3 bxa4 42. bxa4 Qc2+ 43. Kg3 Qxa4 44. Qxe3 Qb5 45. Kg4 Qe5 46.
Qf3 d5 47. Kh3 Qe4 48. Qh5 Qe3+ 49. Kh4 d4 50. Qd1 d3 51. Qb3 Qf4+ 52. Kh3
Qxf5+ 53. Kh4 d2 54. Qd1 h5 0-1