And so the oldest participant of the candidates matches, the Soviet-born 43-year-old Boris Gelfand, who now plays for Israel, beat his 27-year old Russian opponent 3.5-2.5 to earn the right to challenge world champion Anand, 41, next year. According to an online database, Anand has a plus score against Gelfand in classical games: 9 to 6 with 27 draws. If rapid/exhibition games are included, the world champ leads by 16 to 7 with 43 draws.
Anand will be highly favored to retain his crown, to be sure, although anything can happen in a 12-game match and Gelfand certainly is one tough customer. A 1.d4 opener as White and a specialist in the Najdorf Sicilian, Petroff Defense, Slav Defense and King’s Indian Defense as Black, Gelfand is “noted for his strong positional awareness.”
It will be, in any case, a most interesting title match.
Game of the week. Mark Crowther annotates the decisive sixth game of the candidates final match.
White: B. Gelfand (2733)
Black: A. Grischuk (2747)
Gruenfeld Defense WCh Candidates Final, Kazan 2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nf3 Bg7 4.g3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bg2 Nb6 7.Nc3 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.0-0 Re8 10.Re1 a5 11.Qe2 [11.Qd2 e5 12.d5 Nb4 13.e4 c6 14.a3 cxd5 15.axb4 axb4 16.Rxa8 bxc3 17.bxc3 Nxa8 18.exd5 Nb6 19.Rd1 e4 20.Ng5 e3 21.Qb2 Qxg5 22.Bxe3 Qg4 0-1 Carlsen,M (2814)-Giri,A (2686)/Wijk aan Zee NED 2011] 11…Bg4 12.h3 Be6 13.b3 A new idea and one that put Grischuk on the back foot. Gelfand said he was very happy to get this position for a final decisive game. [13.Rd1 0-1 Leitao,R (2624) -Wang Yue (2732)/Khanty-Mansiysk RUS 2010] 13…a4 14.Rb1 axb3 15.axb3 Qc8 16.Kh2 Black is cramped and it isn’t really clear what his plan is supposed to be. 16…Ra5 This seems a bit artificial to me but black wants to get some counterplay. [16…Rd8 and just waiting for it might have been better.] 17.Rd1 Rh5 18.Nh4 Bf6 19.f4! This idea hadn’t crossed Grischuk’s mind. 19…Rd8 20.Qf2 Bxh4 21.gxh4 White Time: 0h: 42min Black Time: 0h:19min 21…Nd5 22.Nxd5 Rhxd5 23.Bb2 [23.Bxd5? Bxd5 and black would be more than happy.] 23…Rb5?! Grischuk did not like his position here. However launching this pawn grab on the queenside was an error, not least because it is so difficult to play the resulting position in time pressure. [23…f5 24.h5 and attack, attack, attack according to Grischuk. Nevertheless he acknowledged this would have offered better chances than the game continuation.] 24.Qe2 Rh5 25.e4 Bxb3 26.Rdc1 Na5 27.d5 b6 [27…Ba2 28.Ra1 Nb3 29.Rxa2 Nxc1 30.Bxc1 c6 would have got black to first time control but I don’t think his prospects of holding are very good.] 28.Be5 White only has to hold himself together to win. 28…c5 29.dxc6 f6 White Time: 0h:11min Black Time: 4min:27s 30.Ba1 [30.c7 Rd7 31.Qb5 fxe5 32.Qxd7 Qxd7 33.c8Q+ Qxc8 34.Rxc8+ wins but there is no need to play this for white.] 30…Rc5?! White Time: 9min:42s Black Time: 3min:50s [30…Bf7 was better but 31.e5 will probably win.] 31.Rxc5 bxc5 32.Qb5! Simply played. 32…Qc7 [32…Ba2 33.Rb2 Qc7 34.e5 Be6 35.Qb6 Qxb6 36.Rxb6] 33.Rxb3 wins out of hand. 33…Nxc6 [33…Nxb3 34.Qxb3+ Kf8 35.e5 is crushing.] 34.e5 Nd4 35.Qc4+ White Time: 5min:13s Black Time: 0min:29s 1-0.
Puzzler.
White: Ka5, Nb5, Qc1, Bd3, pawn on d4
Black: Kd5, Ne5, pawns on a6 and f3
White to play and mate in three moves.
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