Chessable Houska's Caro

World Chess Championship Candidates 2011 (Final Gm6)

Gelfand beats Grischuk in final Candidates Game to Qualify for Anand Match

Final game of the Candidates starts.

Final game of the Candidates starts. | http://video.russiachess.org/

Boris Gelfand won the final game with white against Alexander Grischuk to qualify for a World Chess Championship Match against Viswanathan Anand. Grischuk played the Gruenfeld Defence and was on the back foot almost straight away with the Gelfand novelty 13.b3. Grischuk was full of praise for 19.f4! which he said had not crossed his mind and he already did not like his position when he played 23...Rb5 after which he could not hold his position together. More to follow.

Gelfand,Boris (2733) - Grischuk,Alexander (2747) [E60]
WCh Candidates Kazan RUS (3.6), 25.05.2011
[Mark Crowther]

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/The Week in Chess 845]

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/The Week in Chess 829 (67)]

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

World Chess Championship Final Kazan
Grischuk, Alexander - Gelfand, Boris ½-½ 49 D37 QGD 5.Bf4
Gelfand, Boris - Grischuk, Alexander ½-½ 58 A37 English Symmetrical
Grischuk, Alexander - Gelfand, Boris ½-½ 14 D37 QGD 5.Bf4
Gelfand, Boris - Grischuk, Alexander ½-½ 18 A37 English Symmetrical
Grischuk, Alexander - Gelfand, Boris ½-½ 39 D37 QGD 5.Bf4
Gelfand, Boris - Grischuk, Alexander 1-0 35 E60 King's Indian without Nc3
World Chess Championship Final Kazan (RUS), 19-26 May 2011
Name Ti NAT Rtng 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Perf
Gelfand, Boris g ISR 2733 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 1 2804
Grischuk, Alexander g RUS 2747 ½ ½ ½ ½ ½ 0 2676

View the games on this Page

Download the PGN from this page

vs

Advertising

New in Chess Complete Chess Swindler


Chess.com Events


Chess and Bridge Fritz 19

Modern Chess Spring


Jussupow course Build Up Your Chess 1: The Fundamentals

The New Jobava London System


Contact Mark Crowther (TWIC) if you wish to advertise here.


The Week in Chess Magazine

Send a £30 donation via Paypal and contact me via email (Email Mark Crowther - mdcrowth@btinternet.com) I'll send you an address for a cbv file of my personal copy of every issue of the games in one database. Over 3 million games.

Alternatively subscribe to donate £4 a month

Read about 25 years of TWIC.

TWIC 1533 25th March 2024 - 8591 games

Read TWIC 1533

Download TWIC 1533 PGN

Download TWIC 1533 ChessBase

TWIC Sponsor(s):

Clark St James Ltd - online advertising agency eg Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads