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Home » Chess News » Events » FIDE Candidates 2011 » Gelfand's defensive skills just hold Grischuk in game 2

Boris Gelfand and Alexander Grischuk both voluntarily played into a position in a dynamic English where complications exploded almost right away. The moves came quite fast for a while and it isn't really clear where their preparation ended although reports suggest that Grischuk knew that 22.Bxh8?! wasn't best. Although white only had a pawn for a piece he had pressure all over the board. But somehow Gelfand became nervous and out of a number of possiblities recovering some material with 22.Bxh8 Qxh8 23.Qe3 turned out to be a poor one. White was material down having Rook and Pawn against black's Knight and Bishop and surely was close to being objectively lost, but in practice it turned out to be very hard for Grischuk to turn this advantage into a win.

Grischuk didn't seem to be playing all that badly and certainly didn't seem to be doing much wrong but white's desperate plan to free his rook with 33.e4 and 34.g4! provided excellent counter-play. Grischuk was also now very short of time and it seems that he missed one of his few concrete chances with 37...Rb3 when the variation appear to be in his favour. Instead 37...a5 activating what looked like being his trump card seemed to almost allow Gelfand to equalise after 39.Rhc5!

Once they reached first time control Gelfand turned down 41.Ra5! which is surely objectively drawn and played 41.R5c4 but even here his opponent could find nothing even after using 45 minutes on his next 4 moves. The game then rapidly traded into an equal ending. Another great defensive performance from Boris Gelfand. Even if it turns out that Grischuk was indeed winning the quality of Gelfand's resistance was very high.

Gelfand,Boris (2733) - Grischuk,Alexander (2747) [A37]
WCh Candidates Kazan RUS (3.2), 20.05.2011
[Doe,John]

1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.Nc3 e5 4.g3 g6 5.Bg2 Bg7 6.a3 Nge7 7.b4 d5 8.cxd5 Nxd5 9.Ng5

[9.Nxd5 has been played a few times here.]

9...Nc7 10.d3 cxb4 11.axb4 e4!?

Initiating interesting play but with both sides having only consumed 15 minutes each there is a good chance both are still in preparation.

12.Ngxe4 f5 13.Bg5 Bxc3+ 14.Kf1

White sacrifices a piece for good compensation.

14...Qd4 15.Nxc3 Qxc3 16.Bf4!

White Time: 1h:25min

16...Nb5

1h: 23min

17.Rc1 Qf6 18.Rc5 a6 19.Bxc6+ bxc6 20.Be5 Qf8 21.Qc1!

With great pressure all over the board in a complicated position. White's bishop is worth far more than black's rook. It isn't clear whether both sides had this position on the board prior to the game.

21...Bd7 22.Bxh8?!

Setting off in the wrong direction.

[22.Qc4 with complications is Yasser Seirawan and Larry Christiansen's suggestion. 22...h6 (22...Rg8? 23.Bf6 wins for instance.) ; 22.Kg2]

22...Qxh8 23.Qe3+?

Played with great confidence by Boris Gelfand but he seems to have underestimated the possibilities he had in the position. Grischuk still had his jacket on up until this position, after taking this move in for a few minutes he pulled a funny face, shrugged his shoulders and took his jacket off.

23...Kf7

Black's King wants to be on this square. White Time: 0h:53min Black Time: 0h:51min

24.Re5 Qf8! 25.h4 h5 26.Qf4 Qd6 27.Kg2 Kf6 28.Re4 Qxf4

Trading into an ending where white's rook on f4 is on a terrible square.

[28...c5 29.bxc5 Qxc5 30.Rc1 Probably helps white.]

29.Rxf4 Be6 30.Rc1 Ke7 31.f3 Kd6 32.Kf2 Rb8 33.e4 Nc7

White Time: 0h:12min Black Time: 0h:11min

34.g4

34...fxg4 35.Rf6 gxf3 36.Rxg6 Rxb4 37.Rh6

37...a5?!

It is hard to believe that pushing the a-pawn won't win but it doesn't seem the best here but Grischuk was down to his last 3 minutes.

37...Rb3! 38.Ke3 c5 and black still has good winning chances.

38.Rxh5 a4 39.Rhc5! Bd7 40.Kxf3 Ne6

41.R5c4!?

[41.Ra5 looks even more comfortable for white.]

41...c5! 42.h5!?

This h-pawn is white's main counter-play.

[42.Rxb4 cxb4 43.Rb1 should win for black.; 42.Ke3 a3 43.R4c3 Ra4 44.R3c2 Nd4 45.Rh2 a2]

42...Rb2!

If there is a win then it has to start with this.

43.Rh1 Nd4+ 44.Ke3 Be6

This can't be right but already it isn't at all clear what black should be doing instead.

45.e5+

Already after the first time control both players have used most of their time to get to move 60. White Time: 0h:33min Black Time: 0h:11min.

[45.Rxa4 Ke5 46.Rxd4 cxd4+ 47.Kf3 and it isn't clear how black wins.; 45.Rcc1 Re2+ 46.Kf4 Rf2+ isn't mate and isn't clear.]

45...Kxe5 46.Rxc5+ Bd5 47.Rxd5+ Kxd5 48.h6

Already the draw is clear.

48...Re2+ 49.Kf4 Ne6+ 50.Kg3 Nf8

White Time: 0h:22min Black Time: 2min:13s

51.h7 Nxh7 52.Rxh7 a3 53.Kf3 Re1 54.Ra7 Ra1 55.Ke3 a2 56.Ra5+ Kc6

White Time: 0h:14min Black Time: 0min:51s

57.Kd4 Kb6 58.Ra8 Kb7 1/2-1/2

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

World Chess Championship Final Kazan (RUS), 19-26 May 2011
Name	Ti	NAT	Rtng	1	2	3	4	5	6	Total	Perf
Grischuk, Alexander	g	RUS	2747	½	½	.	.	.	.	1	2733
Gelfand, Boris	g	ISR	2733	½	½	.	.	.	.	1	2747

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