The Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand was the oldest participant in the just concluded world-championship tournament in Mexico. But he is not yet decrepit. At the ripe old age of 39, he achieved the greatest success of his carrier, tying for 2nd and 3rd place. Gelfand was not considered a favorite before the tournament. Indeed, there is evidence that even he did not regard himself as a potential winner. What else could explain why, in the first round, having built up a winning position, he offered the soon-to-be new world champion Viswanathan Anand a draw? If Gelfand had won that game, the outcome of the tournament would have been quite different. Whatever explains his lapse, Gelfand was playing in brilliant form as we see in the elegant combination he unleashed against Alexander Morozevich.

GELFAND VS. MOROZEVICH

(white) (black) Queen’s Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4.g3 Bb7 5. Bg2 Be7 6. Nc3 Ne4 7. Bd2 f5 8.d5 Bf6 9. Qc2 Qe7

Unhappy with the results of the opening in this game, in one of the later rounds Morozevich played 9… Na6 here against Aronian, but after 10. Nxe4 fxe4 11. Qxe4 Nc5

12. Qe3 0-0 13. dxe6 Re8 14. Qa3

white obtained an advantage. 10. Nxe4 fxe4 11. Qxe4 Bxb2 12. Rd1!?

A novelty. In Korchnoi-Rosentalis, 1997, 12. Rb1 Bf6 13. Nd4 followed, and in case of 13… Na6 an unclear position would have arisen. White overprotects his central pawn on

d5. 12… Bf6 13.0-0 Na6 14. Nd4 Nc5 15. Qe3 exd5 The alternative plan was 15…Bxd4 16. Qxd4 e5 17. Qg4 0-0 18.e4 and white has better prospects because he can prepare the offensive thrust f2-f4. 16. cxd5 Qxe3 17. Bxe3 0-0-0!? In case of 17…0-0 18. Nb5! black’s queenside would be vulnerable. 18. Rb1! Rhe8!? After the sudden return of the white rook, black discovered that his king can also be in danger on the queenside. For example, 18… Kb8 19.d6! (Nothing was promised by19. Nc6+ dxc6 20. dxc6 Ba6 21. Bxc5 Bxe2) 19…Bxg2 (bad is 19… c6? 20. Nxc6+ dxc6 21. Bxc5 bxc5 22. Bxc6) 20. dxc7+ Kxc7 21. Kxg2 and white’s position is clearly superior. So Morozevich decided to sacrifice the exchange, snuffing out white’s chances to launch an attack. Deserving of attention was the primitive 18…d6 and white would find it not at all easy to make progress. 19. Nb5 Rxe3!? Now black has to resort to a sacrifice because after 19…a6 20. Bxc5 axb5 (Even worse is 20…bxc5? 21. Na7+ Kb8 22. Nc6+) 21. Be3 white is clearly better. 20. fxe3 a6 21. Nd4 Re8 22. Nf5 d6 23. Rb4! h5 In order to secure his position, black needs to protect his kingside. But this plan meets a beautiful refutation. Better was 23…Kb8! 24. Rg4 Bc8! 25. Nxg7 Rg8 26. Ne6 Rxg4 27. Rxf6 Ra4 28. Rf8 Nd7! The only way to protect the black king: 29. Rh8 b5! 30. Bh3 Nb6! and an unclear endgame arises. 24.g4! a5 25. Rbf4 Rh8 Also bad for black was 25…Be5 26. gxh5 Bxf4 27. Rxf4; or 25…hxg4 26. Rxg4. 26. gxh5 Rxh5 27. Rg4 Rh7

(See Diagram)

It looks like black has constructed an impregnable fortress. But white destroys it. 28. Nxg7!! Rxg7

Obviously bad for black was 28… Bxg7 29. Rf7 29. Bh3! Rxg4+ 30. Bxg4+ Kd8 31. Rxf6 Bxd5 32.a3 b5 33.h4

A more direct way was 33. Rf4 Be4 34. Bf3 which should have also won but needed careful calculation. 34…d5 (or 34…Bxf3 35. exf3 Ne6 36. Rg4 c5 37.h4 b4 38.h5! b3 39. Kf2 c4 40.h6 Nf8 41. Ke2 and the white king has time to stop the black pawns.) 35.h4 b4 36. axb4 axb4 37. Bxe4 Nxe4 38.h5 b3 39.h6 b2 40. Rf1 Nf6 41. Rb1 Ke7 42. Rxb2 Kf7 43. Rc2 Ne8 44. Rc6 and white is winning. 33… b4 34. axb4 axb4 35. Rf4 b3 36. Bf5

Now the white king goes toward the passed b-pawn. 36… Bf7

Black decides to wait. Of no use was 36…b2 37. Rb4 Nb3 38.h5 c5 39.h6! and white is winning. 37. Kf2 Ke7 38. Ke1 Kf6

Equally hopeless is 38…Nb7 39. Bd3 Nd8 (39…c5 40. Ra4 Kd7 41. Kd2 d5 42. Ra7 Kc6 43. Ra6+ Kc7 44. Bg6) 40. Kd2 c5 41. Bc4 and white wins. 39. Bd3+ Kg7 40. Kd2 Be6 41. Kc3 Bf7

There is no fortress. If 41…Kh6 42. Bc4 Bxc4 43. Rxc4 Kh5 then black perishes from zugzwang: 44. Kb2! Kg6 45.e4 Kf6 46. Rxc5! dxc5 47. Kxb3 and the white pawns are unstoppable. 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 Black resigned. 1-0