Democratic Underground - Gelfand - Ponomariov, Final Round Tie Break, Rapid Game 2

Boris Gelfand
Photo by Galina Popova for FIDE via ChessBase.com

Third World Cup, Final Round Tie Break, Rapid Game 2
Khanty Mansiysk, 14 December 2009

Semi-Salv Queen's Gambit: Stoltz Opening

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 dxc4 5.Bg2

If 5.Qa4+ then:

If 5...Nbd7 6.Nc3 a6 7.Bg5 then:

If 7...b5 8.Nxb5 Rb8 is equal (Wang Yue-Ivanchuk, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2009).
7...Be7 8.Bxf6 Bxf6 9.Qxc4 0-0 10.Bg2 Rb8 11.0-0 b5 12.Qd3 c5 13.Rfd1 cxd4 14.Nxd4 Ne5 15.Qc2 Qb6 16.a4 Bd7 17.axb5 axb5 is equal (Simonenko-Malakhatko, Op, La Fere, 2005).

If 5...c6 6.Qxc4 b5 7.Qc2 Bb7 8.Bg2 Nbd7 then:

If 9.0-0 c5 then:

10.a4 b4 11.Bg5 Rc8 12.Nbd2 Be7 13.Rfc1 0-0 14.Qd3 h6 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.e3 Rc7 17.Qe2 Qc8 gives Black supremacy on the queenside (Bruzón-Anand, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2005).
10.Nc3 a6 11.Bg5 Rc8 12.dxc5 Bxc5 13.Rad1 Qb6 14.Qb1 h6 15.Bxf6 Nxf6 16.Nd2 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 0-0 18.Nce4 Nxe4 19.Nxe4 Rfd8 20.Rxd8+ Rxd8 21.Nxc5 Qxc5 draw (C. Hansen-Godena, Ol, Istanbul, 2000).

9.Ne5 Qb6 10.Be3 c5 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.Bxb7 Qxb7 13.0-0 Rc8 14.Rc1 c4 15.a4 a6 16.axb5 axb5 is equal (Yakovich-Brodsky, Op, Noyabrsk, 2003).

If 5...Bd7 6.Qxc4 Bc6 7.Bg2 Bd5 then:

8.Qa4+ Qd7 9.Qxd7+ Nbxd7 10.Nc3 Bb4 11.Bd2 Bxc3 12.Bxc3 Ne4 13.0-0 Nxc3 14.bxc3 c5 15.Rfe1 cxd4 16.cxd4 Be4 17.Rac1 Nb6 18.Ne5 Bxg2 19.Kxg2 f6 20.Nd3 Rd8 21.Nc5 Ke7 22.e3 gives White more activity (Sriram-Ninov, Op, Kalamaria, 2006).
8.Qd3 Be4 9.Qd1 c5 10.Nc3 Bc6 11.0-0 Nbd7 12.Bg5 Be7 13.dxc5 Nxc5 14.Qxd8+ Rxd8 15.Rfd1 0-0 16.Ne5 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 h6 is equal ()Andrianov-Furdzik, Foxwoods Op, Mashantucket, 2001.

5...c5

If 5...Nc6 then:

If 6.Qa4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nd5 8.Bxb4 Ndxb4 then:

If 9.0-0 Rb8 then:

If 10.Nc3 a6 11.Ne5 0-0 12.Bxc6 Nxc6 13.Nxc6 bxc6 14.Qxc4 then:

14...Rxb2 15.Rab1 Rb6 16.Qc5 h6 17.Rfd1 Rxb1 18.Rxb1 Qd6 19.Ne4 Qd5 20.Qxd5 cxd5 gives Black a slight initiative (Khalifman-S. Ivanov, City Ch, St. Petersburg, 1996).
14...Qd6 15.Ne4 Qd5 16.Qc2 Qxd4 17.b3 Rb5 18.Rfd1 Qe5 19.Nc3 Rc5 is equal (Linna-Zugrav, Corres, 2002).

10.Na3 0-0 11.Qb5 b6 12.Qxc4 Ba6 13.Nb5 Qd5 14.Qxd5 Nxd5 15.a4 Na5 16.Ne5 Rbd8 17.Bxd5 Bxb5 18.Bxe6 Be8 is equal (Grischuk-Gelfand, Grand Prix, Sochi, 2009).

If 9.a3 b5 10.Qxb5 Nc2+ 11.Kd2 then:

If 11...Nxa1 12.Qxc6+ Bd7 13.Qxc4 c5 14.Qa2 Qa5+ then:

If 15.Nc3 cxd4 16.Nxd4 Rd8 then:

If 17.Rxa1 e5 18.b4 Qb6 19.Nc2 Qxf2 20.Bd5 0-0 21.Qc4 Be6 22.Ne3 Qxh2 23.Qh4 Qxh4 24.gxh4 f5 25.Kc2 Kf7 then:

26.Rd1 f4 27.Nc4 draw (Kasparov-Adams, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2001).
26.Rg1 Rd7 27.Bxe6+ Kxe6 is equal (Kasimdzhanov-van Wely, Corus A, Wijk aan Zee, 2001).

17.e3 e5 18.b4 Qa6 19.Nd5 0-0 20.Ne2 Bb5 21.Nec3 Bc4 22.Qxa1 leaves White with a material advantage equivalent to two pawns (Shapiro-Furdzik, Op, Philadelphia, 2006).

15.b4 cxb4 16.Qxa1 Rc8 17.Ne5 Bb5 18.Ke3 Rc2 19.Bf3 0-0 20.a4 f6 21.Nd3 Bc4 22.Nd2 Qg5+ 23.Nf4 e5 24.Nxc4 exf4+ 25.gxf4 Qf5 26.Nd6 Qe6+ White resigns in the face of further material loss (Ivanchuk-Korchnoi, IT, Tilburg, 1989).

11...Bd7 12.Kxc2 Nxd4+ 13.Nxd4 Bxb5 14.Nxb5 Rb8 15.N1c3 0-0 16.Rab1 Qf6 17.Ne4 Qe5 18.Nbc3 leaves Black with a theoretical extra pawn (R. Akesson-Kvetoslav, Corres,2002).

If 6.0-0 then:

If 6...a6 7.e3 Bd7 8.Nc3 then:

If 8...Nd5 9.Nd2 then:

If 9...Nb6 10.Qe2 Na5 then:

11.Nde4 Bc6 12.Rd1 Bb4 13.Bd2 0-0 14.d5 exd5 15.Nxd5 Bxd2 16.Qxd2 Nxd5 17.Qxa5 b6 18.Qe1 Qe7 gives Black an extra pawn (Bromberger-Savchenko, Euro Ch, Dresden, 2007).
11.Nf3 Be7 12.Ne5 0-0 13.Rd1 Bb5 14.Bd2 Bd6 15.Nxb5 axb5 16.b4 cxb3 17.Qxb5 c6 18.Qe2 Na4 gives Black an extra pawn (Iskusnyh-Savchenko, Russian ChT, Sochi, 2007).

9...Nxc3 10.bxc3 b5 11.a4 Rb8 12.Qg4 e5 13.Qe4 Bd6 14.axb5 axb5 15.Ra6 f5 16.Qc2 e4 is equal (Sebenik-Zelcic, Euro Ch, Plovdiv, 2008).

If 8...Bd6 9.Qe2 b5 10.e4 then:

10...e5 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Nxe5 Bxe5 13.f4 Bxc3 14.bxc3 c6 15.f5 0-0 16.Bg5 h6 17.Bh4 Qb6+ 18.Kh1 Nh7 is equal (Tkachiev-Beliavsky, Op, Enghien-les-Bains, 1999).
10...Be7 11.d5 Nb4 12.Ne5 exd5 13.exd5 0-0 14.a3 Nd3 15.Nxd3 Bg4 16.Qe3 cxd3 17.Qxd3 Qd7 18.Bf4 Bd6 is equal (Karpov-Gelfand, IT, Dos Hermanas, 1999).

If 6...Rb8 7.Nc3 a6 8.e4 Be7 then:

9.Qe2 b5 10.Rd1 Nb4 11.d5 exd5 12.e5 0-0 13.exf6 Bxf6 14.Bf4 Bb7 15.Ne4 Re8 16.Nxf6+ Qxf6 17.Be5 Qe7 is equal (P. H. Nielsen-S. Halkias, Euro Ch, Warsaw, 2005).
If 9.d5 exd5 10.exd5 Nb4 11.Ne5 Bf5 12.a3 Nd3 13.Nxc4 then:

If 13...Nxc1 14.Rxc1 0-0 15.b4 then:

If 15...Ne8 16.Qf3 g6 then:

17.Ne4 Bxe4 18.Qxe4 Nd6 19.Qc2 Nxc4 20.Qxc4 Bd6 21.Rfe1 Qf6 22.Qc3 Qxc3 23.Rxc3 Rfe8 24.Rxe8+ Rxe8 25.Kf1 Kg7 draw (Bareev-Adams, IT, Dortmund, 2002).
17.Rfe1 Nd6 18.Nxd6 Bxd6 19.Ne4 Bxe4 20.Rxe4 Qg5 21.Rd1 Rbe8 is equal (Ruck-Tukmakov, Coatian ChT, Porec, 1998).

15...Re8 16.Qd4 Bd6 17.Rfe1 Qd7 18.Rxe8+ Rxe8 19.Ne3 Bg6 is equal (Haba-Arbakov, Op, Chemnitz, 1997).

13...0-0 14.b4 Re8 15.h3 Nd7 16.Be3 Bf6 17.Qb3 N7e5 18.Nd2 Nd7 is equal (B. Lalic-Korneev, Op, Lorca, 2001).

If 5...Bb4+ 6.Bd2 a5 then:

If 7.Qc2 Nc6 8.Qxc4 Qd5 then:

9.Qd3 Qe4 10.Qxe4 Nxe4 11.a3 Nxd2 12.Nbxd2 Be7 13.Rc1 0-0 14.0-0 Rd8 15.e3 Bd7 16.Rc2 Be8 17.Rfc1 Kf8 18.Ne1 Rdb8 19.Nd3 Bd6 20.Ne4 Ne7 21.Ndc5 Bc6 22.Ng5 h6 23.Bxc6 Bxc5 24.Bf3 Bb6 25.Ne4 c6 26.Kg2 Nd5 draw (Smejkal-Hort, Bundesliga 8990, Germany, 1990).
If 9.Qxd5 exd5 then:

10.0-0 Bg4 11.e3 Ne4 12.Bc3 Ke7 13.Rc1 Rhc8 14.Nfd2 Nf6 15.a3 Bd6 16.Nf3 Be6 17.b3 Ne4 18.Be1 Nb8 19.Nc3 Nxc3 20.Bxc3 h6 21.Ne1 Nd7 22.Nf3 Kd8 23.b4 axb4 draw (Arkell-Speelman, 4NCL, Birmingham, 2001).
10.Nc3 Bf5 11.0-0 Be4 12.Bg5 Bxc3 13.bxc3 Nd7 14.Bh3 h6 15.Bf4 0-0-0 16.Nd2 Bh7 is equal (Reefschlaeger-Taimanov, SX, Soviet Union, 1981).

7.0-0 Nc6 8.e3 0-0 9.Qc2 e5 10.dxe5 Ng4 11.a3 Bxd2 12.Nbxd2 Ngxe5 13.Nxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxc4 Nxc4 15.Qxc4 c6 16.Rad1 gives White the advantage in space and the initiative (Miton-Stocek, Op, Philadelphia, 2006).

6.0-0 Nc6 7.dxc5

If 7.Qa4 Bd7 8.Qxc4 then:

If 8...cxd4 9.Nxd4 Rc8 10.Nc3 Nxd4 11.Qxd4 Bc5 12.Qh4 then:

12...0-0 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bxf6 Qxf6 15.Qxf6 gxf6 16.Bxb7 Rb8 17.Bf3 Rxb2 18.Rfd1 Be8 19.Ne4 Be7 20.Nd6 Bxd6 21.Rxd6 Bb5 is equal (Shirov-Wang Yue, IT, Sofia, 2009).
If 12...Bc6 13.Rd1 then:

13...Qb6 14.Bxc6+ Rxc6 15.Bh6 Bf8 16.Rd3 e5 17.Be3 Qa5 18.Bg5 Be7 19.Rad1 0-0 is equal (Topalov-van Wely, A,ber Blind, Monte Carlo, 2003).
13...Qa5 14.Bd2 Be7 15.Nd5 Nxd5 16.Qxe7+ Nxe7 17.Bxa5 Bxg2 18.Kxg2 Nc6 is equal (Ftacnik-Peters, IT, Hastings, 1980).

If 8...b5 9.Qd3 Rc8 10.dxc5 Bxc5 11.Nc3 b4 then:

If 12.Ne4 Nxe4 13.Qxe4 Ne7 14.Ne5 Bb5 15.Be3 then:

If 15...0-0 16.Rfd1 Qb6 17.Bxc5 Qxc5 18.Nd7 Bxd7 19.Rxd7 then:

19...Rfd8 20.Qd3 Rxd7 21.Qxd7 g6 22.Rd1 a5 23.Bf3 Qc7 24.Kg2 Qxd7 25.Rxd7 Nc6 draw (Haba-Volodin, Op, Pardubice, 1994).
19...a5 20.Rad1 Nd5 21.Qd3 Nf6 22.Rd4 is equal (Plachetka-Stohl, IT, Ostrava, 1994).

15...Qb6 16.Bxc5 Rxc5 17.Rfd1 0-0 18.Nd7 Bxd7 19.Rxd7 Nd5 is equal (Gulko-Renet, Op, Paris, 1986).

12.Nb5 0-0 13.Nd6 Nd4 14.Bf4 Nd5 15.Ng5 g6 16.Nge4 Nxf4 17.gxf4 Bb6 18.Rfd1 Rc7 19.e3 Qe7 20.exd4 f5 21.Qe3 fxe4 22.Nxe4 Qh4 is equal (Palatnik-Vladimirov, Soviet Ch ½-final, Irkutsk, 1983).

If 7.Ne5 then:

If 7...Bd7 8.Na3 cxd4 9.Naxc4 Bc5 10.Qb3 0-0 11.Bf4 Qc8 then:

If 12.Rac1 Nd5 13.Nxd7 Qxd7 14.Ne5 Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Bb6 then:

If 16.Rfd1 Rac8 17.Rxc8 Rxc8 18.Bxd5 Qxd5 19.Qxd5 exd5 20.Bxd4 Bxd4 21.Rxd4 Rd8 then:

If 22.e4 (White has the active Rook) 22...Kf8 23.exd5 Ke7 24.Kg2!? Kd6! 25.Kf3 Rc8 then:

If 26.Rd2?! then:

26...Re8! 27.Kf4 Re5 28.h4 h5 29.f3 f6 30.g4 g5+ 31.Kg3 hxg4 32.Kxg4 gxh4 33.Kxh4 draw (Kharlov-A. Sokolov, ZT, St. Petersburg, 1993).
26...Rc5! 27.Ke4 Rc4+ is equal (Tukmakov-A. Sokolov, Op, Biel, 1992).

26.Rh4! h6 27.Rb4 weakens Black's pawns.

16.Rcd1 Ne7 17.Bxd4 Bxd4 18.e3 e5 19.exd4 exd4 20.Rd2 Rad8 is equal (Deep Fritz-Nimzo-8, Computer Game, Spain, 2001).
12.Rfd1 Rd8 13.Rac1 Nd5 14.Nxf7 Kxf7 15.Ne5+ Nxe5 16.Bxe5 b6 17.Qf3+ Kg8 18.Qg4 g6 19.Be4 Bc6 20.b4 Nxb4 21.Bxg6 hxg6 22.Qxg6+ Kf8 23.Rxc5 bxc5 24.Qg7+ draw (Beliavsky-A. Sokolov, World Cup, Brussels, 1988).

If 7...Nxe5 8.dxe5 Qxd1 9.Rxd1 Nd7 10.f4 then:

If 10...f6 11.exf6 gxf6 12.Na3 Nb6 13.Bd2 Rb8 14.Ba5 Bd7 15.Bxb6 axb6 16.Nxc4 gives White better pawn structure, a safer King and the initiative (Nester-Diulger, Op, Kishnev, 2001).
10...Rb8 11.a4 Be7 12.Na3 0-0 13.Nxc4 Rd8 14.Be3 b6 15.Nd6 f6 16.exf6 Bxd6?! 17.Rxd6! gives White an extra pawn and good winning chances (Gereben-Kellner, Schlecter Mem, Vienna, 1947).

7...Qxd1

7...Bxc5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nbd2 Ke7 10.Nxc4 Nd5 11.Bd2 Rd8 12.Rac1 Bb4 13.Bxb4+ Ndxb4 14.a3 Nd5 15.b4 Nb6 16.Ncd2 Bd7 is equal (Mikhalevski-Golod, Israeli Ch, Haifa, 2008).

8.Rxd1 Bxc5 9.Nbd2 c3 10.bxc3 0-0

If 10...Bd7 11.Nb3 Be7 12.c4 0-0 13.Bb2 then:

If 13...Rfd8 14.Ne5 then:

14...Nxe5 15.Bxe5 Rac8 16.Bxb7 Rxc4 17.Bf3 Be8 18.e3 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 Bc6 20.Bxc6 Rxc6 21.Bd4 a6 draw (Razuvaev-van der Sterren, Op, Prague, 1992).
14...Rac8 15.Nd3 Be8 16.Rab1 b6 17.c5 Nd5 18.cxb6 axb6 is equal (Speelman-Müller, Bundesliga 9899, Germany, 1999).

13...Rac8 14.Rac1 Rfd8 15.Ne5 Nxe5 16.Bxe5 Bc6 17.Bxc6 Rxc6 18.Rxd8+ draw (Wang Yue-Bacrot, World Cup Rd 3, Khanty Maniysk, 2009).

11.Ne1!?

If 11.Nb3 Be7 12.Nfd4 Bd7 then:

If 13.Bg5 Rfd8 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nc5 Nxd4 16.cxd4 then:

16...Bc8 17.e3 Rb8 18.Rac1 Be7 19.Ne4 Kf8 20.Rc7 Rd7 21.Rxd7 Bxd7 is equal (Cernousek-Bernasek, Op, Brno, 2006).
16...Bc6 17.Bxc6 bxc6 18.e3 Rab8 19.Nd3 gives White a slight advantage in space (Miton-G. Papp, World Jr Ch, Athens, 2001).

13.Nxc6 Bxc6 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Be3 Nd5 16.Bd4 f6 17.e4 Nc7 18.Bc5 Bxc5 19.Nxc5 Rfd8 20.Rab1 Nb5 21.Na4 draw (Doerner-Morcken, Ol, Amsterdam, 1954).

11...Be7

The game is equal.

12.Nd3 Nd5 13.Bb2 Nb6

13...Rd8!? 14.c4! Nb6 15.a4 Na5 16.c5 Nd5 17.Rab1 gives White the advantage in space.

14.Rab1 Na5 15.Ba1 Rd8 16.c4

16.Rb5 Nc6 17.c4 Nd7 18.a4 Rb8 19.Rdb1 a6 remains equal.

16...Naxc4 17.Nxc4 Nxc4 18.Bxb7 Bxb7 19.Rxb7 Bf6!?

19...Ba3 20.h4 Na5 21.Rbb1 Rac8 remains equal.

20.Bxf6!

White trades his least efective piece to give Black a handful of pawn weaknesses.

20...gxf6 21.Rc1 Nd6 22.Re7 Nb5?!

This is a bad time for Black to have a serious case of weak pawns. The formula is to activate pieces and avoid exchanges. However, each side has only two Rooks and a Knight remaining besides five pawns each, so we have already reached the endgame.
22...a5 23.Rec7 then:

23...Rdb8 24.a4 Kg7 25.R1c6 Rb7 26.Rxb7 exchanges Black's more active Rook.
23...Nb5 24.R7c5 Nd4 25.Kf1 e5 26.f4 gives White command of the c-file and exploits Black's poor pawn structure.

BLACK: Ruslan Ponomariov
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WHITE: Boris Gelfand
Position after 22...Nd6b5

23.a4!

White hits the piece that Black just actived.

23...Kf8 24.Rb7 Nd6 25.Rbc7 Ne8 26.R7c5 Rab8

26...Rd4 27.R1c4 Rad8 28.Rxd4 Rxd4 29.a5 White succeeds in exchanging Rooks.

27.R1c4

White commands the c-file.
27.Kf1 e5 28.R5c4 Rd5 29.g4 a5 30.Rc5 gives White command of the queenside. He would benefit more than Black from the exchange of Rooks, since Black has serious pawn weaknesses in his posision and needs to compensate by keeping his pieces active.

27...f5 28.Kg2 Rb7 29.a5 Nd6 30.Rd4

White takes advantage of White;s last move to pin the Knight.
Stronger is 30.Rc2 Kg7 31.Rc6 Kf6 32.Nc5 Rb5 33.a6 when White threatens 34.Rc7!.

30...Ke8 31.f3 Nb5?

This move sets a trap, but it doesn't really threaten anything.
31...Rbd7! 32.Ne5 Rb7 then:

33.Rd2 f6 34.Nc6 Rdd7 35.Rc1 leaves White slightly better, if at all.
33.a6 Rb2 34.Nc6 Rd7 35.Nxa7 Rxa7 36.Rxd6 Ke7 37.Rcc6 is equal.

BLACK: Ruslan Ponomariov
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WHITE: Boris Gelfand
Position after 31...Nd6b5

32.Rh4!

White avoids the trap and instead attacks Black's weak h-pawn.
If 32.Rxd8+!? Kxd8 33.Ne5 Ke7 34.a6 then:

If 34...Rb6 35.Nc4 Rb8 then:

If 36.e4 fxe4! (weakening White's pawns makes Black's game a lot easier) 37.fxe4 Nd6 38.e5 then:

38...Ne8 39.Nd6 Rb2+ 40.Kf3 Ra2 is equal.
38...Nxc4!? is bad beacuse it give White command of a navigable rank: 39.Rxc4 Kd7 40.Rh4!.

36.e3!? f6! 37.Na5 Kd7 38.Rc2 Rb6 is equal.

34...Rb8 35.f4 Kd6 36.Rc6+ Ke7 37.Rc4 Re8 38.h3

32...Kf8 33.a6 Rb6 34.Rb4!

Also good is 34.Rxh7 Kg8 when:

If 35.Rh5! then after 35...Nd4 36.Rg5+ Kh7 37.Rc7 Nxe2 38.Ne5 Black's f-pawn falls.
35.Rh4? Nd4 36.Rc7 Nxe2 37.Nb4 is equal.

34...Rd5

34...Nd4 35.Rxb6 axb6 36.Rc7 Ra8 37.Nb4 Nxe2 38.Rb7 makes the a-pawn very dangerous.

35.Rxd5 exd5

Black's pawn structure is in shambles.

36.Nf4 Nc7 37.Rxb6 axb6 38.a7 d4 39.Nd5

39.e3 dxe3 40.Nd5 Na8 41.f4 Ke8 42.Nxe3 White wins a pawn.

39...Na8 40.Kf2 Ke8 41.e3 dxe3+ 42.Kxe3 Kd7 43.Nf6+ Ke7 44.Nxh7

Black could have resigned here.

44...f6 45.g4 b5 46.g5 fxg5 47.Nxg5 Kf6 48.f4 b4

This hope is too faint to be called by that name.

BLACK: Ruslan Ponomariov
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WHITE: Boris Gelfand
Position after 48...b5b4

49.Kd4!

The King has just enough time to catch the pawn.

49...Nb6 50.Nf3 b3 51.Kc3 Ke6 52.h4 1-0

Black's defense is stretched too thin:
- If Black blocks the a-pawn, then he will be unable to defend the h-file and the h-pawn advances without interferance;
- If Black moves his King to stop the h-pawn, White capures on b3 and then moves his King to b7, trapping the Knight;
- Finally, if in either plan Black takes the time to take the Knight which is defending the h-pawn, then White advances the h-pawn and it cannot be stopped.
Grandmaster Ponomariov resigns.

Reply #10: Gelfand - Ponomariov, Final Round Tie Break, Rapid Game 2 [View All]