Congratulations to Boris Gelfand
: Created:16 May 2011 , byAlexander Grischuk and Boris Gelfand reached the final of the Candidates Tournament today but I'm reserving my plaudits for Boris.
Following the progress of these matches on the internet is a mixed blessing because the immediacy of the struggle is often let down by the action. Two early Grishchuk draws with the White pieces against Viktor Kramnik in the rapidplay phase drove this viewer wild with frustration. Grischuk got his reward as he outplayed Kramnik, the older player in the blitz games.
Meanwhile the adjacent board was not producing thrill-a-minute chess in the first two games of the four game rapidplay series between Boris Gelfand and Gata Kamsky. On move 16 in the third game Kamsky played the cunning move ...Qe8 and Gelfand fell hook. line and sinker into a horrible trap that will be featured in chess columns around the world. Gelfand failed to appreciate that his queen was short of escape squares and after 17...c4 was faced with the loss of a piece or the loss of his queen. No amount of wriggling could save Gelfand and he was almost out of the World Championship.
Game four and for Gelfand with the Black pieces it was all or nothing. Kamsky opened with the principled 1.e4 and Gelfand responded with the only move capable of causing an upset, the Sicilian Defence. Boris' unusual 2...Nc6 and 4...Qb6 should not have troubled Kamsky but the position was equal pretty early on and more importantly all the pieces remained on the board. A well-timed Sicilian favourite ...d5 should have warned Kamsky that his strategy was amiss. Gata's defence under pressure has been a wonder in these matches but Boris wrapped up the game very neatly.
Perhaps Kamsky was discouraged or just plain tired because he lost both blitz games.
I'll be supporting Boris Gelfand in the final against Alexander Grischuk and hoping that Grischuk's shocking time management will let him down. Whatever the result, please, please can we have some enterprising attacking chess. Six dull draws in the classic games are more than I can stomach.