ODT130709

=**Veteran wins Tal memorial**=




 * Problem:** Black to play and mate in 4.

The eighth Mikhail Tal Memorial tournament took place in Moscow last month. The clear favourite among the field of ten players was once again world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway. However Carlsen could only finish runner-up to the oldest player in the event, Boris Gelfand of Israel.

Gelfand at age 45 is still at the top of his game, showing that his very narrow loss to Anand in their world championship match a year ago was far from his swansong. He finished unbeaten in Moscow on 6/9, just ahead of Carlsen on 5½, followed by Fabiano Caruana (Italy), Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan) and Dmitry Andreikin (Russia) on 5 points.

Today's game is Gelfand's key win to take over the lead from Hikaru Nakamura (USA) in the seventh round at Moscow. Gelfand is playing with the black pieces. media type="custom" key="25025540" Deviating from the standard lines in the Pelikan Sicilian. White's move aims to weaken further the black queenside pawns and strengthen his outpost on d5. The drawback is the weakening of the a1-h8 diagonal, where Black's unopposed bishop will be developed. Although currently blocked, the doubled f-pawns will allow Black to force open this line – a trademark feature of the Pelikan. Going after the a-pawn, rendered undefendable by the action of Black's dark-squared bishop. White in return will collect the weak black d-pawn. A pawn sacrifice is entailed by this exchange of queens, which is otherwise desirable to protect the insecure the black king from potential attack. White shouldn't take the bait. It's unlikely White thought he could retain the extra pawn, as he has just opened a file onto his own weak b-pawn. But the black pieces gain in power in the coming exchanges. Instead 25 f3 exf3 26 Bxf3 opening the f-file and maintaining the strong outpost on d5 seems to offer White adequate play against Black's bishop pair. White attempts a blockade on b6 against the threat of ...a5-a4, when the passed a-pawn assisted by the bishops can run very fast. e.g.: 28 f3 exf3 29 Bxf3 a4 30 Nf4 Bd4! 31 Ng2 Rxb3! 32 Rxb3 Rxb3 33 Bxc6 a3 34 Bd5+ Kg7 35 Kf2 a2 36 c5 Ra3 and whether rook or bishop is given up for the a-pawn, Black retains a big advantage. With White's pieces tangled-up on the queenside Black switches to an attack on the white king! The two bishops plus knight weave dangerous mating threats while the white minor pieces are caught offside. If 40 Nb6, then not 40... Be6?! 41 Nbc4! successfully exchanging queenside pawns due to the possibility of an opposite coloured bishop draw after say 41...Nxc4? 42 Nxc4 Bxc4 43 Bxc4 Bxc5. But instead 40..Bf3! when 41 Nbc4 Nxc4 42 Nxc4 Be2! forces an exchange of bishops and a winning ending for black using his outside passed pawn and bishop vs knight. In the game White must fend off the mating threats, leaving a different lost ending. White resigns, as after 46 Kxe2 Nxd6 47 cxd6 Kf6 Black catches the d-pawn and his outside passed pawn makes the win easy.
 * 1.e4 c5**
 * 2.Nf3 Nc6**
 * 3.d4 cxd4**
 * 4.Nxd4 Nf6**
 * 5.Nc3 e5**
 * 6.Ndb5 d6**
 * 7.Bg5 a6**
 * 8.Na3 b5**
 * 9.Bxf6 gxf6**
 * 10.Nd5 f5**
 * 11.c4 ---**
 * 11.--- b4**
 * 12.Nc2 fxe4**
 * 13.g3 Bg7**
 * 14.Bg2 0-0**
 * 15.Bxe4 Rb8**
 * 16.b3 f5**
 * 17.Bg2 e4**
 * 18.Rb1 Qa5**
 * 19.0-0 Qxa2**
 * 20.Nde3 Qa5**
 * 21.Qxd6 Rf6**
 * 22.Qf4 Qe5!**
 * 23.Qxe5 Nxe5**
 * 24.Nd5 Rf7**
 * 25.Ncxb4? ---**
 * 25.--- a5**
 * 26.Nc2 Rfb7**
 * 27.Nce3 Nc6**
 * 28.c5! ---**
 * 28.--- Rxb3**
 * 29.Nb6 Rxb1**
 * 30.Rxb1 Be6**
 * 31.Bf1 Bd4**
 * 32.Rb5 Kf7**
 * 33.Nec4 Kg7**
 * 34.Nd6 Kf6**
 * 35.Na4 e3!**
 * 36.fxe3 Bxe3+**
 * 37.Kg2 Bd5+**
 * 38.Kh3 Rxb5**
 * 39.Bxb5 Ne5**
 * 40.Nc3 ---**
 * 40.--- Bf3**
 * 41.Be2 Bxe2**
 * 42.Nd5+ Kg5**
 * 43.Nxe3 Ng4**
 * 44.Kg2 Nxe3+**
 * 45.Kf2 Nc4**


 * 0-1**


 * Solution:** 1 ... Nc3!! 2 Ng3 (2 bxc3 Qe2+ 3 Kc1 Qc2#; 2 Qxd3 Qd1+ 3 Ke3 Bxc5+ 4 Qd4 Bxd4#; 2 Qxc3 Qe2+! 3 Kc1 bxc3 and mate next move) 2 ... Nb1+ 3 Ke3 Qf4+ 3 Kxd3 Qd2#.