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Sergey Karjakin vs Boris Gelfand
Tata Steel Group A (2012), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 5, Jan-19
Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation. English Attack Anti-English (B90)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-19-12  nitronite: Why can't white take the rook with BxC5, move 22? Sorry for the noob question.
Jan-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  HeMateMe: black must have some tasty fireworks after allowing the sac exchange. If white defends the b2 pawn with 23. b3, black brings his queen over to a3. If he defends the Queen intrusion with c3 or a3, followed by b4, black will play a5 to break up the pawns. I think its a difficult defence for white, even if he shifts his queen over to the queenside.
Jan-19-12  Shams: <nitronite> I doubt Karjakin much considered 22.Bxc5 Nxc5:


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Gelfand is one of the top Najdorf players in the world (I really, really hope Vishy plays 1.e4 against him) but you don't need a world-class sense of Sicilian dynamics to love Black's game here, with all that pressure from the unopposed dark-square bishop. In the diagram position Black is simply threatening ...Na4 and what is White to do?

Jan-19-12  Namawiz: What a powerful bishop indeed.
Jan-19-12  Gilmoy: <19..g4> closes the K-side, <44..b4> neuters the Q-side majority. Oh those nimble Knight pawns!

<17.g3> seems meh -- critical juncture, long think, commit to a plan, and that's his idea? Paying the <19.h4> tempo must have been excruciating, but Qh5 is protecting g5 sideways, soooo annoying ...

Jan-19-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: < "With the two tournament leaders both settling for a draw in fifth-round action, the 500 euros set aside for the best game in Tata Steel’s Grandmaster Group A Thursday went to Israel’s Boris Gelfand for a victory with black over Sergei Karjakin of Russia." >

http://www.tatasteelchess.com/tourn...

Jan-19-12  Bishoprick: I had never seen this particular variation of the Najdorf(the early Knight excursion to g4). Is this all book, and I just don't know it?
Jan-19-12  Marmot PFL: Both players have played this variation before. Karjakin drew with Nakamura, and Gelfand drew with Leko. Against Leko Gelfand played 14...Qa5 15 Nb3 Qc7, here he trades knights first to avoid that. It will be interesting to see if Anand tries to improve on this, or if it gets repeated in this event.
Jan-20-12  fisayo123: Yep standard Ng4 Sicilian Najdorf. Slightly risky for black though at least for a lesser player.
Oct-03-16  tigreton: I think Gelfand played masterly here, 21 ... Rc5 threatens both d5 and c2 and the rook can't be taken as you said before. After 26 ... Nf6 you can see how well the knight defends black's kingside. And 31 ... Re1 is also great, in the queen ending white will not be able to stop properly the g passed pawn. Gelfand made good use of white weaknesses on b2, c2, d5 and g3. And the final touch, simple but nice: 44 ... b4

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