Liturgy of the Hours

Boris Abramovich Gelfand – Rinat Jumabayev
14th Aeroflot Open; Moscow, March 9, 2016
Grünfeld Defence D78

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 c6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 Bg7 6. 0-0 0-0 7. Nbd2 Na6 8. b3 c5 9. Bb2 b6 10. dxc5 Nxc5 11. b4 Ne6 12. cxd5 Nxd5 13. Bxg7 Kxg7. It appears to be a novelty. For 13. ... Nxg7 14. Qb3 Nf6 15. Ne5 Be6 16. Qb2 Bd5 17. b5 Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Ne6 19. Nc6 Qc7 20. Nf3 a6 21. a4 Nc5 see Ki. Georgiev – Lékó, Stočar banka, Čačak 1996. 14. Qb3 Bb7 15. Rfd1 Nf6 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. Rac1 Rac8 18. Qb2 Qb8? An artificial manoeuvre (Δ ... Qb8-a8) that cramps Black’s position and surrenders the initiative to Boris Abramovich. After 18. ... Rfd8 Black seems to have no problem at all.

19. Bh3! b5 20. Bxe6 fxe6 21. Nce5 Rxc1 22. Rxc1 Qd6 23. Qd4 Bd5 24. a3 a5. Jumabayev nervously starts off aiming too high. 25. Ne1. Of course, 25. bxa5 is also very good and maybe better, but Gelfand, in his typical style, exploits his advantage by subtle positional means, finally gaining material and converting it into a win with superb technique. 25. ... axb4 26. axb4 Bc4 27. Qb2 Qd5 28. Ng2 Rc8 29. Nf4 Qe4 30. f3 Qe3+ 31. Kg2 Kg8 32. Nfd3 g5 33. Nf2 Rd8 34. Nxc4 bxc4 35. Rxc4 Kf7 36. b5 h5 37. Rc3 Rd2 38. Rc2 Rd8 39. Nd3 g4 40. Ne5+ Kg7 41. Nc4 Qc5 42. Qa3 Qxa3 43. Nxa3 Ra8 44. Rc3 Nd5 45. Rb3 gxf3+ 46. exf3 Nb6 47. Kh3 Rc8 48. Nb1 Rd8 49. Re3 Kf7 50. f4 Nc4 51. Re4 Rc8 52. Re2 Nd6 53. Rb2 Rb8 54. Nc3 Nc4 55. Rb4 Nb6 56. Ne4 Nd5 57. Ng5+ Kf6 58. Re4 Nc7 59. Rc4 Nxb5 60. Rb4 e5 61. Ne4+ Kf5 62. Nc3 Nxc3 63. Rxb8 exf4 64. Rf8+ Kg6 65. Rxf4 Nd5 66. Ra4 Ne3 67. Re4 Nf5 68. Kg2 Kf6 69. Kf3 Nd6 70. Rf4+ Kg5 71. Ra4 Kf5 72. Rd4 Ne8 73. Rf4+ Kg6 74. Ke4 Nf6+ 75. Ke5 Kf7 76. h3 Kg6 77. Ke6 Kg5 78. h4+ Kg6 79. Kxe7 1 : 0.

Amruta Sunil Mokal (@amrutamokal)