Gelfand – Kamsky (Game 2)
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 a6 5.a4 e6 6.Bg5 Nbd7 7.e3 Qa5 8.cxd5 exd5 9.Bd3 Ne4 10.0–0 Nxg5 11.Nxg5 Be7 12.f4 Nf6 (I am not an expert on this line but I feel that Black has equalized in this position. Black has the Bishop pair and White does have the e3 weakness for now. White is a little more developed and has space advantage. =)
13.Qc2 (Black should play 13…h6 for a few reasons, get the pawn away from the attack and chase the Knight away. The drawback is the Knight will go to f3 then e5.)
13…h6 14.Nf3 Be6 15.Ne5 Rd8 16.h3 (My preference would probably be 0-0 here.)
16…h5 17.Nf3 Kf8 (Very unusual move. Perhaps Gata is afraid of the potential Kingside attack.)
18.Ng5 Bd7 19.Rae1 Qb4 20.Na2 Qb6 21.b4 a5 22.bxa5 Qxa5 (I feel that this is one of those grinding middlegame position that Gata usually excels in. Black is very slightly better in this position because Kamsky is playing Black. Why? Because Kamsky is used to this type of position through out his career. He usually excels in a position like this.)
23.Rb1 Qa7 24.Nc3 Rh6 25.Qb3 Rb8 26.Nf3 = Be8 27.Ne5 Bd6 28.Rf2 Ng8 29.Rfb2 Ne7 (I did not like the last few moves by Gata. And now White should play 30.Qb6 += The problem is both sides have less than 8 minutes to get to move. Anything can happen in time pressure.)
30.Qc2 (A safe move without much impact.)
30…Kg8 (Another typical time pressure move. Black cannot really do anything here. So it is up to White to make a break.)
31.Nf3 Bd7 32.Rb3 c5 33.Nb5 Bxb5 34.Rxb5 cxd4 35.exd4 Bxf4 36.Qb3 Rc6 37.Rxb7 Rc1+ (I prefer 37…Bg3+ 39.Kxg3 Rxb1 40.Rxb8+ Qxb8 -/+)
38.Kf2 Rxb1 39.Rxb8+ Qxb8 40.Qxb1 Bg3+ 41.Ke2 (41…Qe8 and Black is slightly better due to White’s unsafe King. 41.Kf1 would have been safer.)
41…Qe8 (Now Black can grind this out and White has to defend well to draw.)
42.Qb5 Nc6+ 43.Kd2 Bf4+ 44.Kc3 Qd7 (I do not like this move. I prefer 44…Qe7. Now, White can push his a pawn. White is a little better now. However, unless there is a blunder, Gata should be able to hold this.)
45.a5 g5 += 46.a6 g4 47.hxg4 hxg4 48.48.Ne5 Nxe5 49.Qxd7 Nxd7 50.a7 Nb6 51.Bb5 Bd6 (This will be a draw)
52.
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Go Gata!
I have to believe that Gelfand will press kamsky very hard as white in this game. I think that Gelfand is more prepared than Kamsky. Good chance for a Gelfand win today!
Susan,
Have just been looking at the Bareev – Leko match. They agreed a draw in 15 moves.
Have you any idea why? White made the last move so he must have offered the draw yes?
With the two bishops and more queenside space (although perhaps a soon to be weak pawn in the center) I would assume white would want to see this one through, particularly given the state of the match.
Am i missing something here? Maybe Evengy is still suffering from that fantastic (non) combination he tried yesterday?
If my chess understanding is correct, I judge that after 18. Bd7, white has a small advantage. I don’t know if Gelfand (white) can translate this positional advantage to points though.
White has more space and his piece placements are better. Look at the black rook on h8 . Can Black activate it and how? May be through the h file ? !
Kamsky played 19.. Qb4 asking Gelfand: Do you know how to attack?
Kamsky has in a certain way a psychological edge over Gelfand because the ball is in Gelfand’s field. What I mean is that it is
Gelfand who has to prove that he has something in the position. If not, Kamsky whose pieces are posing in defensive positions, will gradually improve his position.
Chances, I say, are quite good that Gelfand will not find the right attacking plan and that Kamsky will stabilize and rise.
Susan Polgar must really like the bishop pair, because black’s position looks like a pancake.
To me it seems a tough game! I hope Gata Kamsky wins though. I have to get ready to go to Las Vegas and play in G/10 and Blitz and also say hi to Susan.
kamsky is playing very much passively these days, just reacting on the opponents play. it was good enough against bacrot who played very bad, but today he is getting trashed big time against gelfand
i dont why you are so much supporting Kamsky
“black is better because black is kamsky” huh..
why not to be more objective
It’s not because I support Kamsky. They are both very good friends of mine. I just think Kamsky is usually better in this type of middlegame while Gelfand is much more solid with his openings.
Best wishes,
Susan Polgar
So much for Kamsky getting ‘trashed’, as anonymous says above… another draw…
David Lee Parker
USCF 12202740
Austin, Tx
hmm I was wrong before, kamsky defended well..
credit to him!
Susan, whay Boris didn’t play 49. Qb8+? This gives him quite a good edge. Fritz also recommends this.
YEVLEV
Gauthier said…
>>i dont why you are so much supporting Kamsky
“black is better because black is kamsky” huh..
why not to be more objective
>>
Why not try to read the notes more carefully? She said very clearly that Kamsky was better in this particular type of position. Hardly favoritism.