After losing the first playoff game, Ponomariov scored 3 straight wins to earn a spot in the 2009 World Cup final against Boris Gelfand.

[Event “World Cup 2009”]
[Date “2009.12.08”]
[Round “66”]
[White “Malakhov, Vladimir”]
[Black “Ponomariov, Ruslan”]

[Result “0-1”]
[WhiteElo “2706”]
[WhiteCountry “RUS”]
[BlackElo “2739”]
[BlackCountry “UKR”]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Qc2 d5 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 c5 7. Nf3 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Ne4 10. e3 Bf5 11. Bd3 c4 12. Bxe4 Bxe4 13. Qa4+ Nc6 14. Ne5 Bxg2 15. Nxc6 Bxc3+ 16. bxc3 Qd7 17. Rg1 Be4 18. Be5 Rg8 19. f3 Bd3 20. e4 Qxc6 21. Qa5 dxe4 22. Kf2 f6 23. Bg3 b6 24. Qb4 e3+ 25. Ke1 Qxf3 0-1

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