Boris, is it important for you to have spectators in the playing venue during the match?

B.G.: Of course it would be more pleasant to play with the spectators watching our match. But it is obvious that chess has its huge Internet audience. No matter where a tournament takes place, 90-95% of the spectators would follow the games via Internet.

GELFAND COULD NOT BREAK THROUGH “A STONE WALL”

The second game of the final match of the World Cup 2009 in Khanty Mansiysk was quickly drawn. Boris Gelfand could not siege a fortress of Ruslan Ponomariov. The peaceful draw was recorded on move 20.

The white pieces played the “Catalan” opening. Ponomariov played a rare move 12 – f7-f5. The position was moved to a “stone wall” outline which is normally used in the Dutch defense. To break through the wall is almost impossible task. Gelfand could not do it as well.

Right after the game, the Grandmaster from Israel admitted that he spent a lot of time trying to find continuation possibilities which could lead to an advantage. But he did not manage to reach anything. On the opinion of Ponomariov a draw was offered in the position of a dynamic equality. Both players could hardly find a reinforcement plan. Therefore the result of the game is logical.

The third game of the final match for the Cup will take place on Saturday, 12 December. Ponomariov will play white.

http://www.ugra-chess.ru/eng/news_24.htm

Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tags: , , ,