Viswanathan Anand Age: 42
Ranking: World number 4 (2791) Country: India
Residence: Chennai with wife Aruna and child Akhil (1-year-old)
World Championship record: Challenger 1995, 1998 winner 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010
Awarded grandmaster title: 1988 (India’s first).
Quote: “My nerves held out better and I hung on for dear life.” Varying from game three’s 3. ... d5.
“When you have two good options, why not use both of them,” said Gelfand.
4. d5 d6 5. e4 Bg7 6. Ne2 0-0 7. Nec3 Nh5!? Original and provocative play. “I felt
that 7. Nec3 was against chess princi- ples, so I had to exploit it,” said Gelfand.
8. Bg5!? Bf6 “Perhaps Leko’s move 8. ... f5! is best,”
said Gelfand. Then Black threatens 9. ... f4 followed by ... Nb8-d7-e5 with total con- trol over the dark squares.
9. Bxf6?! 9. Be3 Be5 10. Qd2 was far more logical,
after which White can still hope for an edge. 9. ... exf6! 10. Qd2
Boris Gelfand Age: 43
Ranking: World number 20 (2727) Country: Israel
Residence: Rishon LeZion with wife Maya and children Avital (5-year-old) and Avner (1-year-old)
World Championship Candidates qualifying record: quarter-finalist 1993, semi-finalist 1996, winner 2011
Awarded grandmaster title: 1989
Quote: “This is sport—somebody has to win. It was luck, destiny, whatever you say.”
After 10. g4 Nf4! 11. Qd2 g5 12. h4
Nd7 13. Qh2 h5! Black is doing fine, e.g. 14. hxg5 fxg5 15. gxh5 Ne5 16. Nd2 Qf6 when White’s extra pawn on h5 is worth little but Black’s control over the dark squares is awesome.
10. ... f5 11. exf5! Bxf5 12. g4 Re8+
The first step on the path to ruin. Gelfand had two other lines which were completely playable—12. ... Qh4+ 13. Kd1 Bxb1 14. Rxb1 Nf6 and; 12. ... Bxb1 13. Rxb1 Nf6 but he wanted more ...
13. Kd1! Bxb1 14. Rxb1 (see diagram top of next column) 14. ... Qf6?
After nine minutes thought, a major
tactical error, caused in part by being entranced by the variation 15. Kc2 Nf4 (15. ... Qxf3? 16. Be2 is the trap that Gelfand did see.) 16. Ne4 Rxe4! 17. fxe4 Nd7 when Black has two wonderfully placed knights for his Exchange sacrifice.
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