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Gata Kamsky vs Boris Gelfand
"Gelfand the Flames" (game of the day Jun-12-2007)
World Championship Candidates (2007), Elista RUS, rd 2, Jun-11
Sicilian Defense: Canal Attack. Main Line (B52)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

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Kibitzer's Corner
< Earlier Kibitzing  · PAGE 2 OF 2 ·  Later Kibitzing>
Jun-12-07  percyblakeney: People had been posting for 30 moves that Kamsky was lost, so it began to feel as if Gelfand would blunder just to prove everyone wrong. But on the whole a very comfortable win for Gelfand. Marin points out that they followed the game below (not in this database) up until the 17th move.

[Event "North Urals Cup"]
[Site "Krasnoturinsk RUS"]
[Date "2005.07.12"]
[Round "8"]
[White "Kovalevskaya,E"]
[Black "Kosintseva,N"]
[WhiteElo "2471"]
[BlackElo "2490"]
[ECO "B52"]
[Result "0-1"]

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. Bb5+ Bd7 4. Bxd7+ Qxd7 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 g6 7. O-O Bg7 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 O-O 10. f3 Rc8 11. b3 d5 12. exd5 Nxd5 13. Nxd5 e6 14. Bh6 exd5 15. Bxg7 Kxg7 16. c5 Na6 17. Qd2 Nxc5 18. Rad1 Kg8 19. Rf2 Re8 20. Nc2 Rad8 21. Ne3 d4 22. Ng4 Qe7 23. Rff1 f5 24. Nf2 Qf6 25. Qb4 b6 26. Rd2 Re3 27. Qc4+ Kg7 28. b4 Ne6 29. Nd1 Re5 30. Nb2 b5 31. Qc1 Nf4 32. Qc7+ Qe7 33. Qxe7+ Rxe7 34. Rfd1 Ne2+ 35. Kf1 Nc3 36. Rxd4 Nxd1 0-1

http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail...

Jun-12-07  euripides: As <acirce> noted during the game, 11...d5 was played in 1999 by Har-Zvi and White's results have been poor against it:

Games Like Kamsky vs Gelfand, 2007

Jun-12-07  euripides: Kamsky's 'swallow-tail' pawn structure in the opening is like some of the things he has been doing with Black, more successfully: Bacrot vs Kamsky, 2007
Jun-12-07  Ezzy: <percyblakeney:>I don't understand why the game you posted (or any other important game in this line) doesn't appear in chessbase database or chessgames.com database. It was a big event, and the players were strong. Seems like bad database management to me.
Jun-12-07  Ezzy: <euripides: Kamsky's 'swallow-tail' pawn structure in the opening> Very interesting observation!

I usually call it the 'arrow head' formation, but I like 'swallow tail'

Jun-12-07  acirce: <tamar> Actually, it appears that 11..d5 was played by Har-Zvi against Rublevsky in 1993 - a game which is hard to find in any database. He (http://www.chessclub.com/finger/Ind...) told us during Kamsky-Gelfand that Ivanchuk had written to him on ICC, after his game against Delchev, to say that he had got the idea from Har-Zvi's 1993 game.

..d5 is of course extremely thematic, so if you are a player on this level you should either know about it or be able to see it yourself, preferably both. Kamsky did neither. It's easy equality here and almost a forced draw unless White goes crazy. White has to postpone castling: 7.d4 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bg7 9.f3 0-0 10.Be3 Rc8 11.b3 is the better version. Of course it's instructive to see what exactly it is that otherwise makes 11..d5 possible.

<euripides> I didn't say anything about a 1999 game. If you look closer you see that game ended after 11.b3 :-)

Jun-12-07  euripides: <acirce> thanks for the correction. There are a lot of short draws in this line - which of course bears out your observation that White's chances are limited.
Jun-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: Great game by Gelfand! Will he be the next world champion?
Jun-12-07  Ashram64: <Richard Taylor: Great game by Gelfand! Will he be the next world champion?>

Gelfand's style is too solid. He will be a top player, but probably has a very slim chance to be a world champ.

Jun-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  tamar: <acirce> Very interesting observations. I missed the game live, and tried to reconstruct using the Opening Explorer.

One of the attributes of the top guys is that they know everything, which is getting to be a burden these days.

I've been going over the Reshevsky-Fischer match, and see the same dynamic going on there. Reshevsky plays more at an even keel throughout the game, while Fischer is superior in the openings almost to an embarassing degree.

Jun-12-07  Ziggurat: <I usually call it the 'arrow head' formation, but I like 'swallow tail'>

I guess the "arrow head" seen in this game is more well known as a Maroczy bind.

Jun-12-07  Ziggurat: A Maroczy bind that failed since it did not prevent ...d5, I might add
Jun-12-07  dabearsrock1010: What's truly disappointing about Kamsky's performance is that he kept getting smashed out of the opening, which sort of implies he did not prepare properly for this event...its very disappointing our american hopeful couldnt at least play a few decent opening lines in these games vs. gelfand
Jun-12-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  kevin86: White's game sure went down fast. In the final position-despite even pawns-his position is hopeless.

Just kidding-mate comes next move.

BTW:note the pieces on f2,f3,f5,e3,and g3-doesn't it look like a cross (from black's point of view)? How symbolic! Especially with a "king" on the cross. The mate that follows is a diagonal form of the epaulette mate!

Jun-12-07  krish.adam: This is the price Kamsky has to pay for relinquishing chess when he was World# 3 and going for an academic exercise. While higher education is important, there is something called timing. He could have pursued it later after retirement. A talent such as this is God-given and doesn't happen for everybody. He should have respected that skill and continued to play professional chess. Why are the chess champions from the US (Bobby and Gata) are so screwed up?
Jun-12-07  Mendrys: I really don't think his taking a sabattical from chess to pursue a law degree makes him "screwed up". While there have been "issues" in the past, his temperment and personality do not compare with Bobby Fischer's ogreish behavior. As far as other US champions like:

Lev Alburt
Joel Benjamin
Arthur Bisguier
Nick De Firmian
Alexander Shabolov
Sammy Reshevsky
Larry Evans
Robert Byrne

I don't see where these guys can be considered screwed up either. Please don't generalize Fischer's personality problems to the rest of the US Champions, who for the most part are pretty level headed and reasonable people.

Jun-12-07  cotdt: <krish.adam: This is the price Kamsky has to pay for relinquishing chess when he was World# 3 and going for an academic exercise. While higher education is important, there is something called timing. He could have pursued it later after retirement. A talent such as this is God-given and doesn't happen for everybody. He should have respected that skill and continued to play professional chess. Why are the chess champions from the US (Bobby and Gata) are so screwed up?> it was his father's decision for gata to quit chess, because he lost to karpov
Jun-12-07  Monoceros: <krish.adam: This is the price Kamsky has to pay for relinquishing chess when he was World# 3 and going for an academic exercise.>

What!! This is a bunch of crap. You try going for a law degree and see how far you get at that "academic exercise".

I respect Kamsky tremendously for going off to do something else with his life and still doing well after his return. Is he among the best of the best any more? Probably not. But he's still competitive. I hope he tries again.

Jun-13-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  Richard Taylor: It is good Kamsky does other things - it doesn't matter if he is not World Champion - his life will be enriched and he will be remembered as a great player also.

Fischer concentrated on Chess - became WC - but so what? The guy is a mess - who would want be him or know the conceited and racist pig he is?

Jun-13-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  chancho: Kamsky still has it. He just needs to catch up with the latest openings theory and be more active chessic wise. He'll be back.
Jun-21-07  Cactus: Don't forget Yasser Seirewan. He was a good, level headed American.
Jun-21-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  JointheArmy: <Don't forget Yasser Seirewan. He was a good, level headed American.>

Which is why he almost punched Kasparov in the face?

Jun-21-07  strifeknot: Wanting to punch Kasparov in the face is an urge any sane and reasonable person would have.
Jun-22-07  dehanne: I thought I had seen Kasparov in the subway yesterday evening.. but it was just Eros Ramazotti.
Dec-09-07
Premium Chessgames Member
  FSR: 11...d5!! is considered a drawing line, but Kamsky proved that White can avoid a draw if he's determined enough . . . .
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