[Event "Candidates 2011"]
[Site "Kazan, Russia"]
[Date "2011.05.20"]
[Round "3.2"]
[White "Gelfand, Boris"]
[Black "Grischuk, Alexander"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "A37"]
[WhiteElo "2733"]
[BlackElo "2747"]
[Annotator "Ramirez,Alejandro"]
[PlyCount "116"]
[EventDate "2011.??.??"]

1. Nf3 c5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nc3 e5 {Grischuk relies on this defence against the
English for a second time in this event. He had used it successfully against
Levon Aronian in his first series.} 4. g3 g6 5. Bg2 Bg7 6. a3 {Gelfand takes a
completely different approach then Aronian. Whereas Levon tried to use the
weakness of the d5 square in a slow way, Gelfand tries to immediately rip
apart the queenside.} Nge7 (6... a5 {Makes Black's lightsquares look like
swiss cheese, but it is definitely a playable alternative.}) 7. b4 {[#]} d5 (
7... cxb4 $6 8. axb4 Nxb4 9. Ba3 {gives white too much compensation, and
scores horribly.}) (7... d6 {is the solid choice, but White basically gets his
queenside advance for free.}) 8. cxd5 (8. bxc5 dxc4 {is a complex game that is
hard to assess.}) 8... Nxd5 9. Ng5 $5 {The new move of the game, and the
computers recommendation. This move is extremely aggressive.} Nc7 (9... Nxc3 $6
10. dxc3 Qxd1+ 11. Kxd1 $14 {gives white a comfortable edge in the endgame.})
10. d3 cxb4 11. axb4 {[#]} e4 $1 {a counter sacrifice, if you will.} (11... O-O
12. O-O Nxb4 13. Nge4 {gave white a fair amount of compensation. Grischuk
takes up the gauntlet instead.}) 12. Ngxe4 {This piece sacrifice cannot be
calculated all the way. Intuitive, at the very least, White is relying on his
initiative and Black's exposed king to balance the material deficit.} (12. Qb3
O-O 13. Ngxe4 Be6 14. Qb2 Nd5 {and black has the initiative, although white
should be ok.}) 12... f5 13. Bg5 Bxc3+ (13... Qd4 $5 {Deserves analysis as
well.}) 14. Kf1 Qd4 {[#]} 15. Nxc3 $1 (15. Bf6 Bxa1 16. Bxd4 Bxd4 17. Nd6+ Ke7
18. Nxc8+ Rhxc8 {and black has a serious material advantage, although his
coordination does not exist. White may be able to survive this, but I doubt he
can achieve more than that.}) 15... Qxc3 16. Bf4 {It's not easy to see how
black can defend the knight.} Nb5 (16... Ne6 17. Rc1 {and the queen can't
defend c6.} Qxb4 18. Rxc6 $1 {with a very messy position.}) 17. Rc1 Qf6 18. Rc5
$1 a6 19. Bxc6+ bxc6 20. Be5 Qf8 21. Qc1 Bd7 22. Bxh8 Qxh8 {[#]} 23. Qe3+ $2 (
23. h4 {forcing} h5 24. Kg2 {and bringing the rook out made sense.}) 23... Kf7
24. Re5 {Black has slightly more material than white, but his king is exposed
and his pieces uncoordinated. However, white still has the issue of the h1
rook being far from play, and cannot allow black to regroup.} Qf8 25. h4 h5 26.
Qf4 {[#]The Qe3-f4 maneouvre was a little clumsy, and Grischuk uses this time
to force some trades.} Qd6 $1 27. Kg2 Kf6 28. Re4 Qxf4 29. Rxf4 Be6 {The
endgame is favorable to black, but is by no means winning.} 30. Rc1 Ke7 31. f3
Kd6 32. Kf2 Rb8 33. e4 Nc7 {[#]} 34. g4 $1 {white's rook had no prospects, so
Gelfand hurries to free it, even at the cost of a pawn.} (34. Ra1 Bc8 35. Ra5
Ne6 $2 (35... Rb5 $1 {retains a strong advantage}) 36. e5+ Ke7 37. Rc4 {holds})
34... fxg4 35. Rf6 gxf3 36. Rxg6 Rxb4 37. Rh6 a5 38. Rxh5 a4 39. Rhc5 Bd7 40.
Kxf3 Ne6 {[#]} 41. R5c4 $6 {This move is too passive, but it seems it barely
holds.} (41. Ra5 {following the old maxim: "rooks belong behind passed pawns!"}
) 41... c5 42. h5 Rb2 43. Rh1 Nd4+ (43... a3 44. h6 a2 45. Ra1 Bb5 46. h7 {and
white will successfully trade the h pawn for the doomed a2 pawn, with a
probable draw.}) 44. Ke3 Be6 {[#]} 45. e5+ $1 (45. Rxa4 $1 {was also good} Ke5
46. Rxd4 cxd4+ 47. Kf3 Rb8 (47... Rb7 48. h6 Rf7+ 49. Kg3 Rh7 50. Rh5+ Kf6 51.
Kf4 $11) 48. h6 Rh8 49. h7 Bf7 50. Rh6 $11) 45... Kxe5 46. Rxc5+ Bd5 47. Rxd5+
Kxd5 48. h6 {Black can't comfortably stop the pawn, and the rook endgames are
all drawn.} Re2+ 49. Kf4 Ne6+ 50. Kg3 Nf8 51. h7 Nxh7 52. Rxh7 a3 53. Kf3 Re1
54. Ra7 Ra1 55. Ke3 a2 56. Ra5+ Kc6 57. Kd4 Kb6 58. Ra8 Kb7 {[#]An exciting
game to say the least! Grischuk might have had chances, but at no point could
it be said that he had a clear win.} 1/2-1/2

