ChessPad Printout A52 Gelfand, Boris - Rapport, Richard 76th Tata Steel Chess (2) Wijk aan Zee

2014.01.12 Annotated by Ramirez Alvarez, Alejandro 1.d4 f6 2.c4 e5 {Not one to shy away from unusual openings, and one not dismayed by his unsucessful 1.b3 yesterday against So, Rapport decides to spice things up with a Budapest Gambit a gambit that is not all that bad, but certainly does not enjoy top-tier reputation.} 3.dxe5 g4 4.f3 [ 4.f4 {is sharper and scores better} 4...g5 5.g3 g7 6.f3 c6 {with a very complex game, though White does score significantly better than Black.}] 4...c5 5.e3 c6 6.c3 O-O 7.e2 gxe5 8.xe5 xe5 9.O-O a5 {This move was supposed to be inexact.} [9...e8 {is the usual preference of the Budapest's main exhibitor Mamedyarov. The move is useful and it gives the bishop a nice retreat on f8.}] 10.h1?! {A hard move to explain. White will follow up with f4, its the only idea of Kh1, but that is not necessarily good as it will leave the e-pawn as a permanent weakness.} [ 10.a4! {Is supposed to be the correct response. The point of 9...a5 is to sometimes swing the rook from a8 to a6 and then to the kingside, creating threats on that flank. This move poses the question to the bishop on where it wants to go - a question that is not so easily answered as it is rather awkward on e7.}] 10...d6 11.f4 c6 12.b3 e8 13.f3 f5 {White's position is already slightly uncomfortable. His weakness on e3 ties him down - he cannot play Bb2 as he would like to.} 14.g3 e6! {Swinging the rook to the kingside allows Black to stop any shenanigans on that side, not to mention that it allows for the possibility of doubling on the e-file and improving the pressure on the e-pawn.}

22:15:37, 06-02-2014 15.d3 xd3 16.xd3 b4 17.d2 e7 18.e4 h4! {With a nasty threat.} 19.f3?! [19.b2?? xg3!] [19.f5! xg3 20.hxg3 h6+ 21.xh6 gxh6 22.xh6 d4 23.d2 a4 {And Black's activity and threats outweigh White's extra pawn - but White should be ok with good defense.}] 19...c2 [ 19...f5! {Was even stronger, also taking advantage of the weak back rank but now putting pressure on e4. Rapport's sequence is good enough for a slight edge.}] 20.b1 e1+ 21.xe1 xe1 22.g3?! [22.h3 {was better, the trade of rooks does not favor White as the rook on h3 is currently preventing the Black knight from reaching d3.}] 22...g6 23.d5?! [ 23.xg6 hxg6 24.d2 d3 25.g3 {was not too bad for White.}] 23...xg3 24.hxg3 c6! 25.e3 [25.c3 d3 {is now difficult for White as the king cannot quickly go to f3, therefore the e4 pawn is running out of defenders.}] 25...d3 26.xc5 cxd5 27.xd6 dxe4 {Black's powerful knight on d3 and his passed pawn on e4 guarantee him an advantage. White must be careful so as to not lose immediately.} 28.g1 f5 29.f1 a6 30.c7 f7 31.g4 c6! 32.xa5 a6! {A nice maneuver trying to activate the rook.} 33.c3? {Letting the rook into the game is suicide.} [ 33.b4 b6 34.gxf5 bxa5 35.b5 {Gave White hope to retain a half point thanks to his counterplay with the pawns.}] 33...xa2 34.gxf5 e3 35.g3 c2 36.e1 f6 1/2

ChessPad Printout {White is simply too passive. Black is threatening to waddle his king all the way to f3 and claim the victory. Gelfand stops this, but only temporarily.} 37.g4 h5 38.h4+ f7 39.gxh5 h2? {Missing a much easier win.} [ 39...e2+! 40.g1 d2 {And White loses a full rook.}] 40.e1 f6 41.g1 e2 42.c3+ xf5 43.xg7 xf4 44.h6+ g3 {Black is still winning.} 45.xe3 xe3 {If White can eliminate the b7 pawn he should hold the draw, but with his king being so weak and his rook being so passive this is nothing but a dream. Rapport finishes off with good technique.} 46.f1 f4 47.a1 f3+ 48.g1 g3+ 49.f1 f3+ 50.g1 g4 51.h6 f4 52.h7 h3 53.f2 f5 54.b4 d3+ 55.e2 e4 56.a8 h2+ 57.d1 xh7 58.d2 xb4 {The extra pawn has been stabilized and Gelfand has nothing left but to resign.} 59.c3 c6 60.e8+ e7 {A nice bounce-back from the Hungarian prodigy.} 0-1

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