MY MOST MEMORABLE GAMES

Author: Boris Gelfand

Olms (2005)

261 pages

$35.00

Reviewed by John Watson

Boris Gelfand’s games collection/biography MY MOST MEMORABLE GAMES is another wonderfully put-together Olms’ book, this time in paperback. Unfortunately the translation doesn't name the source book, although since the games go up through 2004 we may assume that the contents are exactly the same or very close to the Olms German edition. The book begins with a short Preface by Vladimir Kramnik, who praises Gelfand’s approach and universal style. That is appropriate, since his victory over Kramnik in the 1994 Candidates Match (back when we had them) may later be remembered as the peak event of his career. Gelfand had previously defeated Adams and was on the verge of becoming a championship qualifier until he fell badly to Karpov in the next round. Nevertheless, he enjoyed a certain revenge by defeating Karpov in several nice games over the years. Their record after forty-nine games stands only +1 in Karpov’s favor, with Gelfand winning the last four decisive results. It’s also worth noting that Gelfand won the last two Interzonals that were held (and possibly the last two that will ever take place): Manila 1990 and Biel 1993.

As so often in these books, there follows a rather dry introductory essay about Gelfand’s career, leaving the reader in almost total ignorance of his life, adventures, or interests. Since Gelfand himself writes almost exclusively about games and variations, those who prefer a healthy mix of biography and games collection will be disappointed. For the fan or student the book has to be assessed by its fifty-one games, which are simply fascinating. He is a top-rank theoretician who has consistently been among the world’s top players. If there’s any problem for the average reader it’s the now-common tendency to put pages and pages of dense analysis that few people if any are likely to read anyway. The extreme degree to which this is true in some games actually puts the others in a better light. Then again, here’s a very well known example versus Shirov in which many of the variations are essential and beautiful. Shirov is the victim in five of Gelfand’s most exciting games in the book. But before assuming that Shirov has troubles with Gelfand’s style, I looked up their contests and found that Gelfand has scored only 43% to Shirov’s 57%.

Gelfand-Shirov, Polanica Zdroj 1998 (I’ve given a mix of Gelfand’s comments from the book and his ChessBase notes, almost the same, with some structural and grammatical editing. You will probably be tempted to skip by the lengthy variations, but these are fascinating and should be an exception)

1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 c5 8.Rb1 0–0 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.0–0 Bg4 13.Bg5 h6 14.Bh4 a5 15.Rxb7 g5 16.Bg3 a4 17.h4 a3 18.hxg5 hxg5 19.Rc7! Na6? (We can skip the pages of notes that follow 19...Nd7 20.e5!) 20.Rxe7 Qb2 21.Bc4 Qb4 22.Bxf7+ Kh8

"It looks like White’s Rook is trapped and their attack was incorrect. But I prepared a surprise for my opponent.”

23.Rd7!!

“This is main move of the game, and I am proud that I had foreseen it from quite far. Shirov, in his turn, called 23.Rd7 a ‘prosaic’ move (and I have to agree with him!) and was afraid of the even more imaginative idea: 23.Be6! Bxf3 (23...Qxe7 24.Bxg4 – the a-pawn would still far away and White would already have a material advantage) 24.Rxg7!

24...Bxd1 25.Be5! The point of Alexey’s idea. Now mate in two is a threat. 25...Qb5 (the only defense) 26.d5! (26.Bd5 The bishop is trying to protect his more important colleague, but 26...Rf5!! Now White has few possibilities, but it looks like they don’t give an advantage. The other try is 26...Qxd5 27.exd5 Ba4 [27...Be2 28.Ra1+-] 28.Ra1 Rf5 29.Rxg5+ Rxe5 30.dxe5) 27.exf5 (27.Rb7+ Rxe5 28.Rxb5 Be2 [28...Rxd5 29.Rxd1] 29.dxe5 Bxb5, =) 27...Qxd5 28.Rd7+ (28.Rxg5+ Kh7 29.Rxd1 a2 30.Kh2 [30.Rd3 a1=Q+ 31.Kh2 Qxe5+ 32.dxe5 Qxe5+] 30...Qe4 31.Kg3 Qb1 32.Rh5+ Kg8 33.Rdh1 Kf7) 28...Qxe5 29.dxe5. I was really amazed when my opponent showed me this line in post-mortem. During the game Alexey was not sure about Black’s chances here, but as analysis shows, a draw is the most likely result: 29...Bc2  (29...Bg4 30.Rd4 Bxf5 31.Ra4 Nc7 32.Rxa8+ Nxa8 33.Ra1 Nc7 34.Rxa3 Ne6) 30.g4 Nc5 31.Rc7 a2 32.Kg2 a1=Q 33.Rxa1 Rxa1 34.Rxc5 Be4+= 35.f3 Ra2+ 36.Kg1 Bxf3) 26...Qb2! finally getting the Bishop 27.Rg8+ Kh7   28.Bxb2 Rxg8 (28...axb2 29.Rxf8 b1=Q [29...Rxf8 30.Rxd1] 30.Rxa8) 29.Bxa3! Bc2 30.Bf5+. No, we are not going to exchange our nice Bishop for a passive Rook 30...Kh6 31.Rc1 Ba4 32.e5 and White is better, but it is difficult to claim something more, being a Rook down!”

23...Bxd7

After making a difficult route a1–b1–b7-c7-e7-d7, the rook has no place to go, but 24.d6 is a threat, so Black has no choice but to take. 23...Bf6 24.Bd5 (24.Bd6 Qb5; 24.Be6!) 24...Bxd7 25.Nxg5; 23...Qb5 24.Rd5; 23...a2 24.Bxa2 (24.Bd6) 24...Rxf3 (24...Bxd7 25.Nxg5) 25.gxf3 Bxd7 26.Kg2 Bxd4 27.Rh1+ Kg7 28.Be5+.

24.Nxg5 Qb6 25.Be6!

This is the point. Black has to give up the Queen to prevent a decisive check from h-file.

25...Qxe6

25...Be8 26.Qg4 Bxd4 (26...Rf6 27.Be5 …Rxe6 28.Nf7+) 27.Qh4+ Kg7 28.Qh7+ Kf6 29.e5+ Kxg5 (29...Bxe5 30.Qf5+ Ke7 31.Qxe5+-) 30.Qg7+ Bg6 31.Bh4+ Kf4 32.Qxg6+-

26.Nxe6 Bxe6 27.Be5!? Rf7 28.Qh5+ Kg8 29.Qg6 Bd7 30.Bxg7 Rxg7 31.Qd6 Kh7

Alexei misses an excellent practical chance, which is strange as he is, in my opinion, maybe the best defender in the chess world... [etc. – a lengthy comment – jw]

32.Qxa3 Nc7 33.Qe3 Ne6 34.d5 Ng5 35.f4 Nh3+ 36.Kh1 Ra2 37.f5! Ng5 38.f6 Rg6 39.f7, 1–0.

Here’s a cute maneuver from Gelfand’s early days:

 WHITE TO MOVE

Gelfand-Ulibin, USSR Under –18 Ch, Yurmala 1985. White can’t play h5 due to ...Bg4, so: 1.Qh1!! both allowing Nf3 and intending h5. 1...Rh5?! But there’s nothing much better, e.g., 1...Ne7 2.Nf3 Rh5 3.Ng5; 1...Bc6 2.h5 Nf8 3.h6 g6 4.Qh4+-. 2.Bg5! and the rook is trapped.

Apart from the sometimes unnecessary density of annotations, MY MOST MEMORABLE GAMES is a wonderful contribution to the literature. It again demonstrates that one doesn’t have to be a World Champion to play games of the highest quality or to annotate them with insights matching the world’s best.

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