The Israeli grandmaster Boris Gelfand celebrated his 45th birthday last Monday (24 June) with outright victory in the Tal Memorial elite super-tournament in Moscow. Given that Gelfand has recently tied first in the Alekhine Memorial in Paris, this means that over a total of 18 games against the world’s best in these two competitions, Gelfand has won 5 and drawn 13 while losing none. With such youngsters as Carlsen and Karjakin, both in their early twenties, pushing rapidly to the fore, it is a remarkable feat by a man over twice their age to be performing at such a high level. The idea that brain power can increase with age, if it is trained appropriately, appears to be borne out by Gelfand. Doubtless, artists and writers who achieved gerontological marvels, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Goethe, would have approved.
Gelfand-Morozevich: Tal Memorial, Moscow 2013
Black’s sacrifice of the exchange in the early opening did not prove successful and White now quickly wrapped up with his own exchange sacrifice. 30 Rxf5 gxf5 31 d7 Rf8 32 Qg3+ Kh8 33 Qd6 Black resigns
Carlsen-Anand: Tal Memorial, Moscow 2013
(see diagram 2)
Carlsen quickly broke through in the centre. 22 d5 cxd5 23 Qxd7 Rxd7 24 Nxe6 fxe6 25 Bh3 Kh8 26 e5 Ng8 27 Bxe6 Rdd8 28 Rc7 d4 29 Bd7 Black resigns White will continue with e6 and then play Rd1 and Rxd4. Black is completely helpless against this.
Carlsen-Nakamura: Tal Memorial, Moscow 2013
42 … Ke8 Black could have tried 42 … b3 here but White then has a forcing win with 43 Rf2 Bc2 44 d7 Ke7 45 Rd2 Kd8 46 c5 b2 47 c6 b1Q 48 c7+ and White quickly mates. 43 c5 Bc6 44 Rxf5 Bxa4 45 Re5+ Kd8 46 Re7 Bc6 47 Rc7 Black resigns
Final scores from the Tal Memorial were Gelfand 6/9; Carlsen 5½; Mamedyarov, Andreikin and Caruana 5; Nakamura 4½; Karjakin 4; Morozevich and Anand 3½; Kramnik 3.
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