Age shall not wither

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.