Boris Gelfand, the challenger for this year’s World Championship in Moscow, continues, as I write, to lead the Agon/Fidé Grand Prix at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. He is being pursued by a pack of great players which includes Shakhriyar Mamedyarov from Azerbaijan and Vesselin Topalov from Bulgaria. The surprise of the event has been the complete collapse of Hikaru Nakamura who, rated at 2783, was the highest ranked player and pre-tournament favourite to win.
Gelfand-Wang Hao: Fidé Grand Prix, London 2012
49 … f5+ Allowing the white king in is very risky. Black should simply pass with 49 … Ke8. 50 Ke5 Rxe3+ 51 Kf6 Now the constant mate threats make life very difficult for Black. 51 … Kg8 52 Rg7+ This is the wrong idea. 52 Rc8+ Kh7 53 Kf7 is winning for White as the threat of Rc1 – h1 will win the e-pawn when the passed d-pawn becomes unstoppable.
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