Candidate Matches 2011 - Stage II

In Stage - I of Candidates Matches Levon Aronian, Veselin Topalov, Mamadyarov & Radjabov got eliminated.

The standard of the Candidates Matches -Stage I - looked pretty ordinary as most of the regular time games played ended in 'DRAWS', as a pre-determined goal! Everyone played for a draw in the regular time games & wished for some miracle to happen somehow that they win! And, just that happened in the case of Gelfand & Kamsky as they somehow succeeded to WIN A GAME in the 4 game regular match & hang on to that lead!

But, THE UNLUCKY 4, Kramnik - Radjabov & Aronian - Grischuk headed to the playoff. In the rapid section, only Aronian - Grischuk was decided - in Grischuk's favour; the other 2 extended their 'TRY LUCK FIGHT' into the blitz section & LUCK FAVOURED Kramnik in the form of a 'Broken Clock', on the verge of his elimination! Hence, THE UNLUCKY Radjabov bowed out of 'THE LUCK SEEKERS' CANDIDATES MATCHES 2011!

AS WE - CHESS GM PROJECT! - ARE NOT LOOKING FOR THE RAPID OR BLITZ CANDIDATES MATCHES 2011, we don't go to the rapid & blitz sections of the match, as we feel it unnecessary & unbecoming!

NOW ON TO STAGE II GAMES!

The matchups are:
Kramnik vs. Grischuk
Gelfand vs. Kamsky

IT IS A PITY THAT NO REGULAR TIME GAME PRODUCED ANY DEFINING RESULT IN THE CANDIDATES MATCHES 2011, STAGE II @ KAZAN!

Gata Kamsky - Boris Gelfand
Stage - II ; Game 1 ; 12.05.2011
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3 Be7 8.Bc4 O-O 9.O-O Be6 10.Bb3 Nc6 11.Qe2 Na5 12.Rfd1 Nxb3 13.axb3 Qc7 14.Bg5 Nh5 15.Nxe5 Bxg5 16.Qxh5 Bf6 17.Nf3 Bxc3 18.bxc3 Qxc3 19.Nd4 Rfe8 20.Qa5 Rac8 21.f3 Qxa5 22.Rxa5 Rc3 23.Kf2 Kf8 24.Rda1 Rec8 25.Ke1 Ke7 26.Kd2 R3c5 27.R5a4 f5 28.Rb4 R8c7 29.exf5 Bxf5 30.Re1 Kf7 31.Rb6 Rd5 32.c3 Bc8 33.b4 Re7 34.Ra1 Ke8 35.b5 Rc7 36.bxa6 bxa6 And draw was agreed.

Alexander Grischuk - Vladimir Kramnik
Stage - II ; Game 1 ; 12.05.2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c5 8.Rd1 Qa5 9.Nd2 cxd4 10.exd4 dxc4 11.Nxc4 Qd8 12.Bd3 Nb6 13.O-O Bd7 14.Nxb6 Qxb6 15.d5 Kh8 16.dxe6 Draw Agreed.

Alexander Grischuk - Vladimir Kramnik
Stage - II ; Game 3 ; 14.05.2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d4 d5 6.Bd3 Nc6 7.O-O Be7 8.Nc3 Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bg4 10.Re1 O-O 11.Bf4 Bd6 12.Bxd6 Bxf3 13.Qxf3 Qxd6 14.Re3 Rae8 15.Rae1 Re7 16.Rxe7 Nxe7 17.h4 Rd8 18.c4 b6 19.c3 h6 20.cxd5 Nxd5 21.Bc4 c6 22.Re5 Nf6 23.Qf4 Qd7 24.g3 Kf8 25.Bb3 And a draw was agreed.

Boris Gelfand - Gata Kamsky
Stage - II ; Game 4 ; 15.05.2011
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Ne4 5.Bh4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 dxc4 7.e3 Be6 8.Nf3 c5 9.Be2 Bg7 10.O-O O-O 11.Rb1 cxd4 12.Nxd4 Bd5 13.Qc2 Qd7 14.Rfd1 Bxd4 15.cxd4 Qe6 16.Bf3 Bxf3 17.gxf3 Nd7 18.Qe4 b6 19.Rdc1 Rac8 20.Rb4 c3 21.Rb3 Nf6 22.Qxe6 fxe6 23.Bxf6 And a draw was agreed.

'THE LUCK SEEKERS' played safe & WAITED FOR THE ILLUSORY LUCK to give them some advantage & win! In some very rare games, the players with advantage miserably failed to convert it to a full point. The HUNT FOR LUCK continued as was the case in STAGE-I, and the players moved forward to Rapid & Blitz forms of tie-breakers TO END THEIR SUFFERING!

'THE LUCK SEEKERS' TIE-BREAKERS!
16-05-11
Grischuk was 'Lucky' not to go to the blitz section as he won game 7 with black and held on with white in game 8 against Clock-Lucky Kramnik, in the rapid section!

Gelfand lost game 7 with white but won game 8 with black in the rapid section to take the match to the blitz stage. He won both the blitz games against 'An Unlucky Kamsky' to earn a berth in the final!

Gelfand will now face Grischuk to decide the spot for challenging World Champion Viswanathan Anand of India, in the first half of 2012!