Boris Gelfand was the winner of the Bank Pivdenny ACPO Rapid Chess Cup held at Odessa which saw the participation of the twelth world champion Anatoly Karpov. Karpov went out in a Blitz play off to Peter Svidler who won two more matches and took on Gelfand in the final.

Games one and two were drawn but then Gelfand sprung a surprise and sacrificed three pawns in the opening for the initiative and eventually won. 1-2 down and needing a victory to stay in the match Svidler achieved a won position before the following tragedy occurred.

Black played

55...Rxa3

and now

56.Kxh1 Bxc4 57.Rxc4 Rxa5 58.Rb4 is a trivially won rook and pawn endgame as the white rook is behind the passed pawn but instead there came

56.Bxd5?? Ra1+ 0-1

since White is being mated after 57.Kh2 Ng3

A Grischuk - A Moiseenko

3rd ACP World Rapid Cup Odessa

Benoni

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 c5 4.d5 exd5 5.cxd5

(5...d6 6.Bg2 g6 would be the Modern Benoni but there is another sharper line)

b5!? 6.Nf3 Bb7 7.e4 Nxe4

(7...c4!? is safer and if 8.e5 Nxd5)

8.Bg2 Be7 9.0-0 0-0 10.Re1 f5 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3

(White has some extra development for the pawn)

12...Bf6 13.Rb1 a6

(13...Bxc3 14.Re3 Bf6 15.Rxb5 Qc8 16.d6!)

14.c4 d6 15.h4 Nd7

(15...h6 looks safer)

16.Bf4 Nb6 17.cxb5 axb5 18.Rxb5 Rxa2 19.Ng5 Ra1 20.Rb1 Rxb1 21.Qxb1 Bxd5?

(After 21...Bc8 22.Ne6 Bxe6 23.dxe6 Be7 24.Qb5 and White dominates the board but this is a blunder)

22.Bxd5+ Nxd5 23.Qxf5 1-0

White threatens Qxh7+ and Qxd5+ and if Black takes on g5 White takes on d5 with check winning a piece.

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