Combinations with Boris Gelfand

Starting with issue 2025#8, Boris Gelfand, the 2012 World Champion finalist, will keep track of what’s happening on the chessboard. He will highlight the most interesting games and endgames that are not featured in our tournament reports.

As we have limited space in our magazine, there was some very interesting and entertaining material left that we would love to share with you. Below are some nice combinations selected by and commented on by Boris.

Sasa Martinovic – Mads Andersen
25th European Teams, Batumi GEO 2025
White missed a nice combination.
19. Bh7+ Kf8 20. Nxf7 Kxf7 21. Qh5+
Basically winning.
21…g6 (21... Kf8 22. Re3) 22. Bxg6+ Qxg6 23. Re7+ wins the queen.

Eytan Rozen – Volkan Sevgi
40th ECC Open, Rhodes GRE 2025
Another nice combination. OK, he did not find it in the game.
32. Nh4!
In the game, he took 32.Qxf5 and if Bxf6, it is already unclear. The engine says something like plus one, but you still have to win.
32... Ne7
32... Bxg4 33.Ng6#
33. Nxf5 Bxf6 34. Nh6 Rg7 35. Qf4 and White wins.

Jarkko Penttinen – Daniil Yuffa
40th ECC Open, Rhodes GRE 2025
Yuffa just played 22…Ne3?, but after 23.Nf6+, he can immediately resign.
23.fxe3 Ne2+ 24. Kh1 Rxf1# must have been Black’s idea.
In the game, White played 23.Nf3? and lost in 37 moves.
23... Bxf6
23... Rxf6 and now 24. d7 wins.
24. fxe3 and White wins as there is no Ne2+ trick.

Read Samadov – Spartak Grigorian
40th ECC Open, Rhodes GRE 2025
Black is playing for stalemate tricks. How can White win?
46. Rxd2!
He had to take, and now the king goes in a very funny way.
In the game, White played 46. Ra4? Rb4, and it already is a draw. 47. Ra5 Rb5 48. Ra1 Rb1 49. Ne4 Rxf2+ 50. Kxf2 Rxa1 51. Nc5 Ra5 52. d4 Kg8 53. Ke3 f6 54. exf6 Kf7 55. Kd3 e5 56. Ke4 exd4 57. Kxd4 Kxf6 58. Kc4 Kg6 59. Kb4 Rxa6 60. Nxa6 Kxh6 61. Nc5 Kg6 62. Ne4 h5 63. gxh5+ Kxh5 64. Nxg5 ½-½
46... Rg1+ 47. Kf3 Rg3+ 48. Ke4 Re3+ 49. Kd4 Rxd3+ 50. Kc5 Rc3+ 51. Kd6 Rd3+ 52. Kc7 Rc3+
And now hide on d8.
53. Kd8 Rd3+ 54. Nd7
A key move!
54…Rxd2 55. Kc7
There’s no stalemate, and the a-pawn decides.