Boris Gelfand Is World Cup Champion 2009

After a gruelling 4 games, 4 rapids and 4 blitz games in the final between Gelfand and Ruslan Ponomariov in the final of World Cup 2009 held Khanty-Mansiysk from November 20th to December 15th 2009, Gelfand wins the tie-breaks and becomes World Cup Champion 2009.

The World Cup chess involves a seven-round knockout event with six rounds of matches comprising two games per round, with the winners progressing to the next round. The final seventh round consisted of four games. The time control was 90 minutes for the first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game with an addition of 30 seconds per move from move one. The World Chess Cup is an integral part of the World Championship Cycle 2009-2011.

The table below summarises the results of the 4 games, 4 rapids and 4 blitz games to decide the winner.

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Boris Gelfand: "I made a good present to my mom on her birthday!"

Gelfand: I managed to win in the tiebreaks, though it was very hard. I think I could have showed good result already in the second rapid game. But the stress and tension did the work and I started blundering. Ruslan was also making mistakes and we ended in a draw. I had a bit advantage in the fourth game. The only thing I should have done is to shoot the ball into the empty goal. But I blundered again. Ruslan started a counter game and I resigned. Then we started playing blitz games. Here everything depended on the coolness and ability to keep the nerves together.

Did you have a feeling that you will win the tie breaks?

I realized that a tough match is ahead. I expected that I needed to fight. Today is my mom's birthday and I cannot leave her without a present. She has done a lot for me. I am very grateful to her for all. I also thank my father, may his memory live forever. I am also very thankful to my wife and daughter who miss me a lot. I am also grateful to all who was helping and training with me. We have been working with Alexander Huzman for already 20 years together. Also, during this tournament my second Maxim Rodshtein was helping me. He did not seem to sleep at all, he was preparing for my opponents. My friends were calling and writing to me. Thank you all for your support. My victory is your merit as well.

Can you call the World Cup 2009 the best tournament in your career?

I think the World Cup 2009 can be only compared with the second place in the World Chess Championship 2007 in Mexico .

You are the oldest participant of the World Cup. Are you happy that could manage to show your strength to the young players?

Undoubtedly age influences performance. The older a grandmaster is, the more experienced his games are. Starting from 1997 I participated in almost every knockout tournament. I have gained a great deal of experience since then, especially in the tiebreaks. There were so many strong and young chess players who fell apart after their first defeats. They lacked the moral strength; they could not forget about one failure to continue the fight in the further games. I think it comes with experience.

The situation when the top seeded player wins a tournament is rare.

I was not impressed by the fact that I was top seeded. There were about 20 chess players who had every reason to expect to win the Cup.

Do you have something to say to your opponent?

Ruslan does not need consolation. He did well during the whole tournament and managed many tiebreaks. My opponent is very good at knock-out tournaments; it is confirmed by his results during last two years. Ponomariov once again proved that he is a great chess player.

Where do you take the energy to participate in such long tournaments?

I just like to play chess. Therefore I work much; I try to improve my results.

Do you feel compassion to your opponent when you win?

It is not a battle of gladiators. We play chess. Someone wins, someone loses. This is sport.

For many years the chess community is interested to know what you have in this special bottle which you bring to the games?

It is not a doping… (laughing). I was checked at the last World Championship, so, everything is legal.

Is it important for you to have an audience when you play?

Yes, that would be more pleasant if the hall would be crowded. But it is obvious that our main spectators are in Internet. Whenever a tournament takes place, about 90-95% of spectators watch the games via the Internet.

People said in the 80s, that it doesn't matter if you walk around the hall or look around, you used to make the strongest moves…

The position is always with you, in your head. No matter where you look: around or at the chess board.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to read classics: Pushkin, Bulgakov, Maugham. I regularly watch soccer and tennis. I like sport.

Would you share your impressions about Khanty Mansiysk?

I would like to thank the city for this wonderful tournament. I had no problems here at all. Every year it is better and better in Khanty Mansiysk. The only thing which complicated my staying here was the temperature drop: from -30 to 0. It is harder to stand this with age. There are many cultural and sport institutions here: library, picture gallery, hockey palace, tennis center. The Art Center for talented children of North – the playing venue – is just fantastic building. I would come back here next year with pleasure. I just hope that the weather would be milder. I hope we will have a chance to walk around the city.

You were playing chess for almost a month without any rest. How are you going to recover?

More than a month. Two weeks before the start of the World Cup I took part in Tal Memorial and World Blitz Chess Championship, two of the toughest tournaments. Now I will relax, make up for lost sleep, walk with my daughter. So I will be back to “normal” life.

Did you choose any souvenir from Ugra land?

The World Cup is the best souvenir!
(pictures and information : courtesy of Chessbase.com)