Despite only being in his second season, GM Gelashvili has already established an incredible reputation for GOTW and GOTY success. It’s probably no real surprise to anyone to see him follow up his second place finish in GOTY in 2012 with a first place in 2013.
This is the final part in a series of articles which has counted down to revealing what game was voted as the 2013 USCL Game of the Year. For more information on exactly how this process worked and the prize information, please refer to: Game of the Year Contest
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1st Place: IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 0-1
After some creative play, Black finished off the game with the strong 26… Rc4!, to which there was no answer
FM Alisa Melekhina (1st Place, 20 Points): This game is the French at its finest. The opening probably isn’t as popular as it could be because if played incorrectly, Black can easily fall victim to a hopelessly cramped position or a fatal piece sacrifice. Gelashvili turned the tables. Displaying tremendous insight into the best way of combating the solid Advanced French structure, he employed a system that threw White off balance.
When Black refuses to castle, the best way to play is often to exchange dxc5 and pry open the center with c4. However, Gelashvili’s devious move order stopped White from executing any of the typical attacking plans against the French. It’s not at all clear where White went wrong. Who knew that the sensible looking 12. g4 would lead to utter destruction? After breaking through the center with 18… Ncxe5, Gelashvili’s textbook combinative sequence finished White off in a quick and clean miniature.
I rank this game first not merely for the explosive tactics, but because the victory resulted from opening sagacity. Winning against a player known for his seriousness and commitment to chess openings in such a brutal fashion is no small feat.
IM Jake Kleiman (2nd Place, 19 Points): This game was AMAZING. Tamaz played an unorthodox opening, pulled an early 11… g5 (always a cool thing to do), and then threw the kitchen sink at Marc. A fun, fast, and clean win. A brutal attack against an attacking player. What more could I ask for? (Other than complete sentences that don’t end in prepositions.)
FM Ingvar Johannesson (2nd Place, 19 Points): Gelashvili, what a player! One of my favourites … some scrillion years ago I was studying a sideline vs the Sicilian (2. b3). I looked it up in the database and there was this guy, Gelashvili just putting up win after win, something like 15-1 in 16 games vs strong players. So I’ve looked at many of his games, and he is just fantastic. Here vs Esserman he played the Owen’s/French, and we quickly got an original position but with a well defined structure. Gela (I’ll call him that!) used the well known 11… g5 lunge in the French. White countered with 12. g4 and tried to keep his central dominance intact, but Black played the thematic piece sacrifice with 18… Ncxe5! opening up the floodgates. From there the attack ran smoothly and even 26… Rc4 was a nice finishing touch. On a side note I messed up an Esserman win in the rankings one year putting it near the bottom because I misunderstood some things. He mentioned something about a not so special game this year so obviously it has to be on the top then so I am correct on average ;-)
GM Alejandro Ramirez (3rd Place, 18 Points): Although the flashy tactics that came at the end of the game are not too difficult to find, the truth is that the build up to that point was a showing of excellent chess. Gelashvili’s understanding on how to use the closed position to his advantage is worthy of study, as is how quickly a player can get in trouble if he does not have a plan, even in these types of positions.
FM Ron Young (4th Place, 17 Points): When I first looked at this game, it was the “Game of the Week” and I thought, for some reason, till nearly the end, that White had won the game, and I found myself admiring the aristocratic insouciance with which White’s King sauntered through the storm. Looking at it now, I will acknowledge a certain rough, almost neanderthal beauty in Black’s ten consecutive violent (i.e., checking or capturing) moves, punctuated by the quiet quietus 26… Rc4; like Haydn’s Surprise Symphony, but in reverse.
GM Alex Yermolinsky (9th Place, 12 Points): White plays this like a child. His pieces go backwards, practically begging Black to crash through the center. Nice geometry at the end though.
Total Score of Esserman vs Gelashvili: (1st Place, 105 Points)
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Final 2013 Game of the Year Standings:
1st Place (105 Points): IM Marc Esserman (BOS) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
2nd Place (95 Points): IM Dmitry Schneider (MAN) vs GM Joel Benjamin (NJ) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
3rd Place (80 Points): GM Sam Shankland (NE) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
4th Place (80 Points): GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs FM Steven Winer (NE) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
5th Place (80 Points): IM Justin Sarkar (CON) vs IM Levon Altounian (ARZ) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
6th Place (77 Points): GM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs IM Jonathan Schroer (CAR) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
7th Place (72 Points): GM Alex Stripunsky (NJ) vs GM Melikset Khachiyan (LA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
8th Place (70 Points): GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) vs GM Robert Hungaski (MAN) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
9th Place (69 Points): GM Giorgi Margvelashvili (DAL) vs GM Ben Finegold (STL) 1/2-1/2 Article Elimination Article
10th Place (58 Points): FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) vs IM Irina Krush (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
11th Place (58 Points): GM Zviad Izoria (MAN) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
12th Place (58 Points): IM Vitaly Neimer (STL) vs FM Eric Rodriguez (MIA) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
13th Place (56 Points): GM Emil Anka (SEA) vs FM Tom Bartell (PHI) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
14th Place (51 Points): IM Andranik Matikozyan (LA) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
15th Place (44 Points): GM Conrad Holt (DAL) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
16th Place (43 Points): GM Julio Becerra (MIA) vs GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
17th Place (43 Points): GM Joel Benjamin (NJ) vs GM Pascal Charbonneau (NY) 1-0 Article Elimination Article
18th Place (41 Points): John Michael Burke (NJ) vs NM Ryan Goldenberg (MAN) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
19th Place (40 Points): GM Niclas Huschenbeth (BAL) vs IM Steven Zierk (BOS) 0-1 Article Elimination Article
20th Place (40 Points): GM Tamaz Gelashvili (NY) vs GM Julio Becerra (MIA) 1-0 Article Elimination Article