Gelfand has played in Linares many times and his total is a big minus, considering all the complaints about Kramnik's and Anand's tournament results it would be fun if Gelfand won the title :-)

great interesting game. congratulation. what date will be the wch 2012 and where ?
which chess engines use Anand and Gelfand as assistants ?:) this will be a strong chess match.

To prepare for the WC-title, Gelfand should learn "tatte masalna", isn't it?

Thank you. Very nice quote. I hope Ivanchuk will get his chance as well, if that is what he really wants. I found the full interview (part 1 and 2) very interesting. And it shows that Gelfand has great taste in football. :)

People are busy congratulating Gelfand, which is a good thing, but lets be honest with ourselves and admit Gelfand has no chance vs Anand. Grischuk neither.

I was curious about Gelfand's Seconds. His FB website identifies them: GMs Huzman, Rodshtein and Eljanov. Congratulations to them all!

We are talking about Gelfand's chances against Anand (and vice-versa).

Have we stopped to even think about the OTHER possibility:

The Match many NEVER happen!! :)

Reasons: Sponsorship, Interest, Blah, Blah.

So, don't look forward to it, until the official contract has been signed by both players.

Question: I wasn't able to watch the video of Game 6 live, and I'd like to see it now. I just checked out the video.russia-chess.org website, where the previous games are still up, but when I try to click on Game 6 (http://video.russiachess.org/view/332) I just get a test pattern. Anybody know why, or where I can see (at least the last part) of the game? Thanks in advance.

Congrats to Gelfand for the nerve wracking win in the last round. I expect that the next WC match will be the first one ever without any snide/unsporting comments/behavior by either opponent!

Congratulations Gelfand! Well done! I’m a bit sorry for Grischuk though, I hope he will get another shot at it.

Now I’m looking forward to a fantastic world championship match between two true gentlemen: Anand and Gelfand. This should be a great treat. I doubt that we will have to expect any kind of unpleasantries this time.

I didn't understand why Grischuk with black at the very last classic game played a risky non orthodox rook only attack against a powerful center, managed by a such positional warrior player like Gelfand...

First I thought Mishanp was joking but now I am not sure. Chances for Gelfand even telling a joke is like 0.1%

Don t read too much into the past

Kramnik was 6-4 over anand before WCC 2008 Bonn. We all know what happened. Besides, Anand Himself acknowledges Boris as a tremendous player, a point he himself stated before WCC 2007 in Mexico. Boris, certainly proved it by coming 2nd in that tournament.

Anand hasn't beaten Gelfand in classical chess since 2006, before Gelfand started getting his recent string of clutch results in WC tournaments.

First of all my congrats to Gelfand for making through it all! Although Anand is sure to win vs Gelfand, the match will not be a walkover as Gelfand is a strong player indeed but Anand is the best! Both the players have several months to prepare for the match so this evens out and what remains is the trial of strength alone! If you folks take the trouble to scroll up and take a peep at the TOP 10 LIVE Gelfand is MISSING! Carlsen, Aronian, Topalov and Ivanchuk are there! So I need not say anything more. Even if Gelfand takes the help of a SUPERCOMPUTER (like Topalov for the 2010 Match) the disparity in the playing strengths will tell! But I wish Gelfand all the BEST! The MATCH will certainly be an interesting one with QG games thrashed out to the last chunk of Opening Theory! Enjoy!!!
-D.M.Modak(India)
26th May 2011 6.05 a.m.

In Wijk it looks similar for Gelfand, with a very good first start, then much worse results the last 15 years:

1992: +4
1996: -2
1998: =
2002: -1
2006: +1
2008: -3

Congratulation to Gelfand who scored 66% of all wins.

Dude, you are the biggest troll around here. Gris has played the most boring chess (apart from Drawnik) in this tournament. FFS, open your eyes son and quit smoking dope. It addles the brain.

Congratulations Boris !

Worthy opponent indeed.
It is well known that Aronian is a good friend of Boris, will we see Aronian or his team second the professor against Anand?

Mossad to be more specific ! ;)

Kamsky didn't win.

Great game by the great fighter Boris. Also, congratulutions to Alexander who got so far in this tournament.

The final will most probably be playes in May 2012, with 12 matches. (Gelfand's FB-page)

Could anyone please help Gelfand to prepare for the WC-title:
What is "DRAW" in the indian language?
;-)

Could anyone please help Gelfand to prepare for the WC-title:
What is "DRAW" in the indian language?
;-)

Maybe Chessvibes can post a Best of Gelfand or something!?:)

It is true they have a lot of time to prepare, but Gelfand has not beaten Anand in a classical game since 1993. He's only won one game total (2008 Amber Rapid) since then.

Grischuk was my personal favorite but I am looking out to see Gelfand-Anand. Gelfand has played a great game today and has done so many times in the past. The way he beat Mamedyarov was also very impressive.

Pretty funny outcome - Gelfand was dead for all money against Kamsky in the rapids, down 1-2 in games and losing the position on the board. Gelfand was practically in tears, so much so that I felt sorry for him, losing his last chance at his age.

Then Kamsky made a couple of inaccuracies and lost a won game, and Gelfand rolled over Kamsky in the blitz, who was probably upset with himself at letting Boris off the hook. Did Gelfand's emotional breakdown at the board cause Gata to be careless and overconfident?

Gelfand deserved to win the candidates. He is clearly the underdog against a player of Anand's caliber and (match) experience. Anand of course cannot take him lightly. I think Grischuk would give Anand a harder time because of his youth and motivation. However, Grischuk's strategy of short draws during the candidates has left a bad impression, I am glad Gelfand won after all. I am in favour of Fide implementing a no draw offer before first time control rule in the world championship cycle. With such short matches I think it would make a lot of sense to have such a rule.

WC football....well, the format is at least the same in all matches up to the final.
But in Candidates there has been quite another format than the upcoming match Anand-Gelfand. Very little emphasisis on the classical games. And the WC-match will be all about classical.

Thank you very much for sharing that, Peter-- indeed it is soothing to any person who may believe that they are entering into a midlife crisis.

what a joke!

btw, in 1991 Gelfand already had an Elo rating of 2700, in that year he was ranked #3 behind Kasparov and Karpov while he was only 22.

Gelfand's memory is rather correct: Anand beat him 2.5-1.5 in a match in Shenyang 2000 and won another game in the last round of Corus 2006 - which was important for Vishy (to catch Topalov in the final standings) and not as important for Gelfand. Beyond this they had 10 draws - actually many short and not too eventful ones.

For many years all their games have been drawn long before the 30th move, but then Gelfand has been white in four of the five latest.

Kasparov's retirement has nothing to do with Anand's success.

First and foremost, Kasparov couldn't get past Kramnik. Quit. Then he tipped his hat to Topalov as the next WC after losing to him at Linares but stabbed him in the back during the 2010 WC.

And, a few years later he'd jumped on the Carlsen band-wagon. Yes, another short-lived affair. Yes, another incorrect assessment. Yes, another self-serving whim from an old shoe, 20th century ex-world champion.

Anands success is the fruit of many years hard labour. Phenominal talent! Impeccable results.

I'm glad Gelfand (even though I voted for Aronian in the Chess Wibes poll) will be Anands next challenger because he's also dedicated his life to chess. And he got his shot at the title the old fashioned way; he earned it.

Hmmm, surely it was just a joke by Gelfand :)

Not sure what the precise stats are, but this is what Gelfand said in the press conference about his games against Anand:

"I've played him so many times in the last 15 years. Up until 1993 it was +5 in my favour, then he was +5 from 1993 to 1997, and since then he's won one or two games, while the rest have been draws."

Our only worry now is whether FIDE will be capable to organise the match before the worldchampion and the challenger have turned 50....

There is no need to compare Topalov with Gelfand.
Topalov was World Champion , whom was Gelfand???????!!! also you could remember the last game in Linares 2010, in which Topa beat him like a schoolboy in drawn position=

You, or somebody else, could organize such a match and I am sure a lot of people would like to watch it.
But it would be friendly match, like Nakamura -- Ponomariov, and not a world championship.