Game summary
Boris Gelfand beat Esipenko, Andrey with the black pieces in 98 moves in round 1 of 35th Leon GM 2022 in Leon, Spain, on 9 July 2022. The opening was the Queen's Pawn Game (D02).
- White
- Esipenko, Andrey
- Black
- Boris Gelfand
- Result
- Black won (0-1)
- Event
- 35th Leon GM 2022
- Place
- Leon, Spain
- Date
- 9 July 2022 (2022.07.09)
- Round
- 1.7
- Opening
- Queen's Pawn Game (D02)
- Length
- 98 moves (196 plies)
All moves of Esipenko, Andrey vs Gelfand, B (PGN move text)
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 Nh5 6.Be5 e6 7.c3 f6 8.Bg3 cxd4 9.exd4 g6 10.Bd3 Bg7 11.O-O Nxg3 12.hxg3 O-O 13.Re1 Kh8 14.Bb5 Qb6 15.Qe2 Bd7 16.Nb3 Rae8 17.Nc5 Bc8 18.a4 a6 19.Bxc6 Qxc6 20.Nd3 a5 21.Qe3 b6 22.g4 g5 23.Nh2 h6 24.f4 Ba6 25.Nf3 Qd6 26.g3 Bxd3 27.Qxd3 e5 28.Qf5 e4 29.Nh2 Qe6 30.Nf1 Qxf5 31.gxf5 Rf7 32.Ne3 Rd7 33.Kg2 Bf8 34.Kh3 Red8 35.Kg4 h5+ 36.Kh3 Bh6 37.Rf1 h4 38.Ng4 hxg3 39.Nxh6 Rh7 40.fxg5 fxg5 41.Kxg3 Rxh6 42.Rh1 Rxh1 43.Rxh1+ Kg7 44.Kg4 Re8 45.Kxg5 e3 46.f6+ Kf7 47.Kf5 Re4 48.Re1 Re6 49.Kf4 e2 50.Kf3 Rxf6+ 51.Kxe2 Ke6 52.Kd3+ Kd6 53.Re3 Rf2 54.Re2 Rf1 55.Kc2 Ra1 56.Kb3 Kc6 57.Re6+ Kc7 58.Rh6 Rg1 59.Rh2 Kc6 60.Ka2 Rd1 61.b3 Rd3 62.Kb2 Kc7 63.Re2 Rh3 64.Re6 Rg3 65.Re2 Rh3 66.Rd2 Rg3 67.c4 Kc6 68.Kc2 dxc4 69.bxc4 Ra3 70.Rh2 Rxa4 71.Rh6+ Kc7 72.Kd3 Ra1 73.Ke4 Rc1 74.Kd5 a4 75.Rh3 Kb7 76.Ra3 Rh1 77.Rxa4 Rh5+ 78.Ke4 Rh4+ 79.Kd3 Rh3+ 80.Kc2 Rh2+ 81.Kb3 Rh4 82.Kc3 Rh3+ 83.Kb4 Rh4 84.d5 Rh1 85.Ra3 Rb1+ 86.Rb3 Rh1 87.Rf3 Rb1+ 88.Kc3 Rc1+ 89.Kd4 Rd1+ 90.Ke4 Rc1 91.Rf7+ Kc8 92.Ke5 Rxc4 93.Kd6 b5 94.Rf8+ Kb7 95.Kd7 Rc7+ 96.Ke6 Rc1 97.d6 Re1+ 98.Kd7 b4 0-1
About This Game
In this encounter Esipenko, Andrey had the white pieces against Gelfand, B at 35th Leon GM 2022 in Leon ESP in 2022. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
The game opened with Queen's Pawn Game (D02), a fight over the centre with long-term structural themes. Here the struggle frequently turns on the central pawns and the resulting minor-piece play.
At 98 moves this was a long, demanding struggle. Marathon games like this reward stamina and precise endgame technique, and they reveal how top players keep pressing in positions many would agree to draw.
Gelfand, B is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins. Studying many games by a single strong player is one of the fastest ways to understand practical chess decisions.
Games such as this one are useful at every level. Beginners can follow the opening principles, club players can study the middlegame plans, and stronger players can examine the finer endgame and decision-making points.
After the contest, Gelfand, B won with the black pieces. Replay the full game move by move above, analyse it with the engine to find the turning points, and use Practice mode to play out the critical positions yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Esipenko, Andrey (White) and Gelfand, B (Black), at 35th Leon GM 2022 in 2022.
What opening was played?
The game used Queen's Pawn Game (ECO code D02). A fight over the centre with long-term structural themes.
What was the result?
Gelfand, B won with the black pieces.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 98 moves (196 plies).
Can I replay this game move by move?
Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser for engine evaluation and Practice mode to play the positions yourself.
Where can I find more games like this?
Browse the full Queen's Pawn Game collection, Gelfand, B's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.