Game summary
Oparin, G and Boris Gelfand drew in 40 moves in round 3 of Nutcracker Classical 2016 in Moscow, Russia, on 19 December 2016. The opening was the Sicilian Defense (B35).
- White
- Oparin, G
- Black
- Boris Gelfand
- Result
- Draw (½-½)
- Event
- Nutcracker Classical 2016
- Place
- Moscow, Russia
- Date
- 19 December 2016 (2016.12.19)
- Round
- 3.2
- Opening
- Sicilian Defense (B35)
- Length
- 40 moves (80 plies)
All moves of Oparin, G vs Gelfand, B (PGN move text)
1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.Nf3 g6 4.d4 cxd4 5.Nxd4 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Bc4 O-O 8.Bb3 d5 9.exd5 Na5 10.O-O Nxb3 11.Nxb3 b6 12.d6 Qxd6 13.Qxd6 exd6 14.Rfe1 Bf5 15.Nd4 Bd7 16.h3 a6 17.Rad1 Rfe8 18.Nb3 b5 19.Rxd6 b4 20.Ne2 Bb5 21.Ned4 Rac8 22.Rd1 Ne4 23.Rb6 Rcd8 24.Rb1 Rd5 25.Nxb5 axb5 26.Na5 Nd2 27.Re1 Bd4 28.Rb7 Bxe3 29.Rxe3 Rxe3 30.fxe3 Rc5 31.Nb3 Rxc2 32.Rxb5 Rxb2 33.Nxd2 Rxd2 34.Rxb4 Rxa2 35.Kh2 Ra3 36.Re4 h5 37.Kg3 Kg7 38.Kf3 Ra1 39.h4 Rf1+ 40.Kg3 Ra1 1/2-1/2
About This Game
Oparin, G and Gelfand, B met over the board in this middlegame battle at Nutcracker Classical 2016 in Moscow RUS in 2016. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.
From Sicilian Defense (B35) the players entered sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides. These lines often lead to opposite-side castling and a race to attack the enemy king.
Lasting 40 moves, the game was settled in the middlegame. This is the phase where piece activity, pawn breaks and king safety all collide, and replaying it slowly is a good way to train your own middlegame judgement.
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.
Working through a full game like this trains pattern recognition. The more complete games you study, the more quickly you will spot familiar structures and ideas in your own play.
After the contest, the game was drawn between Oparin, G and Gelfand, B. Use the board above to replay every move at your own pace, switch to the analyser for engine evaluation of the key moments, or open Practice mode to test your own ideas from any position.
Frequently asked questions
Who played this game?
This game was played between Oparin, G (White) and Gelfand, B (Black), at Nutcracker Classical 2016 in 2016.
What opening was played?
The game used Sicilian Defense (ECO code B35). Sharp, double-edged play with chances for both sides.
What was the result?
The game was drawn between Oparin, G and Gelfand, B.
How long was the game?
The game lasted 40 moves (80 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 Sicilian Defense collection, Gelfand, B's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.