Muzychuk, A and Gelfand, B met over the board in this middlegame battle at 4th Gideon Japhet Mem Cup in Jerusalem ISR in 2018. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.

From Sicilian Defense (B33) 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 22 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.

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.

When the dust settled, the game was drawn between Muzychuk, A and Gelfand, B. Step through the moves on the interactive board above, flip the board to see it from either side, and try the position trainer to sharpen your own play.