Boris Gelfand. Great achievement (archives)
Photo: AFP
Gelfand wins international tournament
Israeli chess grandmaster takes first place in Tal Memorial competition in Moscow, defeating old rival Viswanathan Anand of India
Israeli chess grandmaster Boris Gelfand has taken the first place in an international competition which included the world's best chess players.
Gelfand scored six points in nine games without losing once. Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, who is the No. 1 ranked player in the world, came in second with 5.5 points.
During Sunday's 2013 Tal Memorial tournament, Gelfand competed against his Indian rival Viswanathan Anand, who defeated him in the World Chess Championship. This time Gelfand won, while the world champion had to settle for the ninth place.
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Gelfand, who celebrates his 45th birthday on Monday, was the oldest participant in the tournament.
"I am very, very satisfied with this great achievement," he said Sunday. "It's just a shame that I missed a winning chance against Carlsen, and the round ended in a draw. Still, the quality of my games was very, very high."
The Tal Memorial, a chess competition honoring the memory of former World Champion Mikhail Tal, is one of the most significant competitions ever held as its participants include the world's best chess players.
Gelfand will leave for Beijing this weekend to take part in another series of competitions as part of the Grand Prix tournament.
