Alexander Khalifman. Source: Russian Chess Federation
Alexander Khalifman (born 1966) won the 1990 New York Open and was ranked equal 10th in the world in 1991. He was a fixture in the Top 20 for much of the next decade.
The St. Petersburg grandmaster is most famous for winning the 1999 FIDE World Championship. That earned him invites to elite events, where he generally held his own.
At the 2002 edition of the hallowed Wijk aan Zee tournament, Khalifman was near his career-high rating of 2702 and took down tournament winner Evgeny Bareev‘s Rubinstein French in just 20 moves.
White to play. How did Khalifman end the game suddenly?
20.?
A Bolt from the Blue
David Thompson holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics and has over 12 years of experience in competitive chess. As the lead writer for Chess-Essentials.com, David is dedicated to sharing his extensive knowledge of chess strategies and tactics. His clear and insightful articles are designed to help players of all levels enhance their skills and understanding of the game.
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