Why a world-class chess grandmaster insists you should never move without an idea
In short: Boris Gelfand, a six-time World Championship candidate, built a career on the principle that every move must be rooted in logic. From his early training at the Tigran Petrosian School to his 2012 world title challenge, Gelfand has remained a master of strategic depth, positional awareness, and consistent, precise decision-making.
Born in Minsk in 1968, Boris Gelfand emerged from the Soviet chess system as a formidable talent. His early development included training under coaches like Tamara Golovey and Albert Kapengut, followed by time at the Tigran Petrosian School. It was there that the former world champion Petrosian instilled in him a foundational philosophy: never make a move without an idea behind it, even during blitz games. This commitment to deep, logical thought became the hallmark of his playing style, which peers like Vladimir Kramnik have described as possessing an inexorable consistency in realizing strategic concepts.
Gelfand’s career is defined by remarkable longevity and technical mastery. He remained in the FIDE top 30 rankings from 1990 to 2017, competing in eleven Chess Olympiads for the Soviet Union, Belarus, and eventually Israel, where he settled in 1998. His tournament record is extensive, including victories at Wijk aan Zee, Tilburg, and the 2009 Chess World Cup. In 2011, he won the Candidates Tournament, earning a 2012 World Championship match against Viswanathan Anand. The match was tightly contested, ending in a 6–6 draw before Gelfand narrowly lost the rapidplay tiebreak.
Beyond his competitive play, Gelfand has become a prolific author, sharing his analytical approach in books such as 'Positional Decision Making in Chess' and 'Dynamic Decision Making in Chess'. He is known for his expertise in specific openings, including the Najdorf Sicilian and the Slav Defense, though he is capable of surprising opponents with tactical shifts. His career reflects a transition from a young prodigy in the Soviet system to an elder statesman of the game, consistently prioritizing the logic of a position over impulsive aggression.
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