Levon Aronian vs Ruslan Ponomariov (2007)

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Levon Aronian vs Ruslan Ponomariov
Corus Group A (2007), Wijk aan Zee NED, rd 2, Jan-14
Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation (E21) · 1-0

White to move.

ANALYSIS [x]

1-0

rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1

FEN COPIED

Given 3 times; par: 58 [what's this?]

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Jan-14-07		Whitehat1963: According to the database, Aronian is +5-0=6 against Ponomariov. Pretty one-sided. Wonder why.

Jan-14-07		positionalgenius: 37...Bf6 was a really bad move.Still a very good game,I enjoyed this game the most of all the games played today.

Jan-14-07		falso contacto: bad to loose like this for pono

Jan-15-07		notyetagm: <positionalgenius: 37...Bf6 was a really bad move.Still a very good game,I enjoyed this game the most of all the games played today.> This is a beautifully played game in the best style of Capablanca, winning effortlessly by exploiting the positional defects in his opponent's position (the weak Black a6-, c6-, and f7-pawns).

Jan-15-07		Shajmaty: Impressive positional play by Aronian. <positionalgenius: 37...Bf6 was a really bad move.> Life was not at all easy for Black, before the 37th!

Jan-21-07		Mateo: A nice positional victory for Aronian. After the Queens trade, Black's position looked like a piece of Emmenthal full of holes. Ponomariov had a permanent weakness at b7 and his position was cramped by the isolated pawn on the c file which proved to be a strong point and not a weakness. Very instructive. 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nf3 d6 5. Qc2 Nbd7 6. g3 c5 7. Bg2 O-O 8. O-O a6 9. Rd1 cxd4 <9...Qc7 is known.> 10. Nxd4 Qc7 11. b3 d5 12. Na4 dxc4 13. Qxc4 Qxc4?! <Although natural, this moves opens the b file and the h1-a8 diagonal to White’s advantage. Black won’t be able to take advantage of the isolated c4 pawn.> 14. bxc4 Re8 <Black cannot developp easily. For instance, 14...Nc5? 15.Nb6 Ra7 (15...Rb8 16.Bf4) 16.Rb1 Ba5 (16...a5 17.a3 Bc3 18.Nb5, White wins; 16...Bc3 17.Ba3, White wins too) 17.Ba3 Bxb6 18.Rxb6 Nfd7 19.Nb3!! Nxb3 (19...Nxb6 20.Bxc5, White wins) 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 (20...Nxb6 21.Rd8! followed by Bc5+ wins) 21.Rxb3, White wins.> 15. Rb1 Bf8 <15...Ba5? 16.Nb3 Bc7 17.Nbc5 Nxc5 18.Nxc5, Whites wins the b7 pawn. 15...Bc5? 16.Bxb7 Rb8 17.Nxc5 Nxc5 18.Be4!, White won a pawn. 15...Bd6? 16.Nb3 followed by Na5 or Nc5 wins the b7 pawn.> 16. Bd2 <16.Bxb7 Rb8 is annoying.> e5 17. Nb3 <Threatens Na5.> e4 18. c5 Nd5 19. Be1 N7f6 20. Na5 Ra7 21. e3!? Bd7 22. Nc3 Bc6 23. Nxc6 bxc6 24. Nxd5 Nxd5 <24...cxd5? 25.c6 gives White a dangerous passed pawn.> 25. Ba5 g6 <25...Bxc5?! 26.Rc1 followed by Rxc6 opens the c file to White’s benefit.> 26. Bf1 Raa8 27. Rbc1 Bh6?! <Dubious. Black loses the control of d6 in some variations, when White plays Bc4 and the Knight has to go back to f6.> 28. Rc2!? <Interesting was 28.Bc4. If 28...Nxe3 29.fxe3 Bxe3+ 30.Kf1 Bxc1 31.Rxc1, White seems to have a big edge.> Rab8 <28...Bxe3 29.Rxd5 Bxf2+ 30.Kxf2 cxd5 31.Ke3, stopping the advance of the d pawn and followed by c6 should win for White.> 29. Bc4 <29.Bxa6?? Ra8.> Nb4? <Loses a pawn. Better 29...Ne7, although White has a big edge.> 30. Bxb4 Rxb4 <The Black position collapses.> 31. Rd7 Rf8 32. Bxa6 Rfb8 33. Bc4 R4b7 34. Bxf7+ Kf8 35. Be6 Bg5 36. Rd4 Re7 37. Bb3 Bf6 38. Rd6 Kg7 39. Rxc6 1-0

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