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Magnus Carlsen vs Levon Aronian
Botvinnik Memorial Rapid (2011) (rapid), Moscow RUS, rd 4, Sep-03
English Opening: Symmetrical. Symmetrical Variation (A36)  ·  0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Kibitzer's Corner
Sep-03-11  Everett: 19..Bb3!? staying an exchange down to keep a bind on the Q-side.

25..Rxd5!? offering a second exchange to dominate the light squares.

All followed by an intricate ending beyond my understanding.

I don't know if it is absolutely correct, but it is a pleasure to see that such chess can work!

Sep-03-11  Sydro: Pawns are the pieces I'm scared most of.
Sep-03-11  Ulhumbrus: An alternative to 13 cxb5?! is 13 b3.

After 13 cxb5 Rxb5 Black gains an advantage in space/

If White's Rooks have no scope it becomes easier for Black to offer an exchange sacrifice, or even a double exchange sacrifice. This suggests the question of whether Carlsen can find a way to open files for his Rooks.

Instead of 21 Re1, 21 f4 tries to open files for White's Rooks as quickly as possible.

Instead of 26 Bh6, 26 f4 tries to open the f file for a Rook.

Sep-03-11  uscfratingmybyear: 65...Bxg3 was a bell ringer, especially in a speed game. 66.Kxg3 and the black pawn goes to d2. 67.Rd3 followed by the beautiful Kt to e3. 67.Rb1 is also answered by Kte3.
Sep-03-11  fisayo123: Amazing game from Levon.
Sep-03-11  notyetagm: Game Collection: Aronian's Best Games
Sep-03-11  Juninho: Completely shoked. Calculating the position after 25. Bxd5, Bxd5 26. b4 highly unclear to me. Maybe black has better bishops than white rooks, but a counter-attack for an active rook could be a winning. Well missing something relevant or Carlsen was afraid of home analysis?
Sep-03-11  Juninho: Revision: 26. Bd5, Bd5 27. b4 instead 26. Bh6
Sep-03-11  Juninho: "notyetagm": Aronian-Popov 2005???
Sep-03-11  voyager39: Wonderful game by Levon. He not only got a point for himself, he shocked Carlsen enuff to play 1...b5 against Kramnik in the next game and lose yet again. Its -1 and +1 actually instead of just 0-1!
Sep-03-11  micartouse: Reminds me of that dragon game where Radjabov sacked two exchanges and won some pawns. In modern times, it seems like these players just shrug such games off as if nothing happened. It's the type of game that shoves the gulf in ability between grandmasters and class players in your face.
Sep-04-11  fetonzio: dude, this game is GORGEOUS!
Sep-04-11  notyetagm: <fetonzio: dude, this game is GORGEOUS!>

YES!

A <DOUBLE> <EXCHANGE SACRIFICE> against the World's #1 player!!

27 ... ♗b3x♗d5


click for larger view

Sep-04-11  RMKvdS: Impressive.
Sep-05-11  Hovik2009: During the game I thought 28...Be7(making room for the pawn), 29...Qb7(preparing killer battery of queen and bishop on h1-a8 diagonal to attack the white king), 30...f6(releasing the knight by defending e5 pawn and make room for the same knight on f7), 31...Nd8(as said intending to move the knight to f7 to deffend the lone king), was one of the best deffensive-offensive plans ever played by Aronian in long time!
Sep-05-11  whiteshark: Pawns on the roll. Reminds me of Petrosian.
Sep-05-11
Premium Chessgames Member
  Domdaniel: <whiteshark> Exactly.
Oct-08-11  notyetagm: Game Collection: ARONIAN: TACTICAL GENIUS

<uscfratingmybyear: 65...Bxg3 was a bell ringer, especially in a speed game. 66.Kxg3 and the black pawn goes to d2. 67.Rd3 followed by the beautiful Kt to e3. 67.Rb1 is also answered by Kte3.>

Indeed.

Oct-08-11  notyetagm: Game Collection: NOTYETAGM'S ABSOLUTE FAVORITE GAMES
Nov-01-11  semivalue: I can feel the heartbeat of the game. Lev has one of the strongest bishop I've seen so far.
Mar-18-12  Garech: Great game!

-Garech

Mar-19-12  rilkefan: Wow, Rxd5, Bxg3.
Oct-18-12  notyetagm: Game Collection: NOTYETAGM'S ABSOLUTE FAVORITE GAMES
Oct-18-12  notyetagm: Simply brilliant win by Aronian.

[Event "Botvinnik Memorial Rapid"]
[Site "Moscow RUS"]
[Date "2011.09.03"]
[EventDate "2011.09.02"]
[Round "4"]
[Result "0-1"]
[White "Magnus Carlsen"]
[Black "Levon Aronian"]
[ECO "A36"]
[WhiteElo "2823"]
[BlackElo "2807"]
[PlyCount "170"]

1. c4 g6 2. Nc3 c5 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 Nc6 5. a3 d6 6. Rb1 a5 7. e3 e5 8. Nge2 Nge7 9. O-O O-O 10. d3 Rb8 11. Bd2 Be6 12. Nd5 b5 13. cxb5 Rxb5 14. Qa4 Qb8 15. Nc7 Qxc7 16. Qxb5 Rb8 17. Qa4 Bb3 18. Qh4 Bc2 19. Qc4 Bb3 20. Qc1 Qb6 21. Re1 d5 22. Nc3 Rd8 23. e4 d4 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. exd5 Rxd5 26. Bh6 Bf6 27. Bxd5 Bxd5 28. Qd1 Be7 29. h4 Qb7 30. Kh2 f6 31. Qe2 Nd8 32. Bd2 Bf3 33. Qf1 a4 34. Qh3 h5 35. Ba5 Nf7 36. Qe6 Bd5 37. Qh3 Qb5 38. Bc7 Qxd3 39. g4 Qd2 40. Kg1 Be6 41. Qg2 hxg4 42. Rbc1 Kg7 43. Bb6 c4 44. Qc6 g3 45. fxg3 Bh3 46. Qf3 Qxb2 47. Ba7 Qb3 48. Qxb3 cxb3 49. Bxd4 Bxa3 50. Ra1 Bb4 51. Reb1 exd4 52. Rxa4 Bc5 53. Ra5 Bb6 54. Rb5 Bc7 55. R5xb3 Be5 56. Kf2 Nd6 57. Kf3 Be6 58. Ra3 Bd5+ 59. Ke2 Nb5 60. Ra5 Nc3+ 61. Kf2 d3 62. Rxd5 Nxd5 63. Rb7+ Bc7 64. Kf3 Kh6 65. Rb3 Bxg3 66. Rxd3 Nf4 67. Rd8 Nh5 68. Kg4 f5+ 69. Kh3 Be5 70. Ra8 Bf6 71. Ra6 Kg7 72. Ra7+ Kf8 73. Rb7 Be7 74. Ra7 Kf7 75. Ra6 Nf6 76. Kg3 Ne4+ 77. Kh3 Bc5 78. Rc6 Bd6 79. Ra6 Kg7 80. Ra8 Be5

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