CARLSEN, MAGNUS (2776) vs ARONIAN, LEVON (2791) 0-1 [D45] XXVI SuperGM Ciudad de LINARES (ESP) (8) 28.02.2009, QGD: Semi-Slav 6.Qc2 [D45], Chess

ANALYSED GAME N^o 135
Updated: March 2009

Carlsen, Magnus (2776) -
Aronian, Levon (2750) [D45]
XXVI SuperGM Linares
ESP (8), 28.02.2009

(Annotation: "Chess-Theory")

"Super-GM Morelia-Linares 2007 (9)
Carlsen, Magnus vs Aronian, Levon"
image Copyright: chessbase.com/

X0 QGD Semi-Slav, Stolz variation, 6.Qc2, with 7.g4 h6 [D45]

1.d4 X1 d5 X2 2.c4 X3 c6 X4 3.Nf3 X5 Nf6 X6 4.Nc3 X7 e6 X8 5.e3 X9 Nbd7 X10 6.Qc2 X11 Bd6 X12 7.g4!? X13

Carlsen uses the same move that in his game versus Anand in round 6.

7...h6 X14

This quiet answer was used first by Bertona, Fernando in the game Kasparov, Garry (2790) - Bertona, Fernando (2345) (41 m.) 1-0 [D45] Cordoba sim 1992.

8.Bd2 X15 dxc4 X16

[ The most usual reply is: 8...Qe7 X17 as in the game: 9.h3 X18 dxc4 X19 10.Bxc4 X20 b5 X21 11.Be2 X22 Bb7 X23 12.e4 X24 e5 X25 13.0-0-0 X26 b4 X27 14.Na4 X28 c5 X29 15.d5 X30 Nb6 X31 16.Bb5+ X32 Kf8 X33 +/= Akobian, Varuzan (2570) - Zambrana, Osvaldo (2511) (47 m.) 1-0 [D45] Cali Continental op 4th 10.07.2007.]

9.Bxc4 X34 b5 X35 10.Be2 X36 Bb7 X37 11.e4! X38

This advance of the e-pawn, fully justified and threatening e5, is played since 1993.

11...Be7 X39 12.g5 X40

[ The exchange series: 12.e5 X41 b4 X42 13.exf6 X43 bxc3 X44 14.fxe7 X45 cxd2+ X46 15.Nxd2 X47 Qxe7 X48 leads to a draw (Dreev, Alexey (2696) _ Petrosian, Tigran L (2558) (23 m.) 1/2-1/2 [D45] Moscow Aeroflot op-A 08.02.2006).]

12...hxg5 X49 13.Nxg5 X50 b4!N X51

This interesting reply may be a novelty.

[ Is playable: 13...Qb6 X52 14.0-0-0 X53 Qxd4 X54 15.Be3 X55 Qb4 X56 16.f4 X57 Qa5 X58 17.f5 X59 e5 X60 18.Rhg1 X61 ( 18.Qb3!? X62 ) 18...Bc5 X63 19.Bxc5 X64 Nxc5 X65 20.Kb1 X66 Nielsen, Peter Heine (2653) - Smeets, Jan (2518) (33 m.) 1-0 [D45] EU-ch 6th Warsaw 18.06.2005.]

14.Na4 X67 c5! X68

Aronian finds the way of an effective attack on the Queen side.

15.Nxc5 X69 Nxc5 X70 16.dxc5 X71 Rc8 X72 17.Qa4+ X73

[ It is presumably better to play 17.Bxb4 X74 but after the foreseeable play line: 17...Nd7 X75 18.Bb5 X76 a6 X77 19.Ba4 X78 Bxg5 X79 20.c6 X80 Bxc6 X81 21.Bxc6 X82 Qc7 X83 22.Bxd7+ X84 Qxd7 X85 23.Bc3 X86 Bf6 X87 24.Rc1 X88 Rh3! X89 25.0-0 X90 =/+ Black has a better play, but the endgame may be a draw. For example: 25...Bxc3 X91 26.bxc3 X92 Rhxc3 X93 27.Qb2 X94 Qc7 X95 28.Rxc3 X96 Qxc3 X97 29.Qe2 X98 =/+]

17...Bc6 X99 18.Bb5 X100

[ After the obvious 18.Qxb4 X101 Black has a permanent initiative: 18...Nd7 X102 19.Rg1 X103 Bxc5 X104 20.Qc3 X105 Rxh2 X106 21.Be3 X107 Bxe3 X108 22.Qxe3 X109 Qa5+ X110 -/+]

18...Bxb5! X111 19.Qxb5+ X112 Qd7! X113 20.Qxd7+ X114 Nxd7 X115 21.Ke2 X116

Of course the White Bishop is overloaded; it cannot take the b-pawn and simultaneously protect the Knight.

21...Rh4 X117 22.Rac1 X118 Rxc5 X119 23.Rxc5 X120 Bxc5 X121 24.f4 X122 e5 X123 25.h3 X124

Magnus does not have a better defense to his disposal.

25...exf4 X125 26.Nf3 X126 Rh6! X127

The game is practically over; the main problem is that White has a bad pawn structure and knows great difficulties to defend in particular his e-pawn. On the other hand the b4-pawn is a permanent threat.

27.Bxf4 X128 Re6 X129 28.Nd2 X130 Bd4! X131

"Granmaster Magnus Carlsen"
image democraticunderground.com/

The point of the Black attack on the Queen side.

29.Rb1 X132

[ It seems that Black has equally a winning game after: 29.a3 X133 Bxb2 X134 30.axb4 X135 Rb6 X136 31.Be3 X137 Rxb4 X138 32.Bxa7 X139 Bc3 X140 33.Nf3 X141 Rxe4+ X142 34.Kd3 X143 Ra4 X144 35.Kxc3 X145 Rxa7 X146 -/+]

29...Ra6 X147 30.a3 X148 bxa3 X149 31.bxa3 X150 Rxa3 X151 32.Nc4 X152 Ra2+ X153 33.Kd3 X154 Bf2 X155 34.Bd6 X156 Nb6 X157 35.Bb4 X158 Nxc4 X159 36.Kxc4 X160 Bb6 X161 37.Kd5 X162 Rg2 X163 38.Rb3 X164 Rg5+ X165 39.e5!? X166 Bc7 X167 40.Bd6 X168

It is interesting to see how Magnus defends himself with energy.

40...Bxd6 X169 41.Kxd6 X170 Rg6+ X171

The only move!

42.Kd5! X172 Rb6! X173 43.Rc3 X174

White is obliged to avoid the Rook exchange!

43...Kd7 X175 44.Rf3 X176 Ke7 X177 45.Rc3 X178 Rb7 X179 46.Rc6 X180 g6 X181 47.Ra6 X182 Kf8 X183 48.Ke4 X184 Kg7 X185 49.Kf4 X186 Re7 X187 50.Ra5 X188 Kh6 X189 51.Kg4 X190 a6 X191 52.Rxa6? X192

[ May be more resistant: 52.h4 X193 Re6 X194 53.Rd5 X195 f5+ X196 54.exf6 X197 Rxf6 X198 55.Ra5 X199 Re6 X200 56.Kf4 X201 =/+ and Black has to find the way for winning.]

52...Rxe5 X202 53.Rb6 X203

[ White wins a time by blocking the f-pawn. 53.Rf6 X204 Kg7 X205 54.Rc6 X206 ]

53...Re3 X207 54.Ra6 X208

[ Again it is justified to block the advance of the f-pawn: 54.Rf6 X209 ]

54...f5+ X210 55.Kh4 X211 Re4+ X212 56.Kg3 X213 Kg5 X214

In this position it seems clear that Black wins in any case. The end of the game is only a question of technique. It may be added that Magnus continued to play near 40 moves with the hope of an unlikely blunder of his opponent!

57.Ra3 X215 Re2 X216 58.Kf3 X217 Rh2 X218 59.Kg3 X219 Rb2 X220 60.Ra8 X221 Rb3+ X222 61.Kg2 X223 Kf4 X224 62.Ra4+ X225 Ke3 X226 63.h4 X227 Rb6 X228 64.Kg3 X229 Rd6 X230 65.Rf4 X231 Rd1 X232 66.Rf3+ X233 Ke4 X234 67.Rf4+ X235 Ke5 X236 68.Ra4 X237 f4+ X238 69.Kg2 X239 Rd2+ X240 70.Kf3 X241 Rd3+ X242 71.Kg2 X243 Rg3+ X244 72.Kh2 X245 Kf5 X246 73.Ra6 X247 Re3 X248 74.Ra5+ X249 Re5 X250 75.Ra2

And it follows:

75...Kg4 76.Rg2+ Kh5 77.Kh3 Ra5 78.Rg1 Ra3+ 79.Kh2 Ra6 80.Kh3 Ra5 81.Rg2 Rc5 82.Rg1 f3 83.Kg3 Rf5 84.Rf1 f2 85.Kh3 Rf3+ 86.Kg2 Kg4 87.h5 Rg3+ 88.Kh2 Kf3 89.Ra1 Rg2+ 90.Kh1 Rg5 91.Ra3+ Kf4 92.Ra4+ Kg3 93.Ra3+ Kh4

Sad day for Magnus!

0-1

"Painting by Pauline Clough
(UK) - Linares de Mora- Spain
- Acrylic - 18 ins x 26"
image Copyright: chessbase.com/
Painting by Pauline Clough
(UK) - Linares de Mora- Spain
- Acrylic - 18 ins x 26

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