[Event "Chess.com"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2022.02.06"] [Round "3"] [White "Aronian, Levon"] [Black "Keymer, Vincent"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B13"] [WhiteElo "2772"] [BlackElo "2664"] [Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"] [PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2022.??.??"] 1. e4 c6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 cxd5 4. Bd3 {The Exchange line that Fischer revived in the 1970s lives a new life thanks to the rise of the London System. A lot of positions transpose from both the openings and the pawn chains are quite similar.} Nf6 5. h3 {Underlining Black's major problem in the position: the future of his light-squared bishop.} Nc6 ({One way to solve the problem is connected with the instant fianchetto:} 5... g6 6. Nf3 Bg7 7. O-O O-O 8. c3 Qc7 9. Re1 Nc6 10. Be3 Re8 11. Nbd2 Bd7 12. Rc1 Rac8 13. Nb3 Ne4 {as in Grandelius, $146 (2670)-Vachier Lagrave,M (2758) chess24.com INT 2021}) 6. Nf3 Nb4 7. Nc3 $5 {This is quite an interesting sideline, but should not have come as a major surprise. Aronian is playing his Ragozin with colors reversed.} g6 $146 { Still trying to solve the bishop problem.} ({The predecessor saw:} 7... e6 8. Bf4 Nxd3+ 9. cxd3 Bd6 10. Bxd6 Qxd6 11. Rc1 O-O 12. O-O Bd7 13. Qb3 {Rodriguez Redondo,A (1314)-Ramos Aguilar,J (2176) Tenerife 2012}) ({However, this might have been the right moment to swap off the bishop.} 7... Nxd3+ 8. cxd3 (8. Qxd3 )) 8. Ne5 a6 ({Now} 8... Nxd3+ {can be met with} 9. Qxd3 Bf5 10. Qb5+ {picking up a pawn.}) 9. O-O Bg7 ({Here} 9... Nxd3 {would have been certainly met with} 10. cxd3) 10. Re1 O-O ({In case of} 10... Nd7 {White has a pleasant choice between} 11. Bf4 ({And} 11. Nf3 $5)) 11. Bg5 {White's plan is very easy and straightforward: bring the queen out, trade the dark-squared bishop, and mate on the kingside.} ({If he wanted, White could have already saved the bishop with} 11. Bf1 $5 {as} Bf5 {is ineffective due to} 12. g4 $1 {when both captures do not work well for Black.} Bxc2 ({Or} 12... Nxc2 13. gxf5 {winning material as well.}) 13. Qd2 {and one of the black pieces will fall.}) 11... Nxd3 {Lines like the above-mentioned forced Keymer to make up his mind.} ({ Instead} 11... Bf5 12. Bxf5 gxf5 13. Qd2 {leaves the black king poorly defended.}) ({Whereas} 11... h6 12. Bf4 {only helps White.}) 12. cxd3 $1 { Played without any thought $1 Aronian is already envisioning perfect domination with the beautiful knight pair on the c5- and e5-outposts.} ({ Sure enough} 12. Qxd3 {was not what the line was all about, as then the black pieces come back into life with} Bf5 13. Qd2 Ne4 ({Or} 13... Rc8)) 12... Qb6 ({ Here} 12... Bf5 {weakens the b7-pawn and can be met with} 13. Qb3) 13. Nf3 $1 { A strong reaction $1} e6 ({And Black correctly abandons the thought of a free pawn as the lines after} 13... Qxb2 14. Na4 Qb4 ({Somewhat safer seems} 14... Qb5 15. Rb1 Qe8 16. Nb6 Ra7 17. Nxc8 Qxc8 18. Rxe7 {although White totally dominates here as well.}) 15. Rb1 Qa5 16. Nb6 Ra7 17. Qc2 {underline how vulnerable the black pieces are. Not only is the bishop hanging, but the queen also cannot be saved from the Bg5-d2 threat.}) ({And} 13... h6 {can be answered with the in-between} 14. Na4) 14. Na4 Qd6 15. Qd2 {Aronian's opening choice was a huge success. He managed to smother the opponent's light-squared bishop and is in full charge of the dark-squares.} a5 ({After} 15... Bd7 16. Bf4 Qe7 17. Nb6 {the white pieces start to occupy powerful outposts, too close to the enemy camp.}) 16. Rac1 Bd7 {Keymer was counting on this natural development to force the active knight back, but he was about to be unpleasantly surprised.} ({How powerful the dark-squared domination can be is demonstrated by the line} 16... Qb4 $2 17. Qxb4 axb4 18. Nb6 Rb8 19. Bf4) 17. Nc5 b6 {It seems the knight needs to retreat...} ({Perhaps the young German should have chosen the ugly, but solid defense} 17... Bc6 18. Ne5 Ra7) 18. Bf4 Qe7 19. Nxd7 $3 {But no, Aronian plays instead in the spirit of the famous Fischer-Petrosian game and is voluntarily parting with his amazing knight.} Nxd7 ({Even worse might have been} 19... Qxd7 20. Rc7 Qa4 21. Rec1 {As Black is not really threatening the pawn} Qxa2 {would lose to} 22. Bd6 Rfe8 23. Ne5 $1) 20. Rc7 Rfc8 21. Rec1 Qd8 22. Qc2 {That is the price for the good knight: the only open file is in Aronian's hands and he infiltrates with his major pieces.} Rxc7 23. Qxc7 Qxc7 24. Rxc7 Rd8 25. Rb7 {The black pawns are beautiful, but it is the activity of the pieces that comes first when evaluating these positions, and the difference there is horrendous.} Kf8 26. Bd6+ ({It is too early to cash in the advantage} 26. Bc7 $2 Rc8 27. Bxb6 Nxb6 28. Rxb6 Rc1+ 29. Kh2 Rf1 {would have let Black off the hook.}) 26... Ke8 27. Ne5 {Another strong move, completely paralyzing the opponent.} Bxe5 ({Or else} 27... Nxe5 28. dxe5 Bf8 29. Bc7 {would lose too much material for Black.}) ({ Black would be also helpless in case of} 27... f6 28. Nxd7 Rxd7 29. Rxb6) 28. dxe5 {Ironically, instead of a pair of perfect knights White got the domination of a bishop versus a knight, and perfect pawn structure $1} Rc8 { After this Keymer stands no chance.} ({The last try was the couter-intuitive} 28... Nc5 $1 29. Re7+ Kf8 30. Rxe6+ Kg8 31. Re7 {and now} Rc8 $1 ({Rather than } 31... Nxd3 32. Bc7 Rc8 33. Bxb6 {which does not leave Black too much to play for.})) 29. d4 Kd8 ({Alas, the lonely warrior will have to retreat empty-handed in the line} 29... Rc1+ 30. Kh2 Rc2 31. Ra7 $1) 30. Ra7 {Now after some final preparation} Rc4 31. b3 Rc1+ 32. Kh2 {White improves his king. } h6 33. Kg3 Rc3+ 34. f3 Rc6 {And finally creates a second weakness with} 35. h4 $1 Rc8 ({Or else the white king will make it into the enemy castle.} 35... h5 36. Kf4) 36. h5 Rc6 37. Kh4 Rc8 38. g4 Ke8 39. f4 Kd8 40. hxg6 fxg6 { And White finished the game in the most artistic way with} 41. g5 (41. f5 $1 { would have been equally good.} gxf5 42. gxf5 exf5 43. e6) 41... h5 42. f5 $1 { An unstoppable passer will be the next weakness, and therefore Black resigns.} 1-0