[Event "Altibox Norway Chess"]
[Site "Stavanger"]
[Date "2020.10.16"]
[Round "19.1"]
[White "Carlsen, Magnus"]
[Black "Aronian, Levon"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "D35"]
[WhiteElo "2863"]
[BlackElo "2767"]
[Annotator "Bojkov,Dejan"]
[PlyCount "115"]
[EventDate "2020.??.??"]
1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 c6 7. Qc2 g6 {
Probably Black's most important idea in the Carlsbad: getting rid of the weak
light-squared bishop.} 8. e3 Bf5 9. Bd3 Bxd3 10. Qxd3 Nbd7 11. h4 {This is how
White tries to make use of the opponent's weakened kingside nowadays.} a5 {N} (
{The earlier game was another one of Carlsen:} 11... Nb6 12. Ne5 Qc8 {which
turned wild after} 13. O-O-O Qe6 14. Kb1 Ne4 15. Qc2 Bb4 16. Nxe4 dxe4 17. h5
g5 18. Bxg5 f6 19. Rh4 fxg5 20. Rxe4 O-O 21. Ng6 Qf7 22. Nxf8 Rxf8 23. Re5 {
and Black eventually held, Carlsen,M (2863)-Nakamura,H (2736) chess24.com 2020}
) 12. Kf1 {"I felt this is strange." (Aronian)} ({Instead, he expected} 12.
O-O-O) 12... a4 {Consistently creating play on his flank. Aronian is not in a
hurry to castle any time soon.} 13. a3 (13. g3 {followed by Kf1-g2 was
Kramnik's idea, but Aronian knew that his opponent will go for the Rh1-h3-g3
maneuver à la in the French.} h5 14. Bg5 {"this is the solid way (for White).
" (Aronian)}) 13... Qb6 14. Qc2 h5 15. Bg5 O-O {Now he can. It is evident that
Black is doing fine out of the opening.} 16. Ne5 ({Instead, after} 16. g3 Qa6+
17. Kg2 Rfe8 {intending Nf6-g4 "Black is super safe." (Aronian)} 18. Bxf6 Nxf6
19. Ne5 c5) 16... Rfe8 17. Bxf6 Nxf6 18. Rh3 {"A bit strange." (Aronian)} Qb3 {
"At some point I thought I had a big advantage but then he somehow got
everything together." (Aronian)} 19. Qb1 {Carlsen wants to keep the queens on
the board as he is still dreaming of a kingside atatck.} ({Perhaps it was time
for Carlsen to switch to the defense with} 19. Qxb3 axb3 20. Nd3 Ne4 21. Rc1
Nd2+ 22. Ke2 Nc4 23. Nb1 {when White should be OK.}) 19... Ne4 $1 {Black
firmly takes over the initiative.} 20. Nxe4 dxe4 21. Qxe4 Bd6 22. Rg3 ({
Instead, Kramnik's suggestion} 22. f4 {is refuted by} Qxb2 (22... c5 $5 {
also looks fine for Black, (Aronian)}) 23. Rb1 Qxa3 24. Rxb7 Rab8 25. Rxf7 Qa1+
26. Kf2 Qa2+ 27. Kg1 Qxf7 $1 {(Aronian)}) ({But perhaps} 22. Rf3 {would have
been a better version of the game continuation after} Bxe5 23. dxe5 Qb5+ ({
True, Black can fight for more with} 23... Rad8 $5) 24. Kg1 Rxe5 25. Qc2) 22...
Bxe5 23. dxe5 Qb5+ 24. Kg1 {With the stronger major pieces and nice queenside
majority all Black needs is to trade the queens and enjoy his edge.} Rxe5 ({
Therefore, the endgame after} 24... Qxe5 $1 25. Qc2 ({But maybe Aronian was
afraid of the direct} 25. Qxe5 Rxe5 26. Rd1 Raa5 27. Rd7 Rab5 28. Rf3) 25...
Qe4 (25... Rad8 $5) 26. Qxe4 Rxe4 27. Rd1 Ra5 28. Rd7 Rb5 {"I thought it was
on the edge of losing." (Kramnik)} 29. Rf3 f5 30. Rg3 Rg4 {looks indeed close
to won for Black.}) 25. Qd4 ({Aronian: "Magnus almost took on g6 here"} 25.
Rxg6+ {which the Armenian GM would have spectacularly refuted with} Kh7 $3 ({
Rather than} 25... fxg6 26. Qxg6+ Kf8 27. Qf6+ {with perpetual.})) 25... Rd5 {
But now Black is obviously better as the rook on g3 makes no sense in the
coming endgame.} ({After} 25... Qd5 {White can try either} 26. Qc3 ({Or} 26.
Qb6 $5)) 26. Qf6 Rf5 27. Qd4 Qe2 28. e4 $1 {"Honestly I blundered this idea."
(Aronian)} Rb5 ({Apparently Black disliked the fact that his rook is out of
the game in case of} 28... Rf4 29. f3 Rxh4 30. Rg5) 29. Rb1 Qc2 30. Qd3 {
The white pieces coordinated. "Now it is very drawish." (Kramnik)} Rc5 31. Qxc2
Rxc2 32. b3 b5 33. Rd3 axb3 34. Rbxb3 Ra4 35. Rdc3 {Another weird idea by the
world champion.} ({Simpler was} 35. Rbc3 Rc4 36. Rxc4 Rxc4 37. f3 {when Black
is better but not as much as in the game.}) 35... Rc4 36. Rxc2 Rxc2 37. f3 Kf8
{White is still not out of the woods yet. His opponent has a clear plan of
centralizing his king and then he can start pushing his queenside passers
easily.} 38. Kh2 Ke7 {With Carlsen down on the clock and in need to "take
important decisions" Aronian felt that he might still win. Although he
considered the position a draw.} 39. Kh3 Ke6 40. Rd3 Rc4 (40... Ke5 {was more
accurate with advantage for Black after} 41. Kg3 Ra2) 41. Kg3 {"A bit too
passive."(Aronian)} ({"I did not see anything wrong with"} 41. g4 Ke5 42. Kg3
hxg4 43. Kxg4 Kf6 {although it is obvious that Black is better here as well.})
41... Ke5 42. Rd7 Rc3 43. Ra7 ({The two connected black passers should decide
the outcome of the game in case of} 43. Rxf7 Rxa3) 43... f6 (43... f5 $5 {
"I thought too many pawns are exchanged." (Aronian)} 44. exf5 gxf5 45. Re7+ {
But Black is close to winning after} Kd4) 44. Ra8 Kd6 ({Aronian knew that the
immediate advance} 44... c5 45. Rd8 $1 {is the wrong choice.}) ({But instead}
44... Rb3 $1 {was good, and only after} 45. Rc8 Kd6 {thus keeping the white
king away.}) 45. Kf4 $1 {That is the difference, Carlsen activates his
kingside.} Kc7 46. g4 Kb7 47. Rg8 hxg4 48. fxg4 Rxa3 49. Rxg6 b4 50. Rxf6 {
Nooo! Just a step away from the draw Carlsen blunders. In a race on the
opposite flanks every tempo counts.} (50. h5 $1 b3 51. Rg7+ $3 {This spoiler
would have saved Carlsen, e.g.} ({Not the obvious} 51. h6 Ra8 {(Aronian)} ({
Or even better} 51... b2 {when Black wins in both cases.})) 51... Kb6 52. Rg8
Ra7 53. Rb8+ Rb7 54. Rxb7+ Kxb7 55. h6 b2 56. h7 b1=Q 57. h8=Q {and a draw.}) (
{During the game Kramnik and Polgar suggested} 50. Rg7+ Kb6 51. Rg8 {which
also draws. It transposes after} b3 (51... Ra7 52. Rb8+ Rb7 $2 53. Rxb7+ Kxb7
54. Ke3 {even wins for White}) 52. h5 Ra7 53. Rb8+ Rb7 54. Rxb7+ Kxb7) ({
The engine points out that even} 50. g5 {draws here.}) 50... b3 {The pawns are
unstoppable.} 51. Rf7+ Kb6 52. Rf8 Ra7 53. Rb8+ Rb7 54. Rd8 c5 55. Ke3 c4 56.
Rd1 c3 57. Rb1 Kc5 58. Kd3 0-1
