[Event "The American Cup | Group A 2023"] [Site "St Louis"] [Date "2023.03.26"] [Round "13"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2766"] [BlackElo "2745"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Annotator "Zong, Davis"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "A13"] [Opening "English Opening: Neo-Catalan"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/DZGTvv5d/joHrEBjS"] [Orientation "white"] { [%evp 0,56,23,-2,-3,-11,-3,-19,-26,-50,-18,-35,-3,-11,4,-17,-27,-18,-23,-23, 26,35,43,43,36,40,50,56,46,33,40,-23,30,31,41,-41,-44,-21,0,-21,13,29,72,11,6, 0,-2,0,87,-25,-62,-160,11,11,-7,22,16,-188,-379] } 1. c4 { [%emt 1:26:01] } 1... Nf6 { [%emt 1:27:00] } 2. Nf3 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 2... e6 { [%emt 0:00:32] } 3. g3 { [%emt 0:00: 30] } 3... d5 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 4. d3 { [%emt 0:00:31] A rare move from Caruana, with only about a dozen games in the database. It's much more common to see this pawn push to d4, but as super GMs, they definitely know their openings. } 4... Be7 { [%emt 0:00:33] } 5. Bg2 { [%emt 0:00:32] } 5... O-O { [%emt 0:00:31] } 6. O-O { [%emt 0: 00:31] } 6... c5 { [%emt 0:00:33] } 7. Ne5 { [%emt 0:00:38] } 7... Qc7 { [%emt 0:00:36] } 8. f4 { [%emt 0:00:34] } 8... Nbd7 { [%emt 0:00:34] } 9. Nxd7 { [%emt 0:00:40] } 9... Bxd7 { [%emt 0: 00:32] } 10. e4 { [%emt 0:00:35] } 10... dxe4 { [%emt 0:00:35] } 11. dxe4 { [%emt 0:00:31] White has more space in the center and kingside but he also has a more exposed king. In Armageddon though, it is advised to play riskier as White, because a draw equals a loss. } 11... Bc6 { [%emt 0:00:35] } 12. Nc3 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 12... a6 { [%emt 0: 00:37] } 13. Qe2 { [%emt 0:00:32] } 13... Rfd8 { [%emt 0:00:38] } 14. g4!? { [%emt 0:00: 37] Caruana goes straight for the attack! As if two pawns on the fourth rank weren't enough, he plans to hurl all four pawns at Black's king. The engine says that Black has decent play after the counterstrike ...b7-b5, but from Aronian's point of view, g4-g5 is really scary to face. } 14... h6 { [%emt 0:00:42] } (14... b5! { Allowing 15. g5 looks really scary, but surprisingly White is unable to follow it up because f4-f5 for example, severely weakens the e5 square. The counterstrike from the queenside allows black to exploit the weak center. } 15. g5 Nd7 16. Be3 Nb6 17. cxb5 axb5 18. Nxb5 Qb8 19. Nc3 Na4 $132) 15. h4 { [%emt 0:00:34] } 15... h5 { [%emt 0:00:30] } 16. gxh5 { [%emt 0:00:36] } 16... b5 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 17. h6?! { [%emt 0:00:54] Caruana lets slip a chance to seize the advantage. His idea of h5-h6 was on point, but he played it too soon. } (17. e5! { Black's knight is now condemned to passivity and White is able to open up the g-file even more with the trade of bishops. } 17... Bxg2 18. Kxg2 Ne8 19. Kh2 bxc4 20. h6 g6?! (20... Bxh4 21. hxg7 Nxg7 22. Rg1 $40) 21. h5 Bf8 22. hxg6 fxg6 23. Rg1 $40) 17... b4 { [%emt 0:00:44] } 18. Nd1 { [%emt 0:00:34] } 18... g6 { [%emt 0:00:38] } 19. Bf3 { [%emt 0:01:05] } (19. e5? { Notice how the same e4-e5 idea from before fails now because Black conveniently posts his knight on h5, blocking White's pawns completely. } 19... Nh5! $17) 19... Kh7 { [%emt 0:00:49] } 20. Nf2 { [%emt 0:00:32] } 20... Nh5 { [%emt 0:00:44] } 21. Bxh5 { [%emt 0:00:37] } 21... gxh5 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 22. Qxh5 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 22... Rg8+ { [%emt 0:00:30] } 23. Kh2 { [%emt 0:00:32] } 23... Rg6 { [%emt 0:00:46] } 24. Be3 { [%emt 0:00:41] } 24... Rf8 { [%emt 0:00: 35] } 25. Qf3? { [%emt 0:01:13] It seemed natural to remove the queen from an ensuing ...Rg6-xh6 attack but, unfortunately, Caruana moves from one pin into another. } (25. Rg1! { Objectively, this is the best move, but it is likely that Caruana avoided it in lieu of the forced draw that Black now has. } 25... Rxh6 26. Qe5 Rxh4+ 27. Kg3 Bd6 { The queen is perpetually kicked and a threefold repetition is on the horizon. } 28. Qf6 Be7 $10) (25. Rh1!? { This may have been a better try to play for a win. White can post his rooks on the g- and h-files and try to establish pressure against Black's king. } 25... Rxh6 26. Qf3 f5 27. Rag1 { The position remains sharp and it's still not too late for Black to mess up. For example: } 27... Rxh4+?? 28. Kg2 Rg8+ 29. Kf1 $16) 25... f5 { [%emt 0:00: 45] } 26. h5 { [%emt 0:00:52] } 26... Rxh6 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 27. Rg1 { [%emt 0:00:42] } 27... Be8 { [%emt 0:00:31] } 28. Rg3 { [%emt 0:00:47] } (28. Qg3 { was more tenacious, and Black does not have any way to force the winning of material. } 28... Bf6 29. Rg2 Rxh5+ 30. Nh3 Bh4 $19 { With the bishop pair and the h-file, Black is dominating, but there is definitely work needed to convert this, and anything can happen in time trouble. }) 28... Bxh5! { [%emt 0:00:37] 0-1 Black wins. Now the game is over because White loses the queen by force. } 0-1