[Event "Open"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.03.16"] [Round "03-01"] [White "Aronian, Levon"] [Black "Robson, Ray"] [Result "1-0"] [WhiteElo "2722"] [BlackElo "2696"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B90"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/JqoVQUNt"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bd3 g6 7. Be2!? { A not unreasonable, although basically unexplored, idea in the Najdorf with 6. Bd3. The 'dragadorf' with both ...a6 (Najdorf) and ...g6 (Dragon) played usually has a bad reputation for Black, but 6. Bd3 g6 is a common continuation in the Najdorf. So, at the cost of one turn, Aronian now gets to play against an opening considered weaker than either Najdorf of Dragon! } 7... Bg7 8. Be3 Nc6 9. O-O O-O 10. a4 $146 (10. Qd2 Bd7 11. Rad1 Rc8 12. h3 b5 13. a3 Qc7 { The main lines tend to produce rather tame, and drawish, positions: } 14. Rfe1 (14. f4 Rfe8 15. Nb3 Qb8 16. Bf3 a5 17. Nd5 a4 18. Nc1 Nxd5 19. exd5 Nd8 20. Nd3 Nb7 21. c3 Na5 22. Qf2 Nc4 23. Rfe1 e5 24. dxe6 Rxe6 25. Bd5 Rxe3 26. Rxe3 Nxe3 27. Qxe3 Re8 28. Qd2 h5 29. Nb4 Bh6 30. Qd4 Qd8 31. Bf3 Qh4 32. Nd5 Re1+ 33. Rxe1 Qxe1+ 34. Kh2 Bg7 35. Qe3 Qxe3 36. Nxe3 Kf8 37. g4 hxg4 38. hxg4 Ke8 39. Kg3 { Fordham-Hall, Christopher M - Weber, Karlheinz, 1/2-1/2, VWC4/pr29, 2011, https://lichess.org/sdwmDePb }) 14... Rfd8 15. Nf3 Na5 16. Bh6 Be6 17. Nd4 Nc4 18. Bxc4 Bxc4 19. Bxg7 Kxg7 20. b3 Bxb3 21. Ncxb5 axb5 22. cxb3 Qb8 23. Qa5 b4 24. Qxb4 Qxb4 25. axb4 Rd7 26. f4 Rb7 27. e5 Nh5 28. f5 dxe5 29. Rxe5 Nf4 30. b5 Rd8 31. Re4 g5 32. Kh2 { Mosrati, Nabil - Silva, Flávio Arnaldo Brag, 1/2-1/2, 4th IZIT Pr L, 2020, https://lichess.org/esabg0kb }) 10... Bd7 11. Qd2 b5!? { A combative continuation. } (11... Qa5 { would be more typical. }) 12. axb5 Nxd4 13. Bxd4 Bxb5 { Black's concrete rationale for 11. ... b5 is now apparent: the pressure on the e4-pawn stops White from winning a pawn. } 14. Rfd1 (14. Nxb5 axb5 15. f3 Rb8 { does not win the b-pawn, either. }) 14... Bxe2 15. Qxe2 a5 16. e5 { White clarifies the center and hopes the slight edge in development can give him something to play with. } 16... dxe5 17. Bxe5 Qb6 18. Nb5 Rfc8 19. b3 Qb7 20. Ra4 Rc5 21. c4 { The b5-knight prevents Black from exploiting the backwards b3-pawn, while the a5-pawn is a target and White's passed c-pawn is more dangerous than Black's extra pawn on the e-file, to put it mildly. Still, the position should be about equal. } 21... Qe4?! { Black allows White to retain his strong bishop, while the queen trade only alleviates White's worries about Black's counterplay on the kingside. } (21... Nh5! 22. Bxg7 (22. Bg3 Nxg3 23. hxg3 Bf6 24. Qa2 Qb6 $10 { again gives Black counterplay, this time against the f2-pawn. }) 22... Rg5 { also creates some pressure. } 23. g3 Nf4 24. Qf1 Kxg7 $10 { and Black's attack will make it hard for White to mobilize the queenside. }) 22. Qxe4 Nxe4 23. Bxg7 Kxg7 24. f3 Nf6 25. Rda1 Rd8 { Black finally activates the last piece, at the cost of the pawn. The rooks should be able to keep White's connected passers at bay, but this is easier said than done. } 26. Rxa5 Rd3 27. R5a3 Nd5! { A lovely "invisible move" that is difficult to spot in the distance, but clearly energizes Black's counterplay once it is on the board. } 28. Re1 Nf4!? (28... Nc3! { Black wants a pure rook endgame, and this helps achieve it. } 29. Nxc3 Rxc3 30. Rxe7 R5xc4! 31. Raa7 Rf4 { holds, as does } (31... Rc1+ 32. Kf2 { but only followed by } 32... Rf4 $10 { since there is no perpetual with White's king safely on g3. })) 29. Re4 Rf5 30. b4 Rd2 31. Kf1 Rb2?? (31... Rh5! { was a nice idea. } 32. h3 Nxg2 33. Re2 Rxe2 34. Kxe2 Rxh3 35. Nc7 { Compared to the immediate 31. ... Nxg2, we see here that Black is better equipped to slow White's pawns down: } 35... g5 36. c5 Nf4+ 37. Ke3 e5 38. b5 g4 $132) (31... Nxg2 32. Re2 Rxe2 33. Kxe2 Rh5 34. Nc7 $16 { will give White some fast pawns. }) 32. Nd4! Rf6 33. Rb3 { The point: Black's rook loses its golden position behind White's passer. } 33... Rd2 34. Rb1 (34. b5! Nd3 35. Rb1 Nc5 36. Re5 Nd7 37. Nb3! $18 { and the trade of rooks only eases White's task of pushing the b-pawn, while otherwise White wins the e7-pawn. Without this move, White wouldn't have anything here. }) (34. Ke1 Rxg2 35. b5 { is also critical, with Black struggling to hold on even after } 35... Rxh2 36. c5 h5 37. b6 h4 38. b7 Ra6 39. Ne2! Nxe2 40. b8=Q Ng3 41. Kd1 $18) 34... e5?! (34... Rxg2! 35. Rxf4 { appeared to be the refutation, but } 35... Rxf4 36. Kxg2 Rxd4 37. Rc1 (37. b5 Rxc4 38. b6 Rc8) 37... Rd2+ 38. Kg3 Rb2 39. b5 e5 $10 { creates just enough counterplay to keep White tied down. }) 35. Ne2 Nd3 36. b5 Rd6 37. Nc3 Rf2+ 38. Kg1 Rc2 39. Nd5 Nc5 40. Ne3 Re2?? (40... Rc3 41. Rxe5 Nd7 42. Rd5 { and White is still on his way to a victory. }) 41. Nf5+ { Black resigned due to the rook falling on e2. } 1-0