[Event "Open"] [Site "Saint Louis, US"] [Date "2024.03.15"] [Round "2.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2770"] [WhiteTeam "USA"] [BlackElo "2759"] [BlackTeam "USA"] [Annotator "Lang,JJ"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C54"] [Opening "Italian Game: Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/XLlfXC5T"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 8. a5 Nf6 9. Nbd2 a6 10. O-O h6 11. h3 Re8 12. b4 Ba7 13. Qe2 Be6 14. Bxe6 Rxe6 15. Ne4 Nd5 16. Bd2 f5 17. Nc5 Bxc5 18. bxc5 Qe7 19. c4 Nf6 20. Bc3 e4 21. Nd4 Nxd4 22. Bxd4 Rd8 23. Bxf6 Qxf6 24. dxe4 Rxe4 25. Qc2 Qc6 26. Rab1 Rdd4 27. Qb3 Rxc4 28. Qxb7 Qxb7 29. Rxb7 Rxc5 30. Rd1 Re7 31. Ra1 Kf7 32. h4 Kg6 33. g3 f4 34. gxf4 Re4 35. Ra7 Rc6 36. Rd1 Rxf4 37. Rd7 Rf7 38. Rd3?? (38. Rxf7 Kxf7 39. Kg2 Ke6 { actually allows White to hold: } 40. Kf3 Kf5 41. Ra8! { The key idea, preparing to switch flanks if Black's king strays from the g-pawn. } 41... Ke5 42. h5! { Fixing the weakness. } 42... Kd4 43. Rg8 Rf6+ 44. Ke2 Rf7 (44... Rf5 45. Rxg7 Rxh5 46. Rxc7 Rxa5 { and Black has the two worst pawns to have if you have to be up a pawn with two passers! }) 45. Ra8) (38. h5+! { also works. } 38... Kf6 39. Rxf7+ Kxf7 40. Kg2 Kf6 { but requires a little finesse, as Black threatens ... Kf6-g5. } 41. f4! Kf5 42. Kf3) 38... Rf5?? (38... Kh5! { Activity over everything! } 39. Kg2 Kxh4 40. Rh3+ Kg4 41. Rd3 Rcf6 $19) 39. Ra3?? { The passive rook is not doing White any favors. } (39. Rd7! { was necessary. }) 39... Kh5 40. Rg3 { Pseudo-activity, as Black's g-pawn is not fixed. This nicely demonstrates the need for an earlier h4-h5 before Black's king could mobilize! } (40. Ra4 Rc1+ 41. Kg2 Rc2 $19 { was the point. }) 40... g6 41. Ra8 (41. Ra3 Kxh4 { is hopeless. }) 41... Kxh4 42. Kg2 Rg5 { The trades win easily for Black. } 43. Rb8 Rxg3+ 44. fxg3+ Kg5 45. Kf3 Rc5 46. Rb7 h5 47. Ra7 Rxa5 48. Rxc7 Rf5+ 49. Kg2 a5 50. Rc6 Rb5 51. Rc8 Kf5 52. Rf8+ Ke4 53. Rf6 g5 54. Rh6 Kd3 55. Rxh5 a4 56. Kf3 g4+ { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1