[Event "Open"] [Site "Chess.com"] [Date "2024.03.16"] [Round "03-02"] [White "Robson, Ray"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2621"] [BlackElo "2746"] [TimeControl "5400+30"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D86"] [Opening "Grünfeld Defense: Exchange Variation, Classical Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/R6LLNwTu/faWAg2CY"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 0:15:18] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 0:15:19] } 2. c4 { [%clk 0:15:24] } 2... g6 { [%clk 0:15:27] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 0:15:28] } 3... d5 { [%clk 0:15:36] } 4. cxd5 { [%clk 0:15:34] } 4... Nxd5 { [%clk 0:15:45] } 5. e4 { [%clk 0:15:40] } 5... Nxc3 { [%clk 0:15:54] } 6. bxc3 { [%clk 0:15:47] } 6... Bg7 { [%clk 0:16:02] } 7. Bc4 { [%clk 0:15:50] } 7... a6!? { Aronian comes prepared with a near-novelty in the Grunfeld that has only been played once before (in 2001). } { Labahn, Wolfgang - Heyken, Enno, 0-1, Wichern op 6th, 2001, https://lichess.org/7jBbk3bN } { [%clk 0:16:11] } 8. h4 $146 { [%clk 0:13:15] } 8... c5 { [%clk 0:16:18] } 9. Ne2 { Having used almost half of his time for the game here, Aronian's novelty can already be considered a success. } { [%clk 0:08:38] } 9... h5 { [%clk 0:15:37] } 10. O-O { [%clk 0:08:03] } 10... O-O { [%clk 0:15:29] } 11. Be3 { [%clk 0:06:14] } 11... Nd7 { [%clk 0:14:40] } 12. Qd2 { [%clk 0:05:31] } 12... b5 { The accelerated queenside play is one benefit of Black's move order. } { [%clk 0:13:49] } 13. Bd5 { [%clk 0:04:35] } 13... Rb8 { [%clk 0:12:56] } 14. dxc5 { [%clk 0:04:32] } 14... Qc7 { [%clk 0:13:05] } 15. Nd4 { [%clk 0:04:03] } 15... Ne5 { [%clk 0:12:21] } 16. Bf4 { [%clk 0:03:26] } 16... Qxc5 { [%clk 0:10:05] } 17. Bxe5 { [%clk 0:03:15] } 17... Bxe5 { [%clk 0:10:13] } 18. Nc6 { [%clk 0:03:21] } 18... Bxc3 { [%clk 0:09:14] } 19. Nxe7+ { White is under two minutes (while Aronian still has nine) after calculating this sequence. } { [%clk 0:01:45] } 19... Qxe7 { [%clk 0:06:58] } 20. Qxc3 { [%clk 0:01:54] } 20... Bb7 { [%clk 0:06:44] } 21. Qg3 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 21... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 22. exd5 { [%clk 0:01:05] } 22... Rbd8 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 23. Rfd1 { [%clk 0:01:06] } 23... Rd6 { The endgame should be equal, but with White's pawn firmly blockaded, it looks more like a liability than a threat. } { [%clk 0:06:53] } 24. a4?! { [%clk 0:01:01] } (24. Rd4 Rfd8 25. Rad1 Qd7 26. Qb3 $10 { would lead to a quagmire. }) 24... Rfd8 { White will have a harder time defending the a4-pawn and the d5-pawn, but trading on b5 gives Black an outside passer. } { [%clk 0:06:45] } 25. axb5 { [%clk 0:01:09] } 25... axb5 { [%clk 0:06:54] } 26. Qb3 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 26... Qb7 { [%clk 0:06:52] } 27. Rab1 { with no way to stack the rooks on defense, White must now concede his passed pawn. } { [%clk 0:00:12] } 27... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:06:59] } 28. Rxd5 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 28... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:07:08] } 29. Qb4 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 29... Qd7 { [%clk 0:07:15] } 30. Qb3 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 30... Rc5 { [%clk 0:06:49] } 31. Qb4 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 31... Qc7 { [%clk 0:06:32] } 32. Qe1 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 32... Qe5 { [%clk 0:06:30] } 33. Qd2 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 33... Rd5 { [%clk 0:06:37] } 34. Qc2 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 34... Qf5 { [%clk 0:06:38] } 35. Qxf5 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 35... Rxf5 { [%clk 0:06:43] } 36. Rc1 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 36... Kf8 { [%clk 0:06:47] } 37. Rc7 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 37... Ke8 { [%clk 0:06:57] } 38. f3 { [%clk 0:00:16] } 38... Kd8 { [%clk 0:07:06] } 39. Ra7 { [%clk 0:00:18] } 39... Kc8 { [%clk 0:07:15] } 40. Kf2 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 40... b4 { [%clk 0:06:48] } 41. Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 41... Rd5 { Played instantly (with almost seven minutes compared to White's 14 seconds), but it is not accurate! } { [%clk 0:06:48] } (41... b3 { works, even without cutting off White's king: } 42. Kd2 Rc5 { The difference is crucial, as now } 43. Rxf7 { is far too slow: } 43... b2 $19 { and Black promotes. }) 42. Rxf7 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 42... b3 { [%clk 0:06:49] } 43. Rf4 { The difference: White is now in time to chase down Black's pawn. } { [%clk 0:00:13] } 43... Rb5 { [%clk 0:06:58] } 44. Rc4+ { [%clk 0:00:20] } 44... Kd7 { [%clk 0:06:45] } 45. Rc1 { [%clk 0:00:29] } 45... Ke6 { [%clk 0:06:48] } 46. Kd4?? { [%clk 0:00:13] } (46. Rb1 { holds, as did }) (46. Ke4 { , keeping Black's king from the kingside. }) 46... Kf5! { [%clk 0:06:03] } 47. Rb1 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 47... Kf4 { [%clk 0:05:58] } 48. Kc4 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 48... Rb8 { [%clk 0:06:05] } 49. Rb2 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 49... Kg3 { [%clk 0:06:14] } 50. Kd4 { The kingside falls. } { [%clk 0:00:11] } 50... Kxh4 { [%clk 0:06:22] } 51. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:11] } 51... Kg3 { [%clk 0:05:21] } 52. Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 52... Rb6+ { [%clk 0:05:29] } 53. Kg5 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 53... h4 { [%clk 0:05:37] } 54. f4 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 54... Rb5+ { [%clk 0:05:46] } 55. Kxg6 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 55... Kxf4 { [%clk 0:05:55] } 56. Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 56... Rb6+ { [%clk 0:06:02] } 57. Ke7 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 57... Ke3 { [%clk 0:06:11] } 58. Kd7 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 58... Kd3 { [%clk 0:06:19] } 59. Kc7 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 59... Rb4 { [%clk 0:06:27] } 60. Kc6 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 60... Kc3 { [%clk 0:06:36] } 61. Rb1 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 61... b2 { [%clk 0:06:41] } 62. Kc5 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 62... Rg4 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:06:49] } 0-1