[Event "Sinquefield Cup"] [Site "chess24.com"] [Date "2022.09.10"] [Round "8.2"] [White "Aronian, Levon"] [Black "Nepomniachtchi, Ian"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2759"] [WhiteTeam "United States"] [BlackElo "2792"] [BlackTeam "FID"] [Annotator "John Watson"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C42"] [Opening "Russian Game: Classical Attack, Staunton Variation"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/uMvPaU6p/7Lb484qc"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. d4 d5 6. Bd3 Bd6 7. O-O O-O 8. c4 c6 { An extremely familiar position for Nepomniachtchi. } 9. Re1 (9. Nc3 { was recently contested by MVL and Nepo: } 9... Nxc3 10. bxc3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 Bf5 $14 { Vachier Lagrave,M (2757)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2792) Saint Louis 2022, eventually drawn. }) 9... Bf5 10. Qc2 (10. Qb3 { went } 10... Qd7 (10... Na6!?) 11. a3 (11. Nc3 { is normal }) 11... dxc4!? (11... Re8) 12. Bxc4 b5 13. Bd3 Nf6 14. Bg5 Nd5 15. Bxf5 Qxf5 16. Nc3 $14 { Dominguez Perez,L (2754)-Nepomniachtchi,I (2792) Saint Louis 2022, also eventually drawn. }) 10... Bg6 11. c5 Bc7 12. Nbd2?! { Extremely rare. } (12. Nc3 { has been played in 98%+ of the games from this well-known position. Then } 12... f5?! (12... Na6 { and ...Nf6 are the main lines }) 13. Qb3! Rf7 14. Ng5 (14. Bxe4 fxe4 15. Ng5!?) 14... Nxg5 15. Bxg5 $16) 12... f5! { Now this works. } 13. Qb3 Rf7 $17 14. Bc2 h6 15. Nf1 a5 16. a4 Na6 17. Bd2 Bh5 18. Rad1 Qf6 { The d-pawn is hard to protect. } 19. Ng3!? (19. Bc1 Nb4 20. Bb1 Re7 21. Ng3 Bg6! { leaves Black with a very large advantage, but at least holds onto material. Aronian may have foreseen how consolidating Black's advantage would be more difficult than it looks: }) 19... Bxf3 20. Qxf3 (20. gxf3 Nxd2 21. Rxd2 Nb4 { is awful for White. }) 20... Bxg3 21. hxg3 Qxd4 22. Bxa5 Qxb2 23. Re2 Naxc5 { Black has two extra pawns and active pieces. White's bishop pair needs to be monitored, but the position should be winning. } 24. Be1 Qf6 (24... Ne6! { is also good, since } 25. Bxe4 { falls short after } 25... dxe4 26. Rxb2 exf3 27. a5 (27. gxf3 Rxa4) 27... fxg2 28. Kxg2 f4 $19) 25. a5 Rd8 26. Bb1 Rfd7!? (26... Ne6! $19) 27. Qa3 (27. g4!) 27... d4 28. Bb4 Na6 (28... d3! { utilizes all of Black's pieces, e.g., } 29. Re3 Qe5 30. Qa2+ Kh8 31. Bxc5 Qxc5 32. Rdxd3 Qc1+ (32... Rd5 $19) 33. Kh2 Nxf2! 34. Qxf2 Qxb1) 29. Be1 c5? { This gives away most of Black's advantage. } (29... Nac5! 30. Bb4 d3! { or }) (29... Nc7 { was good enough. }) 30. g4! { undermining the e4 knight. } 30... g6? (30... c4 31. gxf5 Nec5 $17) 31. Qc1?! (31. gxf5 gxf5 32. Bxe4 fxe4 33. Rxe4 $14 { and Black has only a pawn while his knight is offside and king exposed. }) 31... Kg7? (31... Nc7!) 32. gxf5 gxf5 33. Rd3? (33. Bxe4 fxe4 34. Rxe4 $16 { is even better than a few moves ago. }) 33... Re7! 34. Rf3 Rde8! 35. Rxe4 (35. Bxe4 Rxe4 36. Rxe4 Rxe4 { transposes }) 35... Rxe4 36. Bxe4 Rxe4 37. Bd2 Qe6 { This is assessed as equal by the engine. } 38. Qb1 Qd5 39. Rh3 Re6 40. Qc1?? (40. Rb3! c4 (40... Nb4 41. Bxb4 cxb4 42. Rxb4) 41. Rxb7+ Kf6 42. Rb5 Qe4 43. Qb2 c3 44. Bxc3 dxc3 45. Qxc3+ Kg6 46. Qc8) 40... Rg6 41. Bxh6+ Kf6? (41... Kf7! 42. g3 Nc7 $19 { with the idea } 43. Qf4 Ne6 44. Qb8 Rg8!) 42. f3? (42. g3! Nc7 43. Qf4 Ne6 44. Qb8 { and White holds. }) 42... Nc7 43. Qf4 Ne6 44. Qb8 Qa2! { threatening mate on g2. } (44... d3 $19) 45. g4 (45. Qh8+ Kf7 46. Qh7+ Ng7 47. g3 Qxa5 $19) 45... fxg4 46. Qh8+ Kf7 47. Rg3 Qb1+ 48. Kh2 Qc2+ 49. Kh1 Qd1+ 50. Kh2 Qe2+ 51. Rg2 g3+ 52. Kh3 Qf1 { 0-1 Black wins. } 0-1