1.Nf3
Nf6
2.c4
e6
3.Nc3
d5
4.d4
c6
5.e3
Nbd7
6.Qc2
[Avoiding the straight Meran defense 6.Bd3
dxc4
7.Bxc4
b5
]
6...Bd6
7.Bd3
0-0
8.0-0
dxc4
9.Bxc4
a6
10.Rd1
b5
11.Bd3
[11.Be2
is more modest, but also more popular.]
11...Qc7
[11...Bb7
12.Ne5
]
12.Bd2
Ivanchuk is anticipating a queenside scramble and plans to shut down black's counterplay with 13.b4! (13...Bxb4 14. Nxb5!). Pavel Eljanov, another strong Ukrainian grandmaster, won games with two other moves: [12.a4
b4
13.Ne4
Nxe4
14.Bxe4
Nf6
15.Bd3
c5
16.b3
cxd4
17.Qxc7
Bxc7
18.Nxd4
Bb7
19.Bb2
Rac8
20.Rac1
Be5
21.f3
h5
22.Kf2
a5
23.Bc4
Nd5
24.g3
Nb6
25.Bb5
Rfd8
26.Rxc8
Rxc8
27.e4
h4
28.gxh4
Bf6
29.Ke3
Bxh4
30.Ne2
Bg5+
31.f4
Bd8
32.Rg1
g6
33.Bd4
Na8
34.f5
exf5
35.exf5
Bd5
36.fxg6
Bxb3
37.Nf4
f6
38.Bd7
Rc2
39.Bf5
Rxh2
40.Rc1
Bc7
41.Bxf6
Bb6+
42.Kf3
Nc7
43.Kg3
1-0 Eljanov,P (2716)-Aronian,L (2768)/Jermuk 2009; 12.Ne4
Nxe4
13.Bxe4
Nf6
14.Bd3
c5
15.dxc5
Qxc5
16.a4
bxa4
17.Qxc5
Bxc5
18.Rxa4
Bb7
19.Bd2
Rfd8
20.Bc3
Be7
21.Raa1
Nd5
22.Ba5
Rdc8
23.Nd4
g6
24.g3
Nb4
25.Bf1
Kf8
26.Ra4
Nd5
27.e4
Nf6
28.f3
e5
29.Nb3
Rab8
30.Rc4
Bc6
31.Rc3
Ba4
32.Rxc8+
Rxc8
33.Rc1
Rxc1
34.Nxc1
Bc5+
35.Kg2
Bd4
36.b3
Bb5
37.Bxb5
axb5
38.Ne2
Bb2
39.Bb4+
Ke8
40.Bc3
Bxc3
41.Nxc3
Kd7
42.Nxb5
Kc6
43.Nc3
Kc5
44.g4
h6
45.h4
Nd7
46.Nd5
f5
47.b4+
Kd4
48.exf5
gxf5
49.Ne7
fxg4
50.fxg4
e4
51.Nf5+
Kd3
52.b5
Kc4
53.Nxh6
Kxb5
54.g5
Ne5
55.h5
e3
56.Nf5
e2
57.Nd4+
Kc4
58.Nxe2
Kd5
59.Kg3
Ke6
60.Nd4+
Kf7
61.Kf4
Nc4
62.Nf5
Nb6
63.g6+
Kf6
64.Ne3
1-0 Eljanov,P (2751)-Akopian,V (2694)/Astrakhan 2010.]
12...c5
13.dxc5
Qxc5
14.a4
Undermining the queenside.
14...bxa4
[14...b4
15.Ne4
Qxc2
16.Bxc2
Be7
17.Nxf6+
Nxf6
18.Ne5
is pleasant for white.; Black could have tried 14...Bb7
15.axb5
Bxf3
to shatter white's kingside.]
15.Rxa4
Bb7
16.Rc4
Qa7?!
[And just like that the game turns. Black had to try 16...Bxf3
17.Rxc5
Bxd1
18.Nxd1
Nxc5
with roughly equal chances.]
17.Ne4
Nxe4
18.Bxe4
Bxe4
19.Qxe4
The light squares are more accesible to white.
19...Rac8
20.Qd4!
Ivanchuk begins to dominate in the center, driving the black queen back. Leko has problems on the d-file and can't exchange the queens.
20...Bc5?!
[20...Bb8
was a better alternative: 21.Bc3
Qxd4
22.Rcxd4
Nc5
23.g3
Rfe8
24.Rc4+/=
; 20...Qxd4?
21.Rxd4
Rc6
22.Bc3
wins.]
21.Qc3!
Pinning the bishop and threatening 22.b4.
21...Rcd8
[After 21...Rc7
22.Qc2
Rfc8
23.Bc3
the black king may not be comfortable.]
22.Qc2!
Freeing the square c3 for his bishop and threatening to weaken black's kingside with 23. Ng5.
22...Rfe8?
[Allowing Ivanchuk to increase his advantage by weakening the dark sqaures. Leko had to try 22...h6
23.Bc3
Rfe8
to meet 24.Rg4
with 24...Bf8!
]
23.Ng5!
g6
24.Ba5
[24.Be1!?
Be7
(24...Bb6
25.Ne4
Kg7
26.Rc6+-
a5
27.Nd6
Rf8
28.Nc8
Qb7
29.Rxd7
wins.) 25.Nxe6
fxe6
26.Rc7+-
]
24...Bb6
25.Bc3!
Ivanchuk forced the black bishop out of play. More holes are creeping into black's position.
25...e5
[25...f5
26.h4
]
26.Ne4
Re6
27.Bb4
Kg7
28.Rc6
Nf6
[Black is in trouble. 28...Nf8
comes 29.Bd6!
; and after 28...Rxc6
29.Qxc6
white is threatening to win with 30.Be7.]
29.Rxe6
fxe6
Black is left with a weak double pawn and Invanchuk begins to work on it.
30.Nxf6
Kxf6
[Black gets mated after 30...Rxd1+?
31.Qxd1
Kxf6
32.Qf3+
Kg5
(32...Kg7
33.Qf8#
) 33.Bf8!
threatening 34.g3 and 35. h4 mate. 33...a5
34.g3
(or 34.h4+
Kxh4
35.Bh6
g5
36.Qh3#
) 34...Bxe3
35.h4#
]
31.Ra1
[Ivanchuk decides to keep the rooks, tickling another weakness on a6. White could also play 31.Bd6!?
threatening 32.Qe4, for example 31...Qa8
32.Qa4
Kf7
33.Bxe5
with a healthy pawn up.]
31...Qb7
32.Bc3
Pinning the e5-pawn.
32...a5
[After 32...Rd5
33.Qe2
Rb5
34.Qg4
white has multiple threats.]
33.Qa4
g5?
[After 33...Qd5
34.Qf4+
Ke7
35.Qg5+
Kf7
36.h4
black can't survive.]
34.h4!
h6
35.Qg4
Qh7
36.Qh5
[Threatening to win a pawn with 42.hxg5+ and black has to give up something. Another way to attack was with 36.Qf3+
Qf5
37.Qc6
Rb8
38.Qd6
Rb7
39.Ra4
black is tied up and the white rook threatens to sneak into black's position via the square c4.]
36...Qg6?
[Blundering, but after 36...Rg8
white has to ways to conclude the game: 37.Bxa5
(37.b4!?
axb4
38.Bxb4
Qg6
39.Qf3+
Qf5
40.Qb7
gxh4
41.Be7+
Kg6
42.Qxb6
h3
43.e4
Qg4
44.g3
wins.) 37...Bxa5
38.Rxa5
Qb1+
39.Kh2
Qg6
40.hxg5+
hxg5
41.Qxg6+
the rook endgame is hopeless.]
37.Bxe5+
Kf7
38.Qf3+
Kg8
39.Qc6
The black bishop has nowhere to go. [39.Qc6
Bxe3
40.fxe3
gxh4
41.Kh2
is not good enough.] 1-0