Levon Aronian beats Wei Yi, wins FTX Road to Miami

The oldest player in the field

While the likes of Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa continue to shine as they climb the rating ladder in classical chess, Levon Aronian, at 39, shows he is still one of the strongest players in the world in fast-paced time control. The Armenian-born star won the FTX Road to Miami online event after beating 23-year-old Wei Yi in the finals.

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Aronian, who played from Yerevan, had a slow start, as he lost three out of his first five games in the preliminaries. Better performances in days 3 and 4 allowed him to reach the knockout, but only as the seventh seed (out of 8). After the scare, however, the US representative raised his playing level significantly, only conceding one loss in his matches against Arjun Erigaisi, Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Wei Yi combined.

The tournament winner confessed afterwards:

I didn’t really deserve to be in the top eight because my play was very, very poor, but after that, I think I got myself together and I played better. 

His victory in the final match was rather convincing. In the first set, he got a 2½-1½ win after saving a position in game 3 and beating his young opponent in game 4. A more lopsided second set saw him winning twice with black to secure overall victory. In tennis terms, Aronian got something resembling a 7-5 6-2 victory.

Much like Aronian, Wei gained a ticket to participate in the FTX Crypto Cup set to kick off on August 15 in Miami. Due to the strict Covid-19 restrictions in China, the commentators asked the player from Yancheng whether he will make his way to the coastal American city. Fortunately, he responded that he thinks he will be able to make the trip. We certainly hope to see him showcasing his tactical, fighting style in the next tournament of the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour.

Analyses by GM Karsten Müller

In the first game of the first set, Wei Yi was a pawn down and had an inferior pawn structure in a knight vs bishop endgame. The Chinese, however, prevented Aronian’s king from joining the fight and escaped with a draw.

 

Aronian, Levon2775

½–½

Wei, Yi2727

FTX Road to Miami KO 2022 Online16.07.2022[Mueller,Karsten]

1.c4 Nf6 2.g3 e6 3.Bg2 d5 4.Nf3 Be7 5.0-0 0-0 6.b3 b6 7.Bb2 Bb7 8.e3 c5 9.Qe2 Nc6 10.Rd1 Qc8 11.d4 Rd8 12.Nbd2 dxc4 13.bxc4 Qc7 14.Rac1 Rac8 15.Bh3 Ba6 16.Nb3 Qb8 17.Ng5 Rc7 18.dxc5 Rxd1+ 19.Rxd1 bxc5 20.Qc2 h6 21.Bxf6 hxg5 22.Bxe7 Nxe7 23.Qe4 Qc8 24.Rd6 Rc6 25.Qd3 Rxd6 26.Qxd6 Nf5 27.Bxf5 exf5 28.Qd5 Qe6 29.Nxc5 Qxd5 30.cxd5 Bc4 31.d6 Kf8 32.a3 The cage. The duel bishop against knight can be very deep: g4!

Wei Yi closes the king's cage and it seems that White cannot win. 33.Kg2 33.e4!? is met by fxe4 34.Nxe4 Some engines in the ChessBase Let's Check database have very high evaluations for White now, but I cannot find a win, e.g. Ke8 35.Nc5 Be2 36.Kg2 f6 37.h4 Kf7 38.h5 Ke8 39.Ne6 Kd7 40.Nxg7 Bd3 41.f3 gxf3+ 42.Kxf3 Kxd6 43.Kf4 Ke7 44.Nf5+ Kf8 45.g4 Kf7 46.Nd4 Kf8 47.Ke3 Ba6 48.Nc6 Bc8 49.Kf4 Bd7= 33...Be2 34.h4 Ke8 35.h5 Kd8 36.Kh2 Kc8 37.Kg1 Kd8 38.Kg2 Kc8 39.f4 gxf3+ 40.Kf2 Bd1!

The bishop just waits. 41.e4 fxe4 42.Ke3 f2 43.Kxf2 Bxh5 44.Ke3 Bf3 45.Kf4 Kd8 46.Ke3 Kc8 47.Kf4 Kd8 48.Ke3 Ke8 49.Kd4 49.Nxe4 is met by Bxe4 50.Kxe4 Kd7 51.Kd5 f6 52.a4 a5 53.Kc5 f5 54.Kd5 g5 55.Ke5 f4 56.gxf4 gxf4 57.Kxf4 Kxd6 58.Ke4 Kc5 59.Kd3 Kb4 60.Kc2 Kxa4 61.Kb2= 49...f5 50.a4 Kf7 51.a5 Kf6 52.Ke3 Bh5 53.Kd4 Bf3 54.Ke3 g5 55.Kd4 Bg2 56.Ke3 Bh1 57.Kd4 Bf3 58.Ke3 Bh5 59.Kd4 Bf7 60.g4 fxg4 61.Nxe4+ 61.Kxe4 Bg6+ 62.Ke3 Bf5 63.Kf2 Ke5 64.d7 Bxd7 65.Nxd7+ Kd6 66.Nb8 Kc7 67.Na6+ Kc6= 61...Ke6 62.Nxg5+ Kxd6 63.Nxf7+ Kc6 64.Kc4 g3 65.Ne5+ Kd6 66.Nf3 g2 67.Kb5 Kc7 68.Kc5 Kb7 69.Ng1 Ka6 70.Kb4 Kb7 71.Kb5 Kc7 72.a6

Now even grabbing the g-pawn would not win. 72...Kd6 73.Ne2 Even 73.Kb4 Kc6 74.Ka5 Kc5 75.Nh3 Kd5?! 76.Nf4+ Kc6 77.Nxg2 Kc7 78.Kb5 Kb8 79.Kc6 Kc8 80.Nf4 Kb8 81.Ne6 Kc8= is a book draw. 73...Kc7 74.Kc5 Kd7 75.Ng1 Kc7 76.Nh3 Kd7 77.Ng1 Kc7 78.Nh3 Kd7 79.Ng1 ½–½

Two more draws followed, but then came the decisive game which allowed Aronian to go into day 2 of the finals with an advantage. The Armenian made the most of the initiative in an interesting position with opposite-coloured bishops on the board.

 

Wei, Yi2727

0–1

Aronian, Levon2775

FTX Road to Miami KO 2022 Online16.07.2022[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.a4 c5 8.axb5 cxd4 9.Nxd4 h6 10.Bxf6 Qxf6 11.Bxc4 Bb7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Nf3 Rd8 14.Qb3 Bc5 15.Na4 Bf8 16.Qe3 Nd7 17.Rad1 g5 18.e5 Qf4 19.Qxf4 gxf4 20.Be2 Rab8 21.Rd4 Bxf3 22.gxf3 Nxe5 23.Rfd1 Rxd4 24.Rxd4

Opposite colored bishops favor the attacker. This guideline from the middlegame is valid in the endgame as well, when more pieces are on the board: 24...Rxb5! The tactics work for Black. 25.Rxf4 25.Bxb5 Nxf3+ 26.Kg2 Nxd4-+ 25...Rd5 26.Re4 Ng6 27.h3 Bg7 28.Kf1 Rh5 29.Kg2 Be5 30.f4 Rh4! The tactics work for Black again. 31.Kg3?! 31.Rxe5 Nxe5 32.fxe5 Rxa4-+ 31.fxe5 Rxe4-+ 31.Bf1!? is more tenacious, but Black should win in the long run after f5 32.Rc4 Rxf4 33.Rxf4 Nxf4+ 34.Kf3 Kf7-+ 31...Bxf4+

32.Kg2 Be5 33.Rxh4 Nxh4+ 34.Kf1 Bd4 35.b4 Ng6 36.Nc5 Nf4 36...Bxc5 37.bxc5 Kf8-+ wins as well. 37.Bc4 Kf8 37...Bxc5 wins as well, e.g. 38.bxc5 Kf8 39.h4 Ke7 40.f3 e5 41.Kf2 Ne6 42.c6 Kd6 43.Ke3 Kxc6 44.Ke4 Kd6 45.Kf5 Nd4+ 46.Kf6 Nxf3-+ 38.Nd7+ Ke7 39.Nb8 Kd6 40.h4 Nh3 41.f3 Nf4 42.Bb5 Nd5 43.Be8?! 43.Na6 f5 44.Be8 Bf6 45.h5 Bc3 46.b5 Ke7 47.Bc6 Nf4-+ 43...Nxb4 43...Nxb4 44.Bxf7 a5 45.Be8 Kc7 46.Nd7 Kd8-+ 0–1

Aronian won twice with black in the second set. In game 1, his opponent faltered in a rook endgame. This error turned out to be crucial going forward, as the Chinese was forced to win at least two games to take the match to tiebreaks.

 

Wei, Yi2727

0–1

Aronian, Levon2775

FTX Road to Miami KO 2022 Online16.07.2022[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 b6 6.f3 Nc6 7.e4 Na5 8.Bd3 d6 9.f4 Bb7 10.Qe2 Nb3 11.Rb1 Nxc1 12.Rxc1 e5 13.Nf3 exf4 14.0-0 0-0 15.Nd2 g6 16.Rxf4 Nh5 17.Rf2 Qg5 18.Rcf1 Rae8 19.Nf3 Qg4 20.Nd2 Qxe2 21.Rxe2 Bc8 22.Ref2 Re7 23.Nf3 Nf6 24.e5 dxe5 25.Nxe5 Ng4 26.Nxg4 Bxg4 27.h3 Bd7 28.Re2 Rxe2 29.Bxe2 Re8 30.Kf2 Bc6 31.d5 Bd7 32.Rb1 Bf5 33.Rb2 Be4 34.a4 Kf8 35.Bf3 Bxf3 36.Kxf3 Re1 37.c5 Rc1 38.Rb3 bxc5 39.Rb7 Rxc3+ 40.Ke4 Ke7 41.Rxc7+ Kd6 42.Rc6+ Kd7 43.Ra6 f5+ 44.Kf4 Rc2 45.g4 Rc4+ 46.Kf3 Rc3+ 47.Kf4 Rc4+ 48.Kf3 Rc3+ 49.Kf4 Rxh3 50.gxf5 gxf5 51.Kxf5 h5 52.Ke4 Kc7 53.Rxa7+ Kb6 54.Ra8 c4 55.Rc8 Kb7 56.Rc5 Rg3 57.d6 h4 58.a5 h3 59.Rc7+ Ka6 60.Rh7 Rd3

All rook endings are drawn. But pawn races must be calculated very precisely: 61.Rh6? This retreat is too passive. The direct 61.d7 draws, e.g. Kxa5 61...h2 62.Rxh2 Rxd7 63.Ra2 Kb5 64.a6 Ra7 65.Kd4= 62.Ke5 Kb4 62...c3 63.Rxh3 Rxd7 64.Rxc3= 62...h2 63.Ke6 Re3+ 64.Kd6= 63.Ke6 c3 64.Rxh3 Rxh3 65.d8Q c2 66.Qc7= 61...Kxa5 61...Kxa5 62.Ke5 c3 63.Ke4 Rxd6 64.Rxd6 c2 65.Rc6 h2 66.Rxc2 h1Q+-+ 61...h2? 62.Rxh2 Rxd6 63.Ra2 Kb5 64.a6 Rxa6 65.Rxa6 Kxa6 66.Kd4 Kb5 67.Kc3= 0–1

All games from the final match

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