4/24/2012 – On move eleven Levon Aronian sacrificed his queen – and it didn't seem to be preparation, as the opening choice by Vladimir Kramnik was very offbeat – a Scotch Four Knights, something he had never played before. He refuted the very dangerous looking attack of Aronian with precise calculation and went on to win an unusually exciting game – for which we bring you extensive commentary.
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The Zurich Chess Club announces a six-game chess match between Vladimir Kramnik
(Russia) and Levon Aronian (Armenia) from 21 to 28 April 2012. The numbers two
and three of the world ranking will meet in the time-honored Hotel Savoy Baur
en Ville at Paradeplatz, the venue of many a famous chess event in the past.
Kramnik and Aronian are the winners of the two most prestigious tournaments
of the last months. While the 36-year-old Kramnik gained a convincing victory
at the London Chess Classic in December, the 29-year-old Aronian won the famous
tournament in Wijk aan Zee with an outstanding score.
Game three
Before the start of game three: Levon Aronian and Vladimir Kramnik
[Event "Zurich Chess challenge Kramnik vs Aroni"] [Site "Zurich"] [Date "2012.04.24"]
[Round "3.3"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C47"] [WhiteElo "2801"] [BlackElo "2820"] [Annotator "Ramirez,Alejandro"]
[PlyCount "83"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] [EventCountry "SUI"] 1. e4 {60 There
is a certain irony when a valid comment is to state that both players of the
match chose 1.e4 as a surprise weapon. After Aronian's 1.e4 in game two, Kramnik
also chooses to employ it. True, Kramnik has played it before, but the last
time he did so in a classic game was against Adams in the 2006 Dortmund SuperGM
tournament. They drew.} e5 {60} 2. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {0 This is already the first
decision, though Kramnik had assuredly planned this in advance. Against the
more typical 3.Bb5, Aronian usually plays his pet Marshall Gambit, his primary
choice to neutralize his opponent with black. Unless Kramnik wishes to draw,
or somehow try to outbook one the world's foremost theoretician's in the line,
he needs another plan.} 3. Nc3 {0} Nf6 {0} 4. d4 $1 {0 The exclamation is because
there is no way Aronian could have expected this unless he has a crystal ball.
For one thing, Kramnik has never played any form of Scotch Defense with black
or white in his career. The opening motto of the match seems to be "expect the
unexpected".} exd4 {120 Aronian's only foray in this line dates back to 2003,
when he was 19 years old and rated 2581.} 5. Nxd4 {0} Bc5 {240} (5... Bb4 6.
Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 { Transposes to one of the main lines of the Scotch game. Aronian
wants none of that. As he said after the game - he was playing for a win! This
is a great advantage of the 'friendly' matches, as they allow players to really
play for both results.}) 6. Be3 {60} Bb6 {0.00/0 60} 7. Qd2 {0.27/0 120 "Expect
the unexpected" indeed! This variation has only been played twice by players
even rated 2500, and only one is worth mentioning.} O-O {0.29/0 420} 8. O-O-O
{0.29/ 0 0} Re8 {0.35/0 0} 9. f3 {0.39/0 60} d5 {0.42/0 120 as Kramnik says,
this is the only way of justifying Black's previous play. In some way, the Queen
sacrifice that follows is somewhat forced.} (9... d6 10. g4 Nxd4 11. Bxd4 Be6
12. Rg1 Bxd4 13. Qxd4 c5 14. Qd2 Qa5 15. a3 a6 16. g5 Nd7 17. f4 b5 18. f5 Bc4
19. g6 fxg6 20. Bxc4+ bxc4 21. fxg6 h6 22. Qxd6 Ne5 23. Rd5 Qd8 24. Qxc5 Qh4
25. Rdd1 Rac8 26. Qa7 Qxh2 27. Nd5 c3 28. bxc3 Qh4 29. Rdf1 Kh8 30. Qd4 Nc6
{ 1/2-1/2 (30) Reefat,B (2430)-Hebden,M (2550) Dhaka 1995 CBM 048 [King, D]})
10. exd5 {0.38/0 480} Nxd5 {0.27/0 60} 11. Bg5 {0.41/0 0} Nxc3 {0.52/0 120}
12. Bxd8 {0.53/0 480} Nxd1 $1 {1.21/0 60} (12... Bxd4 13. Re1 Nxa2+ 14. Kb1
Rxd8 15. Kxa2 Be6+ 16. Rxe6 $1 fxe6 {is clearly better for White.}) 13. Bxc7
{0.76/ 0 660} (13. Bh4 Nxd4 14. Qxd1 Nf5 15. Bg5 h6 {Black has enough compensation
for the queen.}) 13... Bxc7 {0.66/0 420} 14. Nxc6 {0.59/0 60 White is up a significant
amount of material, but Black has a great deal of counterplay. First, he has
the pair of bishops, which gives him a strong hold on some dark squares. Also,
Black's pieces will swing into the game very quickly.} Ne3 {0. 54/0 1020} 15.
Bb5 $1 {0.52/0 1380 Kramnik spent a lot of time on this move. Going back is
simply not an option!} (15. Nd4 $6 Bf4 {already leaves white in huge problems.
Consider the following two mover:} 16. Bb5 {(actually best)} Nf1 $1 {And Black
regains more than he sacrificed for the queen.}) 15... bxc6 {1. 14/0 1080} (15...
Bf5 $6 16. Nd4 Bf4 17. Bxe8 Nxg2 18. Qxf4 Nxf4 19. Bxf7+ Kxf7 20. Nxf5 {This
is not so easy to win, but : "if I wanted to hold, I would've played 5... Bb4"
- Aronian}) (15... a6 16. Ba4 Nc4 $5 {Wait for the next CBM issue for full annotations
in all these crazy variations.}) 16. Bxc6 {0.86/0 0} Nc4 {1.26/0 540} 17. Qd4
{0.95/0 900} (17. Qb4 $5 {Kramnik mentioned during the postmortem that this
was possibly better.}) 17... Be6 {0.49/0 120} 18. Bxa8 {1.50/0 0} Bb6 $1 {0.98/0
0 The problem of having an extra queen is that when it gets attacked you really
have to move it. Black is building up slowly by using the Queen as a punching
bag.} 19. Qd3 {1.67/0 1260} (19. Qe4 {trying to hold on to the Bishop, simply
doesn't work.} Be3+ 20. Kd1 (20. Kb1 $4 Nd2+ $19) 20... Nxb2+ (20... Rd8+ $5
21. Ke1 Bb6 {Aronian thought that he was winning in this position. Much more
analysis is needed.}) 21. Ke1 Bd7 {And Black is at least ok in every line.})
19... Rxa8 {1.06/0 900} 20. Re1 {0.64/0 0 Of course, every amateur will tell
you that three pieces are worth more than a queen. However, in this specific
instance, White also has two pawns, one of them passed! The struggle is far
from over.} Rd8 {1.93/0 60} 21. Qe4 {1.07/0 0} g5 { 1.51/0 600 This is a strange
move. Black seems to weaken unnecessarily.} 22. c3 {2.14/0 120} (22. b3 Bc5
23. Qb7 Ba3+ 24. Kb1 Nd2+ 25. Ka1 {and Black cannot make any progress.}) 22...
Bc5 {1.72/0 274} 23. Re2 {1.61/0 240} h6 {1.93/0 93} 24. g3 {1.61/0 237 The
pieces are controlled for now, and now f4-f5 is coming into the fray.} a5 {1.33/0
212} 25. f4 {1.61/0 82} a4 {1.61/0 206} 26. f5 {2. 14/0 320} Bd5 {1.89/0 4}
27. Qd3 $1 {1.87/0 6 Forced, but sufficient. There are no good discoveries since
the rook is under attack, but as Kramnik proves, even if it was protected, there
is nothing to fear.} (27. Qg4 $2 a3 28. b3 Ne3 $1 {and the tables have turned.})
27... Bb6 {4.51/0 179} 28. b3 $1 {4.55/0 93} axb3 {3.34/0 36} 29. axb3 {4.28/0
3} Na5 {3.17/0 13} 30. Re8+ {2.34/0 195 A very human decision. Kramnik eliminates
some pieces and lets his pawns decide the issue.} (30. Qb5 $1 {is a surprising
resource easily found by computers. However the Grandmasters were in time pressure
and it is not so easy to calculate.} Nxb3+ 31. Kc2 Bc5 32. Re5 $18 {The bishop
is trapped which means that the knight is doomed. Black has no more counterplay.})
30... Rxe8 {2.39/0 3} 31. Qxd5 {2.19/0 1 In many ways, the smoke has cleared.
Black's material is very reduced, so there is no possibility of creating serious
threats against the king. Without these threats, the pawns will simply roll
forward.} Rd8 {2. 13/0 93} 32. Qb5 {2.18/0 31} Rd6 {3.16/0 37} 33. Kc2 {2.86/0
63} (33. Qe5 $1 { was more accurate to prevent a little maneouvre from black,
Bd8-f6, which grants him some coordination.}) 33... Kg7 {4.01/0 37} (33... Bd8
$1 {Aronian was down to his last few minutes here, and this backwards move is
again, hard to find. White should still be winning in this position with accurate
play, but the idea is to put the B on the a1-h8 diagonal, which combined with
a N on c6 might potentially create threats against the king.} 34. Qb8 $1) 34.
b4 {3. 70/0 17} Nb7 {3.26/0 0} 35. c4 {3.84/0 43 Now it's all over, Black has
no coordination, and there is little hope to sacrifice one piece for both pawns.}
Rf6 {4.05/0 4} 36. g4 {4.60/0 55} Nd8 {3.78/0 3} 37. c5 {4.06/0 11} Bc7 {6.48/
0 1} 38. Qd7 {7.18/0 9} Nc6 {9.13/0 1} 39. b5 {11.01/0 27} Na7 {17.01/0 1} 40.
Qxc7 {299.82/0 35} Nxb5 {16.26/0 1} 41. Qe5 {3621} (41. Qd7 $1 {Traps the knight,
but White no longer has to be very accurate, just minorly careful.}) 41... Na7
{3601} 42. Kd3 {0 The king marches in, and the knight cannot help unpin the
rook. A very exciting game in which Aronian was maybe too optimistic throughout
the entire game, as can be seen in some of the comments. They did provide quite
the spectacle!} 1-0
Video report on Game 3 by Daniel King
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