4/25/2012 – The fourth game of the Zurich Chess Challenge, another Berlin Defense, ended in a draw before the prescribed minimum of 30 moves or three hours. In such cases Swiss law – well, the match rules – prescribe that a rapid game be played, which is not rated or counted in the final score. This exciting game was won by Levon Aronian with the black pieces. Round four report with analysis.
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Zurich Chess Challenge: Kramnik vs. Aronian
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 four
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1.e4
1,162,869
54%
2421
---
1.d4
944,726
55%
2434
---
1.Nf3
280,651
56%
2441
---
1.c4
181,586
56%
2442
---
1.g3
19,663
56%
2427
---
1.b3
14,175
54%
2427
---
1.f4
5,871
48%
2376
---
1.Nc3
3,767
51%
2384
---
1.b4
1,737
48%
2378
---
1.a3
1,193
54%
2403
---
1.e3
1,064
48%
2408
---
1.d3
945
50%
2378
---
1.g4
658
46%
2359
---
1.h4
444
53%
2373
---
1.c3
422
51%
2422
---
1.h3
278
56%
2416
---
1.a4
108
60%
2468
---
1.Nh3
88
66%
2510
---
1.f3
87
45%
2429
---
1.Na3
40
63%
2477
---
Please, wait...
1.e460e5602.Nf30Nc603.Bb50Nf604.0-00Nxe405.d40Nd60 Kramnik relies again on the
Berlin Defense, and why not?6.Bxc60dxc607.dxe50Nf508.Qxd8+60Kxd809.h30Ke8010.Nc30h56011.Bg50Be6012.b3012.a3was Vachier-Lagraeve's choice against Nielsen last year, and
it netted him a victory.12.Rad1Be713.b3transposes to the game, but
its a more common way of reaching the position.12...Be724013.Rad1 0h4 6014.Rfe1 60 a novelty, but hardly something earth-shattering. Hou Yifan tried Rd3 against Ni Hua, but that game also went the drawn ways quickly.Rd8 24015.Rxd8+ 180Kxd8 60 This position was reached rather quickly. Black already has solved a lot of problems - he exchanged one pair of rooks, he got his pawn all the way to h4 which allows his rook in the game quickly and White hasn't made much progress. True, White now has a solid grasp over g5, and cannot possibly be worse, but his chances or winning are also slim. Here we were all expecting a rapid game to start up soon.16.Ne4 0b6 30017.Bf4 300Kc8 48018.Neg5 420 Bxg5 18019.Bxg5 60Bd5 0 Opposite colored bishops are now on the board, and white has to retreat his knight in a rather awkward way.20.Nh2 60c5 24021.Rd1 300Bc6 24022.c3 60a5 18023.Ng4 180Bd7 30024.f3240a418025.Kf2120 Neither side has very realistic
hopes of winning this position. Black has slightly more activity but there is
just not too much he can do with that. On to the rapid!½–½
Vladimir Kramnik and Levon Aronian discuss the game at the board, then ...
... proceed to the press conference with IM Werner Hug and GM Yannick Pelletier
The rapid game
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1.e45700e557002.Nf30Nc603.Bb50a604.Ba40Nf605.d30 In yesterday's round many
commentators pointed out that Kramnik was afraid to test Aronian's Marshall.
It seems that Kramnik isn't willing to go into it even in a rapid game!b506.Bb30Bc507.c30d6 08.Bg5 0 Already a new move. The position resembles an Archangel, but some key differences are on the board. First, White has very little hope of playing for a quick d4. His bishop on g5 seems misplaced, but it binds some of Black's ideas and it is pretty annoying as there is no easy way to break the pin.h6 09.Bh4 0Bb6 12010.Nbd2 0Rb8 12011.Qe2 60 White is probably delaying Castling as much as possible in hopes that Black castles first, making a g5-h5 push less likely.a5 6012.a4 60b4 013.0-0 120g5!? 59 Done anyways! Both sides are out for blood now. Black has a lot of space but considerable weaknesses. Will his pawn pushes be rewarded or punished?14.Bg3 00-0 1114...Nh515.Nc4Ba716.Ne3bxc317.Bd5Ne718.Nxe5!?Would've been
fun.15.Nc4 184Ba7 7216.Nfd2 25 Preventing the previously mentioned Nh5 idea.h5! 79 Going for even more space! Black is not worried about the weaknesses left behind - he is banking on his piece activity and space advantage to restrict White.17.h3 14h4 4718.Bh2 88Kg7 5319.Kh1 42Rh8 1 Already Levon prepares malicious threats. g4/h3 is in the air.20.d4!? 50 And the game goes wild! Kramnik valiantly tries to free himself from the binding pawns. If he succeeds in opening up the game too much, even at the cost of a few pawns, he will have a wonderful initiative against his opponent's weakened king.bxc3 5021.bxc3 3exd4 7622.e5 23 The pointdxc3! 27 Levon doesn't want to concede any intiative, and sacrifices a knight. For it, he will get some king safety, strong pawns and well coordinated pieces.22...dxe523.Nxe5Re824.Rae1!is a significant initiative.23.exf6+ 227Qxf6 024.f4!? 0 This move might be too optimistic. But interesting! Objectively I'm sure it's just bad though.24.Ne4Qe725.Bd125.Bc2!?d526.Rae1dxe427.Bxe4∞25...d526.Nxc3Qxe227.Bxe2dxc428.Bxc4=Would've
been a very sad continuation considering how promising the game was going.24...cxd2 025.fxg5 0Qe6 026.Qd1? 27026.Ne5is brought to you by the magic of computers.Rxb327.Rxf7+Kg828.Rf6dxe529.Rxe6Bxe630.Qxd2Black's king is exposed, yes, but I'm
not entirely sure White has sufficient compensation for the sacrificed material.
I've a feeling the Queen will be overwhelmed. However it's much better than
the game continuation.26...Rxb3!-+ 027.Qxb3 6Ba6 0 Nicely calculated. Black gets the exchange back, and forces the trade of queens.28.Qf3? 149 Objectively bad, but the other moves lost without resistance.28.Nxd2Qxb329.Nxb3Bxf130.Rxf1Rb8is a completely
hopeless endgame for White.28...Bxc4-+ 929.Qxc6 0Bd4 629...Bxf130.Rxf1Qe2was possible, the text is just
more exact.30.Bg1 1930.Rad1Bxf131.Rxf1Qe2is really over,
as White doesn't have Qc3+ anymore.30...Bxa1 6531.Rxa1 0Re8! 2132.g6 106Qf6! 145 33.Qxc4 32Re1 034.Kh2-2 0Rxa1235.Bd40Rh1+0 A nice finishing tactic. Levon played a superb game, without fear.0–1
The games are being broadcast live on the official web site, and naturally
on Playchess. In addition there was a video broadcast with commentary and images
from the playing hall. If you missed it you can follow the entire four hours
of action and the press conference in this video stream:
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