Reply #4: Aronian - Leko, Rapid, Round 2

[Jack Rabbit]

Levon Aronian
Photo: ChessBase.com


Levon Aronian - Peter Leko
Melody Amber Tournament (Rapid Competition), Round 2
Nice, 15 March 2009

East India Game: Queen's Indian Defense

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 b6 4.g3 Ba6 5.Qc2 Bb7 6.Bg2 c5 7.d5 exd5 8.cxd5 Nxd5

• 8...Bxd5 9.Nc3 Bc6 10.e4 d6 11.Bf4 Nh5 12.Be3 Be7 13.0-0-0 Nd7 14.e5 Nxe5 15.Nxe5 Bxg2 gives Black two extra pawns (Gormally-Devereaux, EU Ch, Liverpool, 2006).

9.0-0 Be7 10.Rd1 Nc6

• If 10...Qc8 then:
• If 11.Qf5 Nf6 12.Nc3 then:
• 12...0-0 13.Bg5 d6 14.Qxc8 Rxc8 15.Nb5 Nbd7 16.Nxd6 Bxd6 17.Rxd6 h6 18.Be3 Nf8 is equal (Khalifman-H. Olafsson, Areoflot Op, Moscow, 2008).
• 12...Nc6 13.Bg5 d5 14.Qf4 d4 15.Bxf6 Bxf6 16.Nd5 Bd8 17.e3 Ne7 18.Nxe7 Bxe7 19.exd4 0-0 20.dxc5 bxc5 21.Rac1 a5 22.b3 Ra6 23.Re1 Bf6 is equal (Cheparinov-Kamsky, Grand Prix, Baku, 2008).
• If 11.Bg5 h6 12.Bxe7 Nxe7 13.e4 0-0 14.Nc3 Nbc6 15.Rd2 then:
• 15...Ba6 16.Bh3 Ng6 17.Bxd7 Qb7 18.Rad1 Nge5 19.Nxe5 Nxe5 is equal (Sakaev-Zakhartsov, Russian Ch HL, Krasnoyarsk, 2007).
• 15...Rd8 16.Bh3 Qb8 17.Rad1 Ng6 18.Nb5 Nge5 draw (Ushenina-Javakhishvili, World ChTW, Ekaterininburg, 2007).

11.Qa4

• If 11.Qf5 Nf6 12.e4 g6 13.Qf4 0-0 14.e5 Nh5 then:
• 15.Qh6 Nd4 16.Nxd4 Bxg2 17.Kxg2 cxd4 18.g4 Rc8 19.Rxd4 Ng7 20.Nc3 f5 21.Qd2 Bc5 22.Rxd7 Qh4 23.Nd5 Qxg4+ 24.Kf1 Qh3+ 25.Kg1 Qg4+ 26.Kf1 Qh3+ 27.Kg1 Qg4+ draw (Aronian-Leko, Tal Mem, Moscow, 2006).
• 15.Qg4 d5 16.exd6 Bxd6 17.Nc3 Qb8 18.Bh6 Re8 19.Qa4 a6 20.Nd5 b5 21.Qh4 Ne7 22.Ne3 Ra7 23.Rd2 Nc6 24.Nf5 Nd4 25.N3xd4 cxd4 26.Nxd6 Qxd6 27.Rxd4 Qe6 28.Bxb7 Rxb7 29.Rad1 is equal (Wang Yue-Rowson, TMatch, Liverpool, 2007).

11...Nf6 12.Nh4!?

• 12.e4 0-0 13.e5 Ne8 14.Nc3 Nc7 15.Be3 Qe8 16.Rd2 Rd8 17.Rad1 f5 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.Bxc5 bxc5 20.Qb3+ Ne6 21.Qxb7 Ned4 22.Nxd4 Bxd4 23.Qb3+ Kh8 24.Nb5 d5 25.Nxd4 Nxd4 26.Qa3 Qb5 is equal (Akopian-Malac, Euro ChT, Kallithea, 2008).

12...g6

• The position is murky: Black has an extra pawn and White has more space.
• After 12...0-0 13.Nc3 Re8 14.Nf5 h6 15.Bf4 Bf8 Black still has an extra pawn, but White has more space.

13.Bh6 Bf8

• 13...a6 14.Nc3 b5 15.Qf4 Qb8 16.Qd2 Ne5 17.Nd5 is equal.

14.Bxf8 Kxf8 15.Nc3 Kg7

• The position is unclear: White has moire space and Black has an extra pawn.

16.Rd6 Na5 17.Qf4?!

• Less clear is 17.Rad1!? Bxg2 18.Nxg2 Re8 19.Ne3 Re6 20.Ng4 b5, giving Black an extra pawn and White more space.

17...Bxg2!

• Black takes the initiative.

18.Kxg2 h6?!

• When one has the inititiative, on should play more actively than this.
• If 18...Ne8! 19.Rd3 Qf6 20.Qf3 then:
• 20...Qxf3+ 21.Nxf3 d6 22.e4 Nf6 23.Re1 Rhe8 24.Rxd6 Nc4 White can give up the exchange to kill Black's initiative.
• 20...Qc6 21.Qxc6 dxc6 22.e4 Nf6 23.e5 Ng4 maintains Black's initiative.

19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.Qxe4 Re8?

• White has more space and Black would do better to seek exchanges.
• 20...Qe8! 21.Qd3 Rd8 22.Rd1 Nb7 23.Rd5 d6 holds the position and gives Black a little breathing room.

BLACK: Peter Leko
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WHITE: Levon Aronian
Position after 20...Rh8e8

21.Rxg6+!!

• The Rook sacrifice is the beginning of a long winded mating combination.
• 21.Qd3?! Re6 22.Rxd7 Qf6 23.Rb1 Rae8 24.e3 Nc6 Black is at least equal.

21...fxg6 22.Qxg6+ Kf8 23.Qxh6+ Ke7

• 23...Kg8 24.Qg6+ Kh8 25.Nf5 Re7 26.Qh6+ Rh7 27.Qg6 leaves Black's king exposed to attack.

24.Nf5+ Kf7 25.Nd6+ Ke7

• 25...Kg8 26.Qg6+ Kh8 27.Nf7#.

26.Rd1 Rf8 27.Rd5 Rf6 28.Qh7+ Kf8 29.Rg5 1-0

• White soon delivers mate.
• Grandmaster Leko resigns.