[Event "Alekhine Memorial"]

[Site "http://lichess.org/ydhcrvkj"]
[Date "2013.10.17"]
[White "Ding Liren"]
[Black "Levon Aronian"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "D15"]
[Opening "Slav Defense, Chameleon Variation"]
1.d4 d5
2.c4 c6 { slav defence }
3.Nf3 Nf6
4.Nc3 a6 { Now black is ready to hold on to that pawn. White trys to get out c1 bishop and Bg5 is
not that good }
( 4...dxc4 5.e3 b5 { Black is trying to hold on to c4 pawn but it's too early } 6.a4 a6
( 6...b4 7.Na2 { White will win one of the pawns b4, c4 back } ) 7.axb5 cxb5 8.Nxb5 axb5 9.Rxa8
)
5.e3 { capture of c4 is defended now }
( 5.Bg5 { This is not such a good move because black is able now to capture c4 pawn and hold on
to it } dxc4 6.e3 b5 7.a4 Bb7 { The rook is protected now and also b5 pawn will live } ) e6 { semi
slav }
6.c5 { Grab some space and control b6 and d6. Here black has to make a decision to live with this
pawn or not on his own territory and this can happen by moving b6 } Nbd7
( 6...b6 7.b4
( 7.cxb6 { Best move } Nbd7 8.Bd2 Qxb6 9.Na4 Qa7 10.Rc1 { White has a lot of piece
activity on the queen side. } c5 11.Be2 Be7 12.O-O c4 13.b3 cxb3 14.axb3 O-O 15.Ba5 { We have
ideas of b4, Rc7, Nc5. White is very active. Bc8 is the bad bishop for black and it's very hard to
exchange it. In the game black is succeeding to exchange the bad bishop from c8 } )
a5 8.a3 axb4 9.axb4 Rxa1 )
7.b4 b6
8.Bb2 a5
9.a3 { b4 is reinforced that means that c5 will life } Be7
10.Bd3 O-O
11.O-O Ba6 { Black is playing with a space deficit, but his able to exchange his bad bishop with
the good bishop of the white side }
12.Ne1 { Preparing to capture with the night. d3 square is a nice square for the night, but black can
strike to the center by playing e5 but this is leading to big complications and an unbalanced position
} Bc4
( 12...e5 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.b5 cxb5 15.c6 Nb8 16.dxe5 Ne8 )
( 12...Bxd3 13.Nxd3 Qc7 14.Qe2 Qb7 15.f3 axb4 16.axb4 Rxa1 17.Rxa1 Ra8 18.Rxa8+ Qxa8 {
Black is benefiting after all these exchanges } )
13.Bxc4 { Black bishop MUST be capture if not black will play b5 having double protection of the
bishop } dxc4 { Black has a passed pawn and it can be also protected by b5, D file is opened,
white has a 2(e3, d4) to 1(e6) pawns majority in the center }
14.Qe2 Rb8 { Indirectly defending the pawn because in the end Bb2 will fall }
15.Ra2 ( 15.Qxc4 bxc5 16.bxc5 Rxb2 ) b5 { Queen side is locked and black has protected passed
pawn. In this game rooks are a problem for black and don''''t contribute to this game at all and this is
due to move 12... Bc4. In order to save the pawn black is closing the position. Where do we proceed
from here? This is an important position of this game. If black wants to exchange pieces he has to
play 12... Bxd3 }
16.e4 { This is a very important move to play right now. There are other things that white can do
regroup the rook from a2 it''''s no longer require to watch over Bb2. Regroup the night to c2 }
( 16.Ra1 { If we play a passive move black will take advantage and try to exchange pieces like

Nd5. That''''s why we have to control d5 square by playing e4 then do the Ra1, Nc2 or Bc1
rerouting the bishop to h2-b8 diagonal } Nd5 ) Rb7 { preparing to come on the D file double the
rooks. Another thing is that the night will reroute to b8-a6-c7 and watch over the d5 square. If white
plays e5 then night will jump to d5 square }
17.Nc2 Nb8
18.Raa1 Qc8
19.Rad1 Rd8
20.Bc1 Na6
21.Bf4 Rbd7
22.h3 Ne8 { This allow bishop to go to f6 and pressure d4 pawn }
23.Qe3 { preparing to go to g3 to watch over g3-b8 diagonal and g3-g8 line followed by Bh6
making black to play g6 and cause weakness on the dark squares. Nc2, Nc3 and b4 pawn are
controlling the entry points (a1, a2, a3, a4, a5) on A file } Bf6
24.e5 { Is played with tempo. We give up d5 square and we have 2 pawns that are controlling d6
square } Be7
25.Ne4 Nac7
26.Nd6 Qa8
27.Qg3 Nd5
28.Ne3 Nc3 { Threatens e2 forking the king and the queen }
29.Rde1 Bxd6 { Black captures the night from d6 in order to play Ne4 }
30.exd6 Ne4
31.Qh4 Nd2 { Black is winning the exchange. The night moved from d5-c3-e4 with tempo and
d2 }
32.Nd5 { Sharp move a discovered attack on Nd2. If Nxf1 we play an intermediary move Nb6
heating the rook and the queen } Nxf1
33.Nb6 Qa7
34.Rxf1 { Maybe it was better to take with the king so the rook can stay on the semi open file.
Maybe the king want to stay away from any surprising checks } Nf6 { White can take the rook
from d7 but it does not make any sense because the 2 rooks are not doing anything and the value of
the night is very high }
35.Be5 { Putting pressure on the night and on g7 pawn indirectly } Nd5
36.Nxd5 { Not taking the rook because the rooks are not doing anything. The black night is an
active piece and we have to remove it } exd5
( 36...cxd5 { This is not good because white has 2 passed pawns } )
37.Bxg7 Kxg7 { White is down a full rook but the 2 rooks and the queen are not doing anything }
38.Qg5+ Kf8
39.Qf6 { White threatens Qh8# } Kg8
40.Qg5+ Kf8
41.Qf6 Kg8
42.Re1 { Preparing a rook lift } axb4
43.Re5 { Best move } ( 43.Re3 Qxa3 44.Rg3+ Qxg3 45.fxg3 { Black has 2 passed pawns and he
wins the only way is to give a perpetual check } ) h6
44.Rh5
( 44.Qxh6 { Bad move } f6 { queen and rook are able to defend from lateral } )
Qxa3
45.Qxh6 { Right move threatening Qh8# }
( 45.Rxh6 Qc1+ 46.Kh2 Qxh6 47.Qxh6 )
f6
46.Qxf6 { Aronian resigns due to Rh8# } Rg7
47.Qxd8+ Kf7
48.Qe7+ Kg8 ( 48...Kg6 49.Rg5+ Kh7 50.Qxg7# )
49.Qe8#

1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6
3. Nf3 Nf6
4. Nc3 a6 { Slav Defense, Chameleon Variation }
5. e3 e6
6. c5 Nbd7
7. b4 b6
8. Bb2 a5
9. a3 Be7
10. Bd3 O-O
11. O-O Ba6
12. Ne1 Bc4
13. Bxc4 dxc4
14. Qe2 Rb8
15. Ra2 b5
16. e4 Rb7
17. Nc2 Nb8
18. Raa1 Qc8
19. Rad1 Rd8
20. Bc1 Na6
21. Bf4 Rbd7?! { (0.16 0.79) Inaccuracy. The best move was axb4. }
(21... axb4 22. axb4 Ra7 23. Ra1 Qb7 24. Ra5 Rda8 25. Rfa1 Nc7 26. f3 Rxa5 27. bxa5 Bd8 28.
Nb4 Na6 29. Nxa6)
22. h3?! { (0.79 0.22) Inaccuracy. The best move was bxa5. }
(22. bxa5 Qa8 23. Na2 Ne8 24. Nab4 Nf6 25. f3)
22... Ne8?! { (0.22 0.77) Inaccuracy. The best move was a4. }
(22... a4 23. Be5 Nc7 24. Ne3 Qb7 25. Rd2 Nfe8 26. Rfd1 Bg5 27. f4 Be7 28. Qg4 Nf6 29. Qg3
Nh5 30. Qf3)
23. Qe3?! { (0.77 0.25) Inaccuracy. The best move was bxa5. }
(23. bxa5 Qa8 24. Qe3 f6 25. e5 f5 26. Ra1 Nec7 27. Rfb1 Qb7 28. Qg3 g6 29. Qe3 Nd5 30. Nxd5
Rxd5)
23... Bf6
24. e5 Be7
25. Ne4 Nac7
26. Nd6 Qa8
27. Qg3 Nd5
28. Ne3 Nc3
29. Rde1 Bxd6
30. exd6 Ne4
31. Qh4 Nd2
32. Nd5 Nxf1
33. Nb6 Qa7
34. Rxf1 Nf6
35. Be5 Nd5
36. Nxd5 exd5
37. Bxg7 Kxg7
38. Qg5+ Kf8
39. Qf6 Kg8
40. Qg5+ Kf8
41. Qf6 Kg8
42. Re1 axb4
43. Re5 h6

44. Rh5 Qxa3?! { (9.09 Mate in 13) Checkmate is now unavoidable. The best move was Rxd6. }
(44... Rxd6 45. cxd6 Rxd6 46. Qxd6 Qxd4 47. Qxh6 Qd1+ 48. Kh2 Qxh5 49. Qxh5 bxa3 50. Qg5+
Kf8 51. Qg3 a2 52. Qa3+)
45. Qxh6 f6
46. Qxf6 Rg7
47. Qxd8+ Kf7
48. Qe7+ Kg8
49. Qe8# { Black is checkmated } 1-0