Levon Aronian vs Vasilios Kotronias (2005)

Levon Aronian vs Vasilios Kotronias
Gibraltar Masters (2005) · English Opening: Anglo-Indian Defense. King's Indian Formation (A15) · 1-0

To move:

Last move:

explore this opening	find similar games	2 more Aronian/Kotronias games
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Feb-15-05		patzer2: 1.f3 f6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 g7 4.g2 0–0 5.0–0 d6 <Somewhat drawish by reputation, but with possibilities for Black is 5...c5 as in A Petrosian vs Smejkal, 1977; 6.c3 e5 7.h3 <This is a novelty of Aronian's that he used won with previously in Aronian vs Movsesian, 2002 > 7...c6 8.e4 bd7 9.d3 a6 10.b1 e8 <10...Nc5!? 11.Be3 Ne6 12.d4 exd4 13.Nxd4 Nxd4 14.Bxd4 Be6 15.b3 Re8 16.Qd3 b5 17.Ne2 bxc4 18.bxc4 d5 19.cxd5 cxd5 20.f3 dxe4 21.fxe4 Rc8=> 11.e3 b5 12.b4 b7 13.d2 c8 <13...d5!? 14.exd5 cxd5 15.a4 Qc7 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.cxd5 Nf6 18.d6 Qd7 19.Ne4 Nxe4 20.dxe4 bxa4 21.Qd3 Bc6 22.Rfd1 Rec8 23.Bc5˛> 14.a4 f8 <14...bxa4!? 15.Qxa4 d5 16.exd5 cxd5 17.Nxd5 Nxd5 18.cxd5 Nf6 19.Ne4 Nxd5 20.Nc5 Ba8 21.Qxa6 Nxe3 22.fxe3 Qg5 23.e4 Qxg3 24.Qa2 Re7=> 15.axb5 cxb5 16.b3 c6 17.a1 a8 18.a3 b6 19.c2 d7 20.b2 a4 21.xa4 bxa4 22.b1 b8 23.d2 b6?! <23...Qc8!? 24.Ra2 Bxh3 25.Rxa4 Qc6 26.Nc3 Bc8 27.Rfa1 Bg7 28.Qc1 Rf8 29.Qe1 Re8 30.b5 axb5 31.Nxb5 Nd7 32.Be3 Nc5 33.R4a3 Rf8±> 24.c3 xb4 25.xb4 xb4 26.g5! d5?!

Feb-15-05		patzer2: <26...Nh5 27.Nd5 Rb3 (27...Rb7?! 28.g4 Ng7 29.Nf6+ Kh8 30.Nxe8 Nxe8±) 28.Rxb3 axb3 29.g4 Be6 (29...h6 30.Bc1 Nf4 31.Bxf4 exf4 32.Nf6+ Kh8 33.Nxe8± (33.Nxd7 Bg7 34.e5 Bxe5 35.Rb1 Bd4 36.Rxb3 Re2 37.Rb6ł) ) 30.gxh5 Bxd5 31.exd5 a5 32.Rb1 a4 33.hxg6 hxg6 34.Bc1 f5 35.Kf1 Kf7 36.Ke2 Ke7 37.Kd2 Bh6+ 38.Kc3 Bxc1 39.Rxc1 g5 40.Kb2 Kf6 41.Ka3 Ra8 42.Bf1 f4 43.Bg2 Ra7 44.Be4 ; 26...Bg7? 27.Bxf6 Bxf6 28.Nd5 ; 26...Rb3!? 27.Rxb3 axb3 28.Bxf6 a5 29.Ra1 a4 30.Kf1 Ra8 31.Nb1 Bh6 32.Ke2 Bc1 33.f4 (33.Na3?? Bxa3 34.Rxa3 b2–+) 33...Re8 34.Kd1 Bb2 35.Ra3 h5=> 27.xf6! dxc4 28.d5 b3 29.a2 cxd3 30.g5 <30.Bxe5! Rxe5 31.Nf6+ Kg7 32.Nxd7 > 30...g7 31.f3 h6 32.e3 eb8 33.g2 b5 34.c1 f8 35.d1 g7 36.ca1 a5 37.xb3 axb3 38.xa5 d2 39.xb5 xb5 40.xd2 b2 41.b1 c5 42.c3 b3 43.d1 d4 44.e3 b4 45.f3 f5 46.exf5 gxf5 47.xd4 xd4 48.e3 d2 49.xf5+ 1–0

Feb-15-05		patzer2: Aronian catches Kotronias in a novelty in the English Opening with 7. h3. On the surface things look calm, and it appears Black has exchanged Queens and equalized after 23...Qb6?! 24. Nc3 Qxb4 25. Qxb4 Rxb4. However, at this point, Aronian pulls a rabbit out of the hat with the surprise 26. Bg5!, threatening a decisive deflection and Knight Fork, and Black has to fight to survive. Perhaps Black might have survived with 26...Rb3!?, but after 26...d5?! Aronian looks to have a forced win. White may have missed a quicker result with 30. Bxe5!, but Aronian still manages to secure the full point after Black's two small miscues.

Feb-15-05		patzer2: Some opportunities for Black to equalize are 5...c5 (my preference) and perhaps 10...Nc5!?, 13...d5!?, 14...bxa4!? (though I have less confidence than with 5...c5). Still, White's opening system is complex, deep and fascinating, and certainly worth a try for players who enjoy subtle positional Chess.

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26. Bg5! gives a strong advantage due to a Knight Fork threat
from Deflection by patzer2