Levon Aronian vs Alexander Grischuk (2018)

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Levon Aronian vs Alexander Grischuk
Sinquefield Cup (2018), St Louis, MO USA, rd 9, Aug-27
Indian Game: Wade-Tartakower Defense (A46) · 1-0

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

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Aug-29-18		An Englishman: Good Evening: And wow--that is one amazing Rook sacrifice, reminiscent of Botvinnik vs Portisch, 1968. What have the silicon monsters to say about Aronian's shocker?

Aug-29-18		Boomie: <An Englishman: What have the silicon monsters to say about Aronian's shocker?> Alas, the silly cons are skeptical. They give black a near winning edge and propose 18. Rf3 as equal. 18. Rxf7 <(Stockfish 8 64: 18. Rf3 Bf5 19. Raf1 Bg6 20. Re3 Qa5 21. Rxe4 Qxa3 22. Rxe8+ Rxe8 23. e4 b5 24. Rb1 a6 25. Bf3 f6 26. Bg2 Kf7 27. Bf3 Kg8 0.00/34)> 18... Kxf7 19. Rf1+ Bf5 20. g4 g6 21. Qc1 Kg7 Here Grischuk loses about half of his advantage. <(Stockfish 8 64: 21... Re6 22. Qh6 Kg8 23. gxf5 gxf5 24. Qh3 Rf6 25. Bc1 Raf8 26. Bf4 Rg6 27. Be5 Rf7 28. Kh1 Qe6 29. Qe3 b5 30. Rg1 a5 31. a3 Qc6 32. h4 h5 33. Kh2 Kh7 34. Bf3 Rxg1 35. Qxg1 Qg6 -1.68/25)> 22. gxf5 gxf5 23. Bxe4 fxe4 24. Qf4 h6 25. Qc7+ Kh8 The rest of black's advantage disappears. <(Stockfish 8 64: 25... Kg6 26. Rf4 Rg8 27. Kf2 Rae8 28. Ke3 h5 29. Be7 Rg7 30. Rf6+ Kh7 31. Qc5 Qg5+ 32. Qxg5 Rxg5 33. Bd6 Ra5 34. Rf7+ Kg6 35. Rxb7 Rxa2 36. Rc7 a5 37. Rc6 a4 38. Bf4+ Kf5 39. Rc5+ Kf6 40. Rxc4 h4 41. Rc6+ -0.84/30)> 26. Bd6 Rg8+ 27. Kf2 Rg6 28. Be5+ Kg8 29. Ke3 Rd8 The losing blunder. <(Stockfish 8 64: 29... Re8 30. Kd2 b5 31. h4 b4 32. h5 e3+ 33. Kxe3 Rg3+ 34. Kd2 bxc3+ 35. Kc1 Rg5 36. e4 Qe6 37. Rf6 Rg1+ 38. Kc2 Rg2+ 39. Kb1 c2+ 40. Kc1 Rg1+ 41. Kxc2 Rg2+ 42. Kb1 Rg1+ 43. Kc2 0.00/32)> Given that Grischuk was yet again in terrible time trouble, a surprise like Rxf7 might be just what is needed to provoke blunders. Lasker would have loved the psychology of putting pressure on somebody short of time.

Aug-29-18		luzhin: It is the quiet moves in the attack which gain least attention, but which deserve the highest praise. I'm thinking of 21.Qc1! and 29.Ke3! It was the fact that neither of these moves were forcing, that produced errors in response.

Aug-29-18		Caissa04: luzhin, those moves might have produced errors in response but I'm not sure if 29.Ke3! was a silent move.

Aug-29-18		Everett: <uzhin: It is the quiet moves in the attack which gain least attention, but which deserve the highest praise. I'm thinking of 21.Qc1! and 29.Ke3! It was the fact that neither of these moves were forcing, that produced errors in response.> Yes, good point. Quiet, unforced moves are difficult to see and respond to...

Aug-30-18		al wazir: If 33...Qd7, then 34. Rf8+ Rxf8 Qxd7. If 33...Rg7, then 34. Rf8+ Rxf8 35. Qxg7#.

Aug-30-18		patzer2: Stockfish 9 @ 43 ply indicates 21...Re6! refutes White's speculative 18. Rxf7! sacrifice and wins for Black: 21...Re6! (-2.26 @ 43 ply) 22.gxf5 gxf5 23.Qg5 Rf6 24.Qh5+ Kg8 25.Qg5+ Rg6 26.Qxf5 Qxf5 27.Rxf5 Nxc3 28.Kf1 Kg7 29.Re5 Nb1 30.Bxb7 Rb8 31.Re7+ Kf6 32.Bc5 Rg7 33.Rxg7 Kxg7 34.Ba6 Nd2+ 35.Kg2 Kf6 36.d5 Ke5 37.d6 Ne4 38.Bb4 c3 39.d7 Rd8 40.Bd3 Rxd7 41.Bxe4 Kxe4 42.Bxc3 Rc7 43.Ba5 Rc2 44.a3 Ra2 45.Bc3 Rxe2+ 46.Kg1 Rc2 -+ (-9.24 @ 46 ply).

Sep-04-18		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4 19.Rf1+ Bf5 20.g4 g6 21.Qc1 Re6 22.gxf5 gxf5 23.Qg5 Rf6 24.Qh5+ Kg7 25.Bc1 Qf7 26.Qh3 Re8 27.Kh1 Qd5 28.a4 b6 29.Be3 Kg8 30.Bc1 Qa5 31.Bb2 Rf7 32.Kg1 Kg7 33.Kh1 - / + (-1.32) Depth: 24 dpa

Sep-04-18		cormier: just like <Boomi> click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4: d 22 dpa 1. - + (-1.44): 21...Re6 22.Qh6 Kg8 23.gxf5 gxf5 24.Qh3 Rf6 25.Kh1 Re8 26.Bc1 Ref8 27.Bh6 R8f7 28.Bf4 Ra6 29.Bf3 Rxa2 30.Be5 Ra6 31.Rg1+ Kf8 32.Qh5 Rg6 33.Rxg6 hxg6 34.Qxg6 a5 35.Qb6 Rh7 36.Kg2 Ke8 37.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 38.Kf2 Qd5 39.Qg6+ Qf7 40.Qb6 2. = / + (-0.61): 21...Qe6 22.gxf5 gxf5 23.Qf4 Rad8 24.Qxf5+ Qxf5 25.Rxf5+ Kg6 26.Rf3 Rd5 27.Bc1 Rf5 28.Re3 Rf4 29.Bd2 Kf6 30.Be1 Re7 31.a4 b6 32.h3 a6 33.Kh2 h5 34.Bh1 Nd6 35.Rxe7 Kxe7 36.Bg3 Rf5 37.Bf3 Rg5 38.Kg2

Sep-04-18		cormier: click for larger view Analysis by Houdini 4: d 20 dpa 1. = (0.00): 18.Rf4 Bf5 19.Raf1 Bg6 20.Rh4 Re6 21.Rff4 Rae8 22.Qa4 Ra8 23.Qc2 Rae8 2. = (0.00): 18.Rf3 Bf5 19.Raf1 Bg6 20.Re3 Re6 21.Rf4 Rae8 22.Qa4 Ra8 23.Qc2 Rae8

Sep-04-18		chessrookstwo: was at this match in st louis grischuk looked overwelmed.

Sep-07-18		Pyke: Analysis by GM Varuzhan Eduardovich Akobian https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV1...

Nov-08-18		morfishine: Aronian at his finest

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