Levon Aronian vs Fabiano Caruana (2020)

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Levon Aronian vs Fabiano Caruana
Norway Chess (2020), Stavanger NOR, rd 6, Oct-11
Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation (B40) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Annotations by Stockfish (Computer). [35434 more games annotated by Stockfish]

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Oct-13-20		Ulhumbrus: The computer analysis and evaluations of this game help to suggest an instructive lesson in the art of taking advantage of pawn weaknesses. The computer analysis and evaluations suggest that the pawn attack 23 g4? followed by g5 is a mistake and that it loses White's advantage and so loses the chance to make count White's advantage. Yet Black's f5 pawn offers a target for this pawn attack so what is wrong with the pawn attack g4 followed by g5? It seems that the pawn attack is too slow and not energetic enough to make Black's pawn weaknesses count. The right course is a sacrificial combinatorial piece attack by 23 Ng5! attacking the pawns on f7 and e6 and on 23...Be8 White does not sacrifice a piece at once but plays first the preparatory move 24 Qe2!! after which Black has no satisfactory answer to the threat of a knight sacrifice on e6. This suggests that the right way for White to take advantage of Black's pawn weaknesses is not to play a pawn attack but to prepare in just the right way a sacrificial piece attack because the former attack is too slow and not energetic enough to make White's advantage count.

Oct-20-20		saffuna: Correct. All reviewe by Daniel King: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Tcm... 28...Bb5+ really opened up white's attack. Still 34. Ne5 promised a least a draw.

Jul-14-22		DouglasGomes: It was not obvious at all but White could offer an Queen sac for advantage: 30. Nc7 (threatening the rook and to trade an attacking piece) Nf4+ 31. Qxf4 Qxf4 32. Nxa8 33. Rd7 Bh6 34. Rd4 Qc7 35. Kd3 Qf7 36. Rd8 Re8 37. Bb3 Qxf6 38. Rexe6 Rxe6 39. Rxe6 Qf8 - with great compensation for the Queen in this OCB position Black gets his material back with 30.. Qc4+ 31. Bd3 Qxc7 32. Kf1 Nxf6 But after 33. Qe3 Re8 34. Qd4 Qf7 35. Bc4 - White is better White could have defended by sacrificing his Queen with 35. Qxf4 Qxf4 36. Rd4! [also a rather forcing move, but White can't live with the active Queen in any case] Qh6 37. Nc7 Rc8 38. Nxe6 Re8 39. Kd3 Qxf6 40. Nxf8 Rxe1 (..Rxf8 41. Kc2 Qf7 (...Rd8?! 42. h6 Rf8 43. Rd7 Qxh6 Ree7 - Black is not playing really for advantage) 42. Ne5 Qxh5 43. f4 - it is hard to activate Black's rook so White has enough for the Queen) 41. Nxh7 (a desperado, though 41. Nxe1? is not decisive advantage for Black) 36... Qb8 is more passive-looking but 37. Na3? gives Black time to protect the second rank and to generate threats of his own. More concretely: 37.Rg1 axb5 (... h6 38. Rd7 axb5 39. Nh4 Qh2 (...Qe5+? Kf1 wins but Black can't avoid perpetual anyway) 40. Ng6+ Kg8 41. Kf1 [threat Ne5+] - Black is advised to take a perpetual if he plays the only alternative 37... h6, other moves lose because of 38.Rd7 or 38.f7) 38. Rd7 Bh6 39. f7 Bg7 40. h6 Bxh6 41. f8=Q+ Bxf8 (...Qxf8 42. Ne5 Bg7 Ng5+) 42. Ng5+ [perpetual] 35. Qxf4 should have been considered even if it were to give decisive advantage to Black because it is the only way to prolong the game, 35. Ke3 loses all the pieces.

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