Christian Aarefjord vs Magnus Carlsen (2001)

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Christian Aarefjord vs Magnus Carlsen
Norwegian Open (2001), Oslo NOR, rd 7, Apr-12
Four Knights Game: Italian Variation (C46) · 0-1

ANALYSIS [x]

FEN COPIED

Given 8 times; par: 77 [what's this?]

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Aug-07-07		kingsindian2006: 32.Re8 or am i missing something?

Aug-07-07		syracrophy: <kingsindian2006: 32.Re8 or am i missing something?> If you see Carlsen's last move, 31...♖d8, it's a nice trap, since after: 32.♖e8+?? ♖xe8! 33.♗xf6?? ♖e1#

Aug-07-07		dovif: Re8 RxR BxQ Re1 mate

Aug-07-07		kingsindian2006: aww yes.. thank you...

Apr-04-16		Sergash: A really interesting game. Apparently, Carlsen introduced a new move: <11...Re8N>. An OK move, while all I could find was 11...Na5 played in the game Jose Antonio Lopez Alonso vs Andres Suarez Montousse, Asturias (Spain) Team Championship 1997, 1-0. <13.g4?! Na5! > Dubious plan. There were, for example, 13.a4 or 13.a3, or also 13.Re2. <14...Nxb3?!> 14...Bd7! 15.Bxf7+! Kxf7 16.Qd5+ Kg7 17.Qxa5 Bc6 18.Re3 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <15...Bd7?> Now was not a good time! 15...Bg7! 16.d4! Qd7 17.g5 (or 17.h3 gxf5 18.Qxf5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) c5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <16.g5? Bc6! > Simply 16.Qxb7 Bxg4 17.Ra5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <18...Qd6?!> 18...a5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <19.Re2?!> 19.Re3! a5! 20.Qg3 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <19...Re6?!> For a second time : 19...a5! 20.Rae1 b5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <20...Rae8?! 21.c4 => For the 3rd time 20...a5! 21.Qg3! Rae8 22.c4! e4! 23.Qxd6! cxd6 24.Nh4 a4 25.bxa4 Bxa4 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <22.Bc1?!> 22.Bc3!= Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <22...Ba8?! 23.Nd2! => Carlsen seems unsure as to the way to go. 22...Qf8! 23.Nd2 (or 23.Be3 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) f5! 24.gxf6! Rxf6! 25.Ne4 Rf5 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT.

Apr-04-16		Sergash: Now we get to the juicy part! click for larger view Carlsen has been moving his bishop back and forth for a while and Aarefjord sees a way of taking the advantage: <28.Nf6+! Bxf6 29.gxf6 Qxf6 30.Rxe5??> A big mistake in the middle of the line! White had to go 30.Bxe5! Qf5! 31.Bxc7 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. This brings us to the following position: click for larger view Carlsen played <30...Rxe5? 31.Rxe5 => But from the above position, BLACK PLAYS AND WIN! Take a moment to think about it. You have the advantage of knowing that there is SOMETHING to find here! This goes like this : 30...h4! and now, if A) 31.Qe3 Rxe5! 32.Bxe5 Qf5! 33.h3 (to control g4; or 33.f3 f6 34.Qh6 Bxf3 35.Qxh4 Rxe5 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) Bf3! 34.Kh2 f6 35.d4 fxe5 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. B) 31.Qg4 Rxe5 32.Rxe5 Rxe5 33.Kf1 Qe6! 34.Qxe6 Rxe6 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. C) 31.Qg2 Qxe5 (31...Bxg2 32.Rxe6 Qxe6! 33.Rxe6 Rxe6 would transpose) 32.Rxe5 Bxg2 33.Rxe6 Rxe6 34.Kxg2 Re2 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. Then <31...Rd8?> It might be a "nice trap" as Syracrophy put it, but the best way to go was 31...Rxe5 32.Bxe5 (or 32.Qxe5 Qxe5 33.fxe5 Bf3! = with opposed bishops. Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) Qf3 (or 32...Qe7 = Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) 33.Qxf3 Bxf3 = with bishops of opposite colors. Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <32.Qe3?!> Of course, not 32.Re8??, as Syracrophy indicated above, but 32.Kf1! Qf3! 33.Qg5! Rd6 (or 33...Re8 34.Ke1! Qg4 35.Qf6 Qe6! (idea: if 36.Rxe6 Rxe6+ would win back the white queen) 36.Qf4! Qd6 37.Qg5! ) 34.Ke1! Qg4 35.Qxg4! hxg4 36.Re7! Re6+ 37.Rxe6 fxe6 38.Be5! followed by Bxc7, but the opposite color bishops would complicate matters. Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT.

Apr-04-16		Sergash: Let's look at the rest of the game : <32...Qh4??> Bad mistake! The only move was 32...Qf3 33.Qxf3 Bxf3 = Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <33.Qg5??> Were the players in zeitnot? Quite probable, I think! 33.h3! Qf6 34.Qh6 Rd6 35.c5! (stronger than 35.Re8+ Bxe8 36.Bxf6 Rxf6 ) bxc5 36.Bc3! winning. Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <34...Re8?!> 34...Bf3! idea Bd1.Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <40...h4?!> 40...a6 42.d4 c6 / Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <41.Ke3?!> 41.Bb2! Kf8 42.Bf6! h3 43.d4! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <41...Bh5?!> 41...Bd1! 42.b4! Bxc2 43.Kd2 Ba4 (of course not 43...Bb1?? 44.Re1! Ba2 45.Kc3! and the black bishop would be lost) 44.b5 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <43.Rd7?!> 43.Bb2! Kh7! 44.Be5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <43...g4? 44.Re7 > 43...Kg7 44.b4 Kf6 with the idea of Ke6. Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <45.Ke3?! Kf6! > Allows Carsen to breathe! 45.Bb2+! Kg6 46.Be5! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <48...cxd4?! 49.Rd7! > 48...g3! 49.fxg3 Re2+! 50.Kd3! Rxh2 51.gxh4 (or 51.dxc5 bxc5 52.Ra6+ Ke5 53.gxh4 Bg6+ 54.Ke3 (and not 54.Kc3?? Rc2#) Rh3+ 55.Kd2 Rh2 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) Bg6+! 52.Ke3 (here also if 52.Kc3?? Rc2#) and now : A) 52...Bxc2 53.b4 cxd4+ (or 53...Rh3+ = and cxd4 Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) 54.Kxd4 Rxh4+ = Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. B) 52...Rh3+ 53.Kf4 cxd4 = Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <49...g3?!> Not a good timing now... 49...h3! 50.Rxd4 g3! 51.hxg3! Re2+ 52.Kc3! Bf3! 53.Rf4+ (or 53.Rh4 Bg2 = / Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) Kg6 54.Rh4 (not 54.Rxf3?? h2 winning! Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT) Bg2 55.c5! b5 = / Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. <52.gxh4?? Bg6! > Aarefjord was apparently only expecting 52...Rxh4. The only move was to ensure the rook was protected by 52.Rd6+! Ke5 53.Rd5+! Kf6 54.gxh4 Rxh4 55.Bd6 = Stockfish 7 - 64 bits POPCNT. Too bad, a draw here would have been well deserved by both players...

Apr-27-25		FSR: Carlsen, just 10 at the time, evidently didn't know about the fork trick 4...Nxe4!, when Black has already equalized and gets a large plus score in practice. Opening Explorer. Of course White is still OK with precise play. Stockfish 17.1 gives 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6 8.d4 exd4 9.O-O O-O 10.Bg5 f6 11.Bh4 Bg4 12.h3 Bh5 13.Qd3 Kh8 14.Bxc6 bxc6 15.Nxd4 Re8 16.Bg3 Bxg3 17.fxg3 c5 18.Nf3 Qxd3 19.cxd3 Bg6 20.Rfc1 with a microscopic advantage to White (+0.10, depth 41/61).

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