Baguette

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Levon Grigori Aronian
3rd Norway Chess; Stavanger, June 16, 2015
Queen’s Gambit Declined D38

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Nbd7 8. e3 g5 9. Bg3 Ne4 10. Qc2 h5!? For 10. ... Nb6 11. Bd3 Nxg3 12. hxg3 Be6 13. Ne5 Qe7 14. f4 0-0-0 15. 0-0 Kb8 see Lysyj – Aronian, Chess World Cup, Tromsø 2013. 11. h3 Bxc3+ 12. bxc3 Nxg3 13. fxg3 Nb6 14. Bd3 g4 15. hxg4 Bxg4 16. 0-0 Qe7. A possible improvement in Black’s deployment may be 16. ... Qd6!? (Aronian). 17. Ne5 Be6 18. Bf5 Nd7

19. e4! “A nice initiative now for Vachier-Lagrave against Aronian. Seems to me Levon will need to play very accurate from now on”, International Master Etienne Goudriaan said. 19. ... Nxe5 20. exd5! 0-0-0. 20. ... Bxd5 can hardly be regarded as better; after 21. Rae1 Be6 22. Rxe5 0-0-0 23. Qa4!? Black has to play all over the board. 21. dxe6 fxe6 22. Rae1! White is going to win two Pawns. Black can only hope for a miracle. 22. ... exf5 23. Rxe5 Qa3 24. Rfxf5 Kb8 25. Rxh5 Rxh5 26. Rxh5 a6 27. Kh2 Rf8 28. Qb3 Qe7 29. Qd5 Qe2 30. a4 Qd3 31. c4 a5 32. Rh4 Qc3 33. g4 Qe1 34. Rh7 Qc1 35. Qe5! Maxime exhibits his excellent technique. The text prevents ... Qc1-f4+, threatens Qe5xc7+, and frees the g-Pawn. 35. ... Qxc4 36. g5 Rg8 37. Rh8 Qf7 38. Rxg8+ Qxg8 39. Qf6 b5 40. axb5 a4 41. g6 a3 42. b6. Dennis Monokroussos prefers 42. g7 Qh7+ 43. Kg1 Qb1+ 44. Qf1 a2 45. g8=Q+ Ka7 46. b6+! cxb6 47. Qgf7+ Kb8 48. Kh2+-. As they say, de gustibus non est disputandum. 42. ... a2 43. Qe5! Qd8 44. bxc7+ Qxc7 45. g7! Qxe5+ 46. dxe5 a1=Q 47. g8=Q+ Kc7 48. Qc4+ Kd8 49. Qd5+ Ke7 50. Qd6+ Ke8 51. Qc6+ Ke7 52. Qc7+ Ke6 53. Qd6+ Kf7 54. Qd7+ Kf8 55. Qf5+ Ke7 56. g3 Qc3 57. Kh3 Ke8 58. Kh4 Qe1 59. Qf4 1 : 0. “I went to sleep before midnight, which for me probably didn’t happen for five years or so”, then Maxime said.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Photo: Chess.com