The Red Knight Returns

Wesley So – Levon Grigori Aronian
3rd Sinquefield Cup; Saint Louis, August 26, 2015
Nimzo-Indian Defence E20

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 c5 5. d5 0-0 6. e4 d6 7. Nge2 a6 8. a4 Ba5!? “Since I played the novelty of my friend Péter Lékó, this 8. ... Ba5, I thought Peter would be upset if I didn’t take advantage!”, then Aronian said. 9. Bd2. Apparently 9. Ng3 b5 leads to nothing special. 9. ... exd5 10. cxd5 Nh5! Searching for Bobby Fischer. 11. g3 Nd7 12. Bg2 b5! 13. g4? Wesley becomes too impatient to get rid of the Black Knight and seriously weakens his own position. More circumspect was 13. 0-0 b4 14. Nb1, although after 14. ... Bb6 Black has latent possibilities of developing a symbolic initiative by ... a6-a5 followed by ... Bc8-a6. 13. ... b4 14. Nb1. Called by Aronian “too provocative”. However, 14. gxh5 bxc3 15. bxc3 Qh4+ 16. Ng3 Ne5 is also very pleasant for Black. 14. ... Qh4+ 15. Kf1 Ne5! Beginning a terrific attack. 16. Be1. Wesley spent more than 30 minutes waiting (in vain) for Godot. Also after 16. gxh5 f5! Black’s initiative would be exceedingly powerful. 16. ... Qf6 17. gxh5. “What a picturesque position. Black is temporarily down a full Knight, but White is woefully underdeveloped”, Grandmaster Robert Lee Hess said. 17. ... Nxf3 18. Bf2 Bg4! 19. Qc1. Here 19. Nd2 Nd4 20. e5! is probably best, though after 20. ... dxe5 21. Ne4 Qh6 22. N4g3 Rac8 “it is hard to imagine Aronian not standing better here as well”, Hess said. 19. ... Nd4! Aronian opens the c-file in the most elegant fashion. 20. Nxd4 cxd4 21. e5. So tries a last-ditch Pawn sacrifice, vainly hoping to break the attack. 21. ... dxe5 22. Nd2 Rac8 23. Qb1

25. ... b3! 24. Nxb3 Bb6 25. a5 Ba7. Or – as a brilliant “dual” – 25. ... Rc2!! 26. Qxc2 d3! winning easily for Black. 26. Kg1 Bf5 27. Be4. This is equivalent to resignation, but 27. Qe1 e4 is no better. 27. ... Qg5+ 28. Kf1 Qf4! A pretty finish. 0 : 1. For if 29. Bxf5 then 29. ... d3 with overwhelming threats. “Lovely play by Lev Aronian! Perhaps the f3 square really does belong to a Knight, and not a Pawn, after all :)”, Grandmaster Nigel David Short said.

Wseley So (R.) vs. Levon Grigori Aronian (L.)
Photo: chess24.com (@chess24com)

Tarjei J. Svensen ‏@TarjeiJS