Blazing Saddles

Levon Grigori Aronian – Leinier Domínguez Pérez
1st American Cup — Champions Bracket; match game 1; Saint Louis, April 22, 2022
Russian Defence C42

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Nc3 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Be7 7. Be3 0-0 8. Qd2 Nd7 9. 0-0-0 Nf6 10. Bd3. 10. h3 c5 11. Bf4 Be6 12. a3 d5 13. Ng5 Bd7 14. g4 Bc6 15. Bg2 Re8 looks fine for Black, Caruana – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 5th GRENKE Chess Classic, Baden-Baden 2018. 10. ... Re8 11. h4 d5 12. Ng5. The alternative is 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bxf6 Bxf6 14. Qf4 Be6 15. g4 Qd6 16. Qxd6 cxd6 17. Rdg1 Kf8 18. Nd4 Bd7 19. g5 Bxd4 20. cxd4 h5 21. Kd2 g6 22. Re1 Rxe1 23. Rxe1 Re8 24. Rxe8+ Kxe8 25. f4 Bf5 26. Bxf5 gxf5 27. Kc3 Kd7 28. Kb4 Kc6 29. Ka5 Kc7 30. Kb5 Kd7 31. Ka5 Kc7 32. Kb5 Kd7 33. a3 Kc7 34. Ka5 Kc6 35. a4 Kd7 36. Kb4 Kc6 37. Ka5 Kd7 38. Kb5 Kc7 39. b3 Kd7 40. a5 Kc8 41. a6 Kc7 42. Ka4 b6 43. Kb5 Kd7 44. c3 Kc7 45. c4 dxc4 46. bxc4 Kd7 47. c5 bxc5 48. dxc5 d5 49. c6+ Kd6 50. c7 Kxc7 51. Kc5 d4 52. Kxd4 Kd6 53. Kc4 Kc6 54. Kd4 Kd6 55. Kc4 Kc6 56. Kd4 ½ : ½ 韦奕 (Wéi Yì) – 余泱漪 (Yú Yāngyī), 10th 海南 (Hǎinán) 儋州 (Dānzhōu) Super Grandmaster Chess Tournament, 儋州 (Dānzhōu) 2019. 12. ... h6 13. f3 c5. Not 13. ... hxg5? on account of 14. hxg5 Nd7 15. g4! with deadly threats. 14. Bb5!? The first new move of the game whereas theory gave 14. g4 Qa5 15. Kb1 c4 16. Be2 Bc5 17. Bxc5 Qxc5 18. Nh3 Qe3 19. Nf4 Qxd2 20. Rxd2 Re5 21. g5 Rf5 22. Rd4 hxg5 23. hxg5 Rxg5 24. Bxc4 Be6 25. Nxd5?? (the losing blunder) 25. ... Rxd5 26. Bxd5 Bxd5 27. Rdh4 Kf8 28. Rf1 Re8 29. c4 Bxf3 0 : 1 Borišek – Bogner, 43rd Chess Olympiad, Batumi 2018. 14. ... Bd7 15. Bxd7 Qxd7 16. Nh3 Rad8 17. Nf4 Bd6 18. Kb1 Qb5

19. Qc1? Presumably, here is the beginning of White’s calvary. Instead after 19. Rhe1! was still anyone’s game. 19. ... d4! 20. cxd4 c4! 21. g3. 21. g4 makes little or no difference, as Black continues as in the game: 21. ... c3! 22. b3 Qa5 23. Rde1 Ba3 24. Qd1 Rd6! 25. Bc1 Ra6 with powerful attack.

21. ... c3! Threat: ... Re8xe3. 22. b3 Qa5 23. Rde1 Ba3 24. Qd1

24. ... Rd6! 25. Bf2? This loses at once. Comparatively best was 25. Bc1 Ra6 leaving Black with his attack in hand, but not yet a forced mate. 25. ... Rxe1 26. Rxe1 Bb2! Threatening ... Qa5xa2+ followed by ... Rd6-a6+ and ... Ra6-a1#. 27. Qd3!? Naïvely hoping for 27. ... Qxa2+?? 28. Kxa2 Ra6+ 29. Qxa6! turning the tables. But no: 27. ... b5! Renewing the threat. 28. a4 Qb4! 0 : 1.

Domínguez Pérez finally defeated Aronian in a game which rushed straight from the opening to a mating attack. Photo © Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.