Simplicity Behind Complexity

Magnus Carlsen – Levon Grigori Aronian

Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge Prelims Tournament; time control: 25 minutes plus 10 seconds per move; Wangels, February 9, 2024

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Position #791

1. c3 g6 2. d4 b5?! Aronian’s unstrategic aptitude will soon cause him trouble. Black had to play something like 2. ... d6 followed at the proper time by ... c7-c5.
3. Nd3! Nd6 4. Nc5 f5?! Apparently to prevent e2-e4, but Black has hardly time for this.

5. g3 c6 6. Nf3 Nf7 7. Ng5! Nxg5 8. Bxg5 Bg7 9. Bf4 d6?! This seems to be a miscalculation, but there was no easy life for Black anyway.
10. Bxc6 g5 11. Bxg5 dxc5

12. Qd3!? It’s arduous to question and even more arduous to citicise any of Carlsen’s moves, especially when, like now, he snubs the science of the engines (12. Bf4) to make humans alive again.
12. ... Kc7 13. d5!? Be5! 14. a4!? Bb7! 15. 0-0

15. ... bxa4?? A suicidal mistake, which allows White to break throuh on the a-side with catastrophic consequences for the Black King. 15. ... h6! 16. Bd2 c4! might have proven a hard nut for Carlsen to crack.
16. Rxa4 Bd6 17. b4! Bxc6 18. dxc6 cxb4 19. Rxb4 1 : 0.

Carlsen succeeded in outplaying Aronian in the opening and in the ensuing complications as well. Photo: Amruta Mokal and Sagar Shah/ChessBase India.