Tata Steel R12: victorias de Carlsen y Aronian

[Event "79th Tata Steel Chess-Masters "] [Site "?"] [Date "2017.01.28"] [Round "?"] [White "Eljanov, Pavel"] [Black "Carlsen, Magnus"] [Result "0-1"] [ECO "A90"] [WhiteElo "2755"] [BlackElo "2840"] [Annotator "Sadorra, Julio"] [PlyCount "120"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [SourceDate "2017.01.28"] 1. d4 e6 2. c4 f5 3. g3 Nf6 4. Bg2 d5 5. Nf3 Bd6 6. Nc3 c6 {For a must-win game, it is interesting that the Magnus chooses the Dutch Stonewall which is also part of the repertoire of other World Champions such as Steinitz, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Petrosian etc!} 7. Bf4 ({The most common way to continue here is} 7. O-O O-O 8. Bf4 (8. Qc2) 8... Bxf4 9. gxf4 Nbd7 {leading to similar paths as in the game.}) 7... Bxf4 8. gxf4 O-O 9. e3 Bd7 {This is one of the typical ways to develop the famous or infamous, depending on your perspective and experience, Stonewall bishop.} ({Another way to bring it out is} 9... b6 10. O-O Bb7 (10... Ba6 $6 11. Ne5 {now Black cannot develop the b8-knight.} Nfd7 12. b3 $1 $14 Nxe5 13. dxe5 dxc4 14. Qxd8 Rxd8 15. b4 $1 {shutting out the Black bishop followed by exploiting the development advantage and weak a8-h1 diagonal is the idea behind b2-b3.}) 11. Ne5 Nbd7 12. Rc1 Qe7 {with a solid position.} (12... Ne4 $5 {is also playable.})) 10. Qb3 Qc7 11. O-O Be8 12. Rfc1 {White now starts to make threats before Black finishes development which can bring him closer to equality.} Qe7 (12... Bh5 $4 13. cxd5 exd5 14. Nxd5 $18) 13. Qa3 $1 {One of the well-known ideas in the Stonewall for White is to trade off Black's good dark-squares bishop in order to weaken the dark squares and sometimes even leave Black with the "worse minor piece." Eljanov rightfully extends this idea by trading off Black's queen which serving the same function of the aforementioned bishop.} ({Another good way to increase the advantage is to simply keep improving his pieces and prepare the Qa3 idea or a queenside expansion.} 13. Ne5 Bh5 14. Rab1 Na6 (14... Kh8 15. Qa3 $1) 15. cxd5 $5 (15. Qa3 Nb4) 15... exd5 (15... cxd5 16. Qa3 Nb4 17. Nb5 $16 {with a clear plan of invasion.}) 16. Qc2 Ne4 17. b4 $36 {with an easy plan of using the minority attack.}) (13. Rab1 $5 $14) 13... Qxa3 14. bxa3 Nbd7 15. Rab1 { White has successfully transformed a slightly better middlegame into superior endgame position.} Rb8 16. a4 $1 {a nice prophyactic move-- it both prepares to meet Nb6 and plans to further weaken the queenside pawns in the future.} a5 (16... Nb6 17. c5 (17. Bf1 $5) 17... Nc4 {now the a-pawn is not under attack!} 18. Bf1 $1 (18. Ne5 Na5 19. Rb4 Nd7) 18... Na5 19. Rb4 $14 {and Black will have to be very careful and alert in this complex ending as White has a dangerous plan of doubling on the b-file and then bring his knight to b3!}) 17. Rb2 Ne4 $6 ({It was objectively better to do "trench warfare" with} 17... Bh5 18. Ne5 (18. Rcb1 $2 Bxf3 19. Bxf3 b6 {and there's no way to break through the Black's fortress.}) 18... Rfc8 19. Rcb1 b6 20. Bf1 Be8 {but it's probably too deressing for Carlsen's taste.}) 18. Nxe4 dxe4 19. Ng5 $1 {the right square and plan} (19. Ne5 Nxe5 20. dxe5 (20. fxe5 c5 $1 $132 {and things start to look complicated for White. Just look at Black's famous/infamous bishop!} 21. d5 Bxa4 22. Rcb1 $2 b5 $1 $15) 20... c5) 19... Rf6 20. f3 $1 {this pawn break is all part of the plan. Because if not, then what is the future of his knight after h7-h6??} h6 21. Nh3 exf3 22. Bxf3 Rf7 23. Nf2 c5 24. Nd3 $1 {Eljanov has been playing excellently, exercising good control on the board and on his clock.He has 30 min left to Magnus's 39 min in a great position that he knows he's fully capable of winning.} cxd4 25. exd4 Nf6 26. Nc5 ({Another way to step up the pressure is to prepare the march of the future passed c-pawn:} 26. Ne5 Rc7 27. c5 $1 (27. Rcb1 Rd8 {gives Black some counterplay}) 27... Bxa4 ( 27... Rd8 28. Rxb7 Rxb7 29. Bxb7 Rxd4 30. c6 $18) 28. Rcb1 $16) 26... Ne4 27. Nxe6 Bxa4 28. d5 Bd7 29. Bxe4 $6 {a misjudged exchange. It's not disastrous, but it already allows Black counterplay in the form of piece activity.} fxe4 30. Nc5 Bg4 31. Re1 {all part of Eljanov's plan connected on his decision to trade on move 29, at least according to the quick pace at which he played the moves.} Rc8 $1 {This is most probably what he missed in his analysis as he now stops for 10 min before making his next move.} 32. Nxe4 Rxf4 {just look at Black's pieces now compared when they are living under the Stonewall bridge, say around move 22.} 33. Nd6 Rcf8 $1 {Magnus now starts playing quickly and more confidently.} 34. Rb3 {Eljanov now starts to switch to more solid play.} ( 34. Rxb7 $4 Bh3 35. Rbb1 Rg4+ 36. Kh1 Bg2+ 37. Kg1 Be4# {is one line that shows the dynamic power of Black's pieces, thus the game move.}) 34... R8f6 35. Ne4 Rg6 36. Rg3 b6 $1 {a nice little move that makes a big impact as it makes it difficult for White to push his passed pawn in the future.} 37. d6 $6 { a risky decision.} ({I think it's best to go for waiting tactics especially as time control is approaching:} 37. Nd2 Bf5 {and White at least has a sure way to keep the balance.} (37... Rgf6 38. Ne4) (37... Kh7 38. Re4 $1) 38. Rxg6 Bxg6 39. Re6 $11) 37... Kh7 38. Nf2 $2 {Panic sets in as Eljanov tries to make time control with 2 minutes left.} (38. Ree3 $142) ({or} 38. h4 $5 Bf5 39. h5 $1 Rxg3+ 40. Nxg3 $13) 38... Rxc4 39. Nxg4 Rgxg4 40. Rxg4 Rxg4+ 41. Kf2 Rd4 42. Re6 Kg8 {Suddenly, it is White that must play for a draw.} 43. Ke3 Rd1 44. d7 { the best chance to obtain drawing chances as holding on to the pawn only makes things worse for White.} ({E.g.} 44. Ke4 Kf7 ({Not} 44... Re1+ $4 45. Kd5 Rxe6 46. Kxe6 Kf8 47. d7 $4) 45. Re7+ Kf6 46. Rd7 h5 47. Rd8 (47. h4 g6 $1 48. Rd8 Ke6 49. Rg8 (49. Re8+ Kd7 $19) 49... Rg1 50. Rd8 Rg4+ {netting another pawn.}) 47... Ke6 48. Rg8 (48. Re8+ Kd7 49. Re7+ Kxd6 50. Rxg7 Rd2 {similar to the mainline.}) 48... Rd2 $1 {the enemy passed pawn isn't going anywhere!} (48... Rxd6 49. Rxg7 Rd2 50. Rg6+ {is a big difference.}) 49. Rxg7 Kxd6 $19) 44... Rxd7 45. Rxb6 Rd5 {At this point of the game, one can't help but stop and wonder at how Magnus was able to turn the game around against a strong strategic player!} 46. Rb2 Kh7 47. Ke4 Rh5 48. Kf4 Rh4+ 49. Kg3 g5 50. Rb7+ Kg6 51. Rb6+ Kh5 52. h3 Ra4 53. Rc6 ({Defending the a-pawn doesn't help as well.} 53. Rb2 Ra3+ 54. Kg2 Kh4 $19) 53... Ra3+ 54. Kg2 Rxa2+ 55. Kg3 a4 56. Ra6 a3 57. Kf3 Rb2 58. Kg3 (58. Rxa3 Kh4 $19 {and the h-pawn falls.}) 58... a2 59. Kf3 a1=Q 60. Rxa1 Kh4 {and because there's nothing White can do to hold on to his h-pawn, Black resigns. An very important win for the current World Champion, setting up a tense and dramatic finale in the last round!} 0-1