by National Life Master Loal Davis
Levon Aronian
This has started out to be a good fighting tournament. There were three decisive games in five games.
Click on any Diagram to step through the Annotated Game (PGN).
Also all decisive games (PGN) are within the Comments below the post.
5th Sinquefield Cup 2017
Round “1”
White “Aronian, Levon”
Black “Nepomniachtchi, Ian”
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 g6 7. h4 Bg7 8. h5 Nc6 9. Ba3 Qa5 10. Rh4
Tricky Stuff. “Normal” is 10. Qb3.
10… Bd7
( 10… Qxa3 11. Ra4 Qb2 12. Rb1 Good Bye Queen.)
11. Qb3 O-O
Black would like to “pretend” that the defense of the b7 does not need to be applied.
12. hxg6 hxg6 13. Qxb7
Aronian believes otherwise.
Rfd8
(With 13… Qxa3 14. Qxd7 Nb4 it is hard to believe that White has played this correctly. 15. Bc4 Nc2+ 16. Ke2 Nxa1 17. Qxe7
Analysis Diagram
but if Aronian saw this far – that is quite astounding. White is winning here with the pin and subsequent pressure to f7 with Ne5.)
14. Qa6
White says – Please trade off and validate my greedy grab.
Bxc3
Black must scramble.
15. Qxa5 Bxa5 16. Bxc5 Be6 17. Bb5 Ne5 18. Nd4
This all hangs together beautifully for Aronian. Actually 18. Nxe5 is OK too – but not as strong as the move played.
18… Rd5 19. Bxe7 Kg7 20. f4 Nd7 21. f5
Stonger than the immediate fork on c6. Aronian is merciless.
Bxf5 22. Bc6 Re5 23. Nxf5+ gxf5 24. Bg5 Kg6 25. Bf4
Everything is hanging.
Rd8 26. Bxd7 Rc5 27. Rh6+ Kg7 28. Rd6 Bc7 29. Rc6
Final Position
Major Wow ! Nicely done.
1-0
5th Sinquefield Cup 2017
Round “1”
White “Karjakin, Sergey”
Black “Svidler, Peter”
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 O-O 9. h3 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bb3 Re8 13. Bc2 b5 14. b4 Bb7 15. Bb2 Qd7
So Far – So Normal.
16. c4
Things now start to open up and get – a little wild.
exd4
(16… bxc4)
17. cxb5 d3
From wild to crazy. (17… axb5)
18. Bxd3 Nf4 19. Bf1 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Bxe4 21. bxa6 Qf5 22. Ra3
(22. Nd4)
22… c5 23. Nh4
I’m not sure this is necessary; regardless White is top. (23. b5)
23… Qe6 24. b5 c4 25. Bd4 Bxd4 26. Qxd4 d5 27. Rg3 g5 28. f3 Nh5 29. Rg4 Nf6 30. Rgxe4 Nxe4 31. fxe4 gxh4 32. Rd1 Qxe4 33. Qxe4 Rxe4 34. Rxd5
A beautifully astounding liquidation where White parted with the exchange, but has monsters rolling down the Queenside.
c3 35. Rc5 Rxa4 36. b6 Kg7 37. b7 Re8 38. Rxc3 Ra1 39. a7
Final Position
A nice win
1-0
[Event “5th Sinquefield Cup 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.08.02”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime”]
[Black “So, Wesley”]
[Result “1-0”]
[PlyCount “85”]
[EventDate “2017.08.02”]
[SourceDate “2017.08.02”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 d6 7. c3 a6 8. h3 h6 9. Nbd2 Ba7 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Bb3 Ng6 12. d4 Re8 13. Bc2 Bd7 14. a5 c6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nc4 Qe7 17. Qd6 Qxd6 18. Nxd6 Re6 19. Rd1 Rb8 20. Kf1 Re7 21. Nc4 Rbe8 22. b3 Be6 23. Nb6 Bxb6 24. axb6 Rd7 25. Be3 Rc8 26. c4 Rxd1+ 27. Rxd1 c5 28. Ne1 Nd7 29. Nd3 f6 30. Ra1 Ne7 31. Ke2 Kf7 32. Kd2 f5 33. f4 exf4 34. Nxf4 g5 35. Nxe6 Kxe6 36. exf5+ Nxf5 37. Bg1 Nd4 38. Re1+ Kf6 39. Rf1+ Ke7 40. Re1+ Kd8 41. Be4 Nxb3+ 42. Kc3 Nd4 43. Bh2 1-0
Final Position
| # | Name | Pts | SB |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aronian, Levon | 1 | 0 |
| Karjakin, Sergey | 1 | 0 | |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 1 | 0 | |
| 4 | Anand, Viswanathan | 0.5 | 0.25 |
| Carlsen, Magnus | 0.5 | 0.25 | |
| Caruana, Fabiano | 0.5 | 0.25 | |
| Nakamura, Hikaru | 0.5 | 0.25 | |
| 8 | Nepomniachtchi, Ian | 0 | 0 |
| So, Wesley | 0 | 0 | |
| Svidler, Peter | 0 | 0 |
http://grandchesstour.org/2017-grand-chess-tour/sinquefield_cup
[Event “5th Sinquefield Cup 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.08.02”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Aronian, Levon”]
[Black “Nepomniachtchi, Ian”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Annotator “Loal Davis”]
[PlyCount “57”]
[EventDate “2017.08.02”]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 Nxd5 5. e3 Nxc3 6. bxc3 g6 7. h4 Bg7 8. h5 Nc6 9. Ba3 Qa5 10. Rh4 {Tricky Stuff.} ({“Normal” is} 10. Qb3) 10… Bd7 ( 10… Qxa3 11. Ra4 Qb2 12. Rb1 {Good Bye Queen.}) 11. Qb3 O-O {Black would like to “pretend” that the defense of the b7 does not need to be applied.} 12. hxg6 hxg6 13. Qxb7 {Aronian believes otherwise.} Rfd8 ({With} 13… Qxa3 14. Qxd7 Nb4 {it is hard to believe that White has played this correctly.} 15. Bc4 Nc2+ 16. Ke2 Nxa1 17. Qxe7 {but if Aronian saw this far – that is quite astounding. White is winning here with the pin and subsequent pressure to f7 with Ne5}) 14. Qa6 {White says – Please trade off and validate my greedy grab. } Bxc3 {Black must scramble.} 15. Qxa5 Bxa5 16. Bxc5 Be6 17. Bb5 Ne5 18. Nd4 { This all hangs together beautifully for Aronian.} ({Actually} 18. Nxe5 {is OK too – but not as strong as the move played.}) 18… Rd5 19. Bxe7 Kg7 20. f4 Nd7 21. f5 {Stonger than the immediate fork on c6. Aronian is merciless.} Bxf5 22. Bc6 Re5 23. Nxf5+ gxf5 24. Bg5 Kg6 25. Bf4 {Everything is hanging.} Rd8 26. Bxd7 Rc5 27. Rh6+ Kg7 28. Rd6 Bc7 29. Rc6 {Major Wow ! Nicely done.} 1-0
[Event “5th Sinquefield Cup 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.08.02”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Karjakin, Sergey”]
[Black “Svidler, Peter”]
[Result “1-0”]
[Annotator “Loal Davis”]
[PlyCount “77”]
[EventDate “2017.08.02”]
[SourceDate “2017.08.02”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Re1 O-O 9. h3 Ne7 10. d4 Ng6 11. Nbd2 h6 12. Bb3 Re8 13. Bc2 b5 14. b4 Bb7 15. Bb2 Qd7 {So Far – So Normal.} 16. c4 {Things now start to open up and get – a little wild.} exd4 (16… bxc4) 17. cxb5 d3 {From wild to crazy.} (17… axb5) 18. Bxd3 Nf4 19. Bf1 Nxe4 20. Nxe4 Bxe4 21. bxa6 Qf5 22. Ra3 (22. Nd4) 22… c5 23. Nh4 {I’m not sure this is necessary; regardless White is top.} (23. b5) 23… Qe6 24. b5 c4 25. Bd4 Bxd4 26. Qxd4 d5 27. Rg3 g5 28. f3 Nh5 29. Rg4 Nf6 30. Rgxe4 Nxe4 31. fxe4 gxh4 32. Rd1 Qxe4 33. Qxe4 Rxe4 34. Rxd5 {A beautifully astounding liquidation where White parted with the exchange, but has monsters rolling down the Queenside.} c3 35. Rc5 Rxa4 36. b6 Kg7 37. b7 Re8 38. Rxc3 Ra1 39. a7 {A nice win.} 1-0
[Event “5th Sinquefield Cup 2017”]
[Site “?”]
[Date “2017.08.02”]
[Round “1”]
[White “Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime”]
[Black “So, Wesley”]
[Result “1-0”]
[PlyCount “85”]
[EventDate “2017.08.02”]
[SourceDate “2017.08.02”]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. a4 d6 7. c3 a6 8. h3 h6 9. Nbd2 Ba7 10. Re1 Ne7 11. Bb3 Ng6 12. d4 Re8 13. Bc2 Bd7 14. a5 c6 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Nc4 Qe7 17. Qd6 Qxd6 18. Nxd6 Re6 19. Rd1 Rb8 20. Kf1 Re7 21. Nc4 Rbe8 22. b3 Be6 23. Nb6 Bxb6 24. axb6 Rd7 25. Be3 Rc8 26. c4 Rxd1+ 27. Rxd1 c5 28. Ne1 Nd7 29. Nd3 f6 30. Ra1 Ne7 31. Ke2 Kf7 32. Kd2 f5 33. f4 exf4 34. Nxf4 g5 35. Nxe6 Kxe6 36. exf5+ Nxf5 37. Bg1 Nd4 38. Re1+ Kf6 39. Rf1+ Ke7 40. Re1+ Kd8 41. Be4 Nxb3+ 42. Kc3 Nd4 43. Bh2 1-0