526
The British Chess Magazine
22 e4 d×e4 23 e3 fd8 is better only for
Black.
22…×c3 23 ×f5 fd8
23…f6 was suggested by Houdini Pro, but it
only leads to a draw: 24 d7! (24 ×f6 e×f6 25
e3 fd8 is better for Black) 24…e5 25 g4+
g5 26 d7.
24 f3!
Before undertaking anything, Carlsen anchors
both his bishop and his pawn structure.
24…a8 25 e4 f6 26 b4 a7
Logical. However, I think 26…e6! 27 g2 (27
a5 e5) 27…d4 28 b7 d8 was a superior way to play the position, with Black well
coordinated.
27 g2 da8 28 g4+ f8 29 d7 e6 30
d1 e5 31 h1 g7 32 b1 ×a4
So Black wins the a-pawn, but in order to do so
he had to take his rooks out of play to a degree.
Carlsen uses the position of the offside rooks
to keep equality.
33 b7! 4a7 34 e7 ×b7 35 c×b7 b8
36 d7 c5 37 c6 f6 38 h2
XIIIIIIIIY
9-tr-+-+-+0
9+P+-+p+-0
9-+Q+pmk-zp0
9+-zp-wq-+-0
9-+-+-+-+0
9+-+-+LzP-0
9-+-+PzP-mK0
9+-+-+-+-0
xiiiiiiiiy
No further progress can be made by either
player.
38…e7 39 g2 f5 40 c8 d6 41 e3
f6
½–½
G M Carlsen
O L Aronian
Sinquefield Cup, 2013
Ruy Lopez, Anti-Marshall C88
1 e4 e5 2 f3 c6 3 b5 a6 4 a4 f6
5 0–0 e7 6 e1 b5 7 b3 0–0 8 a4 b4
9 d4 d6 10 d×e5 d×e5 11 ×d8 ×d8 12
bd2 h6 13 a5 (‘this pawn later becomes a
source of weakness’ – Keene) 13…c5 14
c4 g4 15 e2 e6 16 ×e6 f×e6 17
h3 f6 18 e1 ab8 19 c4 b5 20 b3
d4 21 b2 c5 22 a2 ×b2 23 ×b2
e8 24 a2 d6 25 fd2 b7 26 f3
f7 27 f1 f6 28 a4 b×a5 29 e3
h5 30 ea1 d4 31 e1 e7 32 f3 d2
33 d1 d6 34 da1