Title: Another Couple Of Deadly Knights! - Matlakov vs Aronian | Fide World Cup 2019 Opening: Giuoco Piano
Hello Chess Friends and Welcome to the Channel. In today's video , of the few decisive games played yesterday at World Cup. With the white pieces Maxim Matlakov, 28 years old russian grandmaster and number 35 in the world rankings against Levon Aronian with Black. Let's get started
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 {the three Knights Defense} 4. d3 Bc5 5. c3 {
transpose into Giuoco Piano. In the main line Black continues with d6. Aronian
instead plays short castle} O-O 6. O-O d5 7. exd5 Nxd5 {white has two main
continuations: Re1 and a4} 8. Re1 {is rook to e8 good?} Bg4 (8... Re8 {no} 9.
d4 {Black loses a the pawn} Bb6 (9... exd4 10. Rxe8+ Qxe8 11. Bxd5 {wins the
game}) 10. dxe5) 9. Nbd2 {good move} Nb6 {this Giuoco Piano line is
particularly challenging for White. The light square bishop canìt move back
to b3 or d3 is lost. There are 4 main continuations for white. Bb5 that still
tries to keep the bishop. h3 that threatens the light square bishop and b4 and
Ne4 that go against the dark bishop. They are all good moves. In practice h3
and b4 seems the best for white and they generally transpose} 10. h3 Bh5 {
the best move because moves away the bishop from g4. We will understand why in
just a couple of moves. Now black shouldn't play Nxc4. (ok so we said, now b4
is the move to play. Instead, Matlakov plays Bb3.)} (10... Nxc4 11. Nxc4 Bxf3
12. Qxf3 {with white that improves his position}) 11. Bb3 {It Seems an
inaccurancy. But it's played in 14 other games between grandmasters and top
grandmasters with white that scores well.} Kh8 {Aronian doesn't capture on d3.
Let's watch what happens (Kh8 unpins f7)} (11... Qxd3 12. Nxe5 {With the
bishop on g4, Black can capture with the knight on e4 protecting everything.
Now the only good answer for Black is} Qf5 13. Nef3 {with equality}) 12. Ne4
Be7 {a novelty and a good move. Bd6 was the move played before} 13. Ng3 Bxf3
14. Qxf3 f5 {the Knight can't capture or it's lost after g6} 15. a4 a5 {
stopping the pawn} 16. d4 f4 (16... exd4 {capturing loses the power of these
two connected and advancing pawns}) 17. Nh5 {is a provoking move. After g6 the
Knight is lost} g6 18. dxe5 {but this move is the wrong continuation and Black
is better now} (18. d5 Na7 19. Rxe5 Bd6 20. Re6 gxh5 21. Qxh5 {the two knights
are far from the kingside and it's also difficult to maneuver them there.
After Bc2 white has a strong attack}) 18... gxh5 19. Qxh5 Qd3 20. Bf7 {here
comes} Rxf7 {good idea but Stockfish prefers another line. Aronian is worried
about white's attack and he's right. But there is a defence} (20... Rad8 21. e6
Nd5 {Black is winning but white's pressure is strong. So probably Aronian
played the most practical idea}) 21. Qxf7 Rf8 22. Qh5 Bc5 {Black is better and
has more activity. Matlakov tries the best idea. To exchange the queens} 23.
Qf3 Qxf3 24. gxf3 {Black has a slight advantage} Rf5 {good move against
white's pawns} 25. Re4 Nxe5 26. Bxf4 Bd6 {Black can also capture with check} (
26... Nxf3+ 27. Kg2 Nd2 28. Re8+ Kg7 29. Bg3) 27. Kg2 Nd5 28. Bg3 Ng6 {again,
it was possible to capture} 29. Rd1 Kg7 {where there is no check} 30. h4 Kf7
31. Rd2 Nf6 32. Red4 Nf4+ 33. Kh2 Ne6 34. Rc4 Bxg3+ 35. fxg3 {Rxg3 is a bit
better} Rxf3 36. Kg2 Re3 37. g4 {Stockfish prefers b4 instead of g4 but
Matlakov is worried about black's h5 that will fix white's majority with g3
that would become a backward pawn.} (37. b4 Ne4 38. Rd7+ Kg6 39. bxa5 Rxg3+ 40.
Kh2 Re3 {even starting with b4 Black is winning}) 37... Ke7 38. Rf2 Ne4 {
there is no way to avoid the Knight fork} 39. Rf5 {only square to avoid the
Knight fork, for now} (39. Rc2 {but then Black will trap the other rook} Nd6)
39... Nd6 {resigns. Well there was a way to avoid the fork. It's to play} 0-1
Another complex fight in Giuoco Piano where this time it's Black that won the game. A nice variation to study both with white and with Black. I hope that you liked the game and I also hope that today's tie-breaks will give us some beautiful rapid games to enjoy and to analyze. Our video is over. Thank you very much for watching and goodbye.
Photo Credit:
Lennart Ootes
FIDE Master and Professional Photographer
You can follow him here:
@LennartOotes
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