In Kalmykia, the capital of Elista, in a faraway corner of the former Soviet Union, a match just took place between sixteen players, four of whom–Peter Leko, Boris Gelfand, Levon Aronian and Alexander Grischuk–now advance to the next stage of the world championship competition in Mexico City. They will be joined there by Vladimir Kramnik, Viswanathan Anand, Peter Svidler and Alexander Morozevich who had previously qualified to enter the field of eight.

The tensest match in Elista was between the favorite, Levon Aronian, of Armenia and the prodigy from Norway, Magnus Carlsen. Only in a second series of speed-chess tie-breaks was Aronian able to emerge victorious That these two players would be so evenly matched was difficult to foresee after their first game in which Aronian ate Carlsen as if for breakfast.

CARLSEN VS. ARONIAN
(white) (black)
RUY LOPEZ

1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Be7 6.d3 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8.a4 Rb8!? Playing black, Kramnik obtained an unpleasant position against Leko two months earlier after 8…Bd7?! 9. Nc3 Na5 10. Ba2 b4 11. Ne2 c5 12. Ng3 0-0 13. Nh4 g6 14. Bh6 Re8 15. Bd2 Carlsen implies that Leko’s idea, despite the move 8…Rb8, is more useful than 8….Bd7. 9. axb5 axb5 10. Nc3!? In previous games white preferred 10.h3 in this position, preventing …Bg4. In Short-Tipsay, 1982, there followed 10…Na5 11. Ba2 c5 12. Ng5 0-0 13.f4. 10… 0-0 10…Bg4 could be answered by or 11. Be3 or more sharply by 11. Ne2!? Bxf3 12. gxf3 11.h3?! The logical development of Leko’s idea would be 11. Nd5! Nxd5 12. Bxd5 Nb4 13. Bb3 Be6 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15.c3 Nc6 16.b4 with a slight edge for white. Now Aronian prevents this. 11… Nb4!? An excellent plan. The knight goes to b4 to get extra control of the d5 square and to free the way for the c-pawn. 12. Ne2 12.d4?! can be meet by 12…c5 and white’s light-squared bishop is in trouble; 12. Nd5?! Nbxd5 13. exd5 Bb7 14.c4 c6 now doesn’t promise any real benefits to white. 12… c5 13. Ng3 After 13.c3 Nc6 ( also interesting is 13…Nxd3!? 14. Qxd3 c4 15. Bxc4 bxc4 16. Qxc4 Be6 17. Qd3 Qc7 with good pressure in exchange for the pawn.) 14. Ng3 Be6 black equalizes. 13… Be6 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15.c3 Nc6 As a result of the opening Black has comfortably deployed his troops and even obtained a space advantage. 16. Re1 Qd7 17.d4?! The attempt to take the initiative in an inappropriate moment offers an advantage to black. Better was 17. Bg5 with equality. 17… exd4 18. cxd4 c4! Now Black has good prospects on the queenside (the possibility of creating a passed pawn) and in the center (the d3 square). 19. Bg5 Both 19.e5 Nd5 20. exd6 Bxd6 21. Ne4 Ndb4; and 19.d5? exd5 20. exd5 Nb4 are insufficient; whereas the humble 19. Bd2 made sense, preventing 20…Nb4. 19… h6 In case of 19…Nb4 20.e5 Nfd5 21. Bxe7 Qxe7 22. exd6 Qxd6 23. Ne5 white is not worse as the white knights have strong central outposts. 20.d5?! This doesn’t release white from the pressure, but the natural 20. Bxf6 Bxf6 21. Nh5 Nb4! 22. Nxf6+ Rxf6 23.e5 Rf4 24. exd6 Nd3 25. Ne5 Qxd6 26. Nxd3 Rxd4! didn’t equalize either. 20… exd5 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7! Protecting the black queen and preventing the threat of e4-e5. Now the white queenside is in jeopardy. 23. Qd2 23. Nf5 is not good because of 23…Nb4! 24. Qxd6 Qxd6 25. Nxd6 Rd7 26.e5 Nc2. 23… Ne5 The strong alternative was 23…b4!? 24. Nf5 c3 25. Qd5 cxb2 26. Ra6 Ne7 27. Nxe7+ Qxe7 28. Rxd6 Bc3 and black is better. 24. Nxe5 Bxe5 25. Ne2 Not good for white is 25. Nf5 d5! 25… Rbf8! The beginning of a brilliant conception. In case of 25…b4 26.f4 Bf6 27. Nd4 white would have counterplay. 26. Rf1

(See diagram)

No better was 26.f3 Rxf3 27. gxf3 Qxh3 28. Ra3 Rf6 with a strong attack. 26… Rf3! Very nice! Stopping the g-pawn, black obtains a decisive advantage. 27. Ra3!? 27. gxf3 Rxf3 gave black a decisive attack – 28. Qd5+ Kh7 29. Ra8 Qxh3 30. Qg8+ Kg6 31. Qe8+ Kg5 32. Qe7+ Kh5 33. Qe8+ g6; The other defenses 27. Qd5+ Kh7 28. Rad1 Qc8! (defending against Qxe5 and renewing the threat of …Rxh3) gave black a big advantage – 29. Qxb5 (or 29. Nd4 Rxh3! 30. Ne6 Bh2+ 31. Kh1 Rh4 32. Nxf8+ Qxf8 33. Qf5+ Qxf5 34. exf5 Be5+ 35. Kg1 Bxb2 36. Rxd6 c3; or 29. Rd2 R8f6!) 29…Rxh3 30.f4 Rb3 31. Qd5 Bxb2. 27… Rxa3 28. bxa3 Qc6 29. Nd4 Both 29.f3 Ra8; and 29. Qe3 Ra8 didn’t help. 29… Bxd4! 30. Qxd4 Ra8 31. Ra1 31. Qb2 Qc5 is equally hopeless. 31… c3 32. Qb4 Qc5! 33. Qb3+ Kh8 34. Ra2 Ra4! 35. Re2 Rxa3 36. Qd1 Ra8

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