The Catalan has become a popular opening as of late, and the Armenian grandmaster Levon Aronian has developed and successfully employed his own defensive methods against it. But at the Amber Blindfold tournament in Monte Carlo, his defense was beautifully punctured. Boris Gelfand, playing blindfolded “saw” without a board possibilities that players before him never saw while looking at the pieces and the 64 squares. After this demolition, Aronian will hence forth have to deploy a difference defense against the Catalan.

GELFAND VS ARONIAN (white) (black) Catalan

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4. Bg2 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Nf3 0-0 7.0-0 c6 8. Bf4 b6 9. Nc3 Bb7 In 2005 Veselin Topalov tried twice to prove that black keeps sufficient resources for a draw in the position that arises after the complications of 9…Ba6 10. cxd5 cxd5 11. Rc1 Nc6?! (more prudent 11…Bb7 ) 12. Nxd5! Qxd5 13. Ne5 Nxd4! 14. Bxd5 Nxe2+ 15. Qxe2! Bxe2 16. Bxa8 Rxa8 17. Rfe1, but both games–against Kramnik and Ponomariev–Topalov was forced to concede. 10. Rc1 This is more challenging than 10. Nd2 which Gelfand played against Aronian at the close of 2006. That move brought the game to an unclear position after 10… 10…Nh5 11. Be5 Nd7 12.e4 Nxe5 13. dxe5 dxc4 14. Bf3 g6 15. Bxh5 gxh5 16. Nxc4 and here there was an abrupt agreement to a draw. 10… Nh5 11. Be5! Up until this game Aronian obviously trusted this method of handling the Catalan. This year he had already twice steered into this position playing against Leko. The Hungarian grandmaster in both games selected the meek 11. Bxb8 Qxb8 12. Ne5 Nf6 13.e3. In one of the previous rounds of the Amber tournament, in the rapid game, Aronian beat Leko after complications: 13…Rc8 14.g4!? dxc4 15.g5 Ne8 16. Qh5 g6 17. Qh4 c5 18. Qf4 Nd6 19. Ne4 Bxe4 20. Bxe4 Bxg5! Gelfand’s move places much more serious problems before black. 11… Nd7 12. cxd5 exd5

(See Diagram)

In both cases 12…cxd5 13. Nb5 Nxe5 14. dxe5; and 12…Nxe5 13. dxe5 cxd5 14. Nd4 black has difficulties because of the poor position of the knight on h5. 13.e4! f6?! This permits a sudden combinational blow. Relatively better was 13…Nhf6 14. exd5 Nxe5 (even worse was 14…Nxd5 15. Nxd5 cxd5 16. Bc7 Qe8 17. Re1 Nf6 18. Ng5! h6 19. Bd6 with unbearable threats, or; 14…cxd5 15. Bf4 with permanent pressure.) 15. dxe5 Nxd5 16. Nxd5 cxd5 17. Qd3 where white is clearly better. 14. exd5! cxd5 Black rejects a first offering of the piece. The position after 14…fxe5 15. Nxe5 Nxe5 16. dxe5 Qe8 17. dxc6!? (Very strong as well was 17.d6!? Bg5 18. Rc2 g6 19. Re1) 17…Ba6 18. Re1 is very attractive for white. But now follows a completely unexpected move. 15. Bc7!! Qxc7 16. Nh4!? The rough forced variation 16. Nxd5!? Qd6 17. Nh4! Bxd5 18. Nf5 Bxg2 19. Nxd6 Bxf1 20. Qb3+ Kh8 21. Nf7+ Rxf7 22. Qxf7 could bring white victory too, because black can not avoid the loss of two pieces here. But the quiet move in the game is no less strong, but more elegant. 16… Nf4 White’s onslaught was also unstoppable after 16…Nxg3 17. hxg3 Qd8 18. Nxd5 Rb8 19. Qg4 Kh8 20. Nf5. The best opportunity for resistance was promised by16…Qd8 17. Nxd5! Rb8 18. Qxh5 Rf7. 17. gxf4 Rf7 No more attractive for black was 17…Qxf4 18. Nxd5 Bxd5 19. Bxd5+ Kh8 20. Qh5! 18. Nxd5 Qb8 19. Nxe7+ Rxe7 20. Nf5 Re8 This was also immediate losing after 20…Rf7 21. Bxb7 Qxb7 22. Nd6. 21. Qb3+ Kh8 22. Bxb7 Qxb7 23. Nd6

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