Bilbao Chess Masters: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – Levon Aronian 0-1
Levon Aronian beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the fourth round to join Michael Adams in the lead at the VI Chess Masters Final on Friday. Maxime launched a Kingside attack and was almost winning after a neat Rook sacrifice. However, Aronian survived and he won the rook vs. four pawns endgame.
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime (2742) – Aronian, Levon (2795)
[…] 1.c4 ♘f6 2.♘c3 e5 3.♘f3 ♘c6 4.g3 g6 5.♗g2 ♗g7 6.O-O O-O 7.d3 h6 8.b4 d6 9.♖b1 a6 10.a4 ♘e7 11.♗a3 c6 12.c5 ♖e8 13.e4 ♗g4 14.♕b3 ♘d7 15.♘d2 ♘c8 16.♕c2 ♗f8 17.cxd6 ♘xd6 18.♘b3 b5 19.h3 ♗e6 20.♖fd1 bxa4 21.♘xa4 ♘b5 22.♗b2 ♗xb3 23.♕xb3 c5 24.♖bc1 ♖b8 25.♕a2 cxb4 26.♖c6 ♔g7 27.d4 b3 28.♕b1 exd4 29.♗xd4+ ♘xd4 30.♖xd4 ♕a5 31.♖xd7 ♕xa4 32.e5 ♖e7 33.♖dd6 ♕a2 34.♖xg6+ fxg6 35.♕xg6+ ♔h8 36.♗d5 ♖g7 37.♕xh6+ ♖h7 38.♕e6 ♕b1+ 39.♔g2
39…♖g7 40.♖c8 ♖xc8 41.♕xc8 ♖g8 42.♕b7 ♕h7 43.♕xb3 ♖g5 44.♕e3 ♕e7 45.f4 ♖g7 46.f5 ♕g5 47.♕xg5 ♖xg5 48.g4 ♗g7 49.e6 ♗f6 50.♔g3 a5 51.h4 ♖g8 52.g5 ♔g7 53.♔f4 ♖h8 54.♔g4 ♖b8 55.gxf6+ ♔xf6 56.e7 a4
57…a4 58.h5 ♖b5 59.♗a2 ♖b2 60.♗c4 ♖g2+ 61.♔h6 a3 62.♗d5 a2 63.♗xa2 ♖xa2 64.♔g7 ♖g2+ 65.♔h8 ♔f7 66.h6 ♖b2 67.♔h7 ♖b8 68.f6 ♖b2 69.♔h8 ♔xf6 70.♔g8 ♖g2+ 71.♔h8 ♖a2 72.♔h7 ♖h2 73.♔g8 ♖xh6 (0:00:08) 56…Kxe7
57….