According to ChessBase, the games were played at a rate of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes to finish the game, with 10 extra seconds per move from move number 41. The “Sofia Rule” was enforced, which means that players are not allowed to agree a draw without arbiter’s permission. The prize fund is 110,000 euros, or $160,000.
Aronian, the world’s number three, finished first. He twice scalped Shirov, beat Karjakin and drew their other game, and won against Grischuk who beat him in an earlier round.
Levon notched 4.5 points in six games, finishing a point and a half ahead of Grischuk and Karjakin.
Aronian, who will be 27 next month, joined the world’s elite in 2005.
He won the 1994 under-12 World Youth Chess Championship and the Armenian championship in 2002, which was the same year he became the world junior champ.
Two years later, he reached the third round of the FIDE world championship before being knocked out by Pavel Smirnov.
In March 2006 he topped the annual Linares tournament and tied for first in the Tal Memorial. The following year, he shared first place at the category 19 Corus chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee and trounced then-world champ Vladimir Kramnik 4-2 in a rapid chess match.
Last year, he won at Corus, sharing first place with Carlsen. Aronian then proceeded to top the Melody Amber blindfold/rapid tournament held in Nice and the Karen Asrian Memorial rapid chess tournament in Yerevan.
Early this year, he won the 18th Melody Amber blindfold/rapid tournament in Nice, France for the second time and became the world rapid chess champion as well as the winner of the FIDE Grand Prix 2008–2009.
His style, according to commentators, “shows a willingness to go into complex and original positions, where his aggressive play can shine.”
Indeed, with Aronian, the question is not will he become a challenger for the world title, but when.
Game of the week. IM Malcolm Pein annotates.
White: L. Aronian (2773)
Black: S. Karjakin (2722)
Nimzo-Indian Rubinstein Variation
2nd Grand Slam Masters Bilbao 2009
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e3 0–0 5.Bd3 c5 6.Nf3 d5 7.0–0 dxc4 8.Bxc4 Nbd7 9.Qe2 b6 10.Rd1 cxd4 11.exd4 Bb7 12.d5 Bxc3 13.dxe6 Bxf3 14.gxf3 (14.Qxf3 Ne5 15.Qe2 Qc7 16.Bb3 Neg4 17.g3 Qe5 18.Qxe5 Bxe5 is somewhat better for Black, White gets two pawns and some play for the piece) 14…fxe6 15.bxc3 Qc7 16.Ba3 (Taking the pawn does not work out well, 16.Bxe6+ Kh8 17.Ba3 Rfe8) 16…Nc5 17.Rd4 Kh8 18.Re1 Rac8 (18…Nh5 coming to f4 looks quite annoying then if 19.Qe3 Nf4 20.Bxc5 bxc5 21.Re4 and even winning the e6 pawn will not give White any advantage. His pawns are weak) 19.Qe5 Qf7 (19…Qxe5 20.Rxe5 and the bishops are good in the endgame and the kingside weakness less important) 20.Bc1!? (An incredibly deep idea) 20…Nd5 21.Bxd5 exd5 22.Qxd5 Qxf3 (22…Qg6+ 23.Qg5 Qc6 24.Qd5 Qg6+ =) 23.Qxf3 Rxf3 24.Re7! (White gets huge activity with this pawn sacrifice) 24…Rxc3 25.Be3! Ra3 26.Rg4 h5 (26…Rg8 27.Bd4 was the cunning plan) 27.Rg5! (This wins but not 27.Rgxg7 Rg8!) 27…h4? (27…Rd8) 28.Bd4 Kh7 29.Rgxg7+ Kh6 30.Bb2 and 1-0 in view of 3…Rxa2 31.Bc1+ Kh5 32.Re5#
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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