[Event "San Marino 2006"]
[CustomFEN ""]
[Mode "ICS"]
[Round ""]
[White "GM Akobian"]
[Black "GM Areshchenko"]
[WhiteELO ""]
[BlackELO "2660"]
[Result "1-0"]

{GM Akobian: Hello everyone! Today I will be showing my game against the very strong Ukranian GM Areshchenko 2660 fide rating. My opponent usually plays the Grunfeld defense and of course he chose to play his main opening in this important game}1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 {Now we are in the Grunfeld defense}4. Nf3 {This was a surprise for my opponent}Bg7 5. {I decided to avoid the main lines and play a very solid and rare idea in the opening}Bf4 O-O 6. cxd5 Nxd5 7. {And here is my new idea that I prepared before this game. In the Grunfeld defense black's strongest piece most of the time is the dark squared bishop so thats why I would like to simply trade it right away.}Be5 Nf6 {I don't like this move for black so much. In my opinion 7..Bxe5 offers black best chances to equalize. Idea behind my opponents last move is to avoid trading the dark square bishops but In this black loses alot of time.}8. e3 c5 {This is a very risky pawn sacrifice. I think my opponent simply underestimated my position.
Better for black would of been: 8...Nbd7 then c5 but white still has a slight opening advantage.}9. {I couldn't see any reason not to take the pawn.}dxc5 Nbd7 10. Bd4 {I like this move alot, I simply protect the c5 pawn.}Re8 {Now black is threatening to play e5 and trap my bishop.}11. e4 {Now I have the e3 square for my bishop.}e5 {Next few moves black must play very active otherwise if I can play b4 and protect my c5 pawn black will not have any compensation for the sacrificed pawn.}12. Be3 Ng4 {Black wants to complicate the position in order to gain some counterplay.}13. Bg5 {Now I am attacking the Queen and forcing black to play f6.}f6 {If black plays 13... Qa5 14.Bb5! and I will keep my extra c5 pawn with Idea of a3-b4.}14. Qd5 Kh8 15. h3 {I think here I could of played 15.Bd2 with a nice edge. If 15. Bd2! Qe7 16.h3 Nxc5 17.b4 with a winning position}Nxf2 {Excellent move by GM Areshchenko! I saw this move during the game and calculated a variation which keeps my advantage.}16. Kxf2 fxg5 17. Bb5 {This is a strong developing move which puts lot of pressure on black. here my opponet played a natural move 17..a6 which is a mistake and after this move his position is very unpleasant for the rest of the game his only chance was to go for the following line 17... Nf6 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Rad1 Rf8 20.Rd6 and white has an advantage.}a6 18. Bxd7 Bxd7 19. Rad1 {I could have also played the other rook to d1 with a big advantage for white.}Bc6 {Only move to defend the b7 pawn and d7 bishop.}20. Qxd8 {And now after the trade of the queens I will win the g5 pawn and regain my material advantage.}Rxd8 21. Nxg5 Rd4 {Black is trying to play very active.}22. Nf7 Kg8 23. {Now I will transfer my g5 knight to the strong d6 square with a tempo, which is very important.}Nd6 Rf8 24. Ke2 {Here my opponent plays a strong move 24..Bf6 with two ideas, first Be7 and take my strong knight on d6 and second idea, Bh4 with idea of Rf2 check!}Bf6 25. Rhf1 {If 25.Rxd4 exd4 26.Nxd5 Bh4 and black gains some counterplay.}Rxd1 26. Rxd1 Bh4 {Now black is threatning to play Rf2+ so I must play Rf1 and trade his rook.}27. Rf1 Rxf1 28. Kxf1 Be7 {Now black wants to play Bxd6 and Kf7-e6 and win the d6 pawn with equal position.}29. Nc4 Bxc5 30. Nxe5 Be8 {Only square for the light square bishop otherwise I will trade it off. This is a very interesting position; normally we hear that two bishops are much stronger then two knights but in this endgame you will see how white's knights and king dominate the two bishops. Now my plan is to activate my king as much as possible.}31. Ke2 {My opponent also tries to bring his king in to the game.}Kg7 32. Kd3 g5 {Black could have also played 32..Kf6.}33. Kc4 Be3 34. Kd5 {With each move white's king is getting more and more active which increases the advantage. Biggest problem for black besides being down a pawn is that his light square bishop is very passive.}Bc1 {Black is trying to weaken my dark squares but I am going to defend my b2 pawn by Nd3.}35. Nd3 {Also after nd3 I am preparing to advance my passed E pawn. Now I have the d5 square for my knight.}Bd2 36. Kd6 Bg6 37. Nc5 b6 38. Ne6 {38.Nxa6 is a inaccurate because of 38..Bxc3 39.bxc3 Bxe4 and black has some drawing chances since his light square bishop is very active.}Kh6 39. {Now I advance my e5 pawn.}e5 Bc1 40. b4 {40. b4 is stronger then b3 because it stops Ba3 check.}Kh5 41. g3 {Now my opponent wants to play Kh4.g3 and win my king side pawns so thats why I played 41.G3 ! stopping his king.}g4 42. h4 {Now black's king cannot get closer to my pawns on the king-side.}Bd2 43. Nd5 {My knights are very well placed on d5 and e6.}Bf7 {if 43..Be1 44.Nf6+ Kh6 45.Nxg4+ Kh5 46.Nf6+ Kh6 47.g4+ Bxh4 48.Ng8 mate.}44. Nef4 Kh6 45. e6 Be8 46. Ke7 {Ke7; strong move with idea of Kf7 and e7 e8 Queening the pawn.}Ba4 47. Kf7 {And here GM Areshchenko resigned because he cannot stop my pawn from advancing to e8 and Queening. Thank You for joining this lesson. I hope you enjoyed my analysis and Best Of Luck in your Chess! Tune in next time for Akobian Vs. Torre}1-0

Cheers!
PC