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aa175 vs levonaronian

win
Date: 2026-03-17 16:38:23 | Game Link

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Game Snapshot

Queen's Pawn Game

Master Lens

Levon Aronian (Black) turned a seemingly equal Queen's Pawn opening into a winning attack by grabbing material early, activating his rooks on the open b‑file, and finally winning White's queen with a bishop capture. The game ended after Black's **...Bf5**, and White resigned, showing how precise piece coordination can convert a small opening edge into a decisive victory.

What The GM Did Well By Phase

Opening

Aronian challenged White's central pawn chain with **...c5** and then immediately struck back with **...e5**, forcing White to exchange pawns and giving Black a strong foothold in the center. By taking the bishop on f4 with **...exf4**, he eliminated White's active piece and kept the initiative (a principle of gaining material while developing).

Middlegame

After castling, Aronian placed his queen on **...Qa5** and his rook on **...Rb8**, targeting the vulnerable b‑pawn; the rook then captured on b2 with **...Rxb2** and later on c2 with **...Rxc2**, seizing two extra pawns and opening lines toward White's king. The decisive blow came with **...Bxc5**, where the bishop captured White's queen on c5, demonstrating how coordinating rooks and bishops can create a decisive tactical threat (winning material by exploiting open files and piece activity).

Game Themes

passed pawns castling bishop pair rooks on seventh rook and knight rook and bishop rook and minors