1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a3 Another way to avoid the Marshall, besides 8.h3, 8.a4 and 8.d4, which was played two times in this tournament so far. 8... Bc5 Black reasons that the loss of a tempo isn't that terrible since White's a3 isn't that useful. It's very similar to the Möller Attack now. 9. c3 d6 10. d4 Bb6 11. h3 Re8 11... h6 12. Be3 Bb7 13. Nbd2 Re8 14. dxe5 (14. Bc2 Nb8 15. dxe5 dxe5 16. Bxb6 cxb6 17. a4 bxa4 18. Bxa4 b5 19. Bb3 Nbd7 20. Qe2 Nc5 21. Bc2 Qc7 Svidler-Leko, Monte Carlo (rapid) 2006) 14... dxe5 15. Bxb6 cxb6 16. Nh2 Qe7 17. Ng4 Rad8 18. Nxf6+ Qxf6 19. Qe2 Na5 20. Ba2 Bc8 21. Nf1 Qg6 22. Kh2 Be6 Carlsen-Svidler, Wijk aan Zee 2007 12. Bg5 h6 13. Bh4 exd4 Black goes for the fireworks - which is kind of new in this type of position. Naturally, we have to compare it with the line 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O b5 6. Bb3 Bc5 7. c3 d6 8. d4 Bb6 9. h3 O-O 10. Re1 Re8 and here the moves 11. Bg5 h6 12.Bh4 have been played only a few times, e.g. 12. ...Bb7 (12... g5 13. dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 dxe5 15. Qxd8 Rxd8 16. Bg3 Bb7 was an internet game Kemp-Fenollar Jorda, Dos Hermanas 2004) 13. d5 Na5 14. Bc2 c6 15. dxc6 Bxc6 16. Nbd2 Qe7 17. Qe2 Rac8 18. b4 Nb7 19. Bb3 Nd8 20. a4 Ne6 21. c4 Nd4 22. Nxd4 Bxd4 23. Ra2 g5 24. axb5 axb5 25. cxb5 Bb7 26. Bg3 Maximov-Bodnar, Sevastopol 2000. After the immediate 13... g5 14. Nxg5 hxg5 15. Bxg5 might be possible. 14. cxd4 Also interesting is stuff like 14. Bd5 Bd7 15. cxd4 g5 16. Nxg5 hxg5 17. Bxg5 14... g5 The principled move, otherwise White would just be slightly better. 15. Bg3 Now after 15. Nxg5 hxg5 16. Bxg5 Black plays 16... Nxd4! (not 16... Bxd4 as suggested by GM Joel Benjamin in ICC's Game of the Day, because White plays 17. Bd5 Bb7 18. Bxc6 Bxb2 19. Bxb7 Bxa1 20. Bxa8 Qxa8 21. Nd2 Bd4 22. Qf3 white is slightly better ) 17. Nc3 Re5! black has a moderate advantage 15... g4 15... Rxe4? 16. Rxe4 Nxe4 17. Bd5 Qe8 18. Qc2 white has a moderate advantage 16. hxg4 Bxg4 Here Carlsen quickly played 17. Bh4!? to start thinking a bit more after 17... Nxd4 but then he just decided to continue the development with 18. Nc3 Bxf3 Black should also wait here with 18... c6 which might be more flexible. 19. gxf3 Kh8?! Based on a miscalculation. 19... Nxb3 20. Qxb3 c6 (not 20... Bd4?! 21. Ne2 and the knight runs quickly to f5.) 21. e5 dxe5 22. Ne4 Re6 23. Rad1 Bd4 24. Kf1 looks better for White. 20. Nd5 20. Bxf7 is losing a vital tempo: 20... Rf8 21. Nd5 (21. Ba2?! Qd7) (21. Bh5?! Rg8+ 22. Kh1 Qf8!) 21... Rxf7 22. Nxb6 Nxf3+ 23. Qxf3 cxb6 and Black is OK. 20... Rg8+ 21. Kf1 Ng4! In itself a great move (threatening mate in one!), which must have been calculated in advance. However, the tactics favor White. 22. Qxd4+! Bxd4 23. Bxd8 Nh2+ Necessary to win a tempo, but the knight is doomed here. 24. Ke2 Raxd8 25. Rad1! Excellent move. It's this sort of moves that can be easily missed when calculating 19...Kh8. The immediate 25. Rh1 can be answered by 25... Rg2 26. Ne3 Bxe3 25... Bxb2 Black accepts the fact that the knight on h2 is lost and tries to get as much material as possible for it. 25... Be5 26. Rh1 Rg2 27. f4 Ng4! 28. fxe5 Rxf2+ 29. Kd3 Nxe5+ 30. Kc3 white has a moderate advantage 26. Rh1 c6 26... Be5 27. f4 white has a decisive advantage 27. Nf4! Be5 28. Nd3 Nxf3 28... Rg2 29. Nxe5 could also be what Aronian had missed. 29. Kxf3 Bg7 30. Rh5 d5 31. exd5 Rd6 32. Rf5 cxd5 33. Rc1! Magnus finishes the game in great style. 33... Rf6 34. Rxf6 Bxf6 35. Rc6 Kg7 36. Nf4! Again, the attack is more important than the pawns. 36... Bg5 37. Nh5+ Kh8 38. Rxa6 d4 39. Ke4 Rg6 40. Ra7 1-0