This game is annotated in the Soviet tournament book, XX Pervenstvo SSSR po Shakhmatam

(Fizkultura i Sport, Moscow 1954).

The translation from the original Russian is by Douglas Griffin.

Aronin – Tolush
th th
7 round, 20 USSR Championship, Moscow, 08.12.1952

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0–0 Be7 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 0–0 8.c3 d6 9.h3 Na5
10.Bc2 c5 11.d4 Qc7 12.Nbd2 cxd4
This exchange begins a system of play proposed by V. Panov. A serious objection to it consists
in the plan of play for White beginning at the 14th move.

13.cxd4 Bb7 14.d5

The variation of V. Panov counts on 14.Nf1 d5! 15.dxe5 Nxe4 16.Ng3 f5 etc. The move in the
game eliminates Black's activity in the centre and gains a spatial advantage for White. The
advantageousness of this continuation is supported by the games Aronin-Tolush (18th USSR-ch,
Moscow 1950) and Boleslavsky-Bondarevsky (2nd USSR Team-ch, Tbilisi 1951).

14...Bc8
The bishop at b7 has nothing better to do and A. Tolush returns it to the c8–h3 diagonal. It is
clear that Black is trying to carry out the advance ...f7–f5, but White easily prevents this.

15.Nf1 Ne8 16.g4 Bd7 17.Ng3 g6 18.Bh6 Ng7 19.Bd3

XIIIIIIIIY
8r+-+-trk+0
7+-wqlvlpsnp0
6p+-zp-+pvL0
5snp+Pzp-+-0
4-+-+P+P+0
3+-+L+NsNP0
2PzP-+-zP-+0
1tR-+QtR-mK-0
xabcdefghy
White intends a plan involving a struggle on both flanks. Keeping the black king under fire, he
simultaneously begins play against the queen-side pawns.

19...Rfc8 20.Qe2 Nc4 21.Rec1 Qb7 22.a4

 Threatening 22...-- 23.b3 Na5 24.Rxc8+ Qxc8 25.axb5 axb5 26.Bxb5, etc.

22...Bd8 23.b4 Rab8 24.axb5

More attention is merited by 24.Rc3, intending the transfer of the other rook to c1 or b1. Now
Black succeeds in repelling the first assault.

24...axb5 25.Rc2 Nb6 26.Rxc8 Qxc8 27.Kg2 Na4 28.Rc1 Qa6 29.Qa2 Bb6 30.Qd2
Preparing a blow on the king's flank, to which Black wrongly does not pay attention. He ought
now to have defended by means 30...f6.

30...Qa7
XIIIIIIIIY
8-tr-+-+k+0
7wq-+l+psnp0
6-vl-zp-+pvL0
5+p+Pzp-+-0
4nzP-+P+P+0
3+-+L+NsNP0
2-+-wQ-zPK+0
1+-tR-+-+-0
xabcdefghy
31.Nf5!
How many times, in positions arising from this opening, has this move of the knight to f5 been
made and, as a rule, succesfully for White! The skill of play in the middlegame consists, in
particular, of noticing such patterns.

31...Nxf5
Taking with the pawn loses immediately in view of 32.Qg5, as does 31...Ne8 on account of
32.Ne7+ Kh8 33.Ng5. After the forced move in the game White's king's bishop is activated, which
is one of the main problems in the Spanish Game. Black's king now comes under a strong attack.

32.exf5 Bd8
Defending against the threat 33.Bg5 Bd8 34.Bxd8 Rxd8 35.Qh6. But all the same the move
33.Bg5 is now decisive.

33.Bg5 f6
Black is forced to give up a pawn. After 33...Kg7 White wins immediately with 34.Bxd8 Rxd8
35.f6+.
34.Be3 Bb6 35.fxg6 hxg6 36.Bxg6 Kg7 37.Be4 Rh8 38.Kg3
Preparing the transfer of the knight via h4.

38...Qb8 39.Nh4 Bxe3 40.Qxe3 Nb6 41.Qf3 Nc4 42.Bf5 Qb7 43.Ra1 Bxf5 44.Qxf5 Qf7
45.Qe6
More decisive was 45.g5! Rh5 (if 45...fxg5, then 46.Qxg5+ Kh7 47.Ra7!, while on 45...Rf8
decisive is 46.g6 and 47.Qh5) 46.gxf6+ Kh6 47.Qe6 etc.

45...Qxe6 46.dxe6 Re8 47.Nf5+ Kg8 48.e7

XIIIIIIIIY
8-+-+r+k+0
7+-+-zP-+-0
6-+-zp-zp-+0
5+p+-zpN+-0
4-zPn+-+P+0
3+-+-+-mKP0
2-+-+-zP-+0
1tR-+-+-+-0
xabcdefghy

48...d5 49.Ra7 d4 50.Rd7 Kf7 51.Kf3

After 51.h4 Black could still provoke complications, continuing 51...Ke6 52.Rd8 Rxe7! 53.Nxe7
Kxe7 54.Ra8 d3. True, also in this case White wins: 55.Ra1 (but not 55.Kf3? e4+! 56.Kxe4 d2
etc.) 55...Nb2 (or 55...e4 56.Kf4) 56.Kf3 e4+ 57.Ke3 etc.

51...Ke6 52.Ra7 Kf7 53.Ke4 Rb8 54.h4 Nd2+ 55.Kd3

Black resigned.