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Library / Games / Carlsen, M. vs Aronian, L.
2nd Norway Chess 2014 · Stavanger NOR · 08 June 2014

M. Carlsen vs L. Aronian, 2nd Norway Chess 2014

Carlsen, M. 1–0 Aronian, L.
Carlsen, M. vs Aronian, L.
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2nd Norway Chess 2014, 08 June 2014

Carlsen-Aronian at the 2nd Norway Chess Tournament 2014 (Round 5, June 8) was won by Carlsen as White. The game was one of the decisive encounters of the tournament — Carlsen had finished fifth in the opening rounds and needed wins against the leading group to recover his position in the standings.

The opening was a Closed Spanish, a structure both players knew intimately. Carlsen’s preparation produced a small structural advantage in the middlegame; his pieces were marginally more active; the endgame was complicated but technically favourable. Aronian defended with care but could not find the precise sequence needed to hold the position. Carlsen converted in roughly 60 moves.

The win brought Carlsen into the tournament’s top group. He finished co-second with Aronian, half a point behind Sergey Karjakin. Karjakin’s victory was a major result for the Ukrainian-Russian grandmaster and established him as a serious World Championship challenger — a trajectory that would lead to his 2016 World Championship match against Carlsen.

The 2014 Norway Chess Tournament was one of the strongest events of the year. Its results contributed to the FIDE ratings update of mid-2014: Carlsen retained his world No. 1 position; Caruana and Aronian held positions 2 and 3; Karjakin moved into the top 10. The competitive landscape of elite chess in mid-2014 was reflected accurately in the Stavanger crosstable.

Game record

This game between Carlsen, M. and Aronian, L. was played at the 2nd Norway Chess 2014 in Stavanger NOR in 2014. Played in round 5.2. At the time of the game, the players were rated 2881 (White) and 2815 (Black). The game lasted 93 moves, ending with White winning. It is part of the early engine era.

Opening context

The opening sequence runs 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4, after which the players entered the middlegame proper.

Where to read on

Learn more about Carlsen, M..