Shockingly good move from Levon Aronian vs Viswanathan Anand

[User923005]

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1704763
Engines seem to like c4 here:
2rq1rk1/pb1n1ppN/3bpn2/1pp5/3P4/P1NBP3/1PQ2PPP/R1B2RK1 b - - fmvn 13; hmvc 0; pm Ng4;
But Anand's Ng4 is better, even if white responds with h3 (it will take quite a deep search to see it, more than 30 plies).

[User923005]

Here is some stockfish analysis of the key position after the knight move. Notice that black has already equalized. It also appears that the response of f4 was optimal.
2rq1rk1/pb1n1ppN/3bp3/1pp5/3P2n1/P1NBP3/1PQ2PPP/R1B2RK1 w - -
Analysis of Q:\downfall.epd
1/16/2013 4:39:32 PM Level: 43200 Seconds
Analyzing engine: Sf-211-og-1-0-ms

1
Avoid move:
Best move (Sf-211-og-1-0-ms): f2-f4
Not found in: 12:00:00
2/3 00:00 4,224 4,641 +1.17 Nxf8 Bxh2+ Kh1 Nxf8 dxc5 Rxc5 Bxb5
3/4 00:00 4,854 5,328 +1.17 Nxf8 Bxh2+ Kh1 Nxf8 dxc5 Rxc5 Bxb5
4/5 00:00 6,779 7,424 +1.45 Nxf8 Bxh2+ Kh1 Nxf8 Be4
5/6 00:00 8,865 9,688 +1.53 Nxf8 Bxh2+ Kh1 Nxf8 Be4 Bxe4 Qxe4
6/7 00:00 23,764 24,883 +1.45 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 cxd4 exd4 Qh4 Nxf8 Qxh3
7/11 00:00 38,353 39,417 +1.49 h3 cxd4 exd4 Qh4 Nxf8 Kxf8 d5
8/12 00:01 65,360 65,953 +2.42 h3 cxd4 exd4 Nh2 Nxf8 Kxf8 Re1 Qh4 Bxb5
9/13 00:01 118,203 116,456 +2.10 h3 Re8 hxg4 Qh4 f4 c4 Be4 Bxe4 Qxe4 Qxh7 Qxh7+ Kxh7 Nxb5
10/15 00:01 188,835 181,049 +2.34 h3 Nh2 Nxf8 Nxf8 dxc5 Rxc5 Rd1 Qg5 Be4 Nf3+ Kf1 Nh2+ Ke1
11/17 00:01 283,428 262,433 +2.62 h3 Nh2 Nxf8 Nxf8 dxc5 Rxc5 Rd1 Qg5 Be4 Nf3+ Kf1 Nh2+ Ke1 Bxe4 Qxe4 Rc4
12/20 00:01 458,620 398,453 +2.42 h3 Nh2 Nxf8 Kxf8 Rd1 cxd4 exd4 Qh4 Bxb5 Nf6 f3 Bd5
13/20 00:01 1,057,173 764,958 +1.57 h3 Qh4 f4 c4 Be2 Qxh7 Qxh7+ Kxh7 Nxb5 Nxe3 Bxe3 Bb8 f5 Rfe8 fxe6 Rxe6 Bf3 Bxf3 Rxf3
14/20 00:01 1,133,199 800,847 +1.57 h3 Qh4 f4 c4 Be2 Qxh7 Qxh7+ Kxh7 Nxb5 Nxe3 Bxe3 Bb8 f5 Rfe8 fxe6 Rxe6 Bf3 Bxf3 Rxf3
15/22 00:01 1,929,652 1,136,426 +2.02 h3 Qh4 f4 c4 Bxc4 bxc4 Nxf8 Rxf8 hxg4 Nf6 Qf2 Qxg4 Bd2 a6 Qe2 Qg6 Rac1 Qg3
16/23 00:01 2,341,912 1,260,447 +1.93 h3 Qh4 f4 c4 Bxc4 Rxc4 Nxf8 Kxf8 hxg4 Qxg4 e4 Qg6 Qe2 a6 e5 Bc7 Be3
17/26 00:02 3,706,444 1,543,708 +1.57 h3 Qh4 f4 c4 Be4 Bxe4 Qxe4 Qxh7 Qxh7+ Kxh7 Nxb5 Nxe3 Bxe3 Bb8 Nc3 Nf6 f5 Rfe8 fxe6 Rxe6
18/31 00:06 15,628,017 2,292,506 +1.01 h3 Qh4 f4 Ndf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Nxb5 cxd4 Qf2 Qxf2+ Rxf2 Rfd8 exd4 Bb8 Be3 a6 Nc3 Ba7 Rd2 Bb6 Kf2 a5 Bc2
19/31 00:07 16,911,171 2,318,186 +1.09 h3 Qh4 f4 Ndf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Nxb5 cxd4 Qf2 Qxf2+ Rxf2 Rfd8 exd4 Bb8 Be3 Nd5 Bd2 a6 Nc3 Nb6 Be3 Nc4 Bxc4 Rxc4 Rd1 Ba7 f5 exf5 Rxf5 Bxd4 Bxd4 Rcxd4 Rxd4 Rxd4
20/31 00:11 29,505,585 2,477,587 +0.96 h3 Qh4 f4 Ndf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Nxb5 cxd4 Qf2 Qxf2+ Rxf2 Rfd8 exd4 Bb8 Be3 Nd5 Bd2 a6 Nc3 Nb6 Be3 Nc4 Bxc4 Rxc4 Re1 Bd6 Rc2
21/31 00:14 36,485,871 2,516,787 +0.96 h3 Qh4 f4 Ndf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Nxb5 cxd4 Qf2 Qxf2+ Rxf2 Rfd8 exd4 Bb8 Be3 Nd5 Bd2 a6 Nc3 Nb6 Be3 Nc4 Bxc4 Rxc4 Re1 Bd6 Rc2
22/35 00:34 90,154,581 2,633,096 +0.60 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 Be2 Nde5 f4 Bg3 Ng5 Nf2+ Kg1 b4 dxe6 bxc3 Qxc3 Neg4 Bxg4 Nxg4 exf7+ Kh8 e4 Bf2+ Kh1 Ba6 Ne6 Bd4 Nxd8 Rxd8 Qe1 Nf2+ Rxf2 Bxf2
23/35 00:45 120,752,087 2,660,733 +0.84 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 Nde5 Ng5 Nxd3 Qxd3 Bg3 Qxb5 Bxd5 Nxd5 exd5 Qb7 Qh5 Rf3 Bf2 Qxa7 d4 e4 c4 Qxf7+ Qxf7 Nxf7 Kxf7 hxg4
24/39 01:09 185,359,963 2,676,523 +0.76 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 Nde5 Ng5 Nxd3 Qxd3 Bg3 Qxb5 Bxd5 Nxd5 exd5 Bd2 Nf2+ Kg1 Ng4 Qb7 Bf2+ Kh1 Rf8 Nf3 Qh5 e4 dxe4 Qxe4 Rce8 Qb7 Be3 Bxe3 Nxe3 Rf2
25/42 01:57 313,585,658 2,679,257 +0.84 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 Nde5 Ng5 Nxd3 Qxd3 Bg3 Qxb5 Bxd5 Nxd5 Rxd5 Nf3 Qh5 Kg1 Nf6 Bd2 Rdd8 Ba5 Rf8 Qe2 c4 Bc3 Ne4 Rad1 Rc7 Be5
26/42 03:18 535,404,332 2,697,550 +0.92 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 Nde5 Ng5 Nxd3 Qxd3 Bg3 Qxb5 Bxd5 Nxd5 Rxd5 Nf3 Qh5 Kg1 Nf6 Bd2 Rdd8 Bc3 Rb8 Qa5 Ne4 Be5 Ra8 Qb5 f6 Bc7 Rdc8
27/44 04:21 707,248,005 2,705,729 +0.96 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 Nde5 Ng5 Nxd3 Qxd3 Bg3 Qxb5 Bxd5 Nxd5 Rxd5 Nf3 Qh7 e4 Rdd8 Kg1 Nf6 Ng5 Qh5 Qb3 Bh4 Qc4 Rb8 b3 Rb7 Be3 Qg6 Rad1
28/49 12:54 2,090,955,702 2,701,454 +0.44 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 b4 axb4 cxb4 Ng5 Bxd5 Qe2 bxc3 Qxg4 Qxg4 hxg4 Bg3 bxc3 Nc5 Bh7+ Kh8 Bc2 Rd7 Rd1 Rb7 Ra5 Nb3 Nxf7+ Rxf7 Raxd5
29/49 17:34 2,865,049,157 2,717,644 +0.32 h3 Bh2+ Kh1 Qh4 d5 Rfd8 f4 b4 axb4 cxb4 Ng5 Bxd5 Qe2 bxc3 Qxg4 Qxg4 hxg4 Bg3 bxc3 Nc5 Bh7+ Kh8 Bc2 Rd7 Rd1 Rdc7 Ra3 f6 e4 Bb3 Nf7+ Rxf7 Bxb3 Nxb3 Rxb3
30/49 36:29 5,989,448,923 2,735,381 +0.16 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Nf6 Rd1 Qb6 g5 Nd5 b4 Nxe3 Bxe3 Qxe3+ Qf2 Qxf2+ Kxf2 a6 g3 Bd5 Ke3 Bd6 Bf5 Rc6 Rac1 a5
31/49 58:26 9,666,510,670 2,757,003 +0.16 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Nf6
32/57 1:29:16 14,859,446,582 2,774,303 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Nf6 Rd1 Qb6 g5 Nd5 b4 Nxe3 Bxe3 Qxe3+ Qf2 Qxf2+ Kxf2 g6 Re1 Bg7 Rac1 Bd4+ Kg3 Bd5 Be4 Bb3 Bc2 Bd5 Be4
33/57 1:41:35 16,975,730,419 2,785,141 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Nf6 Rd1 Qb6 g5 Nd5 b4 Nxe3 Bxe3 Qxe3+ Qf2 Qxf2+ Kxf2 g6 Re1 Bg7 Rac1 Bd4+ Kg3 Bd5 Be4 Bb3 Bc2 Bd5 Be4
34/58 2:10:39 21,943,640,166 2,799,271 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 Ndf6 hxg4 dxc3 Rd1 Qb6 g5 Nd5 b4 Nxf4 Bh7+ Kh8 Rd7 Bxg2 Rd4 Rc4 Rxf4 Rxf4 Qxg2 Rh4 Bc2 Bd6 Qf3 Rh2 g6
35/58 2:59:12 30,222,407,054 2,810,821 +0.08 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 Ndf6 hxg4 dxc3 Rd1 Qb6 bxc3 Bc5 Rb1 a6 c4 Nxg4 Qe2 Bxe3+ Bxe3 Nxe3 Qf2 Qc5 cxb5 Nxd1 Qxc5 Rxc5 bxa6 Bxa6 Bxa6 Nc3
36/58 4:50:58 49,443,606,612 2,832,074 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Qh4 bxc3 Nf6 Qf2 Qxg4 Bxb5 Qg6 Be2 Rxc3 Rd1 Ne4 Qf3 Nc5 Qg4 Qxg4 Bxg4 Nb3 Rb1 Be4 Bb2 Rc2 Bf3 Bxf3 gxf3 Nd2 Rdc1 Nxf3+ Kf1 Nh2+ Kg1 Nf3+
37/58 7:04:26 72,779,466,482 2,857,843 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Qh4 g5 Nc5 bxc3 Rd8 Be2 Be4 Qa2 Bd5 c4 bxc4 Bxc4 Ne4 Bxd5 Rxd5 Qc2 Ng3 Re1 Qh1+ Kf2 Qh4 Kg1
38/58 9:26:21 97,783,299,376 2,877,538 0.00 f4 cxd4 Nxf8 Bxf8 h3 dxc3 hxg4 Qh4 g5 Nc5 bxc3 Rd8 Be2 Be4 Qa2 Bd5 c4 bxc4 Bxc4 Ne4 Bxd5 Rxd5 Qc2 Ng3 Re1 Qh1+ Kf2 Qh4 Kg1
1/17/2013 3:03:59 AM, Time for this analysis: 10:24:23, Rated time: 12:00:00

0 of 1 matching moves
1/17/2013 3:04:00 AM, Total time: 10:24:27 AM
Rated time: 12:00:00 = 43200 Seconds