Aronian 'hit the big time' when he won the elite Linares tournament in 2006. He is an uncompromising player who has a deep love of the game and seems to revel in all kinds of positions. He is particularly at home in extremely complex positions, and because he has what might be described as a universal or all-round playing style he can be quite difficult to prepare against. This may to some extent account for his successful tournament record. On the other hand, Aronian's lack of a specific 'great strength' might explain why he has yet to reach the final of a world championship cycle.

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