(1) Aronian,L (2801) - Karjakin,Sergey (2760) [E20]
Tal Memorial Moscow RUS (5), 10.11.2010



1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 Ne4 7.Qd3 Nxc3 8.bxc3 Be7 9.Nb5
[9.Bg2 0-0 10.0-0 d6 11.Rd1 a6 12.Nb3 Qc7 13.Bf4 e5 14.Be3 Nd7 15.Nd2 f5 16.Rab1 Rb8 17.Ba7 Ra8 18.Be3 Rb8 19.Ba7 Ra8 0-1 Nakamura,H (2708)-Karjakin,S (2720)/Wijk aan Zee 2010/CB04_2010 (48)]

9...Nc6 10.Bg2 0-0 11.Bf4 e5 12.Bc1 b6
After this move, Karjakin gets a tough game in which he is playing catchup. [12...d6 was worth considering. If 13.Ba3 Qa5 14.0-0 (14.Bxd6?! Rd8 15.Bc7 Rxd3 16.Bxa5 Rd7 and Black is doing well.) 14...Be6 15.Bxd6 Rfd8 16.c5 Rd7 Threatening a6.]

13.0-0 Bb7 14.Rd1 Na5 15.Bxb7 Nxb7 16.Qxd7 Nc5 17.Qxd8 Rfxd8 18.Be3
White's queenside structure is ugly, but he is still up a pawn.

18...Rdc8 19.a4 Bf8 20.Rd5 Ne6 21.Rxe5 Rxc4 22.a5 bxa5 23.Rxa5 a6 24.Kg2 h6 25.h4 Rcc8 26.Nd4 Nc5 27.Ra2 Nb7 28.Bd2 Nd6 29.Nf5 Nc4 30.Ne7+ Bxe7 31.Rxe7 h5 32.Bc1 a5 33.Rd7 a4 34.Ba3 Nxa3 35.Rxa3 Rab8 36.Rxa4 Rxc3 37.Raa7
With both rooks pressuring the 7th, an extra pawn, intact structure, the Armenian's winning chances look extremely good.

37...Rf8 38.e4 Rcc8 39.e5 Rce8 40.f4 Rd8
Obviously a key forkroad in the endgame.

41.e6
[41.f5 was the obvious alternative. 41...Rxd7 42.Rxd7 Rb8 43.Kf3 Rb3+ 44.Ke4 Kf8 (44...Rxg3 would lose to 45.Rd8+ Kh7 46.e6 fxe6 47.fxe6 Rg1 48.Ke5 Re1+ 49.Kd6+- ) 45.Rd3 and though better, White may not be able to convert. Still, it might have offered Aronian his best practical chances.]

41...Rxd7 42.exd7 Rd8 43.g4
This line is probably the reason Aronian played e6, howevere it seems he missed that this allows his young opponent a clear drawing path. Since most of Karjakin's moves are fairly straightforward, he has no troubles now.

43...hxg4 44.f5 f6 45.Kg3 Kf7 46.Kxg4 Ke7 47.Rc7 Kf7 48.h5 Ke7 49.Kh4 Kf7 50.Rb7 Ke7 51.h6 gxh6 52.Kh5 Kf7 53.Rb6 Rxd7 54.Kxh6 Re7 55.Rb8 Rd7 56.Kh7 1/2-1/2