Candidates Rd9: Decisive Round?!

[Event "FIDE Candidates Tournament 2014"] [Site "Khanty-Mansiysk"] [Date "2014.03.23"] [Round "9"] [White "Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "E20"] [WhiteElo "2757"] [BlackElo "2830"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "87"] [EventDate "2014.??.??"] [EventCountry "RUS"] 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. f3 O-O 5. e4 d5 6. e5 Nfd7 7. cxd5 exd5 8. a3 Bxc3+ 9. bxc3 f6 10. exf6 Qe8+ $5 {Technically not a new move just yet, but the idea the Aronian brings to the table is interesting and exciting.} 11. Qe2 Qf7 $5 {The point. Black improves his queen and threatens ideas involving Re8. It is uncomfortable to face this in a real game, over the board.} 12. fxg7 { Mamedyarov didn't think too long before accepting the challenge head on.} Re8 13. Be3 Nc6 {Objectively speaking it is difficult to find a move for White.} 14. Qd2 $1 {A good practical decision.} (14. f4 $5 {Has the idea of quickly playing Nf3 and Ne5, but this is not so easy.} Nb6 15. Nf3 Bg4 $1 {and already there are too many threats to defend against.}) 14... Na5 15. Rb1 Nb6 16. Rb4 { White is sacrificing the exchange but it will Mamedyarov that has the compensation. With both kings being unsafe and Black's structure being questionable the position is very hard to evaluate.} Nac4 17. Bxc4 dxc4 $5 { Interesting but not the strongest.} (17... Nxc4 18. Rxc4 dxc4 19. Kf2 Bf5 $13 { is simlar to the game but the queen is not so exposed on d5.}) 18. Rb5 Bf5 19. Kf2 (19. Re5 {was interesting and ambitious, but it seems that neither side really wanted the material, instead they wanted to play with the initiative.} Nd5 20. Ne2 Rxe5 21. dxe5 Re8 $13) 19... Nd5 20. Rxd5 Qxd5 21. Ne2 {The players reached the position in which Black is up an exchange anyway. Here it is very difficult to evaluate or even give a plan for either side. However Aronian's venture was less than successful.} a5 $2 {The start of a wrong plan. I initially liked this idea but it is far too slow and far too ineffective.} 22. h4 b5 23. h5 {Mamedyarov tries to force Aronian into taking on g7, which will weaken his king permanently. On the other hand, if he doesn't take h6 might seal a decisive passed pawn.} b4 24. cxb4 axb4 25. axb4 Qb5 {Black has managed to open some files, but it is unclear what exactly he accomplished by doing so. Also bad news for Aronian was his time situation; he only had about 15 minutes left by this point to make the remaining 14 moves.} 26. Re1 {Normal development is sound and strong. It is possible to spend a long time calculating alternatives, but I like Mamedyarov's approach.} Bd3 27. Nf4 Ra3 28. d5 $1 $18 {A very important move. With the bishop coming to d4 White will threaten all sorts of mating attacks against the king. Also important is the fact that now e6 is defended for the White knight.} Bb1 $5 {Tricky, but Mamedyarov finds a precise response.} 29. Kg3 $1 {The computer spout some Qd4 move, but pay no heed. This move is accurate and easy.} c3 30. Qc1 $1 { Extremely strong.} (30. Qd4 {is probably also winning, but it requires calculation.} c2 31. Ne6 $1 Rxe3 $1 32. Qf4 $1 (32. Qxe3 Qxd5 $13) 32... Qb8 $8 33. Qxe3 Qxb4 {and White should win somehow but there is nothing immediate.}) 30... Rb3 {The only move, but Black's rook is extremely awkward.} 31. Bc5 (31. h6 {was also possible, immediately threatening Nh5 type of ideas.}) 31... Rxe1 32. Qxe1 Qd7 33. h6 $1 Qf7 34. Nh5 (34. Qe5 $1 {Was the most accurate, but Mamedyarov's method is good enough.} Bf5 {Nh5 has to be stopped obviously.} 35. Nh5 $3 {is a ridiculous computer win} (35. d6 {is more natural. The pawn cannot be taken because Qd6-f8 would be unstoppable, so Black is completely lost.} c2 36. Nh5 Qxh5 37. Qd5+ Qf7 38. Qa8+)) 34... Bg6 35. Qe8+ Qxe8 36. Nf6+ Kf7 37. Nxe8 Ra3 38. Nf6 (38. b5 {also possible} Ra8 39. Nxc7 c2 40. Be3 Rd8 41. Kf4 {is too many pawns for Black to handle.}) 38... Ra8 39. g8=Q+ Rxg8 40. Nxg8 Kxg8 41. Kf4 {White's plan is actually very straightforward. The computers dont like this continuation but actually this is logically an obvious win, White has too many pawns and too many of them are passed.} Bd3 42. Ke5 Kf7 43. Be3 Bf1 44. g4 {Did Aronian resign prematurely? No he did not.} ( 44. g4 Be2 45. d6 {This move is in essence unavoidable.} cxd6+ 46. Kxd6 Bxf3 47. g5 {and the king simply pushes the pawn on the b-file and wins the endgame. } (47. b5 $4 {is the only thing to avoid.} Bxg4 48. b6 Bf3 49. Kc7 Kg8 {and this endgame is a known draw} 50. b7 Bxb7 51. Kxb7 $11 {White cannot make progress. But of course Mamedyarov would not fall for this.})) 1-0