Grenke Classic 2017: Aronian misses win in exciting finale

[Event "4th GRENKE Chess Classic 2017"] [Site "Baden-Baden"] [Date "2017.04.22"] [Round "7"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "C50"] [WhiteElo "2817"] [BlackElo "2774"] [Annotator "Elshan Moradiabadi "] [PlyCount "121"] [EventDate "2017.??.??"] [EventCountry "GER"] [SourceTitle "playchess.com"] [Source "ChessBase"] [SourceQuality "1"] [TimeControl "40/6000+30:20/3000+30:900+30"] 1. e4 {0} e5 {4} 2. Nf3 {0} Nc6 {5} 3. Bc4 {0 Not surprised at all! It is no fun playing against the Berlin!} Bc5 {6} 4. d3 {0} Nf6 {4} 5. O-O {0} O-O {6} 6. a4 $5 {10 A line that is becoming fashionable thanks to Anand. In general Aronian plays actively against the Italian, setting up an immediate castle, and preparing d5. Had he gone for a6, planning Ba7, instead of a5, he would have ended up in one of those 'timid' positions, though the line is losing popularity in light of recent theoretical developments.} a5 {32} (6... a6 {leads to the main lines but Aronian is not interested in a mainline theoretical battle today!} 7. c3 d6 8. Nbd2 (8. h3 h6 9. Re1 Ba7 10. Na3 (10. Nbd2)) (8. Bg5 h6 9. Bh4 g5 10. Bg3 {with complicated play.}) 8... Ba7 9. Re1 Ng4 10. Re2 Kh8 11. h3 Nh6 (11... f5 $5) 12. Nf1) 7. Bg5 $146 {7 A novelty according to the Online Database!} h6 {31} 8. Bh4 {6} Be7 $1 {6 I like this manuever! Black loses a tempo but unpins his knight and plans to exchange his then to be bad bishop soon!} 9. Bg3 {10} d6 {6} 10. h3 {4 Nh5 was a threat.} Nd7 {50} 11. Nc3 {1190} Nb6 {19} 12. Bb3 {7} Kh8 $5 {51 Aronian opts for f5. This set-up is risky. I am sure he would not have played like this if he hadn't already won the tournament.} 13. d4 {93 A natural reaction.} Nxd4 {189} 14. Nxd4 {18} exd4 {4} 15. Qxd4 {8} Bf6 {587} 16. e5 $1 {2067 The best reaction!} (16. Qe3 Be6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. b3 (18. e5 $2 {runs into} Nc4) 18... Nd7 {should be ok for Black.}) 16... dxe5 {49} (16... Bxe5 $2 17. Bxe5 dxe5 18. Qxe5 {is extremely dangerous. White is way ahead in development and Black's pieces are awkwardly placed!}) 17. Qxd8 {5} Rxd8 {125} 18. Rfe1 {235} (18. Bxf7 Bf5 19. Bb3 c5 {is not advantageous for White at all!}) 18... Be6 {628} 19. Bxe6 {680} fxe6 {10} 20. Ne4 {33} (20. Bxe5 Bxe5 21. Rxe5 Rd2 22. Rc1 Nc4 23. Rc5 Nxb2 24. Rxc7 Rb8 25. Ne4 Rd4 26. Ng3 (26. Nc5 Rc4 27. Rxb7 Rxb7 28. Nxb7 Rxa4 29. Kf1 Kg8 {and this endgame should be a draw.}) 26... Nxa4 27. Re1 Nb6 28. Rxe6 Nd5 29. Rd7 Rd1+ 30. Kh2 Ne3 31. Rf7 Nf1+ 32. Nxf1 Rxf1 33. Ree7 a4 $1 34. Rxg7 a3 {and White does not have more than a perpetual.}) 20... Kg8 {217} 21. Nc5 {443} Rd5 { 139 Ok, draw?} 22. Nxe6 $2 {776 isn't this knight going to feel uncomfortable?} Rc8 {6} 23. b3 $4 {4 And trapped?} c5 $1 {142 Black wants to win the knight with either Kf7, Rd6 or Rc6!} 24. c4 {360} Rd6 {39} 25. Nxg7 {3 The best practical chance!} Kxg7 {56} 26. Bxe5 {10} Rd3 {6} 27. Bxf6+ {287} Kxf6 {5 Black is a piece up! In an endgame!} 28. Re4 $1 {3 Fabiano does not defend the pawn on b3. He realizes that his only chance is to create some play and pray for a blunder from Levon's side.} Rc7 {239} 29. Rae1 {155} Rxb3 {11} 30. Rf4+ {106} Kg7 {14} 31. Re6 {17} Nxa4 {21 Suddenly, the two extra pawns are gone! The problem now is that the rook and knight are a bit distant from the king.} 32. Rg4+ {51} Kf8 {282} (32... Kh7 {would have been my choice probably. White needs to spend some tempi winning the h6 pawn.} 33. Rgg6 Nc3 34. Rxh6+ Kg8 35. Reg6+ Rg7 36. Rd6 Re7 ( 36... a4 $4 37. Rd8+ Kf7 38. Rd7+ Kg8 39. Rd8+ $11) 37. Rd8+ Kg7 38. Rhh8 a4 39. h4 a3 40. h5 a2 41. h6+ Kf6 {This is winning but it is impossible to check every possible line to this point. I just love it when the rooks control a rank in vain, and for that reason alone I would have opted for this line!}) 33. Rxh6 {6} Rf7 {19} (33... Rg7 34. Rh8+ Kf7 35. Rf4+ Ke7 36. h4 Nc3 37. Kh2 a4 38. h5 a3 39. h6 Rg6) 34. Rh8+ {155} Ke7 {89} 35. h4 {13} Nc3 {100} 36. h5 a4 {347} 37. h6 {238} a3 {121} 38. h7 {6} a2 {147} 39. Re8+ {31} Kxe8 {6} 40. h8=Q+ {0} Kd7 {7} 41. Kh2 {476} a1=Q {10} 42. Rg8 {1048 Aronian might have given up too much counter-play but Black is winning anyways! [#]} Qa5 $4 {2970 After 50 minutes of thinking Aronian plays this unfortunate move to let go of the win! It was not easy to see the win especially when it involves giving up your queen!} (42... Qe1 $1 43. Qh3+ Qe6 44. Rd8+ Kxd8 45. Qxe6 Rh7+ 46. Kg3 Nd5+ 47. f3 Rg7+ 48. Kh4 Ne7 {And Komodo claims a win on depth 40!} 49. Kh3 (49. Qd6+ Ke8 50. Qxc5 Rxg2) 49... Rg6 50. Qe5 Rh6+ 51. Kg3 b6 {And material advantage is enough to win!}) 43. Qh3+ $1 {78 Now it is Black who needs to play accurately to ensure the draw!} Kc7 { 113} 44. Qg3+ {100} Kd7 {120} 45. Qd3+ {159} Ke7 {30} 46. Qe3+ {6} Kd6 {65} 47. Rg6+ {455} Kc7 {8} 48. Qe5+ {63} Kc8 {19} 49. Rg8+ {173} Qd8 {7} 50. Qxc5+ {71} Rc7 {71} 51. Rxd8+ {130} Kxd8 {7} 52. Qf8+ {9} Kd7 {5} 53. g4 {179 This is very different than what we saw in the analysis of move 42.} Rb2 {1047} 54. Qf3 {275} Ke8 $1 {125 Well played by Aronian, and ensures the draw.} 55. Qxc3 {73} Rxf2+ {8} 56. Kg3 {3} Rff7 {15 This position is a fortress!} 57. g5 {20} Rg7 {58} 58. Kg4 {14} Kf8 {120} 59. Qf6+ {159} Kg8 {6} 60. g6 {0} Rxg6+ {24} 61. Qxg6+ { 146 An exciting draw!} (61. Qxg6+ Rg7 62. Kg5 Rxg6+ 63. Kxg6 Kf8 64. Kf6 Ke8 65. Ke6 Kd8 66. Kd6 Kc8 $11) 1/2-1/2