Zurich Challenge G5: Draw in 43 moves

[Event "Zurich Chess challenge Kramnik vs Aroni"] [Site "Zurich"] [Date "2012.04.27"] [Round "5.5"] [White "Kramnik, Vladimir"] [Black "Aronian, Levon"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [ECO "D43"] [WhiteElo "2801"] [BlackElo "2820"] [Annotator "Ramirez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "86"] [EventDate "2012.??.??"] 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 c6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 h6 {Maybe the fans' hearts skipped a beat here - would Kramnik dare play Bh4 and go into the dangerous waters of the Anti-Moscow?} 6. Bxf6 {Alas, no. This positional approach still presents Black with a fair amount of problems though.} Qxf6 7. e3 Nd7 8. Be2 { Rare, but surely it will just transpose to 8.Bd3} (8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 g6 {is a modern tabiya.}) 8... Qd8 {But Aronian is not so cooperative. The game starts to go into uncharted waters, but it seems a little unpleasant for Black, who is always almost equal.} 9. O-O {0.17/0} Be7 {0.17/0} 10. Qc2 {0.18/0} O-O {0.19/0} 11. a3 {0.06/0} b6 {0.04/0} 12. Rfd1 {0.06/0} Bb7 {0.03/0} 13. Rac1 { 0.06/0} Qb8 {0.19/0 Deep, positional chess. Don't try this at home.} 14. cxd5 { 0.16/0} cxd5 {0.18/0} 15. Qa4 {0.17/0 Long story short: White has some pressure on the queenside because he has better piece placement and Black has some light square deficiencies. Black has to play with some care. If Kramnik was playing you he'd win every time. But he is playing Aronian.} Nf6 {0.09/0} 16. Ba6 {0.11/0} Bxa6 {0.09/0} 17. Qxa6 {0.07/0} Qc8 {0.00/0} 18. Qxc8 {0.00/0} Rfxc8 {0.00/0} 19. Ne5 {0.00/0} Bd6 {0.00/0} 20. Nd3 {0.00/0} Ne8 {0.07/0} 21. Kf1 {0.00/0 Around here Aronian offered a draw, and gave a small smile when Kramnik turned it down.} Kf8 {0.08/0} 22. Ke2 {0.08/0} Ke7 {0.21/0} 23. h3 {0. 05/0} Rc4 {0.06/0} 24. b3 {0.04/0} Rcc8 {0.04/0} 25. a4 {0.08/0} Ba3 {0.06/0} 26. Rc2 {0.02/0} Rc7 {0.08/0} 27. Ra1 {0.08/0} Bd6 {0.04/0} 28. Kd2 {0.04/0} a5 {0.00/0} 29. Rcc1 {0.02/0} Rac8 {0.00/0} 30. f3 {0.03/0} f5 {0.08/0} 31. g4 { 0.01/0 Probably the first serious attempt to do something in the past who knows how many moves. White doesn't have much. Black doesn't either as his doubled up rooks won't do anything.} g6 {0.08/0} 32. Ne2 {0.07/0} Rxc1 {0.13/0} 33. Nexc1 {0.09/0} Nf6 {0.08/0} 34. Ne2 {0.12/0} Nh7 {0.11/0 This move might actually be a little on the risky side as the knight is out of play for a move or two. But Aronian's got it covered.} 35. Ne5 {0.00/0} (35. gxf5 gxf5 36. h4 Nf6 37. Ndf4 Bxf4 38. Nxf4 Rg8 {doesn't seem like a serious winning attempt either but maybe White can put a rook on c1, transfer the king to f2 and put his knight somewhere. It's about as serious of a winning attempt as anything that's happened this game.}) 35... Ng5 {0.63/0} 36. Nf4 {0.00/0} (36. Nxg6+ Kf7 37. gxf5 exf5 38. Ngf4 Nxf3+ 39. Kd3 Bb4 $1 {and the Ne1+ threat makes this very unappealing.}) 36... Bb4+ {0.12/0} 37. Kd1 {0.00/0} Rc3 {0.00/0} 38. Rc1 { 0.08/0} Rxe3 {0.00/0} 39. Rc7+ {0.00/0} Kd8 {0.00/0} 40. Rg7 {0.00/0} Kc8 {0. 00/0} 41. Rg8+ {0.00/0} Kb7 {0.00/0} 42. Rg7+ {0.05/0} Kc8 43. Rg8+ Kb7 {A very peaceful day, but everyone needs one of those considering the constant action we've been seeing from this match. No rapid bloodspill today, unfortunately, but hopefully the match will finish with a bang tomorrow!} 1/2-1/2