Giant Tiger

Viswanathan Anand – Levon Grigori Aronian
Candidates Tournament; Moscow, March 21, 2016
Giuoco Piano C54

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. 0-0 d6 5. d3 Nf6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 Ba7 8. Na3!? Ne7. For 8. ... 0-0 9. Bg5 Ne7 10. Nh4 Ng6 see Zawadzki – Desanjose Candalija, Campeonato Naconal de Primeira Divisão, Evora 2007. 9. Nc2 Ng6 10. Be3 0-0 11. Bxa7 Rxa7 12. Ne3 Ng4 13. Qd2 a5 14. d4 Ra8 15. dxe5 N4xe5 16. Nxe5 Nxe5 17. Bb3 Nd7 18. Bc2 Re8 19. f3 b6 20. Rfd1 Nc5 21. b4. White has a small but lasting advantage because of his Pawn superiority in the centre, a little more space and a lead in development. 21. ... Nd7. If 21. ... Ne6 there might follow 22. e5 with annoying consequences for Black. 22. Bb3 Nf6 23. Qd4 Qe7 24. Nd5 Nxd5 25. Bxd5 Ra7 26. b5 Bb7 27. c4 Qe5 28. Rac1 Qxd4+ 29. Rxd4 Kf8 30. Kf2 Ke7 31. f4 f6 32. Rc3 Kd7 33. Rh3 h6 34. Rg3 Re7 35. Rg6 Bxd5. Not 35. ... c6? 36. bxc6+ Bxc6 37. e5! (Anand’s analysis). 36. cxd5 Ra8 37. Kf3 Rae8

Now the Tiger of Madras gives a marvelous display of technique: 38. Kg4! Rxe4 39. Rxg7+ Kc8 40. Rd2 Kb8? Then Aronian suggested 40. ... Kb7 so to gain time for preparing ... c7-c6. 41. Rc2 Rc8 42. Ra2. Grandmaster Loek van Wely predicted an Anand win: “I’ve written off Aronian in this ending”. 42. ... Rd4 43. Kf5 Rxd5+ 44. Kxf6 Rf8+ 45. Rf7 Rxf7+ 46. Kxf7 Rf5+ 47. Kg6 Rxf4 48. g3! “The computer still isn’t realising it, but Loek [van Wely] and Jan [Gustafsson] say Aronian could resign now vs. Vishy”, the gurus of chess24.com said. No good was 48. Kxh6? on account of 48. ... Rh4+. 48. ... Rc4 49. Kxh6 d5 50. Kh5 d4 51. g4 d3 52. h4 Rd4 53. Rd2 Kc8 54. g5 Kd7 55. Kg6 Rxh4 56. Rxd3+ Ke8 57. Ra3 Rc4. This doesn’t look like such a great idea, but 57. ... Kf8 58. Rf3+ Kg8 59. Rc3 would equally lose the game. 58. Kg7 Kd7 59. g6 c6 60. Kf6 cxb5 61. g7 Rg4 62. axb5 Rg1 63. Rd3+ Ke8 64. Re3+ Kd7 65. Re5 Rxg7 66. Rd5+ 1 : 0. “Vishy has control, really wants that third match...”, Grandmaster Jonathan David Tisdall said.

Viswanathan Anand vs. Levon Grigori Aronian
Photo: Worldchess.com