Chemistry of the Four Seasons

Levon Grigori Aronian – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán)
5th GRENKE Chess Classic; Baden-Baden, April 4, 2018
Catalan Opening E05

1. c4 e6 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 d5 4. Nf3 Be7 5. 0-0 0-0 6. d4 dxc4 7. Qc2 a6 8. a4 c5 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Qxc4 b6 11. Ne5 Ra7 12. Nd3 Be7 13. Bf4 Bb7 14. Bxb7 Rxb7 15. Rc1!? Aronian’s personal nuance in a much inflated Catalan landscape. At last year’s World Cup, against the same adversary, Polish Grandmaster Kacper Piorun preferred 15. Nd2, but after 15. ... b5 16. axb5 axb5 17. Qc2 Nd5 18. Be5 Nd7 19. Bd4 Qb8 20. Nf3 h6 21. Rfc1 Rc7 22. Qb3 Rfc8 she never felt any difficulty in equalising: 23. Rxc7 Rxc7 24. Nfe5 Bf6 25. e4 Bxe5 26. Nxe5 N5f6 27. Qe3 Qd8 28. Nd3 Rc4 29. f3 Qb8 30. b3 Rc8 31. Qd2 e5 32. Be3 Qd6 33. Nb4 Qe6 34. Qd3 Nc5 35. Bxc5 Rxc5 36. Kg2 Kh7 37. Ra7 Rc1 38. Nd5 Nxd5 39. exd5+ Qg6 40. Qxg6+ ½ : ½ Piorun – 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 7th Chess World Cup, Tbilisi 2017, match game 1. 15. ... Nd5 16. Bxb8 b5 17. axb5 axb5 18. Qb3 Qxb8 19. Nd2 Rc8 20. Nf3 g6 21. Nd4 Rxc1+ 22. Rxc1 Bf6 23. Nc6 Qa8 24. Ncb4 Nxb4 25. Qxb4 Kg7 26. Qe4 Qa7 27. Qc6 Rb6 28. Qc5 Be7 29. Qe3 Qb7 30. Ne5 Ra6 31. h3 Bf6

32. Kh2. Here Stockfish gives a pretty drawing line: 32. Ng4 Bxb2 33. Qh6+ Kg8 34. Qd2! Bxc1 35. Qd8+ Kg7 36. Qf6+ with perpetual check. Aronian’s move seems also solid enough not to lose, but concedes Black a volative initiative, which perhaps would have deserved greater luck. 32. ... h5! 33. Nd3 Ra8 34. Qc5 Ra4! 35. b3 Ra2 36. Rc2 Ra1 37. Rc1 Ra2 38. Rc2 Ra1 39. Rc1 Ra2 ½ : ½.

Levon Grigori Aronian (left) vs. 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) (right). Photo: Georgios Souleidis/GRENKE Chess Classic.