Time and Timing

Levon Grigori Aronian – Sarasadat Khademalsharieh
17th Gibraltar Chess Festival; Catalan Bay, January 25, 2019
English Opening A18

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. e4 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. e5 Ne4 6. Nf3 Bf5 7. d3 Nxc3 8. bxc3 c5 9. d4 Nc6. Another way is 9. ... c4 10. g3 Be7 11. Bg2 Bd3 12. Ng1 Qa5 13. Bd2 Nc6 14. Ne2 Ba3 with sharp equality, Carlsen – Aronian, 5th GRENKE Chess Classic, Baden-Baden 2018. 10. Bd3 Bxd3 11. Qxd3 cxd4 12. Nxd4 Nxd4 13. cxd4!? This might be a possible improvement on 13. Qxd4 Be7 14. 0-0 0-0 15. Rd1 Qc8 16. Be3 Rd8 17. Qd3 Bc5 18. Bxc5 Qxc5 19. Rab1 Qc7 20. Qe3 b6 21. Rd3 Rac8 22. Rbd1 Re8 23. f4 Qc4 24. R1d2 h6 25. h3 Rc5 26. Qf3 Qe4= Grandelius – Esipenko, 19th European Individual Chess Championship, Batumi 2018. 13. ... Bb4+ 14. Ke2! Qd7 15. Rb1 Be7 16. Qb5 Rd8 17. Be3 0-0 18. Rhc1 Qg4+ 19. Kf1 Rd7 20. Qa4 f6! 21. e6 Qxe6 22. Qxa7 b5 23. Qa5 b4 24. Bd2 Qe4 25. Qb5 Rfd8? This looks like bad judgment, apparently overestimating her own counter-chances on the Kingside. Correct was 25. ... Rdd8! in order to reply 26. Bxb4 by 26. ... Rb8 27. Qa5 Bxb4! 28. Rxb4 Ra8! with more than enough compensation for the Pawn. 26. Bxb4 Bxb4 27. Qxb4 Ra8 28. a4. Now White’s extra (passed) Pawn weights much more heavily than in the aforementioned line. 28. ... Rda7 29. Ra1 Qf4. Threatening ... Ra7xa4. 30. g3! Qf3 31. Kg1 h5 32. Rc3! Qg4

33. h4? Suddenly Aronian fears that he has not consolidated his position enough, and, in a quite emotional way, ends up dropping first a Pawn and then another one, eventually repairing into a draw. Instead, after 33. a5 h4 34. Qc5 it would have been very hard for Black to justify her Pawn deficit. 33. ... Rxa4! 34. Rxa4 Qd1+ 35. Kh2 Rxa4 36. Qb5 Rxd4 37. Qd7 ½ : ½.

Levon Grigori Aronian vs. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh. Photo © John Saunders.