Tata Steel Chess Tournament: Round 10

Dominguez Perez, Leinier - Aronian, Levon

76th Tata Steel Chess Masters 2014.01.25

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.O-O Be7 6.d3 ( No surprises. Aronian plays the Spanish exclusively and his opponents rarely go for the Marshall Gambit with 6.Re1 b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.c3 d5 9.exd5 Nxd5 10.Nxe5 Nxe5 11.Rxe5 c6 as the initiative that Black is getting in return for the pawn has proven to be more then sufficient.)

6... b5 7.Bb3 O-O 8.Nc3 d6

With the positional threat of taking the b3-bishop with Na5. That was not possible immediately because the e5-pawn would be hanging.

9.a3

Prophylaxis against Na5.

9... Na5 10.Ba2 Be6 11.Bg5 c5 12.b4 Nc6 13.Nd5 Bxd5!

Diagram #1

( The right exchange. Worse is 13...Nxd5?!

Diagram #2

14.exd5 Bxg5 15.dxe6 fxe6 16.Bxe6+ Kh8 17.Bd5! and Black deperately misses his light-squared bishop.)

14.exd5 Nd4 15.bxc5 Nxf3+ 16.Qxf3 dxc5

Time to take stock! White has two bishops, normaly a big plus, but at this point the bishop on a2 is looking at his own pawn on d5.

17.Rfe1 Nd7 18.Bd2 ( Obviously the exchange 18.Bxe7 Qxe7 does not lead anywhere. The queen will move to d6 next move when the bishop on a2 is reduced to a pawn.)

18... Bd6 19.a4 ( It is interesting to note that the computer likes White's position after 19.c4 because Black simply plays19... f5 when it's highly unclear where White should be looking for counterplay.)

19... f5 20.Bb3?

Diagram #3

Missing White's next move.

20... e4!

Diagram #4

21.dxe4?!

Diagram #5

21... c4!

Diagram #6

22.Ba2 Qh4

In a higher sense the game is already decided. The bishop on a2 is a horrible piece and it will take considerable time to get it back in the game. In the meantime Black is essentially just a piece up.

23.e5 ( 23.g3 Ne5! is an important point, when 24.Qe2 Qxe4 25.Qxe4 fxe4 is horrible for White.)

23... Bxe5?!

Diagram #7

( A small inaccuracy. Much more convincing is 23... Nxe5 24.Qg3 Qxg3 25.hxg3 Ng4! and the endgame is very depressing for Dominguez.)

24.g3 Qg4?!

Diagram #8

( Again not the best, keeping the queens on with 24...Qh3 is strong, as 25.Rad1 f4! 26.Qg2 Qh5 is horribly dangerous. f4-f3 is coming followed by Rf6-h6. There is not a lot White can do to oppose this. 27.Bb4 f3)

25.Qxg4 fxg4 26.c3?

Diagram #9

( It was clearly not Dominguez' day. Much tougher is 26.Rad1 Rf3 27.Bb1 when White would still not be happy of course, but his position looks somewhat more harmonious than a few moves ago.)

26... Bf6!

Diagram #10

Vacating square e5 for the knight.

27.Bb1 b4 28.Re3 Rad8?!

Diagram #11

( I would have preferred the move 28...g6, not allowing the bishop to come to e6.)

29.Bf5 h5?!

Diagram #12

(29...Nc5!? 30.Bxg4 Rxd5 was a different method. Black's queenside pawns look very menacing here!)

30.Rd1?

Diagram #13

( The rook is very much misplaced on d1. The way to punish Black's minor inaccuracies was 30.Be6+ Kh8 31.Rae1 b3 32.d6! and White is back in the game. For instance32... b2 33.Rb1 Ne5 34.d7 Nxd7 35.Bxd7 Rxd7 36.Rxb2 Rfd8 37.Re2 and although Black is still better, it is far from winning.)

30... b3 31.Bc1 ( Now 31.Be6+ Kh8 32.d6 does not work, because of32... Nc5 33.Bxc4 Rxd6! which perfectly illustrates the unfortunate placement of the rook on d1.)

31... Bg5 32.Be6+ Kh8 33.Re2 Bxc1 34.Rxc1 Nc5

The game is over. Black's b3-pawn -supported by the pawn on c4- is simply to strong.

35.a5 Rfe8 36.Kf1 g6!

Diagram #14

Good technique, Black will simply bring his king over to f6 in order to pick up the bishop. There is no need to rush!

37.Rce1 Kg7 38.d6 Rxe6 39.Rxe6 Nxe6 40.Rxe6 Rd7!

Diagram #15

41.Re8 ( Or 41.Re4 Rxd6 42.Rxc4 b2 43.Rb4 Rd1+ and the b-pawn queens.)

41... Rxd6 42.Ke2 Rd3!

Diagram #16

White resigns, c3 will fall as well whereafter the b- and c-pawn easily decide. The ease illustrated by Aronian in this game is exemplary of his entire tournament. We have a well deserved winner of the Tata Steel Masters 2014!

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