ODT150915

=**Aronian back to best**=




 * Problem:** White to play and mate in 3.

Levon Aronian was back to his best form at the 3rd Sinquefeld Cup in Saint Louis, USA, which finished earlier in the month. The Armenian number one had been suffering a personal drought since his victory at Wijk aan Zee in January 2014 and had slipped out of the world top ten rankings. His unbeaten 6/9 to win one of the strongest tournaments in history will restore his top ten status. Second on 5 points in the ten-player field was shared by World Champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) and Hikaru Nakamura (USA). Today's game is from the first round at Saint Louis. Aronian is White against Fabiano Caruana, now playing for the USA. media type="custom" key="27802243" **1.d4 Nf6** **2.c4 e6** **3.Nf3 d5** **4.Nc3 Be7** **5.Bf4** The Classical Queen's Gambit Declined is making a comeback, having been deposed as the main line over a hundred years ago by Pillsbury's 5.Bg5. **5... O-O** **6.e3 Nbd7** **7.c5 Ne4** **8.Rc1 Nxc3** **9.Rxc3 b6** **10.c6 Nf6** **11.a3 a5** **12.Bd3 Ne4** **13.Rc2 f6** After 13... Ba6 14.Bxa6 Rxa6 15.Ne5 Bd6 16.Nd7 Black chose to sacrifice the exchange to get rid of the knight in Giri-Caruana, Wijk aan Zee 2015, and eventually drew after 97 moves. This time he prevents the knight's infiltration. **14.Qe2 Bd6** **15.O-O g5!?** Making the game very sharp. Black gains in space and activity, but any mistake and the weakness of his kingside could be fatal. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**16.Bxd6 Nxd6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**17.Re1 a4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**18.Nd2 e5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**19.e4 f5!?** The opposition of all the central pawns makes the position incredibly complex, with a game of 'chicken' over who captures first. Naturally Black is unwilling to allow the opening of the b1-h7 diagonal for the White bishop, though here 19... exd4 20.e5 Re8 appears to hold the balance after either 21.Qh5 or 21.Bxh7+!? <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20.f3!** Not yet. 20.exd5?! e4 closes the diagonal and leaves White with a useless extra d-pawn, while 20.dxe5 fxe4 21.exd6 exd3 22.Qxd3 Qxd6 removes the dangerous bishop. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**20... dxe4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**21.fxe4 Ra5?** Trying to activate the rook, but 21... exd4 22.e5 Re8 was the safer course. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**22.exf5! Nxf5** Now 22... exd4 23.Nc4 Nxc4 24.Bxc4+ Kh8 25.g4 is advantageous to White. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**23.Bc4+ Kg7** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**24.d5 Re8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25.Ne4!!** Offering a whole rook to gain a crushing attack. The misplacement of the black rook on a5 means White won't notice the deficit for some time. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**25...** **Nd4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**26.Qh5 Nxc2** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**27.Nxg5 Bf5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**28.Rf1 Qf6** Black has to return the rook, as 28... Bg6 29.Rf7+! Bxf7 30.Qxh7+ Kf6 31.Ne4+ Ke7 32.d6+ mates. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**29.Ne6+ Rxe6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**30.Rxf5 Qg6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31.dxe6** Also winning was 31.Rg5 when White will end up with queen and bishop against two rooks, but Aronian sees a path to a winning endgame. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**31...** **Qxh5** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**32.Rxh5 Nd4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**33.e7 Ra8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**34.Rxe5 Re8** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**35.Re4 Nf5** Clearly not 35... Nxc6? 36.Bb5 Rxe7 37.Bxc6, while 35... Nb3 36.Bxb3 axb3 37.Kf2 and when Black captures the e-pawn the rooks come off and the pawn ending with two against one on the kingside is an easy win. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**36.Be6! Nd6** Or 36... Nxe7 37.Bd7 winning the knight. <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**37.Bd7 Nxe4** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**38.Bxe8 Kf6** <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**39.Bg6!** **Resigns**

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;">**1-0**


 * Solution:** 1.Rxg8+! Rxg8 2.Qf6+ Rg7 3.Rd8#