Harikrishna -- Aronian, Tata Steel 2014

The Greco Gambit

It is hard to blog games live when I must run a youth tournament. After quickly glancing through today's games that are in progress in the Tata Steel Grandmaster tournament, I must leave until late afternoon. I may be able to check on the games during my youth event, but I will not have time to update this post.

It is exciting to see the Greco Gambit at this level. Although the computer sees the position as close to equal and Yasser Seirawan thought White may have a slight advantage, my money is on Black. Objectively, I think the game is even, but Levon Aronian often wins these sorts of long endings.

Harikrishna,Pentala (2706) -- Aronian,Levon (2812) [C54]
Tata Steel Wijk aan Zee, 11.01.2014

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Nxe4 8.Bxb4 Nxb4 9.Bxf7+ Kxf7 10.Qb3+ d5 11.Ne5+ Ke6

White to move

This surprising move was first played in 1906 (see below).

12.Qxb4 Qf8

Reference Game: 12...c5 13.Qa4 Qb6 14.Nd3 c4 15.Nf4+ Kf5 16.Nxd5 Qxd4 17.Ne3+ Kg6 18.0–0 Nxf2 19.Rxf2 Qxe3 20.Qc2+ Kh6 21.Nc3 Rf8 22.Raf1 Bf5 23.Qd2 Qxd2 24.Rxd2 Bd3 25.Rxf8 Rxf8 26.h3 Rf1+ 27.Kh2 Rc1 28.Nb5 a6 29.Nd4 Kg6 30.Nf3 Kf5 31.Rf2 Rf1 32.Rd2 Kf4 0–1 Lasker,E -- Paredes, USA 1906.

13.Qxf8 Rxf8 14.Nc3 c6 15.f3 Nd6

White to move

16.Kf2

Reference Game: 16.0–0–0 Nf5 17.g4 Nh4 18.Rhf1 Ng2 19.Rf2 Nf4 20.b4 Kd6 21.h4 b6 22.Ne2 Nxe2+ 23.Rxe2 Ba6 24.Rc2 Bb5 25.Rc3 a5 26.bxa5 Rxa5 27.Kb2 c5 28.Re3 Rf4 29.dxc5+ bxc5 30.g5 d4 31.h5 Rf5 32.f4 Rxf4 33.g6 hxg6 34.hxg6 Rf2+ 35.Kb1 Kc7 36.Rb3 Ba4 0–1 Mamedjarova,T (2267) -- Cherednichenko,E (2167), Belgrade 2013.

16...Nf5 17.Rhe1

Reference Game: 17.Rad1 g6 Wei -- Gareev 2013 1/2-1/2.

17...Kd6 18.Rad1 g6 19.b4 Bd7 20.Na4 b6 21.Rd2 Rae8 22.Nc3 Re7 23.Rc1 Be8 24.Ne2 Ng7

White to move

While I was setting up for my youth chess tournament, this games petered out to a draw.

25.Re1 Ne6 26.Nc1 Rf4 27.Ne2 Rf5 28.Nc3 Rf4 29.Ne2 Rf5 30.Nc3 Rf5 1/2-1/2

Aronian chose not to push in this position.

There were only two draws among the six games in the Grandmaster A group. The official site contains all games.