Chess World Cup 2017 Final Game 2 - Tblisi

Game 2 of the World Cup Final 2017 was a case of so near but yet so far for Aronian with black.

Ding came up with the opening novelty that presented Aronian with no problems at all and black easily equalized. Sentiment in the commentary booth was that the position was completely dry and lacking creative scope for either player – and that there would be a handshake for the draw by the 30 move mark.

Then Ding went wrong and Aronian brought out the thumb screws and started squeezing. Somehow Ding managed to slither out from under what was effectively a completely lost position.

Ding,Liren (2771) - Aronian,Levon (2802)

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (7.2), 24.09.2017

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 Be7 5.Nf3 0–0 6.0–0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bg5 a5 11.Nc3 Na6 12.e3 E05: Open Catalan: 5 Nf3 Be7 [12.Bxf6 Bxf6 13.e4 Nb4 14.Rad1 g6 15.h4 Bg7 16.Rfe1 Qd7 17.b3 Rad8 18.Qe2 Qe7 19.Rd2 Bh6 20.Rdd1 Bg7 21.Rd2 Bh6 22.Rdd1 Bg7 23.Rd2 1/2–1/2 (23) Eljanov,P (2765)-Aronian,L (2784) Stavanger 2016]

12...Nb4 13.Rfd1

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13...Nd7N [13...h6 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Rac1 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 c6 17.h4 Qb6 18.Ne4 Be7 19.Nc5 Qc7 1/2–1/2 (66) Bareev,E (2675)-Shneider,A (2530) Moscow 1995] 
14.Bxe7 Qxe7 15.e4 Rfd8 16.Rd2 Nb6 17.Qe2 Be8 18.b3 c5 19.Qe3 [19.Nb5=] 
19...Rac8 20.Rc1 c4 21.d5! Qc5 22.Qxc5 Rxc5 23.dxe6 Rxd2 24.Nxd2 fxe6 25.Bf1 cxb3 26.Nxb3 Rc7! 27.Nxa5 Nxa4 28.Na2 Rxc1 29.Nxc1 Nc5 30.Ncb3 b6 31.Nxc5 bxa5= Endgame KBN-KBN 
32.Bc4 a4 33.Kf1 a3 34.Nb3 Ba4 35.Nc1 [35.Bxe6+= keeps the balance. 35...Kf8 36.Nc1] 
35...Bc2 [35...Kf7µ 36.Ke2 Bc2] 
36.Ke2 [36.Bxe6+= remains equal. 36...Kf8 37.Na2] 
36...Bxe4 [36...Kf7 is interesting. 37.Kd2 Bxe4 38.Kc3 Nc6 39.Bb5 Ne5] 
37.Bxe6+ Kf8 38.Kd2 Ke7 39.Bb3 Nd5 40.Ne2 Kd6 41.f3 Bb1 

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 Threatens to win with ...a2. 
42.Kc1 Bg6 43.Nd4 Nc7 44.Ne2 Kc5 45.Nf4 Bf5 46.g4 Bd7 47.g5 [47.Nh5!=] 
47...Nb5 48.Bg8 Bf5 49.Nh5 [¹49.Kd2] 49...g6µ 50.Ng3 [50.Ng7µ is the only way for White. 50...Bd3 51.Ne6+ Kb4 52.Nf4] 
50...Bd3!–+ 51.Bxh7? [51.Ne4+ Kb4 52.Nf2] 
51...Nd4 ( -> ...Nb3+) 
52.Ne4+ Kb4! aiming for ...Nb3+. 
53.Bg8 Nxf3? [53...Nb3+!–+ has better winning chances. 54.Bxb3 Kxb3 55.Nd2+ Kb4] 
54.Nf6µ Kc5 55.h3 [55.Ba2µ] 
55...Kd4 [55...Nxg5–+ 56.h4 Nf3] 
56.Ba2? [56.h4µ] 
56...Nxg5–+ 57.h4 Ne4! 58.Nd7 Nc5 59.Nf6 

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59...Ke5 [59...Bf5!–+ is more deadly. 60.Bg8 Na4] 
60.Nd5 Bf5 [Better is 60...Na6!µ 61.Bb3 Kd4] 
61.Ne3³ Nd3+ 62.Kc2 Nb4+ [62...Ne1+ with more complications. 63.Kc3 Be6 64.Nc4+ Kf4 65.Bb1 Bf5] 
63.Kb3 The position is equal. 
63...Nxa2 64.Kxa2= KB-KN 
64...Ke4 65.Nc2 Kf4 66.Nd4 Kg4 And now ...Be4 would win. [66...Ke5 seems wilder. 67.Nf3+ Kf6 68.Kxa3 Bg4 69.Ng5 Kf5] 
67.Kxa3 Kxh4 Strongly threatening ...Kg3. 
68.Kb2 Kg3 White must now prevent ...Bd7. 
69.Kc3 Kf2 70.Kd2 Bg4 ...Bd7 is the strong threat. 
71.Nc2 g5 White should prevent ...Bd7. 
72.Ne3 Be2 Hoping for ...Kf3. 
73.Nd5! Bg4 74.Nf6 Bf5 [74...Bf3!?] 
75.Kd1! Precision: White = 48%, Black = 49%. ½–½