Chess World Cup 2017 Final Game 3 - Tblisi

Game 3 was Aronian’s last classical game with white in the final of this year’s world cup. Based simply on ratings, it is in Aronian’s best interest to wrap up the match during the classical games. The shorter the time controls become the further the pendulum of advantage swings toward Ding.

For this third game Aronian uncorked an interesting idea in the Reti. In order to try and pressure Ding’s development into a cramped space white needed to make four queen moves within the first ten moves.

However, Ding kept to the basics and made strong but simple developing moves. The result was a position that left white without any tangible offensive options. So it was little surprise that everything distilled down into a tame draw.

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

FIDE World Cup 2017 Tbilisi (7.3), 25.09.2017

1.c4 Nf6 2.Nf3 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qxc4 A13: English Opening: 1...e6 

6...c5 7.Ne5 Qc8 8.Qd3 Nc6 [8...Be7 with more complications. 9.Nxd7 Nfxd7 10.b3 Nc6 11.Bb2 0–0] 

9.Nxd7 Nxd7 10.Qb3N

XABCDEFGHY
8r+q+kvl-tr(
7zpp+n+pzpp'
6-+n+p+-+&
5+-zp-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+Q+-+-zP-#
2PzP-zPPzPLzP"
1tRNvL-mK-+R!
xabcdefghy

[10.Qb5 Nde5 11.f4 a6 12.Qa4 Nd7 13.Bxc6 bxc6 1–0 (72) Grischuk,A (2737)-Wojtaszek, R (2749) Doha 2016] 
10...Be7 11.Nc3 0–0 12.0–0 Rd8 13.d3 Nb6 14.Be3 Nd4 15.Bxd4 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+qtr-+k+(
7zpp+-vlpzpp'
6-sn-+p+-+&
5+-zp-+-+-%
4-+-vL-+-+$
3+QsNP+-zP-#
2PzP-+PzPLzP"
1tR-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefghy

Black must now prevent Be3. 
15...Rxd4 16.Rfc1 Rd7 17.a4 

XABCDEFGHY
8r+q+-+k+(
7zpp+rvlpzpp'
6-sn-+p+-+&
5+-zp-+-+-%
4P+-+-+-+$
3+QsNP+-zP-#
2-zP-+PzPLzP"
1tR-tR-+-mK-!
xabcdefghy

Threatens to win with a5. 
17...Qd8 18.a5 Nd5 19.Nxd5 exd5 20.d4 cxd4 21.Rc2 g6 22.Bh3 Rc7 23.Rac1 Rxc2 24.Rxc2 b6 25.Bg2 Rc8 

XABCDEFGHY
8-+rwq-+k+(
7zp-+-vlp+p'
6-zp-+-+p+&
5zP-+p+-+-%
4-+-zp-+-+$
3+Q+-+-zP-#
2-zPR+PzPLzP"
1+-+-+-mK-!
xabcdefghy

The position is equal. 
26.Rxc8 Qxc8 27.Bxd5 Qf5 28.Qc4 bxa5 29.b3 d3 30.exd3 Bd8 31.Qe4 Precision: White = 56%, Black = 64%. ½–½