Magical Tactics from Aronian at the Tal Memorial

IM Malcolm Pein - TWIC

Malcolm Pein looks at an impressive tactical performance from Levon Aronian against Boris Gelfand in Round 3 of the Tal Memorial.

Nakamura and Karjakin at the Tal Memorial in Round 3. Photo © Peter Doggers. | http://www.chessvibes.com

Levon Aronian produced some magical tactics to take the lead at the Tal Memorial, taking place at the GUM Exhibition Hall on Red Square, Moscow. Following his victory over Vladimir Kramnik, Aronian assaulted Boris Gelfand with one blow after another. In what appears a quiet position, Aronian's 12.Nh4! creates threats to f5 and g6. The Catalan bishop on g2 dominates after 15.d5! Black's dark squared bishop and knight never find any squares.
L Aronian - B Gelfand
Catalan v Slav

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Qd3 Nbd7 6.g3 Bd6 7.Bg2 0-0 8.0-0 dxc4 9.Qxc4 e5 10.Rd1 Qe7 11.Bg5 h6 12.Nh4!!

12...Nb6

(After 12...hxg5 13.Nf5 Qe6 14.Qxe6 fxe6 15.Nxd6 Black's position is wrecked)

13.Bxf6 Qxf6

(13...Nxc4 14.Bxe7 Bxe7 15.d5! with huge complications if 15...Nxb2 16.Rdc1)

14.Qb3 Bc7

(After 14...exd4 15.Ne4 Qd8 16.Rxd4 Nd5 17.Nxd6 Qxd6 White can take on d5)

15.d5! cxd5 16.Bxd5

(Threatening Ne4 Qe7 Ng6)

16...Kh8 17.Rac1 Qe7 18.Qc2 Rb8 19.a4 Bh3

(19...a5 20.Ba2!Be6 21.Bb1 g6 22.Qxg6!)

20.Bg2 Be6

(Horrible, but 20...Bxg2 21.Kxg2 a5 22.Nf5 Qg5 23.Nb5 Bd8 24.Qc5 Kg8 25.Nbd6 is also gruesome)

21.a5 Na8 22.Nd5 Bxd5 23.Rxd5 Qe6 24.b4

(White has an enormous positional advantage)

24...Bd8 25.Nf5 g6 26.Nd6 Nc7 27.Rdd1 b6 28.Nb7! Na6 29.Rd6 Qg4 30.Qb2 Qxb4 31.Qxe5+ Kh7 32.Rd7 Bg5 33.Rcd1 Nc5 34.Nxc5 Qxc5 35.Qxc5 bxc5 36.Rxa7 c4 37.a6 c3 38.Rc7 Rbc8 39.Rxc8 Rxc8 40.e3 Be7 41.Rc1 1-0

Final position after 41.Rc1; the 'a' passed pawn supported by the bishop is too strong for example 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 Bc5 43.Rxc3. There is one nice swindling idea; 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 c2! 43.a7? Rxb7 44.a8(Q)Rb1 but 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 c2! 43.Kg2 Ba3 44.Rxc2! Rxc2 45.a7 wins.

Final position after 41.Rc1; the 'a' passed pawn supported by the bishop is too strong for example 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 Bc5 43.Rxc3. There is one nice swindling idea; 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 c2! 43.a7? Rxb7 44.a8(Q)Rb1 but 41...Rc7 42.Bb7 c2! 43.Kg2 Ba3 44.Rxc2! Rxc2 45.a7 wins.

Gawain Jones reached the quarter final of the Corsica Masters Rapid losing narrowly to world number eight Shak Mamedyarov.
G Jones (2576) - S Fedorchuk (2671)
Nimzo Indian

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.f3 d5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.cxd5 Nxd5 8.dxc5 Qa5 9.e4 Nf6 10.Be3 0-0 11.Qb3 Nfd7 12.a4 Qc7 13.Qa3 b6 14.a5 Bb7 15.a6 Bc8 16.Bb5 Nxc5 17.Bxc5 bxc5 18.Ne2 Nd7 19.0-0 Nb6 20.Qa5 Rb8 21.Rfd1 f5 22.exf5 exf5 23.Qa2+ Qf7 24.Rd6 Qxa2 25.Rxa2 Kf7 26.Nf4 g5 27.Nh3 Rg8 28.f4 gxf4 29.Nxf4 Ke7 30.Rh6 Rd8 31.Re2+ Kf8 32.Rxh7 Bd7 33.Ng6+ 1-0