1. e2e4  1... e7e5  2. g1f3  2... b8c6  3. f1b5  3... a7a6  4. b5a4  4... g8f6  5. e1g1  5... f8e7  6. f1e1  6... b7b5  7. a4b3  7... e8g8  8. h2h3 Very few people dare to enter the Marshall Attack against Aronian these days. 8... c8b7  9. d2d3  9... d7d6  10. a2a3  10... d8d7  11. b1c3 The first major thought by White. 11... c6d8 The first critical moment of the game. After some more thought, Nakamura played a novelty. 12. f3h2  12... d8e6  13. h2g4 The point of the maneuver, but Black is well prepared for it. 13... g8h8  14. g4f6  14... e7f6  15. d1g4  15... a8e8 A nice move that overprotects the knight and sets free the black queen. The opening was quite a success for Aronian. His play is easy, he has a lot of interesting maneuvers, and he has a clear plan of a kingside expansion once the f7-f5 break is prepared. 16. a3a4 An attempt to occupy the open file. 16... b5b4 Aronian plays for the initiative with his usual creativity and optimism. 17. c3e2 And Nakamura decides once again to reject the pawn sacrifice. 17... d7d8 Black just follows his plan. 18. c2c3  18... b4c3  19. b2c3  19... g7g6  20. b3d5 Nakamura found a way to create counterplay. He clears the fourth rank for the queen and starts looking at the black weaknesses on the queenside. 20... b7d5  21. e4d5  21... e6c5  22. c1h6 Time for Nakamura to be creative $1 It is his turn to sacrifice a pawn. 22... c5d3 And Aronian needs no second invitation. 23. h6f8  23... d3e1  24. a1e1  24... e8f8  25. g4c4  25... d8a8  26. e1b1 Playing for domination. For his sacrificed pawn, White got some extra air for his pieces—open files and squares—and a clear shot at the c7- and a6-pawns. The latter is especially important for both sides. White can also hope for a perfect pair of a queen-and-a-knight versus queen-and-a-bishop. 26... f8b8 Here and in the future, it seemed as if Aronian helped his opponent a bit. 27. b1b4 A very solid construction was built by White, but he is starting to feel the time deficit. 27... h8g7  28. e2g3  28... h7h5 Aronian needs to bring his pawns into motion. 29. g3e4  29... f6d8  30. a4a5  30... a8a7  31. g2g3 In order to secure some more squares for the knight, but also to hide the king from the possible double-attacks. 31... f7f5  32. e4d2  32... b8b4 In the opponent's time trouble, Aronian tries to complicate matters as much as possible. 33. c3b4  33... e5e4 But this softens the important d4-square. 34. d2b3  34... d8f6  35. g1g2 A curious position $1 The white queen is watching both black weaknesses, whereas the black bishop is very aware of the opponent's knight’s intention to jump all the way to the e6- or c6-outposts. Nakamura now owns the better pair of pieces and this should have made Aronian more alert. 35... h5h4 Nope, he tries to push further for a win. 36. g3h4 This one is for free. 36... g7f7  37. h4h5 Short on time, Nakamura feels that this is the moment and spends his last seconds to see the best continuation. 37... g6h5  38. b4b5  38... e4e3 Time to bail out. Her majesty would do the job, with a little help from her friends. (the bands Queen and Beatles have nothing to do with the story.) 39. f2f4  39... a7b8  40. g2f1  40... a6b5  41. c4c6  41... e3e2  42. f1e2  42... b8a7  43. a5a6 This passer is still huge, and will finally become a queen, but Aronian finds some study-like ideas to survive just in time. 43... a7g1  44. c6c7  44... f7g6  45. b3d2  45... g1h2  46. e2d1  46... h2f4 