Aronian Joins Karjakin in Candidates Lead

In round six of the Candidates in Moscow, Levon Aronian defeated Hikaru Nakamura to join Sergey Karjakin in the lead with 4/6. Aronian's victory over Nakamura featured a touch move incident on move 74. Hikaru touched his king, and went on to play 74....Kf8, allowing 75. Kf6 and an easy win for White.

[pgn]

[Event "Candidates 2016"]
[Site "Moscow, Russia"]
[Date "2016.03.17"]
[White "Aronian Levon (ARM)"]
[Black "Nakamura Hikaru (USA)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "E15"]
[PlyCount "166"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2015.12.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. Qc2 c5 6. d5 exd5 7. cxd5 Bb7 8. Bg2
Nxd5 9. O-O Nc6 10. Rd1 Be7 11. Qa4 Nf6 12. Nh4 O-O 13. Nc3 g6 14. Bg5 Rb8 15.
Bf4 Rc8 16. Bh6 Re8 17. Qf4 Na5 18. Nf5 Bxg2 19. Nxe7+ Qxe7 20. Kxg2 Qe5 21. e3
d5 22. Bg5 Ne4 23. Rxd5 Qxf4 24. gxf4 Nxc3 25. bxc3 Kg7 26. Rd7 h6 27. Be7 Nc4
28. Rad1 a5 29. R1d5 Rc6 30. Ra7 Re6 31. Rdd7 Kg8 32. h4 Kg7 33. Bd8 Kg8 34.
Be7 Kg7 35. Rab7 Kg8 36. Rbc7 Na3 37. Bd8 Nc4 38. Be7 Na3 39. Rb7 Nc4 40. Kf3
a4 41. Rbc7 Nd2+ 42. Rxd2 R6xe7 43. Rc6 Re6 44. Rxe6 Rxe6 45. c4 Kg7 46. e4 Re8
47. e5 Rb8 48. Rd7 Kf8 49. f5 gxf5 50. Kf4 b5 51. cxb5 Rxb5 52. Kxf5 a3 53. f4
Rb4 54. Ra7 c4 55. Rxa3 Rb2 56. Ra6 Kg7 57. a4 c3 58. Ra7 c2 59. Rc7 Rb4 60. a5
Ra4 61. Rxc2 Rxa5 62. Rc4 Ra1 63. Rc7 Kf8 64. Rd7 Ra4 65. Rd3 Rc4 66. Re3 Ke7
67. Re4 Rc1 68. Rb4 Kf8 69. Rb6 Kg7 70. Rb7 Kf8 71. Rb8+ Kg7 72. Rb4 Ra1 73.
Rd4 Ra2 74. Rd7 Kf8 75. Kf6 Ra6+ 76. Rd6 Ra8 77. h5 Kg8 78. f5 Rb8 79. Rd7 Rb6+
80. Ke7 Rb5 81. Rd8+ Kh7 82. Kf6 Rb6+ 83. Rd6 Rb7 1-0

[/pgn]

Viswanathan Anand regained steam today too, with a victory over Peter Svidler. Anand is now just half a point behind the leaders.

[pgn]

[Event "Candidates 2016"]
[Site "Moscow, Russia"]
[Date "2016.03.17"]
[White "Anand Viswanathan (IND)"]
[Black "Svidler Peter (RUS)"]
[Result "1-0"]
[ECO "C88"]
[PlyCount "47"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2015.12.19"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. a4
Bb7 9. d3 Re8 10. Nbd2 Bf8 11. c3 Na5 12. Bc2 c5 13. d4 exd4 14. cxd4 d5 15. e5
Ne4 16. axb5 axb5 17. Nxe4 dxe4 18. Rxe4 Nb3 19. Rxa8 Bxa8 20. Ng5 Nxc1 21. Qh5
h6 22. Qxf7+ Kh8 23. Rg4 Qa5 24. h4 1-0

[/pgn]

Despite excellent chances and preparation today against the tournament leader, Fabiano Caruana scored his sixth draw of the tournament after Karjakin's spirited defense.

[pgn]

[Event "Candidates 2016"]
[Site "Moscow, Russia"]
[Date "2016.03.17"]
[White "Caruana Fabiano (USA)"]
[Black "Karjakin Sergey (RUS)"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[ECO "E15"]
[PlyCount "72"]
[EventDate "2016.??.??"]
[SourceDate "2015.12.19"]

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 b6 4. g3 Ba6 5. b3 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Be7 7. Nc3 d5 8. cxd5
exd5 9. Bg2 O-O 10. O-O Re8 11. a3 c5 12. dxc5 bxc5 13. Ne5 Bb7 14. Bf4 Nbd7
15. Nc4 Nb6 16. Na5 Ba6 17. b4 cxb4 18. axb4 Bxb4 19. Nc6 Bxc3 20. Nxd8 Bxe2
21. Qb3 Bxa1 22. Rxa1 Raxd8 23. Rxa7 Nc4 24. h3 Bh5 25. Bg5 Bg6 26. Bxf6 gxf6
27. g4 Kg7 28. Qc3 d4 29. Qxc4 d3 30. g5 d2 31. gxf6+ Kh8 32. Bf3 Be4 33. Kh2
Bd5 34. Qg4 Rg8 35. Bd1 Rxg4 36. hxg4 h6 1/2-1/2 [/pgn]