context: 1. d2d4  1... d7d5  2. c2c4  2... e7e6  3. b1c3  3... c7c5  4. c4d5  4... e6d5  5. g1f3  5... b8c6  6. g2g3  6... g8f6  7. f1g2  7... c5d4  8. f3d4  8... f8c5 Firouzja played this line in an important tournament this year. It's clear that Nepomniachtchi was expecting it, and he came armed with some fine preparation. 9. d4b3  9... c5b6  10. c3d5  10... c8e6  11. d5b6  11... d8d1  12. e1d1  12... a7b6 [%c_highlight d1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d1;persistent;false] Supposedly Black has excellent compensation since White's king is not safe. 13. d1c2 [%c_effect c2;square;c2;type;Interesting;persistent;true] This is Nepomniachtchi's new idea, good enough for a rapid game. As often happens, no more than five minutes after the new move is played, opening experts from all over the world will come up with an antidote, but by then the novelty may have already borne fruit. 13... c6b4 A tempting move, sending the king to the strange b1-square. 14. c2b1  14... e8g8  15. b3d4 [%c_effect d4;square;d4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] The only justification for White's play. Naturally, Nepomniachtchi played this immediately. 15... e6a2  16. a1a2  16... b4a2  17. c1d2  17... f8d8  18. e2e3 In return for the exchange, White has the bishop pair, a great knight on d4, pressure on the queenside, and the black knight is trapped on a2. The computer gives its traditional equality assessment, but in practice the position is difficult to play for Black. Some positions are \"more equal\" than others. 18... f6d5  19. h1d1 [%c_effect d1;square;d1;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] Another important move to protect the d4-knight and make the e3-e4 advance available in case the poor piece on a2 tries to run away. 19... d5b4  20. g2b7  20... a8a7  21. b7f3 Nepomniachtchi's preparation probably ended around here. With a pawn for the exchange and still all the plusses mentioned earlier. White has the advantage. 21... a7c7  22. f3e2  22... h7h6  23. h2h4 A curious situation: Black cannot remove the pieces from the queenside, but White still cannot attack them. Both sides, therefore, prefer to advance pawns on the other side of the board. A possible plan for White is to advance his majority on the kingside and distract Black's pieces to finally capture the a2-knight. 23... c7c5  24. g3g4 [%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] 24... d8a8  25. e2f3  25... a8a7  26. d4b3  26... c5c8  27. d2e1  27... b4c2 [%c_effect c2;square;c2;type;GreatFind;persistent;true] 28. e1d2 