1. e2e4  1... e7e6 A big surprise! Although Firouzja has played the French before,  he did that rarely and almost always in blitz games. Maybe this has  something to do with the country that he currently lives in? 2. d2d4  2... d7d5  3. b1c3  3... g8f6  4. e4e5  4... f6d7  5. f2f4  5... c7c5  6. g1f3  6... b8c6  7. c1e3  7... a7a6  8. a2a3 The first micro-thought by Giri, and he deviates from what he had  always played before. 8... c5d4  9. f3d4  9... f8c5  10. d1d2  10... e8g8  11. f1e2 A calm developing move. 11... d8c7  12. e1g1  12... b7b6 This falls short by a move. 13. d4c6 Giri finds a good way to fix a pleasant positional advantage.  13... c7c6  14. b2b4 Removing the excellent bishop. 14... c5e3  15. d2e3  15... c8b7  16. e2d3 One more move and White will be able to maneuver with  his knight to d4 when Black's position would be positionally lost.  Therefore: 16... d5d4 Forcing an endgame. 17. e3e4  17... c6e4  18. c3e4  18... b7d5  19. e4g5 Accumulating another small advantage. 19... g7g6  20. g5f3  20... d5f3  21. f1f3 White's advantage is very pleasant. He has the more  valuable light piece, and the d4-pawn is an obvious target. Firouzja's  knight does not seem to have brilliant outposts, and the impression is  that Black's position will only deteriorate from here on. 21... b6b5  22. d3e4  22... a8d8  23. f3d3  23... d7b6 Not that fast! There is plenty of energy in this knight. 24. e4b7  24... b6a4  25. b7a6  25... a4c3 A very nice maneuver. Black gets  counterplay. 26. a6b7  26... c3e2  27. g1f2  27... e2f4  28. d3d2  28... d4d3 But this is the wrong path. 29. c2c3 Of course! The d3-pawn should be taken, not traded. 29... f4e2  30. f2e3  30... e2c3  31. d2d3  31... d8d3  32. e3d3 Black's knight is again in trouble. On the top of that, White's  king got centralized, and the bishop increased its domination against the  knight in the open position. 32... c3a4  33. a1c1  33... f8d8  34. d3e2  34... g8g7  35. b7c6  35... d8b8  36. c1c2 Before the time-control White starts wasting time. 36... g7f8 A loss of time, as Firouzja admitted after the game. 37. e2d2  37... f8e7  38. d2c1  38... f7f6 Now Firouzja at least creates a passer. 39. e5f6  39... e7f6  40. c1b1  40... f6e5  41. b1a2  41... e5d4  42. a2b3  42... d4d3  43. c2f2  43... e6e5  44. f2f7 But White is, of course, still winning. 44... a4b6 This desperate try is borne out of necessity. 45. c6b5  45... d3d4  46. a3a4  46... b6d5  47. f7h7 A third pawn is won, but the passer finally moves,  and that causes a headache for White. The main problem is that the game  continues, though. Giri probably felt that he had missed neater wins, and  that might have made him nervous. 47... e5e4  48. h7f7 The human way. 48... e4e3  49. f7f1  49... d5c3  50. f1f4 Once again a human decision. 50... d4e5  51. f4f3  51... c3b5  52. f3e3 That was White's idea. He finally got  rid of the opponent's passer. True, at the price of a piece, but he is  gaining Black's last pawn as well. And since the pawns are far away from  each other, it seems that they can easily outstretch the knight. 52... e5d4  53. e3g3  53... b5d6  54. g3g6  54... d6e4  55. a4a5 An important move. 55... d4d5  56. a5a6  56... e4c5  57. b3a3  57... c5d3 The last chance is to make tricks (miracles)  with the knight. 58. a6a7  58... b8a8  59. g6g7  59... d5c6 If White could only get rid of  the rooks, all his problems would be gone, and he should easily beat the  knight. 60. h2h4  60... d3f4  61. g2g4 What can be more natural than pushing the passers? And nevertheless, this leads to a draw now! 61... f4e6  62. g7f7  62... e6c7 And Firouzja survived this super-tense game! 63. g4g5  63... a8a7  64. a3b2  64... a7a8 