[%c_effect b4;square;b4;type;Mistake;persistent;true] A blunder that allows Black to simplify the game and force an immediate draw.
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  28... c2b4  29. f3e4  29... c8c4  30. b3d4  30... c4c8  31. h4h5  31... c8d8  32. b2b3 [%c_arrow b1b2;keyPressed;none;from;b1;opacity;0.8;to;b2;persistent;false,d1a1;keyPressed;none;from;d1;opacity;0.8;to;a1;persistent;false] A very interesting and dangerous plan: place the king on b2 and the rook on a1. 32... d8e8 [%c_effect e8;square;e8;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 33. f2f3 [%c_effect f3;square;f3;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 33... e8e4 [%c_effect e4;square;e4;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 34. f3e4  34... b4d3  35. e4e5 [%c_effect e5;square;e5;type;Interesting;persistent;true] A creative idea, typical of Nepomniachtchi's style. 35... d3f2 [%c_effect f2;square;f2;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true] 36. d1e1 [%c_effect e1;square;e1;type;Mistake;persistent;true] An unfortunate choice of square. Both 36.Rf1 and 36.Rg1 are stronger. 36... f2e4  37. b1c2  37... a7c7  38. c2d3  38... e4f2  39. d3e2  39... f2g4 [%c_highlight e1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e1;persistent;false,g1;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;g1;persistent;false] This is why it matters that the rook is on e1 instead of g1: the pawn can be captured. 40. e5e6  40... f7e6  41. d4e6  41... a2c3 Black's dream finally came true, but Firouzja is still not out of the woods—he was in huge time trouble at this point. 42. e2f3  42... g4e5  43. f3g3  43... c7e7 There are many ways to make a draw here and in the following moves. 44. d2c3  44... e7e6  45. e1d1  45... e5f7  46. g3f4  46... g7g5  47. h5g6  47... e6g6  48. e3e4 The position is still drawn, but it's not so easy anymore, at least not with seconds on the clock. 48... g8f8  49. d1d7  49... f8e8  50. d7b7  50... h6h5  51. e4e5  51... g6g4  52. f4f5 The position has become very dangerous. 52... f7h6 [%c_effect h6;square;h6;type;Mistake;persistent;true] 53. f5e6  53... g4g6  54. e6d5  54... h6f5 