1. e2e4  1... e7e6  2. d2d4  2... d7d5  3. b1c3  3... f8b4  4. g1e2 I have not seen this line in a while. A lovely delight to my eyes. 4... d5e4  5. a2a3  5... b4e7  6. c3e4  6... g8f6  7. d1d3  One of the two best continuations. If I recall correctly, other French GMs like Degraeve and Bauer have used it in the past. The most curious part,  however, is that it is a pet line of Ponkratov, who scores really well as  White! 7... b8c6  8. c1e3  8... e8g8  9. e1c1  9... f6g4 A risky affair. 10. h2h4 Bacrot does not want to spend a tempo on h2-h3. 10... f7f5  11. e4g5  11... h7h6  12. g5f3  12... e7d6  13. g2g3 White fixes some squares for his pieces to play  around. 13... a8b8 Ponkratov needs to find counterplay now. 14. c2c4 The most active play! 14... b7b5  15. c4c5  15... d6e7  16. e2f4  16... b5b4 Consistent but now Black opens too many squares for the opponent's pieces. 17. a3a4  17... b4b3 Practically giving up this pawn in the hope to open files  against the enemy king. 18. d3c3 This simple maneuver is the problem! The white bishop is open  and ready to seize the a2-g8 diagonal, thus causing havoc in the enemy  camp. 18... g4f6  19. f1b5  19... f6e4  20. c3b3 After a thorough calculation, Bacrot picks up the  pawn. It is not about the material that much, though; it is about the  diagonal that he seizes and from where he wants to mate the opponent's  king first. 20... c6a5  21. b3a2  21... a7a6  22. f4e6 Once more, the French GM follows the most principled  path. 22... c8e6  23. a2e6  23... g8h8  24. b5d7  24... f8f6 The queen is trapped nevertheless? 25. f3e5 Nope, White has it all covered! 25... b8b2  26. c1b2 This obvious capture is not the best, though!