1. e2e4  1... c7c5  2. g1f3  2... e7e6 A clever choice from Saric, who was looking for a  back door entrance to the Sveshnikov Variation. 3. d2d4  3... c5d4  4. f3d4  4... g8f6  5. b1c3  5... b8c6  6. d4b5 Possibly, a case of keeping his cards close to the chest. 6... d7d6  7. c1f4  7... e6e5  8. f4g5  8... a7a6  9. b5a3  9... b7b5  10. c3d5 The Karpov line. White  abandons all ambitious thoughts of taking Black's position by storm and  sends the game into a maneuvering stage. Despite Nepomniachtchi's  experience in this line, somehow I don't think he would find success  playing this way against Carlsen. 10... f8e7  11. g5f6  11... e7f6  12. c2c3  12... f6g5  13. a3c2  13... c6e7  14. c2b4  14... e8g8  15. g2g3  15... c8e6  16. h2h4  16... g5h6  17. f1g2 An inaccuracy, according to  Saric, as it allows Black to expand on the queenside. 17... a6a5  18. d5e7  18... d8e7  19. b4d5  19... e7b7 \"My queen is forced to a better square. He can't really  defend the knight and will eventually have to capture on d5 with a pawn  and that position is just strategically bad.\" - Saric 20. g3g4 I fail to  see how this is going to help White. The only outcome of this pawn push is that it forces Black to trade down to a better endgame. 20... e6d5  21. d1d5  21... b7d5  22. e4d5  22... h6f4  23. e1e2  23... a8b8  24. a2a3  24... g7g6  25. h4h5  25... g8g7  26. h1h3  26... f8c8  27. e2d3  27... g7f6 White's position is entirely devoid of any prospects. One  consolation for Nepo: this wasn't Game 1 in Dubai. 28. h5g6  28... h7g6  29. h3h7  29... c8c7  30. g2e4  30... f6g5  31. d3e2  31... b5b4  32. c3b4  32... a5b4  33. a3a4  33... b4b3 Great  timing! 34. e2f3  34... b8b4 Saric thought he was winning here but Nepomniachtchi still  found something: 35. a4a5  35... b4e4  36. a5a6 This trick helps White to stay up the exchange, but from Black's point of view it's an OK development, as  exchange sacrifices are often used to win endgames with rooks and  opposite-colored bishops. Saric has a strong hand on the game. 36... e4d4  37. a6a7  37... e5e4  38. f3g2  38... c7a7  39. a1a7  39... d4d2  40. g2f1  40... d2b2  41. a7b7  41... g5g4  42. h7h8  42... f4e5  43. h8b8  43... b2b1  44. f1g2  44... b3b2 It becomes clear that the only way  for White to use his rooks is to sac back on b2 and head for a lost rook  endgame. 45. b7f7  45... b1d1  46. f7b7  46... d1d5  47. b7b4  47... g4f5  48. b8f8  48... f5e6  49. f8e8  49... e6d7  50. e8b8  50... d5d1  51. b4b7  51... d7e6  52. b7b2  52... e5b2  53. b8b2  53... d6d5  54. b2b8  54... d5d4  55. b8g8 