1. d2d4  1... e7e6  2. c2c4  2... b7b6  3. g1f3  3... c8b7  4. b1c3  4... g8f6  5. a2a3  5... g7g6 In a must-win situation  Vachier-Lagrave makes an original opening choice. 6. d4d5  6... e6d5  7. c4d5  7... f8g7  8. g2g3  8... e8g8  9. f1g2  9... f8e8  10. e1g1  10... b8a6  11. c1f4  11... c7c6  12. d5c6  12... d7c6  13. d1d8  13... a8d8 Black equalizes easily, and  thanks to his queenside majority he enjoys a slight pull. 14. f1d1  This, however, is a serious inaccuracy. 14... f6d5 An offer to self-isolate a pawn is rare in the middlegame, but here Vachier-Lagrave spotted a concrete problem for White. 15. c3d5  15... c6d5  16. f3d4  16... a6c5 That is it. One of the white pawns will be lost  anyway, and Black will not allow any compensation. 17. f4e3  17... g7d4  18. e3d4  18... c5b3  19. a1b1  19... b3d4  20. d1d4  20... e8e2 Vachier-Lagrave  wins a pawn, but the win is not yet in sight. If White manages to swap the queenside pawns, he would be able to hold. 21. g2f3  21... e2c2  22. f3e4  22... c2c5  23. b1d1  23... g8g7  24. d4d3  24... a7a5 Sooner or later a crisis will happen in the center, and some  pawns will disappear. For the time being both sides try to improve their  situations. 25. d3d4  25... b7c6  26. b2b4  26... c5c3  27. e4d5  27... c6a4  28. d1d2  28... c3a3  29. b4a5  29... b6a5  30. h2h4 All the white pawns are properly  placed. 30... a4b5  31. d2b2  31... b5c6  32. b2d2  32... a3a4  33. d4a4  33... c6a4  34. d2a2  34... a4b5  35. d5b3  35... d8a8 Vachier-Lagrave managed to place his rook ideally behind the pawn and is now ready for the rook endgame. 36. b3a4  36... b5a4  37. a2a4  37... g7f6 With reversed colors we have almost a perfect copy of the  final game in the 1927 world championship between Alekhine and Capablanca. Alekhine went on to win this game and became the fourth world champion. 38. g1f1  38... f6e6 Black's plan is clear: the king needs to help the rook. 39. f1e2  39... e6d5  40. e2d3  40... a8a7  41. g3g4  41... d5c5  42. d3c3  42... c5b5  43. a4e4 In turn, White needs  to block the passed pawn with his weaker piece, the king, thus leaving the stronger one for the defense of the kingside. 43... a5a4  44. e4e5  44... b5c6  45. c3b2  45... a4a3  46. b2a2 Job done. The question is, can the rook hold the flank  on its own? 46... c6d6  47. e5e4  47... d6d5  48. f2f3  48... a7c7  49. e4e3  49... c7a7  50. e3e4  50... f7f5  But this seems a mistake. 51. e4e8  51... d5d4  52. g4f5  52... g6f5  53. f3f4  53... a7a6  54. e8e5  54... a6h6 Now too many pawns are  traded. 55. e5f5  55... h6h4  56. a2a3 According to tablebases, this is a draw. 56... d4e4  57. f5f7  57... h7h5  58. f4f5  58... h4f4  59. f5f6  59... e4f5  60. a3b3  60... f5g6  61. f7a7 So far Mamedyarov has defended  perfectly, and only here does he commit the decisive mistake. 61... f4f6  62. b3c3  62... f6d6 The key move. The white king is cut off far  enough from the pawn. Next Vachier-Lagrave pushes it all the way to the  second rank.