1. e2e4  1... e7e5  2. g1f3  2... b8c6  3. f1b5  3... a7a6  4. b5a4  4... g8f6  5. e1g1  5... f6e4 Deac joined the  tournament as a last-minute replacement, which did not prevent him from  demonstrating a new opening line. According to Megabase, this is the first time that the talented Romanian GM chooses the Open Ruy Lopez. Impressive!  6. d2d4  6... b7b5  7. a4b3  7... d7d5  8. d4e5  8... c8e6  9. b1d2  9... f8e7  10. c2c3  10... e8g8  11. b3c2  11... f7f5  12. e5f6  12... e4f6  13. a2a4 According to the same Megabase, 13.Re1 is becoming  the main line. 13... b5b4  14. f1e1  14... e6g4  15. d2f1 This is a novelty. Black's position  looks active and aggressive, but as it often happens in the Ruy Lopez,  White's hidden attacking potential should not be underestimated. 15... e7c5 The same active policy. 16. c1e3 Here Deac spent an enormous amount of time on his clock trying to figure out if he should force  matters or not. At the end, after more than half an hour, he went for it. 16... d5d4  17. c3d4  17... c6d4  18. e3d4  18... g4f3  19. d1f3  19... d8d4  20. a1d1 Vachier-Lagrave is  prepared for the central break and sacrifices a pawn in return. This lures the queen to a dangerous spot. 20... d4b2 Once again Deac decided to  risk. 21. e1e2 This ambush is the main point behind the sacrifices. 21... b2c3 Now after a repetition, Vachier-Lagrave uncorks his true  idea. 22. d1d3  22... c3a1  23. d3d1  23... a1c3  24. d1d3  24... c3a1  25. g2g4 The French GM identified  the knight as a key defender and wants to remove it at any cost. Black is  on the verge of losing. 25... b4b3 A colossally strong move! The  bishop has to be removed from the b1-h7 diagonal at any cost. Deac might  have found the idea using the exclusion method, as everything else was bad for him. 26. c2b3  26... g8h8  27. g4g5  27... f6g8 Now he can. The attack will be delayed by a tempo, and this tempo is decisive. 28. f3d5 Vachier-Lagrave decided to  centralize his queen. 28... c5d6  29. d3h3 The clouds are gathering around the black king again, but since his move is next, he can select