1. e2e4  1... e7e6  2. d2d4  2... d7d5  3. e4e5 The Advanced French visits the top-GM level tournaments nowadays mainly thanks to the efforts of Grischuk. 3... c7c5  4. c2c3  4... d8b6  5. g1f3  5... c8d7 Rapport tries a sound positional idea that, however, requires perfect timing as Black will be seriously lagging in development. 6. f1e2  6... c5d4  7. c3d4  7... d7b5  8. e2b5  8... b6b5  9. b1c3  9... b5a6 As a result of his operation, Black managed to get rid of his \"poor\" bishop but at the expense of his pieces being stuck on the back rank. The nature of the position is indeed closed, but this does not mean that Vidit will not try to make use of the time factor. 10. a2a4 Nc3-b5 is a concrete threat; therefore 10... f8b4  11. c1d2  11... b4c3  12. d2c3  12... g8e7  13. b2b4 Black should be tortured; otherwise, he will catch up with the development, and his position would be sound. 13... a6c4 A novelty, and a very risky move. The queen is moving bravely closer to the opponent's pieces, provoking weaknesses. 14. a1c1  14... b8c6 This, on the other hand, might have ended badly for the Hungarian GM 15. c3d2 The most natural move does not pose that many problems $1 15... c4d3  16. d1e2  16... d3a3 The right decision is to continue playing cat-and-mouse with the enemy pieces. 17. e1g1 Now Black finally consolidates, and everything starts to make perfect sense for him. 17... e7f5  18. d2c3  18... a8c8 Now the opening experiment works more than well for Rapport. He starts creating threats on his own, and in the long run the white bishop might become a liability. 19. g2g4 One more weakening, but what else $2 19... f5e7 Same policy, play for a win $1 20. c3d2  20... h7h5 Black destroys the enemy defenses. 21. g4h5  21... a3a4  22. c1a1  22... a4c2  23. b4b5 Vidit knows that things have gone wrong for him and looks for active counterplay. 23... c6d8  24. f1c1  24... c2f5  25. c1c8  25... e7c8  26. a1c1  26... c8e7 A slip in the approaching time scramble. 27. c1c7  27... h8h5  28. d2b4  28... e7g6 Phew, just in time $1 Black is dominating, although some accuracy is still required. 29. b5b6 A practical shot. 29... f5b1 But Black is careful. 30. e2e1  30... b1e1  31. f3e1  31... a7b6  32. e1c2 Vidit hopes to transfer his knight all the way to the d6-square, but that would not happen. 32... h5h3  33. b4d6  33... d8c6  34. c7b7 The next moves were played in severe mutual time trouble. Vidit did not want to repeat moves and let his opponent reach move 40 easily.