📗5.e4 Svidler chooses the same line in which he had MVL at the brink of losing. However, it is clear that MVL might have figured things out in the past two days! I think by choosing this line, Svidler is already making a huge mistake in terms of 'match strategy'.
📗11...a6! White's developmental advantage comes to nothing with this move. Now he has to deal with his awkward king and bad pawn structure.
📗17.f4 It is a MUST and not an attacking move. Otherwise black could open up the game on f-file.
📗34...Rb7 A painful loss for Svidler. He almost did not play a practical game over the board as right out of opening he ended up in a worse position and blundered away! I have 2-0 in this line against two IMs and a draw ( the one included in the analyses). I even have beaten Sasikiran in an important blitz game but the more I study this line, the more I realize that it is not a line to play in 21st century!
📗18...Qc7 white seems out of any idea while black is gradually improving!
📗32.Rxd6 1/2-1/2 And Palac accepts draw in a winning positon! can you spot it?