Vachier Lagrave, M. – Caruana, F.

2789 2018 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, France’s number one and a renowned Najdorf specialist, faces Fabiano Caruana, who earned the 2018 world title match with a commanding run at the Candidates. The twist: MVL parks his razor-sharp lines and plays 1.b3, the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, to strand one of the game’s best preparers away from his homework. When elite players know each other inside out, the strongest move is sometimes the quietest.