2723 2013 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)
Ian Nepomniachtchi — later a two-time World Championship challenger (2021 and 2023), famous for his lightning-fast calculation and for holding a positive lifetime score against Magnus Carlsen dating back to their junior days — faces Bulgaria’s Ivan Cheparinov, once Veselin Topalov’s trusted second and a formidable opening theoretician. Cheparinov opts for the offbeat Philidor, the ideal way to probe an opponent who thrives on sharp, chaotic positions.