After yesterday’s game, we got together again in the evening. Is it really his strategy to steer clear of any tension? Even when he had a promising position from an objective point of view, he chose to exchange everything and settle for a slight disadvantage. What can we take away from that game? Or maybe it’s too early to draw any conclusions at all?

Although there were other opinions in my team, I was convinced that this wasn’t Anikeev’s plan for the entire match. I believed he simply wasn’t fully alert to the complications after 14.35-30!, but that he’d still be open to trying that move in a future game. Maybe he’d already made up his mind to go for a draw and followed that path without really considering his own chances anymore. I was convinced he’d also want to take some initiative himself, and not just refuse every opportunity.

The night before the third game, I decided I’d go for 1.34-29 the next day—mainly to see how he would respond. He’s played 1...17-22 against me before, so I was of course prepared for that. More than anything, I was just curious. That opening can lead to all sorts of lively and challenging positions.