9Minh Le is left with a funky pawn structure with doubled pawns on each side of the board, but this formation isn't as bad as it seems!
Minh Le gets the advantage out of the opening due to having the bishop pair and aggressive intentions on the kingside.
If Vujatovic can make progress in the center, we may see him weaken Minh Le's pawn structure, creating chances for himself.
Play remains incredibly dynamic, and neither player is left with a sizeable advantage.
19Vujatovic goes for it! This is a strong approach, as Vujatovic will likely be able to create isolated, doubled pawns for Minh Le, leading to a structural disadvantage for the Vietnamese Grandmaster.
24It seems that Minh Le has been punished for allowing this pawn formation, as he has been unable to make any progress while Vujatovic keeps making improvements in the position.
Will we see a huge upset?!
As the dust settles, Minh Le is left with a structural disadvantage in the endgame. Still, this position should be drawn due to opposite color bishops and Vujatovic having difficulty making any meaningful progress in the position.
65Minh Le is getting very low on time but should still have the situation under control and save the draw.
This almost went wrong for the grandmaster, almost giving the full point to his 400-lower-rated opponent! Vujatovic managed to punish Minh Le's bizarre pawn structure, creating an initiative that forced Minh Le on the defensive. The game ends in a draw after Minh Le manages to break down Vujatovic's queenside, leaving too little material for Vujatovic to press for any advantage.
Theme wins the match overall, but this was much closer than it should've been given their rating advantage!
Just three more to go!
Theme International Trading is on the verge of making it to playoffs, but the match against the Sassy Seniors may cause them some trouble. Any slip-up from Theme may still turn the tournament standings upside-down!
Minh Le is a massive favorite in the encounter on board 3, but we've seen upsets happen in this tournament before. Will Vujatovic get a surprise win?