Just like the usual, the beginning of the game runs so quickly, with both players blitzing their way through the opening stage. Not wanting to deal with Sheva's opening shenanigans, Aravindh decided to show his intention from the beginning by going for the Sicilian Defense. In return, not wanting to delve deeper into the theory, Sheva picked up the Alapin variation, going for a stable development.
Based on how fast they moved, it was clear that both players had already anticipated this, and the game had already moved in the direction that they had prepared beforehand. Now, it all depended on how far their preparation went and who would get outprepped first in this game.
"Well, I can tell you that Aravindh likes to play the Sicilian Defense as Black. He is quite apt in a lot of variations, so I cannot wait to see how he would handle this situation." On the media booth, Sagar Shah explained with his trademark smile.
