In the Moscow Variation of the Slav Defence Sasikiran opted for 8.Qc2 (which is not the main move) and a bit later made a new move 11.h4!? instead of the common continuations 11.0-0 and 11.b4. Karjakin sacrificed a pawn (15...Ne4) and obtained a good compensation. On the 23rd move, being already worse, Sasikiran decided to give away an exchange. On the 31st move Karjakin made a big mistake, 31...b6? (instead, 31...Qa2 was very good for Black), and after the strong 32.Qg6! (as Sasikiran played) the "natural" 32...Re6? loses to 33.Nf6 Rxe3+ 34.Kc2. Another line is 32...c5 33.Nf6! Bxf6 34.Qxf6+ Rg7 35.Rg1 Qf7 36.Qxh6+ Rh7, with approximate equality. After the long think Karjakin played 32...Rf8 with double-edged position. Later he made dubious 37th and 38th moves and after 39.Rf3! White was clearly better. Sasikiran missed a forced win: 40.Nd6 Rxe3+ 41.Rxe3 Qxd4+ 42.Kc2! Qxd6 43.Re8+. In the mutual time trouble the fight became complex and unpredictable. After the spectacular but possibly wrong 60...Ra2? White missed probable wins after 62.Nd6 Rxb3+ 63.Kxb3 Qa4+ 64.Kc3 Ra3+ 65.Kd2 Ra2+ 66.Ke1 (it is hard to calculate such lines, indeed) or two moves later 64.Qe6. At the very last stage of the game Sasikiran was always better, but he did not manage to win. It was quite a crazy game.