L'Ami, E. – Onischuk, V.

2614 2024 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

L’Ami (2614) against Onischuk (2609), 2024, in a Pirc where White commits early with 4.f4 and 6.e5. Black returns the piece and sends the queen pawn-hunting: 14...Qxc3, then 16...Qxc2 deep in White’s position. The turning point is 18.Rdf2, a mistake that swings the evaluation from +1.8 to +3.7 for White — doubling rooks costs far more than it gains, since 18...Qxd4 follows at once. The black queen keeps collecting until 21...Qxf1+, and White resigns after 23...Rxd6. Accuracy: 78% for White, 87% for Black. The lesson: a rook lift that looks aggressive is worthless if it hands over the centre.