2517 2019 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)
Zierk (2517) against Hambleton (2492), 2019: Black opens with the Englund Gambit and grabs material, but the game turns into a marathon of queen versus rook and knight. The hinge comes on move 45: after 45...Ke8 the evaluation slides from −1.1 to −2.6, and the initiative changes hands for good. The endgame then sees chances go begging on both sides: 67...Nxh7 drops the position from 0.0 to −2.3, and 99.Qf3 gives much of it back, from +2.4 to +0.4. Black misses again with 103...Ka4 (−2.6 to −10.1) and 110...Ka3 (−2.8 to −13.8). Accuracy: 92% White, 90% Black, and 1-0 after 114.Qa1+. The lesson: in long endings, king moves decide as much as combinations.