Jones, G. – Bu Xiangzhi

2702 2019 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Scotch Game, 2019: Jones (2702) against Bu Xiangzhi (2729), a game where both sides stayed accurate — 91% for White, 92% for Black — yet the evaluation lurched twice within two moves. After 28...Rxg2+ 29.Kh1, Black played 29...Rxb2, a mistake that pulled the evaluation from +4.3 back to +2.3 from White’s side. The reply 30.a5 was the decisive missed chance: the assessment collapsed from -2.3 to -15.0, and 30...Nf3 settled matters. The lesson is plain: a winning position does not steer itself, and a quiet queenside pawn push can cost far more than it looks. Black won, 0-1.