Aronian, L. – Vachier Lagrave, M.

2767 2018 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Sicilian Najdorf, 2018: Aronian (2767) against Vachier-Lagrave (2779), with the offbeat 3.Nge2 setup and the bishop retreating to c1 as early as Black’s sixth move. The kings castle on opposite wings — White long, Black short — and the game turns into a race, each side pushing pawns on its own flank. The engine flags no turning point at all: nothing swings on a single move, everything is settled by accumulation. Aronian played 100% at least good moves, Vachier-Lagrave 95%, with one inaccuracy. That’s the takeaway: in these structures you don’t win with one brilliant stroke, you win by never letting the quality of your moves slip. White wins after 47.Rg5.