Karpov, Anatoly – Anand, Viswanathan

2780 1994 · Draw

Karpov (2780) against Anand (2720), 1994: a Najdorf in which White opts for the quiet 6.Be2 before the centre opens up. The analysis flags no turning point at all — no decisive error, no missed chance — which is unusual in a fight this sharp. The precision numbers back it up: 98% of White’s moves were at least good, 94% of Black’s. Once the queens come off, the rook, bishop and knight ending balances out: White pushes the a-pawn, Black activates king and rook, and the draw is agreed with 49...Ke3 on the board. The takeaway: a game can stay tense from first move to last without a single move shifting the evaluation.