Ponkratov, P. – Caruana, F.

2641 2022 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

A 2022 Scotch: Ponkratov (2641) against Caruana (2792), with 3.Bc4 and 4.d4 opening the centre at once. The engine flags no turning point at all: both sides played 100% moves rated at least "good", seven book moves for White, six for Black. So the game was not decided by a blunder but by accumulation. After 8...bxc6 and both kings castled, Black manoeuvred the knight as far as 13...Nc3, then set the d-pawn rolling. The march d4-d3-d2, capped by 31...Re1, shows what a supported passed pawn is worth. The lesson: you can lose a game with no identifiable mistake, simply because your opponent never lets go of the thread. Black wins, 0-1.