Aronian, L. – Ding Liren

2772 2022 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

A classical Italian Game, 2022: Aronian (2772) against Ding Liren (2799), with Black seizing the initiative after 4.Ng5 d5. For a long stretch the position favours Black, but everything is settled in the sprint from move 39 to move 44. With 39...Qxc3, Ding misses the best continuation and the evaluation swings from −1.4 to −5.8; two moves later 41...Qxc5+ costs more still, from −6.5 to −15.0. Aronian isn’t flawless either: 44.Qd6+ hands back a chunk, from +15.0 to +4.3, yet it’s enough to convert through 50.Rd4. Accuracy was nearly level — 78% White, 80% Black — proof that three moves decide more than an average does. The lesson: in a winning position, check every forcing move.