Heberla, B. – Kanarek, M.

2556 2017 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Filed as a Bird, this 2017 game plays like a Closed Sicilian: 1.e4 c5, the exchange 4.Bxc6+ bxc6, and an f4-f5 push that hands White the kingside initiative. Heberla (2556) follows the idea through with 17.Rxg5+, and the queens come off on move 25. The turning point comes immediately after: 26.Bh6 is a missed opportunity that swings the evaluation from -1.0 to -3.4 from White’s point of view. Kanarek (2522) converts the knight-versus-bishop endgame, collecting the g2 and d3 pawns and pushing on to 43...d3, 0-1. Accuracy: 91% White, 95% Black — the takeaway is that a worse position demands precise moves, not merely active ones.