Nepomniachtchi, I. – Carlsen, M.

2773 2019 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Scandinavian Defense, 2019: Nepomniachtchi (2773) against Carlsen (2870). White comes out of the opening with the initiative — queenside castling, then g4 and h4 — and holds a clear plus after 20.Bd4. The turning point is 21.h5, flagged as a mistake: the evaluation swings from +1.0 to +2.9 from White’s side, meaning it tips decisively to Black. Carlsen answers 21...Nxf4, picks up the g5 pawn, and never lets go through 30...Bf6. Accuracy: 87% for White, 93% for Black. The takeaway: one more pawn push in an attack is not free — a single poor choice can flip a winning position.