Ponkratov, P. – Sychev, K.

2589 2016 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Vienna Game, 2016: Ponkratov (2589) against Sychev (2445). After 3.f4 d5 White castles long and pushes on the kingside, but the queens come off on move 21 and the resulting endgame is dominated by the black pawn that reaches e2. That is where it turns: 27.Kd2 swings the evaluation from −0.2 to −2.5, and 30.Kxe2 makes it worse still, from −2.7 to −5.1. Black slips once — 46...Rb5+ gives back ground, from +6.7 to +5.2 for White — but converts anyway, 52.Rd4 (−8.0 to −9.7) ending the fight, 0-1. Accuracy: 86% to 90%. The takeaway: in such endings, an advanced passed pawn dictates where your king must stand.