Zvjaginsev, V. – Stupak, K.

2608 2021 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

A 2021 Bird’s Opening: Zvjaginsev (2608) met 1.e4 e6 with 2.f4 and gained space after 5.e5, while Stupak (2485) regrouped with rooks and bishop toward e8 and f6. Black struck at the centre with 15...d4, but the exchanges from move 22 to 27 left White with a bishop on d5 and a dominant queen. The turning point came on move 32: after 32.Qh4+, 32...Kd6 swung the evaluation from -3.0 to -4.9, and 33.Qxe1 ended matters. Accuracy: 94% for White, 78% for Black. The takeaway: even in a lost position, where the king steps still decides how much is left.