Caruana, Fabiano – Carlsen, Magnus

2835 2020 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Alekhine Defense, 2020: Caruana (2835) against Carlsen (2863), a game whose evaluation swings both ways. After 17...Bxa1 18.Qxa1 White keeps the initiative, and the trades on e5 only widen the margin. The turning point comes in two moves: 30.Kg3 flips the evaluation from +0.6 to +2.4, then 31.Qh6 misses the chance, from +2.5 to +6.3 — two gifts handed over at the sharpest moment. Carlsen answers 31...Bxh3 and 32...Rxg2, and takes the point. Accuracy: 69% for White, 88% for Black. The lesson for club players: in a winning position, king moves are where the advantage quietly leaks away.