Vachier Lagrave, M.. – Aronian, L..

2784 2020 · Draw

A Ruy Lopez, Berlin flavour: after 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 the queens are gone and the game turns into a long technical test. In 2020, Vachier-Lagrave (2784) and Aronian (2781) handled that endgame almost cleanly — 96% of White’s moves at least good, 100% of Black’s, with a single inaccuracy in the whole game. White gained space on the kingside with 15...f6 16.g4 and later f4-f5, while Black’s rook found activity on the fourth and second ranks. No turning point: the engine flags no swing in evaluation at any stage. The finish is a repetition, 44.Re4 Rc2 45.Rc4 Re2 46.Re4 Rc2, and a draw. The lesson: in a balanced endgame, steady accuracy beats hunting for something that isn’t there.