Nepomniachtchi, I. – Vachier Lagrave, M.

2767 2024 · Draw

In 2024, Nepomniachtchi (2767) and Vachier Lagrave (2721) played a Scotch in which neither side gave anything away: both scored 100 % of moves rated at least "good" by the engine at depth 25. White pushed the central pawn with 15.e6, Black answered 15...fxe6, and the queens came off shortly afterwards. The rook-and-bishop ending was handled precisely, ending in repetition as the black king shuttled between g6 and f5. No inflection point was detected: no blunder, no missed chance. The takeaway is plain: when both players keep finding the right move, a draw isn’t a lack of fight — it’s the honest verdict of the position.