Nakamura, Hi – So, W.

2750 2022 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Nakamura (2750) versus So (2778), 2022, a Queen’s Gambit Declined where the queens come off by move 17. What follows is pure technique: rooks and minor pieces, active kings, no fireworks. So kept 90% of his moves at least good, Nakamura 94%, and that narrow gap eventually told. The turning point comes late with 37...Kd6, which shifts the evaluation from +3.1 to +4.8 for White — a hard position becomes a lost one. The takeaway for a club player: in an already worse endgame, king placement is as sharp as any tactic. One loose square is enough to turn stubborn defence into defeat. 1-0.