Carlsen, M. – Ding Liren

2870 2019 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Ruy Lopez, 2019: Carlsen (2870) with White against Ding Liren (2801). The game follows familiar opening paths for a long stretch, then becomes a slow manoeuvring duel in which the queens shuffle from square to square before trading on 45.Qxe6 Bxe6. The engine found no turning point: nothing flips in a single move, the result is built gradually. The accuracy figures back this up — 94% at-least-good moves for White, 90% for Black — and the bishop-versus-knight ending goes White’s way for a 1-0 finish. The takeaway: between strong players, wins usually come from accumulated small gains rather than one blunder.