Onischuk, Alexander – Bologan, Viktor

2684 2009 · Draw

Modern Defense, 2009: Onischuk (2684) against Bologan (2690), a game with nothing to regret. The queens come off at 8.Qxd8, and the rest is a closely contested piece endgame where both sides trade methodically: 16.Bxe6, 19.Bxc5, then 22...Rxc4 23.Rxd3 to release the last tension. The engine flags no turning point at all — nothing ever tips. White 96% of moves at least good, Black 95%: two players declining to force a position that won’t be forced. The club-level takeaway: a draw can be built rather than endured. With a symmetrical structure and the queens gone, accuracy does the work imagination cannot.