Nesterov, Arseniy – Zvjaginsev, V.

2573 2022 · Draw

Old Benoni, 2022: Nesterov (2573) let Zvjaginsev (2598) settle his structure, then pushed 11.e5 and wedged a rook in with 15.Re6, backed by 16.Rae1. Black answered on the wings with 17...a6 and 20...b5, and the tension held until move 23. That is the turning point: 23.Rb1 is a missed chance that swings the evaluation from +0.5 to -1.6 for White. The follow-up 23...Rxb2 24.Rxb2 Qe1+ traded the queens off, and after 26.Kxf1 Bxb2 27.Nxh5 material levelled out; 28.Bxd6 sealed the draw. Accuracy: 82% for White, 79% for Black. Club takeaway: a slight edge evaporates fast when one rook move hands the initiative across the board.