Gashimov, Vugar – Ivanchuk, Vassily

2761 2012 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Pirc Defense, 2012: Gashimov (2761) with White against Ivanchuk (2766). After 4.Bg5 and 5.e5, Black gives back the center with 9...f6 10.exf6 exf6, then 11...d5 sets the structure. The engine flags no inflection point at all — no blunder, no missed chance on either side. The margin is consistency: 86% of White’s moves rated good or better, 100% of Black’s, and the game ends 0-1. The takeaway: a win doesn’t always come from an opponent’s identifiable mistake. Sometimes it comes from stringing correct decisions together for longer than the other side manages.