Mamedyarov, S. – Nepomniachtchi, I.

2757 2022 · Draw

Nimzo-Indian, 2022: Mamedyarov (2757) against Nepomniachtchi (2792), with 4.Qc2 and a quick e4-e5 push. Both sides enter a forcing sequence early on, trading pawns and pieces without pause, until the queens come off and a thin rook-and-bishop endgame remains. The engine flags no turning point at all: neither player lets the evaluation slip, White scoring 96% of moves at least good, Black a full 100%. Once the last pair of rooks disappears, the remaining material offers nothing to play for, and the kings simply repeat the position to a draw. The takeaway is plain: in a line this sharp, steady accuracy is enough to defuse the opponent’s initiative.