Fressinet, Laurent – Gashimov, Vugar

2676 2008 · Draw

Modern Benoni, 2008: Fressinet (2676) against Gashimov (2703). Black commits early with 9...b5, a pawn offered in true Benoni style, and the game funnels into a run of forced exchanges through the centre. After 18.Qe8+ Qf8 19.Qxf8+ Bxf8 the queens vanish and what remains is a minor-piece ending where both sides have to mind their passed pawns. The engine flags no turning point at all: 94% of White’s moves rated good or better, 87% of Black’s, with the play burning out cleanly to 31.Bxc5 and a draw. The takeaway is plain: in a counterplay opening, accuracy from both sides is enough to defuse the material imbalance.