So, W. – Carlsen, M.

2775 2015 · Draw

Ruy Lopez, 2015: So (2775) with White against Carlsen (2834), and the game stays in known territory for twelve book moves. After 9.h3 Na5, Black’s knight tours to c4 and b6 while the position hardens around the c4 pawn. The rooks come off on the b-file, then 25...exd4 and 26.Qxc4 clear the centre without handing either side an edge. The engine flags no turning point at all: 97% of White’s moves rated good or better, 95% of Black’s. With the white queen shuttling between d2 and d3, the game ends by repetition and the point is split. The takeaway: at this level of accuracy, a balanced position doesn’t crack on its own.