Jakovenko, Dmitrij – Carlsen, Magnus

2742 2009 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

A classical Najdorf from 2009: Jakovenko (2742) against Carlsen (2772), with 6.Be2 and a slow central struggle. Black builds pressure on the c-file, White pushes the passed pawn all the way to d7, and the position turns sharply concrete. The turning point comes at move 38: 38.Qd1 swings the evaluation from −1.4 to +0.2 from White’s side — from a lost position back to balance. Carlsen then regains control, trades queens with 47.Qxe3 Rxe3, and grinds the rook-and-minor-piece ending down to the win, finishing on 63...Kb4. Accuracy: 81% for White, 90% for Black. The lesson: with a passed pawn on the board, one misplaced queen move can undo everything.