Zhang, Ziji – Zvjaginsev, V.

2397 2018 · Black wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Old Indian Defense, 2018: Zhang Ziji (2397) against Zvjaginsev (2644). Queens come off immediately with 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8, and the game turns into a long technical endgame in which Black manoeuvres patiently with the bishop pair. The engine credits White with 77% at-least-good moves and Black with 87% — a gap that only tells late. Two inflection points settle it: 58.Bd1 shifts the evaluation from +2.7 to +4.5, then 60.Ba4 from +3.7 to +5.3, both from White’s point of view, meaning steadily in Black’s favour. The game ends after 61...Bd5, 0-1. The lesson: in bishop-and-knight endings, one loose bishop placement is enough to turn a holdable position into a loss.