Nakamura, Hi – Mamedyarov, S.

2750 2022 · Draw

Petroff Defense, 2022: Nakamura (2750) against Mamedyarov (2776), a game where neither side ever commits. With 7...Qxe2+ the queens come off early and the whole thing turns into a technical exercise. The trades keep coming — 18.Bxc6, 20...Bxe5, 21...Rxe5, 22.Bxe5 — leading to a rook-and-bishop endgame in which nobody takes a chance. The engine flags no turning point at all: 96 % good-or-better moves for each side, one inaccuracy apiece. Draw, with the kings shuffling at the end. The takeaway is plain: when both players liquidate cleanly, there is no swing to wait for — equality simply has to be held move by move.