Carlsen, M. – Gukesh, D.

2837 2025 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

London System, 2025: Carlsen (2837) with White, Gukesh (2787) with Black, a game that stayed level deep into a sharp rook-and-queen ending, with both sides at 93 % of moves rated good or better. The turning point came on move 46: after 46...Qh6+, the evaluation swung from 0.0 to -3.3, a check that let a holdable position slip away. Black kept firing checks without result: 50...Qb2+ moved the evaluation from -4.3 to -6.5, and 51...Qxc3 from -6.1 to -9.4. White converted from there and took the point, 1-0. The lesson: in queen endings, a check must serve a plan, not just buy a move.