Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.

2876 2015 · Draw

In 2015 Carlsen (2876) pulled out the King’s Gambit against Aronian (2780): 1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4, a rare weapon at that level. Black struck back in the centre with 3...d5, and the game simplified fast — bishops came off, then rooks and queens were traded on the e-file and on c5. The engine flags no turning point at all: 88% at-least-good moves for each side, balance held from start to finish. The rook ending arrived dry, and White wrapped it up with rook checks, 41.Ra6+ 42.Ra5+ 43.Ra6+, ½-½. The takeaway: a gambit guarantees nothing once the opponent returns the pawn on time and trades cleanly.