Almasi, Zoltan – Varga, Zoltan

2665 1999 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Old Indian Defense, 1999: Almasi (2665) against Varga (2518). Black expands on the queenside with 13...b5, then pushes 18...h5 and 19...h4 for kingside play while White doubles rooks on the a-file. The accuracy figures tell the story: 95% for White, 80% for Black. The turning point comes on move 38: after 38.Qxd7, Black’s 38...Qf4 is a missed chance that swings the evaluation from +2.5 to +7.1. White finishes cleanly with 39.Qxe8+ and 40.Ne2, and the black checks lead nowhere: 1-0. The takeaway: in an already worse position, the "active" move that ignores the opponent’s threat costs more than patient defense.