Nepomniachtchi, I.. – Caruana, F..

2774 2021 · Draw

Four Knights Game, 2021: Nepomniachtchi (2774) against Caruana (2842), a game with no slip. After 4.d4 exd4 the exchanges come quickly, the queens leave early, and both sides settle into a rook ending without ever losing the thread. The engine flags no turning point at all: 93% at least good moves for White, 98% for Black, three inaccuracies on one side and a single one on the other. The passed pawn pushed to a6 and then traded for a rook never produces a real imbalance, and 41.Kh2 ends things at ½-½. The takeaway is plain: when neither player errs, the draw is a verdict, not a lack of ambition.