Vachier Lagrave, M. – Anand, V.

2796 2017 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

In 2017 Vachier Lagrave (2796) opened 1.b3, the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, against Anand (2786). Black pushed e4 and steered pieces toward the white king with Bg4-f3, and after 27...exf3 a black pawn sat deep in White’s camp. The engine had Black clearly on top — then the game turned: 28...Qe7 swung the evaluation from −1.0 to −4.2, the missed chance of the game. Vachier Lagrave answered 29.Qxg6, and after 30.Nxg6+ and 31.Nxe7 the material haul settled matters through 34.Ne5, when Black resigned. Accuracy: 82% White, 76% Black. Club takeaway: in a winning position, hunt for the move that converts, not the move that tidies up.