Nakamura, Hi – Hou Yifan

2777 2018 · White wins (resignation, time or agreement)

Nakamura (2777) opens 1.b3, the Nimzo-Larsen Attack, against Hou Yifan (2658) in 2018. After 4.Bb5 and 5.f4 White captures twice on c6 and picks off the e5-pawn, yet Black still holds resources. The turning point comes on move eleven: 11...O-O swings the evaluation from +0.3 to -1.7 from White’s side — in other words, Black’s chance evaporates there. From then on Nakamura plays 12.Bxf6, reroutes his knights via f5 and d6, and finishes with 23.Rae1 and 24.Re7. Accuracy: 83% for White, 78% for Black. The takeaway: castling on autopilot in a sharp position can hand back everything you had.