Dubov, Daniil – Golubov, Saveliy

2699 2019 · Draw

In 2019 Golubov (2469) wheeled out the Englund Gambit against Dubov (2699): 1.d4 e5 2.dxe5 Nc6, a rare try that hands White a pawn in return for activity. After 7.exf6 material is level again, and the game turns into a slow manoeuvring struggle — kingside fianchetto, both sides castled short, White pushing a4-b4-b5 on the queenside. The engine flags no inflection point: no decisive blunder, no clear missed chance. Accuracy stays close, 82% for White, 80% for Black. The queen trade with 33.Qxf7+ leads to a rook-and-knight endgame where both kings walk forward, until the Nd5+/Nf6+ repetition seals the draw. The takeaway: a dubious gambit does not lose by itself when the follow-up is played cleanly.