“As Garry Kasparov once did in a must-win game, this setup has entered chess lore,” explained commentator Jan Gustafsson during the live broadcast. “If you want to win, play Nf3–g3–b3 and go from there.”
However, this time the strategy yielded little. Esipenko handled the symmetrical position with remarkable precision, reportedly playing at a 98% accuracy rate and leaving Caruana with no real winning chances. The draw means the American now trails the tournament leader by 1.5 points, though his overall score of +2 remains solid.
In another key encounter, Hikaru Nakamura faced Praggnanandhaa R, against whom he holds a favourable head-to-head record, with two wins and four draws. For the first time in the tournament, the Nimzo-Indian Defence appeared on the board. Nakamura seemed slightly surprised by the choice, spending considerable time navigating the theoretical lines, albeit within one of the many available side-lines.
