IM Eline Roebers (Netherlands) beat GM Alexandra Kosteniuk (Switzerland) in round 5 of the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026 (Women), in 94 moves.
The game turned on 34...f6. Before it, Stockfish had the position as a clear advantage for White (+2.26); one move later, winning for White (+2.50). It was played with 3:51 left on the clock.
Stockfish wanted 34...a4 instead. Can you see why? And 35.c4, the engine's best reply, came straight back.
The ratings said otherwise: Roebers was 117 points lower. It began as the Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense.
Replay it move by move, then take the key position on against the engine.
- White
- IM Eline Roebers, 2378 · Netherlands
- Black
- GM Alexandra Kosteniuk, 2495 · Switzerland
- Result
- 1–0 in 94 moves
- Opening
- Caro-Kann Defense: Advance Variation, Botvinnik-Carls Defense · B12
- Event
- 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad Samarkand 2026, Women, Round 5 · Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Key move: {0}
- 34...f6
- Engine’s choice
- 34...a4