GM Murali Karthikeyan (Jelica PEP Goračići, 2647) beat GM Alexandr Predke (Radnički Zmaj Beograd, 2612) in 30 moves in round 3 of the Serbian Super League, a day after beating GM Ivan Cheparinov.
It turned on 21...Qxc3, the queen taking a pawn with 23:42 left. Stockfish wanted 21...hxg5. It counted White clearly better before (+2.28) and winning after (+3.65), and 22.Qe3, its first choice, came straight back. The queens came off on move 24, and the white g-pawn went 27.g5, 28.gxh6 and 29.h7+. Stockfish counts the final position as a win for White.
The match ended 3–3.
Go back to 21...Qxc3 and find 21...hxg5. Then play it on against the engine.
- White
- GM Murali Karthikeyan, 2647 · JELICA PEP - Goračići
- Black
- GM Alexandr Predke, 2612 · RADNIČKI - ZMAJ - Beograd
- Result
- 1–0 in 30 moves
- Opening
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack · C02
- Event
- Serbian Super League 2026, Open, Round 3 · Vrnjačka Banja - Serbia
- Key move: {0}
- 21...Qxc3
- Engine’s choice
- 21...hxg5