Magnus Carlsen vs Sergey Karjakin · World Chess Championship, New York, 2016 · Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defense · 1-0
The 2016 World Chess Championship between Magnus Carlsen and Sergey Karjakin was one of the most dramatic in recent history — tied at 4.5-4.5 going into Game 10. Carlsen had been unable to break Karjakin's fortress defense throughout the match. In this game, Carlsen builds an overwhelming position with his knight on d5, then converts the endgame through a combination of patience and precision. The game illustrates Carlsen's famous 'squeeze' technique — he creates no immediate threats but builds pressure so slowly that his opponent eventually runs out of good moves. The moment Karjakin's defense collapses, Carlsen's technique is flawless. This win gave Carlsen the match lead heading into the final games, ultimately defending his title after going to rapid tiebreaks.