GM Mert Öztürk (Turkey)
White
GM Marco Rossi (Italy)
Black
Draw
Grandmaster battles at the top level rarely end in quiet draws, but when they do, it's often because both players are walking a razor’s edge. That's exactly what happened in this sharp encounter between GM Mert Öztürk (Turkey) with White and GM Marco Rossi (Italy) with Black. Playing in Mersin with home support behind him, Mert pushed hard in a complicated middlegame and reached a position where he had a clear advantage. Yet Marco defended with ice-cold precision, forcing perpetual check and securing the half-point.
The game opened as a King's Indian Defense, but things took an unusual turn early. After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 Bg7 4.e4 d6 5.Be2 e5, Mert went for the direct 6.dxe5 dxe5 7.Qxd8+ Kxd8. Queenless by move 7 – this line can look dry, but it often leads to White having better coordination while Black's king is stuck in the center for a while.
Mert developed aggressively: 8.f4, immediately challenging the e5 pawn. Marco grabbed with 10...exf4 (a bit dubious – keeping tension might have been better), and Mert recaptured with the bishop, getting active pieces. Both sides maneuvered, with Mert bringing rooks to the d-file and knights jumping forward. Black's 13...Nde5 was questionable, and Mert could have grabbed a bigger edge with sharper play, but he still emerged with pressure after some tactics around move 14-16, winning the exchange.
The position stayed tense. Mert had the bishop pair and more space, while Marco coordinated his knights and tried to hold the fort. Small inaccuracies crept in on both sides – 19...a4, 22...Kb7, 23...Nb4 all gave White chances to increase the pressure.
Then came the moment of the game: 26.Rd7+. A brilliant shot. The rook crashes through, forcing 26...Bxd7 (practically forced, or Black loses even more). Mert recaptured with 27.Rxd7+, winning the bishop and leaving Black's king exposed and coordination shattered. Marco brought the knight back to c7 to cover checks, and Mert kept the initiative rolling with Rd6, invading the sixth rank.
The finish was pure drama. After 29.Bxc6+, stripping away more pawn cover, Mert had a rook rampaging, a strong bishop on d5, and the e5 pawn ready to advance. Black was hanging by a thread. But Marco found the only defense, shuttling his king between c7 and d7. Mert checked relentlessly with the rook on c6 and d6 – 31.Rc6+ Kd7 32.Rd6+ Kc7 33.Rc6+ Kd7 34.Rd6+ Kc7 – and with no way to progress without risking his own advantage or allowing counterplay, the players agreed to a draw by repetition.
Engine lines suggest White was still better in the final position – the rook and bishop dominate, and pushing e6 or maneuvering further could have been dangerous for Black. But at the board, against a GM defender like Marco Rossi, forcing the perpetual was the practical choice. One slip, and Black's knight and remaining pieces might have generated real counterchances.
Mert Öztürk showed real attacking flair, especially with that Rd7+ idea that blew the game open. Marco defended like a wall when it mattered most. A hard-fought draw that felt like a full battle – exactly the kind of high-level chess we love to watch. Respect to both grandmasters for keeping the tension alive until the very end. If you haven't gone through this one yet, load it up. The tactical sequence starting at move 26 is pure fire.