Especially in the final game, Beth moved her piece and froze, apparently in shock that she'd won.
After a couple of seconds, she looks at Borgov, who's already smiling at her, ready to surrender
How quickly can one move "end" the game?
Well, in chess the whole game is on the board for both players to see. A "won" position is one where one player can force a win regardless of the opponent's moves.
I don't remember exactly on the game you're talking about, but I think Beth had managed to win material, and then Borgov goes checking the king hoping to find a way to at least draw, but ultimately he runs out of checks and Beth stabilizes. This particular ending might be considered "won" 10 moves earlier, it's just a matter of playing it out until it's clear that there aren't resources they didn't see.
But to answer your question directly, in very complicated positions, it's normal for both players to calculate the same line, but one of them misses a move/miscalculates. When the player is surprised by the move, he becomes aware that he miscalculated the line. In a way this single move "ends" the game (it becomes a "won" position) for the opponent, but the game was theoretically over as soon as he allowed the line, if you know what I mean.
This isn't how all games go, most are a slow accumulation of slightly better moves, but in the context of "one move" ending the game, that's when it happens. A battle of calculation. Assuming both players are great and wouldn't just blunder a queen or a mate in one (which sometimes happens too, still).
Thanks, I'd forgotten that Borgov offered a draw.
I'd guess that he already knew the exact sequence of moves that would result in his loss.
Yep pretty much, he knew she was going to give him a brutal match.
shareShe blew up his strategy because she knew what he was gonna try. He didn't think she would see it but when he realized she did, he offered the draw.
shareRemember the very first game she played, Shaibel tells her "this is where you resign," because she has no way to win, and it's insulting as a grand master to force the opponent to play out all the way to checkmate. Same as when the other guy told her they don't say check in the big tournaments. At that level, they are supposed to know when they've lost, maybe 5 or 10 moves in advance.
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