[Event "Champions Showdown - The Kings 2025"] [Site "St. Louis"] [Date "2025.03.04"] [Round "02-02"] [White "So, Wesley"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2711"] [BlackElo "2756"] [TimeControl "900+10"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "E51"] [Opening "Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation"] [StudyName "Champions Showdown: The Kings"] [ChapterName "So, Wesley - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/nVekuyCm/As9bGMhM"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 0:15:19] } 1... Nf6 { [%clk 0:15:18] } 2. c4 { [%clk 0:15:28] } 2... e6 { [%clk 0:15:27] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 0:15:37] } 3... d5 { [%clk 0:15:36] } 4. Nf3 { [%clk 0:15:04] } 4... Bb4 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 5. e3 { [%clk 0:14:57] } 5... O-O { [%clk 0:15:51] } 6. Bd2 { [%clk 0:15:01] } 6... Nbd7 { [%clk 0:15:59] } 7. Qc2 { [%clk 0:14:44] } 7... Re8 { [%clk 0:15:44] } 8. Rc1 { [%clk 0:14:27] } 8... Bf8 { [%clk 0:15:31] } 9. cxd5 { [%clk 0:12:59] } 9... exd5 { [%clk 0:15:40] } 10. Bd3 { [%clk 0:13:07] } 10... c6 { [%clk 0:15:09] } 11. O-O { [%clk 0:13:07] } 11... g6 { [%clk 0:11:26] } 12. h3 { [%clk 0:10:29] } 12... Qe7 { [%clk 0:09:45] } 13. Rce1 { [%clk 0:06:03] } 13... Ne4 { [%clk 0:09:45] } 14. Bc1 { [%clk 0:06:12] } 14... f5 { [%clk 0:08:38] } 15. b3 { [%clk 0:05:35] } 15... Qg7 { [%clk 0:07:35] } 16. Nd2 { [%clk 0:04:42] } 16... Ndf6 { [%clk 0:06:36] } 17. Nf3 { [%clk 0:04:35] } 17... Nd7 { [%clk 0:06:01] } 18. Nd2 { [%clk 0:04:44] } 18... Bd6 { [%clk 0:06:09] } 19. Bb2 { [%clk 0:04:07] } 19... Nxd2 { [%clk 0:04:00] } 20. Qxd2 { [%clk 0:04:16] } 20... Nf6 { [%clk 0:04:09] } 21. f3 { [%clk 0:04:09] } 21... Qh6 { [%clk 0:04:05] } 22. Bc1 { [%clk 0:03:38] } 22... Qh4 { [%clk 0:03:02] } 23. f4 { [%clk 0:03:02] } 23... Bd7 { [%clk 0:02:43] } 24. Qf2 { [%clk 0:02:54] } 24... Qh6 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 25. Ne2 { [%clk 0:01:25] } 25... a5 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 26. a4 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 26... b5 { [%clk 0:01:55] } 27. Nc3 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 27... Rab8 { [%clk 0:00:50] } 28. Qc2 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 28... Qf8 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 29. Kh2 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 29... Rbc8 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 30. Ne2 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 30... bxa4 { [%clk 0:00:58] } 31. bxa4 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 31... c5 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 32. Ba6 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 32... Rc7 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 33. dxc5 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 33... Bxc5 { Black is not threatening ... Bc5xe3 just yet, but the loose a6-bishop gives Black more concrete ideas here than So anticipated. } { [%clk 0:01:16] } 34. Nd4?! { [%clk 0:01:02] } (34. Bd3 { was better, getting the loose piece off the a6-square. } 34... Qd6 35. Qb2) 34... Qd6! { With around a minute per player in the rapid, Caruana centralizes the queen with both tempo on White's hanging a6-bishop and the threat of ... Bc5xd4 with a discovered attack on White's queen. } { [%clk 0:01:08] } 35. Nb5 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 35... Bxb5 { [%clk 0:01:17] } 36. Bxb5 { [%clk 0:00:43] } 36... Bb4?! { [%clk 0:01:06] } (36... Bxe3! { was stronger than going for the Exchange, but perhaps Caruana was not certain about how to evaluate White's Qc2xc7 response. } 37. Qb2 { is simply bad for White: } (37. Qxc7!? { was perhaps more resilient: } 37... Qxc7 38. Bxe8 Bxc1 39. Rxc1 Qe7 40. Bb5 Kg7 $17) 37... Rxc1 38. Rxc1 Bxf4+ $17) 37. Qd1 { [%clk 0:00:48] } 37... Rec8 { [%clk 0:00:54] } (37... Bxe1 38. Bxe8 $10) 38. Bd2 { [%clk 0:00:51] } 38... Ne4 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 39. Bxb4 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 39... axb4 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 40. Qd4 { [%clk 0:00:59] } 40... Rc2 { Black's knight is more powerful than White's lone bishop, and the backwards e3-pawn is a long-term weakness. Still, White has the outside passer and it's hard to see how Black breaks through. The position is roughly balanced, and the players keep maneuvering for another 16 moves before the key moment: } { [%clk 0:01:01] } 41. Bd3 { [%clk 0:00:56] } 41... Rd2 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 42. Rd1 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 42... Rxd1 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 43. Rxd1 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 43... Nc3 { [%clk 0:00:49] } 44. Rc1 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 44... Qc5 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 45. Qe5 { [%clk 0:01:04] } 45... b3 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 46. Qe6+ { [%clk 0:01:13] } 46... Kg7 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 47. Qd7+ { [%clk 0:00:47] } 47... Kh8 { [%clk 0:00:48] } 48. a5 { [%clk 0:00:45] } 48... b2 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 49. Re1 { [%clk 0:00:53] } 49... Qc7 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 50. Qe6 { [%clk 0:01:03] } 50... Rb8 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 51. a6 { [%clk 0:01:09] } 51... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 52. Rf1 { [%clk 0:01:01] } 52... Rb6 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 53. Qe8 { [%clk 0:01:10] } 53... Rb8 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 54. Qe6 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 54... Rd8 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 55. Rf2 { [%clk 0:01:12] } 55... Na4 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 56. a7?? { The threat is stronger than the execution! } { [%clk 0:00:20] } (56. Rc2 Nc5 57. Rxc5 Qxc5 58. Qe5+ Kf7 59. Qxb2 Qxe3 60. Qb7+ { is dangerous, and only } 60... Qe7 { keeps any advantage for Black, but after } 61. Qb6 Rc8 { White has a spectacular resource: } 62. Be2! Qc5 63. Qb2! d4 64. Bf3 $13) 56... Nc5! { [%clk 0:00:29] } 57. a8=Q { [%clk 0:00:28] } 57... Rxa8 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 58. Qxd5 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 58... Rd8 { [%clk 0:00:42] } 59. Qc4 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 59... Rxd3 $19 { White can't regain material. } { [%clk 0:00:35] } 60. Rxb2 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 60... Qd6 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 61. Rb5 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 61... Nd7 { [%clk 0:00:44] } 62. Ra5 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 62... Kh6 { [%clk 0:00:26] } 63. Ra6 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 63... Qd5 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 64. Qxd5 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 64... Rxd5 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 65. g4 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 65... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:25] } 66. Ra7 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 66... Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 67. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:40] } 67... h6 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 68. Ra6+ { [%clk 0:00:47] } 68... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:38] } 69. Ra7 { [%clk 0:00:57] } 69... Kf7 { [%clk 0:00:47] } 70. Kf3 { [%clk 0:00:54] } 70... Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 71. Ra6+ { [%clk 0:00:52] } 71... Rd6 { [%clk 0:00:55] } 72. Ra5 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 72... Rc6 { [%clk 0:01:00] } 73. Ra8 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 73... Nf6 { [%clk 0:00:52] } 74. Rh8 { [%clk 0:00:44] } 74... Rc2 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 75. gxf5+ { [%clk 0:00:28] } 75... gxf5 { [%clk 0:00:41] } 76. Kg3 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 76... Kf7 { [%clk 0:00:46] } 77. Kh4 { [%clk 0:00:12] } 77... Kg6 { [%clk 0:00:33] } 78. Ra8 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 78... Rc3 { [%clk 0:00:37] } 79. Ra7 { [%clk 0:00:18] } 79... Rb3 { [%clk 0:00:26] } 80. Rc7 { [%clk 0:00:26] } 80... Ra3 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 81. Rb7 { [%clk 0:00:35] } 81... h5 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 82. Re7 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 82... Ne4 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 83. Re6+ { [%clk 0:00:19] } 83... Kf7 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 84. Rh6 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 84... Rxe3 { [%clk 0:00:27] } 85. Rxh5 { [%clk 0:00:31] } 85... Ke6 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 86. Rh6+ { [%clk 0:00:38] } 86... Kd5 { [%clk 0:00:17] } 87. Rh5 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 87... Nd6 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 88. Kg5 { [%clk 0:00:15] } 88... Ke4 { [%clk 0:00:29] } 89. Rh4 { [%clk 0:00:14] } 89... Rf3 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 90. Rh7 { [%clk 0:00:13] } 90... Rg3+ { [%clk 0:00:28] } 91. Kf6 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 91... Kxf4 { [%clk 0:00:26] } 92. Rh4+ { [%clk 0:00:29] } 92... Ke3 { [%clk 0:00:34] } 93. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:30] } 93... f4 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 94. Kxd6 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 94... f3 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 95. Ke5 { [%clk 0:00:32] } 95... f2 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 96. Re4+ { [%clk 0:00:40] } 96... Kf3 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 97. Rf4+ { [%clk 0:00:50] } 97... Kg2 { 0-1 Black wins. } { [%clk 0:00:32] } 0-1