[Event "Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-grand-chess-tour-finals--finals/blitz-game-3/mPQR63Wf/GjuqRSlo"] [Date "2025.09.26"] [Round "18.1"] [White "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Black "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Result "0-1"] [WhiteElo "2737"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "623539"] [BlackElo "2789"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "2020009"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B33"] [Opening "Sicilian Defense: Lasker-Pelikan Variation, Sveshnikov Variation"] [StudyName "Grand Chess Tour Finals"] [ChapterName "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime - Caruana, Fabiano"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/zgASARMb/1sE8ocLx"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 { [%clk 0:05:03] } 1... c5 { [%clk 0:05:03] } 2. Nf3 { [%clk 0:05:04] } 2... Nc6 { [%clk 0:05:04] } 3. d4 { [%clk 0:05:06] } 3... cxd4 { [%clk 0:05:05] } 4. Nxd4 { [%clk 0:05:07] } 4... e5 { [%clk 0:05:06] } 5. Nb5 { [%clk 0:05:08] } 5... d6 { [%clk 0:05:07] } 6. N1c3 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 6... a6 { [%clk 0:05:08] } 7. Na3 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 7... Nf6 { [%clk 0:05:08] } 8. Bg5 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 8... b5 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 9. Bxf6 { [%clk 0:05:11] } 9... gxf6 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 10. Nd5 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 10... f5 { [%clk 0:05:11] } 11. Bd3 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 11... Be6 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 12. O-O { [%clk 0:05:12] } 12... Bxd5 { [%clk 0:05:10] } 13. exd5 { [%clk 0:05:12] } 13... Ne7 { [%clk 0:05:11] } 14. c4 { [%clk 0:05:13] } 14... e4 { [%clk 0:04:49] } 15. Be2 { [%clk 0:05:13] } 15... Bg7 { [%clk 0:04:49] } 16. Qd2 { [%clk 0:05:14] } 16... bxc4 { [%clk 0:04:05] } 17. Nxc4 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 17... O-O { [%clk 0:04:05] } 18. Qf4 { [%clk 0:04:42] } 18... Nxd5 { An instructive moment. Which pawn would you take? } { [%clk 0:03:51] } 19. Qxf5?? { Not this one! Watch how Black's pawns roll forward. } { [%clk 0:04:42] } (19. Qxd6! Qxd6 20. Nxd6 Bxb2 { [%cal Gd5c3] } 21. Rae1 a5 22. Nxf5 Nc3 $15) 19... Ne7 { [%clk 0:03:51] } 20. Qh5 { [%clk 0:04:32] } 20... d5 { [%clk 0:03:29] } 21. Rad1 { [%clk 0:04:33] } 21... f5 { [%clk 0:03:22] } 22. b3 { [%clk 0:04:05] } 22... Kh8 { [%clk 0:03:07] } 23. g3 { [%clk 0:03:34] } 23... Qc7 { [%clk 0:02:59] } 24. Ne3 { [%clk 0:03:34] } 24... d4 { [%clk 0:02:53] } 25. Nc4 { [%clk 0:03:35] } 25... Nd5 { [%clk 0:02:30] } 26. Bg4 { [%clk 0:03:23] } 26... Ne7 { [%clk 0:01:38] } 27. Bh3 { [%clk 0:03:22] } 27... Rad8 { [%clk 0:01:39] } 28. Kh1 { [%clk 0:03:12] } 28... Rd5 { [%clk 0:01:38] } 29. Rfe1 { [%clk 0:03:01] } 29... Rc5 { [%clk 0:01:14] } 30. Bg2 { [%clk 0:02:52] } 30... Nd5 { [%clk 0:01:13] } 31. Qg5 { [%clk 0:02:33] } 31... Nc3 { [%clk 0:01:07] } 32. Rd2 { [%clk 0:02:34] } 32... f4 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 33. Qg4 { [%clk 0:02:31] } 33... f3 { [%clk 0:01:02] } 34. Bh3 { [%clk 0:02:28] } 34... Qc6 { [%clk 0:00:28] } 35. Qe6 { [%clk 0:02:12] } 35... Qxe6 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 36. Bxe6 { [%clk 0:02:13] } 36... d3 { [%clk 0:00:19] } 37. Ne3 { [%clk 0:01:52] } 37... Ne2 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 38. Rdd1 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 38... Bd4 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 39. Bc4 { [%clk 0:01:48] } 39... Bxe3 { [%clk 0:00:20] } 40. fxe3 { [%clk 0:01:49] } 40... a5 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 41. Rf1 { [%clk 0:01:46] } 41... a4 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 42. Rd2 { [%clk 0:01:47] } 42... a3 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 43. g4 { [%clk 0:01:29] } 43... Kg7 { [%clk 0:00:24] } 44. Rf2 { [%clk 0:01:22] } 44... h5 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 45. gxh5 { [%clk 0:01:19] } 45... Rxh5 { [%clk 0:00:23] } 46. Bxd3 { [%clk 0:01:20] } 46... exd3 { [%clk 0:00:22] } 47. Rxd3 { [%clk 0:01:22] } 47... Rc5 { [%clk 0:00:21] } 48. h3 { [%clk 0:01:16] } 48... Ng3+ { [%clk 0:00:21] } 0-1