[Event "Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025"] [Site "https://lichess.org/broadcast/2025-grand-chess-tour-finals--finals/classical-game-1/IcYh4Dip/CoOBQxDY"] [Date "2025.09.26"] [Round "12.1"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [Result "1/2-1/2"] [WhiteElo "2789"] [WhiteTitle "GM"] [WhiteFideId "2020009"] [BlackElo "2737"] [BlackTitle "GM"] [BlackFideId "623539"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "D35"] [Opening "Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation"] [StudyName "Grand Chess Tour Finals"] [ChapterName "Caruana, Fabiano - Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/zgASARMb/rEDPpmaM"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/ChessLifeOnline"] [Orientation "white"] 1. d4 { [%clk 1:30:57] } 1... d5 { [%clk 1:30:40] } 2. c4 { [%clk 1:31:21] } 2... e6 { [%clk 1:31:05] } 3. Nc3 { [%clk 1:31:46] } 3... Nf6 { [%clk 1:31:30] } 4. cxd5 { [%clk 1:32:11] } 4... exd5 { [%clk 1:31:56] } 5. Bg5 { [%clk 1:32:34] } 5... Be7 { [%clk 1:32:22] } 6. e3 { [%clk 1:32:41] } 6... h6 { [%clk 1:32:40] } 7. Bh4 { [%clk 1:33:07] } 7... Bg4 { [%clk 1:32:59] } 8. Qc2 { [%clk 1:33:30] } 8... O-O { [%clk 1:33:19] } 9. h3 { [%clk 1:33:46] } 9... Be6 { [%clk 1:33:32] } 10. Nf3 { [%clk 1:34:05] } 10... Ne8 { [%clk 1:31:56] } 11. Bg3 { [%clk 1:34:28] } 11... Bd6 { [%clk 1:32:19] } 12. Ne5 { [%clk 1:34:52] } 12... Nc6 { [%clk 1:31:48] } 13. Nxc6 { [%clk 1:35:15] } 13... bxc6 { [%clk 1:32:14] } 14. Bd3 { [%clk 1:35:38] } 14... Bxg3 { [%clk 1:14:16] } 15. fxg3 { [%clk 1:35:56] } 15... Qg5 { [%clk 1:13:32] } 16. Qf2 { [%clk 1:36:20] } 16... Nd6 { [%clk 1:11:49] } 17. O-O { [%clk 1:36:41] } 17... Rae8 { [%clk 1:04:57] } 18. Rac1 { [%clk 1:29:42] } 18... Bd7 { [%clk 1:03:29] } 19. Nd1 { [%clk 1:29:59] } 19... Re6 { [%clk 1:00:05] } 20. Qe1 { [%clk 1:29:57] } 20... Rfe8 { [%clk 0:44:27] } 21. Rf3 { [%clk 1:27:12] } 21... R6e7 { [%clk 0:38:22] } 22. Qf2 { [%clk 1:27:23] } 22... h5 { [%clk 0:35:56] } 23. b4 { [%clk 1:26:12] } 23... g6 { [%clk 0:33:16] } 24. Rf4 { [%clk 1:20:28] } 24... Re6 { [%clk 0:30:18] } 25. b5 { [%clk 1:11:55] } 25... cxb5 { [%clk 0:27:19] } 26. Rxc7 { [%clk 1:12:12] } 26... Qd8 { [%clk 0:27:43] } 27. Rxa7 { [%clk 1:09:52] } 27... R8e7 { [%clk 0:28:07] } 28. Rf6 { [%clk 0:58:59] } 28... Kg7 { [%clk 0:27:36] } 29. Rxe6 { [%clk 0:58:10] } 29... Bxe6 { [%clk 0:28:02] } 30. Rxe7 { [%clk 0:44:05] } 30... Qxe7 { [%clk 0:28:27] } 31. Qb2 { [%clk 0:44:33] } 31... Bf5! { Levon the resourceful! } { [%clk 0:22:40] } 32. Bxb5 { [%clk 0:39:24] } 32... Nxb5 { [%clk 0:15:24] } 33. Qxb5 { [%clk 0:39:49] } 33... Bc2 { The point of Black's 31st move. } { [%clk 0:15:48] } 34. Qe2 { [%clk 0:39:36] } 34... Bxd1 { [%clk 0:16:11] } 35. Qxd1 { [%clk 0:40:03] } 35... Qxe3+ { [%clk 0:16:33] } 36. Kh2 { [%clk 0:40:30] } 36... f5?! { [%clk 0:13:05] } (36... Qc3 { or even }) (36... h4!? { would slow White's a-pawn down more. But it's not enough to stop here and claim it's roughly equal: } 37. gxh4 Qf4+ 38. Kg1 Qxh4 39. a4 { and Black still has work to do, but } 39... Qf4! $10 { should do most of it. }) 37. a4! { [%clk 0:35:43] } 37... f4 { [%clk 0:12:04] } 38. gxf4 { [%clk 0:31:51] } 38... Qxf4+ { [%clk 0:11:36] } 39. Kh1 { [%clk 0:32:07] } 39... g5 { [%clk 0:11:21] } 40. a5! { Black's counterplay is a turn too slow! } { [%clk 0:18:55] } 40... g4 { [%clk 0:10:33] } 41. a6 { [%clk 0:16:28] } 41... gxh3 { [%clk 0:08:55] } 42. gxh3 { [%clk 0:16:10] } 42... Qe4+ { [%clk 0:05:39] } 43. Kh2 { [%clk 0:16:37] } 43... Qf4+ { [%clk 0:05:58] } 44. Kg2 { [%clk 0:17:03] } 44... Qe4+ { [%clk 0:03:15] } 45. Qf3 { [%clk 0:12:58] } 45... Qxd4 { [%clk 0:03:23] } 46. Qf2! { Covering the a7-square while making sure that Black will run out of checks that don't allow a queen trade with Qf2-g3. } { [%clk 0:11:35] } 46... Qa4 { [%clk 0:28:24] } 47. a7 { [%clk 0:39:55] } 47... h4 { [%clk 0:28:32] } 48. Qe3 { [%clk 0:32:13] } 48... Kf6 { [%clk 0:22:41] } 49. Qc3+?! { [%clk 0:22:33] } (49. Qc5 { was simpler, staying on the a7-square. The idea is now } 49... Kg6 { runs into } 50. Qd6+ Kh7 51. Qe7+ Kg6 52. Qe6+ Kh7 53. Qf5+ { when the king can't come to the g-file (due to Qf5-g4+) but otherwise Qf5-f8+ prepares a7-a8=Q. }) 49... Kg6 { [%clk 0:21:21] } 50. Qc5 { [%clk 0:19:57] } 50... Qe4+ { [%clk 0:18:11] } 51. Kf2?? { [%clk 0:20:24] } (51. Kf1! d4 52. Qc4! Qf3+ 53. Ke1 Qe3+ 54. Qe2 Qc3+ 55. Kf2 $18 { and the checks run out. }) (51. Kg1 { also wins after, e.g. } 51... d4 { if White finds the correct } 52. Qf8! { when } 52... Qe1+ { or } (52... Qe3+ 53. Qf2) 53. Qf1 Qe3+ 54. Kh1 $18 { and the checks, again, run out. } { [%cal Gf1g2,Re3e4,Gg2g6,Gg2a8,Ga7a8] }) 51... d4! { Suddenly, Black has a perpetual check. } { [%clk 0:18:15] } 52. Qc1 { [%clk 0:13:23] } 52... Kh7 { [%clk 0:14:24] } 53. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:12:00] } 53... Kh6 { [%clk 0:13:06] } 54. Qd6+ { [%clk 0:11:38] } 54... Kh7 { [%clk 0:13:27] } 55. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:09:44] } 55... Kh6 { [%clk 0:13:46] } 56. Qb6+ { [%clk 0:10:11] } 56... Kg7 { [%clk 0:09:47] } 57. Qa5 { [%clk 0:08:02] } 57... Qe3+ { [%clk 0:07:47] } 58. Kf1 { [%clk 0:08:28] } 58... Qxh3+ { [%clk 0:07:27] } 59. Ke1 { [%clk 0:08:54] } 59... Qe3+ { [%clk 0:06:21] } 60. Kd1 { [%clk 0:09:22] } 60... Qf3+ { [%clk 0:06:25] } 61. Kc1 { [%clk 0:09:30] } 61... Qa8?? { A second chance for Caruana! } { [%clk 0:04:43] } 62. Qc7+ { [%clk 0:08:15] } 62... Kh6 { [%clk 0:05:09] } 63. Qb8 { [%clk 0:08:08] } 63... Qc6+ { [%clk 0:05:32] } 64. Kb1 { [%clk 0:08:18] } 64... Qe4+ { [%clk 0:05:27] } 65. Kb2 { [%clk 0:08:26] } 65... Qe2+ { [%clk 0:05:05] } 66. Ka3 { [%clk 0:08:52] } 66... Qd3+ { [%clk 0:04:44] } 67. Kb4?? { [%clk 0:07:53] } (67. Qb3! Qe4 (67... Qa6+ 68. Qa4 Qd3+ 69. Kb4 { Compared to the game, the difference is that now, with White's queen on the a4-square instead of the b8-square, White can meet } 69... Qc3+ { with } 70. Kb5 { and there is no ... Qc3-b3+, as in the game. By taking more distance with } 70... Qb2+ { , White wins after } 71. Ka6 Qe2+ 72. Kb6 { and there is no ... Qe2-e6+ due to Qa4-c6, winning. } 72... Qb2+ 73. Qb5 $18 { and the checks run out. })) 67... Qc3+ { [%clk 0:04:38] } 68. Kb5 { [%clk 0:08:19] } 68... Qb3+ { [%clk 0:04:54] } 69. Kc5 { [%clk 0:08:25] } 69... Qc2+ $10 { Black has the draw! } { [%clk 0:04:36] } 70. Kd5 { [%clk 0:07:31] } 70... Qg2+ { [%clk 0:04:55] } 71. Ke5 { [%clk 0:07:33] } 71... Qg5+ { [%clk 0:05:03] } 72. Ke4 { [%clk 0:07:59] } 72... Qg2+ { [%clk 0:05:18] } 73. Ke5 { [%clk 0:07:30] } 73... Qg5+ { [%clk 0:05:40] } 74. Kd6 { [%clk 0:07:55] } 74... Qg6+ { [%clk 0:05:51] } 75. Kc7 { [%clk 0:08:15] } 75... Qf7+ { [%clk 0:05:05] } 76. Kc6 { [%clk 0:08:25] } 76... Qf3+ { [%clk 0:04:58] } 77. Kb5 { [%clk 0:08:43] } 77... Qb3+ { [%clk 0:04:55] } 78. Kc5 { [%clk 0:09:05] } 78... Qc2+ { [%clk 0:05:10] } 79. Kxd4 { [%clk 0:08:09] } 79... Qd2+ { [%clk 0:05:11] } 80. Ke4 { [%clk 0:08:35] } 80... Qc2+ { [%clk 0:04:39] } 81. Kf3 { [%clk 0:08:51] } 81... Qd1+ { [%clk 0:04:20] } 82. Kf4 { [%clk 0:09:16] } 82... Qd4+ { [%clk 0:04:38] } 83. Kf5 { [%clk 0:09:42] } 83... Qd3+ { [%clk 0:04:58] } 84. Ke6 { [%clk 0:10:04] } 84... Qg6+ { [%clk 0:04:48] } 85. Ke7 { [%clk 0:10:23] } 85... Qg7+ { [%clk 0:04:58] } 86. Ke8 { [%clk 0:10:34] } 86... Qg8+ { [%clk 0:05:13] } 87. Ke7 { [%clk 0:10:58] } 87... Qg7+ { [%clk 0:05:40] } 88. Ke8 { [%clk 0:11:25] } 88... Qg8+ { [%clk 0:06:07] } 89. Ke7 { [%clk 0:11:43] } 89... Qg7+ { [%clk 0:05:29] } 1/2-1/2