Open: Caruana and Nakamura miss chances

The opening day of the fourth edition of the American Cup featured tightly contested games, with all four encounters in the open section ending in draws. The top seeds, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, both had the white pieces but failed to capitalise on their positions, leaving them vulnerable in the second games of their two-game matches.

Caruana built a significant time advantage against Ray Robson, but the latter, known for his ability to navigate time trouble, managed to escape with a draw by threefold repetition. Meanwhile, Nakamura faced Abhimanyu Mishra in a technical rook endgame. Despite Abhimanyu's inaccuracies, Nakamura was unable to convert his advantage into a win in a rook ending. GM Karsten Müller provides a detailed analysis of the missed opportunities in this complex endgame below.

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The other two games of the day also ended in draws. Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez concluded the first game of the round without decisive action, while Levon Aronian's encounter with Sam Sevian lasted 40 moves before the players agreed to a draw.

With all matches still level, the second games of these encounters will be crucial. Caruana and Nakamura, in particular, must now hold with the black pieces to avoid being sent to the elimination bracket.

Ray Robson | Photo: Crystal Fuller

Nakamura ½-½ Abhimanyu

Analysis by GM Karsten Müller

Nakamura, Hikaru2802

½–½

Mishra, Abhimanyu2600

American Cup Open Champions 2025 Saint Louis15.03.2025[Mueller,Karsten]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.g3 Be7 5.Bg2 0-0 6.0-0 dxc4 7.Qc2 a6 8.a4 Bd7 9.Qxc4 Bc6 10.Bf4 Bd6 11.Nc3 Bxf4 12.gxf4 a5 13.e3 Na6 14.Kh1 Nb4 15.Qe2 Qe7 16.Nb5 Bxf3 17.Bxf3 c6 18.Na3 Ne8 19.Nc2 Nxc2 20.Qxc2 f5 21.Qb3 Nf6 22.Rac1 Nd5 23.Rg1 Rf7 24.Rc5 Kh8 25.Qd1 Qf6 26.Qf1 Rc7 27.Qg2 b6 28.Rc4 Rac8 29.Rgc1 Qe7 30.h3 Nb4 31.Be2 Na2 32.Rd1 Nb4 33.b3 Nd5 34.Rcc1 Nb4 35.Bc4 Na2 36.Ra1 Nb4 37.Rg1 Rd8 38.Kh2 Qf6 39.Be2 Rdc8 40.Rad1 Nd5 41.Ba6 Rd8 42.Rc1 Nb4 43.Be2 Rdc8 44.Rc4 Qe7 45.Bf3 Kg8 46.Rcc1 Qf6 47.Be2 Kh8 48.Bc4 Nd5 49.Qg3 Rd8 50.h4 Qf7 51.Be2 Rdc8 52.Ba6 Ra8 53.Be2 Rac8 54.h5 Nf6 55.Qh4 Qe7 56.Kg2 Nd5 57.Qxe7 Rxe7 58.Bf3 Rec7 59.Bxd5 cxd5 60.Rb1 Kg8 61.b4 Rc4 62.bxa5 bxa5 63.Kf3 Rb4 64.Rxb4 axb4 65.h6 g6 66.Rb1 Rb8 67.Ke2 b3 68.Kd3 Ra8 69.Rxb3 Rxa4 70.Rb7 Ra2 71.Rg7+ Kh8 72.Re7 Kg8 73.Rxe6 Rxf2 74.Re8+ Kf7 75.Rh8 Kf6 76.Rxh7 g5 77.fxg5+ Kxg5 78.Rd7 Kxh6 79.Rxd5 Kg6 80.Re5

Cut-off festival. This weapon can be used by attacking and defending king: 80...Ra2? Black's king had to be improved first. After 80...Kf6 81.Ra5 Ke6 82.Ra6+ Ke7 Black gets a drawing setup, e.g. 82...Kd5? 83.Rf6 Rf1 84.Rxf5+ Rxf5 85.e4+ Ke6 86.exf5+ Kxf5 87.Kc4+- 83.d5 Rh2 84.Kd4 Re2 84...Rh4+? 85.Kc5+- 85.Re6+ Kd7 86.Rf6 Rd2+ 87.Ke5 Rd3 88.Rf7+ Ke8 89.Rxf5 Rxe3+ 90.Kd6 Ra3= 81.e4? The wrong pawn advance. Only after 81.d5! Kf6 81...Ra4 82.d6 Kf6 83.d7 Ra3+ 84.Kc4 Kxe5 85.d8Q Rxe3 86.Qd4++- 82.Re6+ Kf7 83.Kd4 Ra3 84.Kc5 Ra5+ 85.Kd6 Ra3 can 86.e4 be played: fxe4 87.Rxe4+-

Now the cut-off on the e-file is decisive. 81...fxe4+ 82.Rxe4 Kf5 83.Re8 Ra4! The only defence. 83...Ra1? 84.d5 Ra4 85.Kc3 Kf6 86.d6 Ra7 87.Kd4 Ra4+ 88.Kc5 Ra5+ 89.Kb6 Rd5 90.Kc6+- 84.Kc3 Kf6! The king must retreat. 85.d5 Now both kings are cut off and so a draw follows. Kf7! 86.Re2 Kf6 87.Re1 Kf7 88.Re6 Rh4 89.Re2 Ra4 90.Re1 Rh4 91.Re5 Ra4 92.Re1 Rh4 93.Re6 Ra4 94.Re1 Rh4 ½–½

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Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: Lennart Ootes

All games - Open

Women's: Three winners, Cervantes misses checkmate

The women's section got off to an eventful start, with three out of four games ending decisively, all favouring the player with the white pieces. The two former champions of the event, Irina Krush and Alice Lee, both began their campaigns with victories. Krush defeated Atousa Pourkashiyan, while Lee overcame Nazi Paikidze. Carissa Yip also secured a full point, beating Thalia Cervantes in a dramatic and unexpected turnaround.

Yip's victory was the most striking of the day, as she was on the verge of defeat before Cervantes missed a straightforward winning sequence. Cervantes had built a winning position and reached a decisive moment on move 35, where she had a forced mate-in-four.

35...Qe5+ 36.Kf2 Qe2+ 37.Kg1 Qf1#. However, instead of delivering the winning sequence, she played 35...Bd5, missing her opportunity. This allowed Yip to respond with 36.Bxd7+ Kxd7 37.Qd2, pinning Cervantes' bishop and shifting the dynamics of the position.

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Yip gradually consolidated her advantage, and despite Cervantes' attempts to defend, she eventually collapsed, allowing Yip to convert the advantage into a win after 66 moves.

Thalia Cervantes | Photo: Crystal Fuller

Meanwhile, the only drawn game of the round saw Tatev Abrahamyan converting her advantageous middlegame position into a queen and knight endgame, which was also favourable but gave more chances for the player on the defensive side. Anna Zatonskih showed her technical prowess to escape with a draw.

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Defending champion Alice Lee | Photo: Crystal Fuller

All games - Women's

Links

• Official site
• Fabiano Caruana wins American Cup! (2022)
• Hikaru Nakamura wins the American Cup (2023)
• Aronian and Lee clinch American Cup titles (2024)