CCT Finals: Carlsen and So to fight for the title

Carlsen 3 - 2 Caruana

The first draw of the whole match facing Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana was seen in the second set, on Thursday. A second draw followed, and then three wins for the player with the white pieces. Carlsen bid two more seconds than his opponent in the Armageddon, and managed to beat Caruana out of a Ruy Lopez, the U.S. star’s speciality, to get overall victory.

Once again, Caruana proved to be one of Carlsen’s strongest rivals in the world, as the Norwegian later confessed that “he could have easily won the match”.

Caruana 0 - 1 Carlsen

First set’s Armageddon analysed by GM Karsten Müller

Caruana, Fabiano2794

0–1

Carlsen, Magnus2830

CCT Finals KO 2023 Toronto13.12.2023[Mueller,Karsten]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 Qc7 6.Bd3 Nf6 7.Qe2 d6 8.f4 Nbd7 9.g4 Nc5 10.g5 Nfd7 11.a4 Be7 12.h4 12.0-0!? 12...b6 13.Be3 13.Bc4!? 13...Bb7 14.h5 Rc8 15.Rg1 g6 16.Rh1?! 16.Qh2 is favored by the engines. 16...e5 17.hxg6 fxg6 18.Nf3?! 18.f5!? exd4 19.Bxd4 gives White very good compensation and was probably the better practical choice. 18...exf4 19.Bxf4 Nxd3+ 20.cxd3 Ne5?! 20...0-0 is favored by the engines. 21.Be3?!

Very slow. 21.Bxe5 dxe5 22.Qh2= was more precise. 21...0-0 22.Nd4?! Again 22.Nxe5 dxe5 23.Qh2= was called for. 22...Qd7?! 22...Rf7 is favored by the engines. 23.0-0-0? Caruana's king gets from the frying pan into the fire. 23.Kd2 was called for. 23...b5!? Carlsen opens attacking roads. 24.axb5 axb5 25.Kb1 b4 26.Na2 d5 27.Rxh7!?

It loses, but it loses in style. 27...Kxh7 28.Qh2+ Kg8 29.Rh1 Bd6 30.Bf4 Qg7? 30...dxe4 wins, e.g. 31.Bxe5 exd3 32.Qh8+ Kf7 33.Qg7+ Ke8-+ 31.Ne6 Nf3! Excellent horsemanship! 32.Nxg7? White had to force a draw with 32.Qh3 Bxf4 33.Nxg7 Nd2+ 34.Ka1 Nb3+= 32...Nxh2 33.Bxd6 Rf1+ 34.Rxf1 Nxf1 35.Bxb4 Kxg7 36.Bc3+ Kf7 37.Nb4 dxe4 38.dxe4 Bxe4+ 39.Ka2 Ne3 0–1

Navigating the Ruy Lopez Vol.1-3

The Ruy Lopez is one of the oldest openings which continues to enjoy high popularity from club level to the absolute world top. In this video series, American super GM Fabiano Caruana, talking to IM Oliver Reeh, presents a complete repertoire for White.

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So 2½ - 1½ Abdusattorov

Third set: So 2 - 1 Abdusattorov

In the other semifinal, a third set was needed to decide who would reach the match for the title. Nodirbek Abdusattorov had won the first set on Wednesday and only needed a draw to reach the final. However, Wesley So started strong in the second set, grabbing two consecutive wins to leave his young opponent already in a must-win situation if he wanted to end the match after two sets.

Abdusattorov did win the next game, with the black pieces, but a draw in the fourth encounter meant a 3-game third set would be necessary.

Two consecutive draws were signed in the deciding set, and it was Abdusattorov who got the black pieces (and draw odds) in the ensuing Armageddon. So played his usual brand of precise, technical chess to outplay his young opponent.

Here White has a positional advantage due to Black’s isolated pawn on the d-file. The most accurate move to defend here, though, was 28...Re8, attacking the e-pawn. Abdusattorov’s passive 28...Rd8 allowed So to nevertheless grab the loose pawn three moves later.

Note that after 28...Re8 29.e3, Black has 29...Nf3+, forcing simplifications. Also, in case of 29.Ne3, there is 29...Rxe3, an exchange sacrifice that the youngster might have missed in his calculations.

The point is that after 29.fxe3 Nxe2+ 30.Nxe2, Black has 31.Qxe3+ Kh1 32.Ne4, not grabbing the piece immediately but threatening a perpetual check.

None of this appeared on the board, though, as it is surely difficult to find such a line in a rapid game — with so much at stake.

Opening package: 1.b3 and Black Secrets in the Modern Italian

Wesley So published two new opening DVDs: 1.b3, the so called Nimzo-Larsen-Attack, for White and his black secrets in the modern Italian. Get them in a package and save money!

In the game, So converted his advantage effortlessly, thus getting the right to face Carlsen in the final match of this year’s Champions Chess Tour.

Wesley So | Photo: chess.com / Thomas Tischio

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Links

• Official site
• Revamped Champions Chess Tour to kick off in February
• All ChessBase reports on the Airthings Masters 2023
• All ChessBase reports on the Chessable Masters 2023
• All ChessBase reports on the ChessKid Cup 2023
• All ChessBase reports on the Aimchess Rapid 2023
• All ChessBase reports on the Julius Baer Generation Cup 2023