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

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