Clutch Chess Champions Showdown: Caruana with good start

by André Schulz
5/27/2020 – Yesterday, the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown began. The top four players in the US play an online blitz tournament in knockout mode. But some games in their matches are "clutch games" – they are especially important because they count more than the other games. This scoring system allowed Hikaru Nakamura to take the lead in an even match against Wesley So while Fabiano Caruana dominated Leinier Dominguez at will.
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Semifinals, Day 1

1. Semifinal

In the first semifinal Fabiano Caruana dominated Leinier Dominguez. After a draw in the first game, Caruana, currently the world's number two, won games 2,3 and 4, and in the end he also won game 6 which counted double.

In game 3 Caruana had an endgame with rook against two minor pieces on the board (or screen):

 

49... h3 Threatening Rxf4 and h2. 50.Ne4 Rb1 51.b5? Allowing Black to create a second passed pawn. 51...a5 52.d6 f5 But not 52...cxd6? 53.Nxd6+ Kd7 54.c5 with counterplay. 53.Nf2 a4 54.c5 White storms ahead. 54.Nxh3 Rb3+. 54...a3 55.c6 cxd6 56.Bxd6 a2 57.b6 a1Q 58.b7+ Rxb7 59.cxb7+ Kxb7 0–1

Results

  Total G1 G2 G3 G4 G5* G6*
Fabiano Caruana 6½ ½ 1 1 1 ½ 1
Leinier Domínguez 1½ ½ 0 0 0 ½ 0

* Games 5 and 6 are worth two points each.

Games

 
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1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3 b5 7.Bc2 d5 C78: Ruy Lopez: Archangelsk and Möller Defences. 8.exd5 8.a4 dxe4 9.axb5 exf3 10.Qxf3 e4 11.Bxe4 Ne5 12.Qe2 0-0 13.d4 Bg4 14.Qc2 Nxe4 15.Qxe4 Nf3+ 16.gxf3 Bh3 17.dxc5 Bxf1 18.Kxf1 Qd1+ 1/2-1/2 (58) Dominguez Perez,L (2763)-Caruana,F (2818) Saint Louis 2019 8...Qxd5
9.d4! exd4 10.Bb3 Qd6 11.Re1+ Be6 12.Ng5
12...0-0-0N Predecessor: 12...Nd8 13.Qf3 0-0 14.Bf4 Qb6 15.Be5 Bxb3 16.axb3 dxc3 17.Nxc3 Bxf2+ 18.Qxf2 Qxf2+ 19.Kxf2 1/2-1/2 (51) Kotronias,V (2486)-Kollars,D (2567) Aarhus 2019 13.Bxe6+ 13.Nxe6 fxe6 14.Rxe6 Qd7 13...fxe6 14.Nf7 Qe7 15.Nxd8 Rxd8 16.Qf3 Nd5 Black has some pressure. 17.Qe4 Rf8 18.Rf1 Rf5 19.a4 Qf6 20.Nd2 20.axb5= axb5 21.Ra2 20...dxc3 21.Nf3 Nd4 Inferior is 21...cxb2 22.Bxb2! Qe7 23.axb5± 22.bxc3? 22.axb5 Nxf3+ 23.gxf3 Rxf3 24.Kh1 axb5 25.bxc3 22...Nxf3+-+ 23.gxf3 Nxc3 23...Rxf3? 24.Kh1 24.Qa8+ Kd7 25.Be3 25.axb5 Ne2+ Discovered Attack 26.Kh1 25...Bd6 Less strong is 25...Bxe3 26.fxe3 Rd5 27.axb5 26.f4 Nd5 27.axb5 Qg6+? Black should play 27...Rxf4-+ 28.Qc6+ Ke7 29.Bxf4 Qxf4 28.Kh1= Rh5 29.Qc6+ Ke7 30.Rg1! Qe4+ Double Attack 31.Rg2 axb5 32.Ra8 Kf6 33.Qd7 Be7
34.Qe8 34.Bc5!= Bxc5 35.Qxg7+ Kf5 36.Qg4+ Double Attack Kf6 37.Qg7+ Kf5 38.Qg4+ Double Attack Kf6 39.Qg7+ 34...Nxe3 35.fxe3 Rc5 35...Rd5!? 36.Ra1 Rd2 36.Ra1 Rc2 37.Rag1 Rxg2 38.Rxg2 Qxe3 ...Qc1+ is the strong threat. 39.Qxb5 Endgame KQR-KQB Bc5 But not 39...Qxf4? 40.Qb2+ Kf7 41.Rf2+- 40.Qf1 g6 41.Rg3 Qe4+ 42.Qf3! Qxf3+ 42...Qa4 is interesting. 43.Kg2 Bd6 44.Qc3+ Kf7 45.Rf3 Qa2+ 43.Rxf3 KR-KB Bd4 44.Kg2 Kf5 45.Rh3 Kxf4 46.Rxh7 c5 47.Re7? 47.Rh6= 47...e5 48.h4 c4 49.Re6 c3 50.Rxg6 Ke3 51.Rc6 e4 52.h5 Kd2? Black should try 52...Kd3-+ 53.h6 e3 53.Rd6 Ke3 aiming for ...c2. 54.Rxd4 Kxd4 KPP-KP 55.h6 Black must now prevent h7. c2 56.h7 c1Q 57.h8Q+ KQ-KQ Kd3 58.Qd8+ Ke2 Threatens to win with ...Qf1+. 59.Qf6 Qd2 59...e3!? 60.Qa6+ Kd1= 60.Qf5 Ke1+ 61.Kg1 Qd4+ 62.Kg2 Qd3 And now ... Qc2+ would win. 63.Qf2+ Kd1 64.Qf5 Qe2+ 65.Kg3 Qd3+ 66.Kg4 Qd4 Hoping for ...Qe3. 67.Kf4 The position is equal. e3+ 68.Kf3 Kd2 68...e2!? 69.Qb1+ Kd2 70.Qa2+ Kd3 71.Qxe2+ Kc3= 69.Qa5+ Kc2 70.Qa2+ Kc3 71.Qa1+ Kc4 72.Qxd4+ Kxd4 73.Ke2 Ke4 74.Ke1 Kd3 ( -> ...e2) 75.Kd1 e2+ 76.Ke1 Ke3 Black had all chances to win. Accuracy: White = 79%, Black = 88%. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Dominguez Perez,L2786Caruana,F2773½–½2020Clutch Chess 20201
Caruana,F2773Dominguez Perez,L27861–02020Clutch Chess 20202
Dominguez Perez,L2786Caruana,F27730–12020Clutch Chess 20203
Caruana,F2773Dominguez Perez,L27861–02020Clutch Chess 20204
Dominguez Perez,L2786Caruana,F2773½–½2020Clutch Chess 20205
Caruana,F2773Dominguez Perez,L27861–02020Clutch Chess 20206

2. Semifinal

Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So do not only play the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown they also play – or played – in the Lindores Abbey Chess Challenge. The Abbey, respectively its ruin, is in Scotland, while the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown is organized by the St. Louis Chess Club in the USA. Quite a distance to play in both tournaments at the same time, but when playing online distance is no object.

Yesterday, Nakamura had already qualified for the semi-finals of the Lindores Abbey Chess Challenge and after beating Levon Aronian at the Lindores tournament he had enough time for a virtual return to the USA. For Wesley So things were more difficult. When it was afternoon in Europe and morning in the US he had a difficult match against Magnus Carlsen "in" Lindores. When it was evening in Europe and afternoon in the US So had to play Nakamura whose skills in online blitz and rapid are legendary. But So very much hold his own. However, because of the unusual scoring system in this tournament – the last two games of the match count twice – So trails in the match though he won as many games as Nakamura. You could also say that Nakamura demonstrated what "clutch chess" is about.

 
So-Nakamura, 6. Partie

22.Re2? White has no time to move the knight. After 22.Nf3 Re8 Black has the ugly threat of Be6. But after 22.h4! hxg5 (22...Ne7!?) 23.hxg5 Bxg5 24.fxg5 Qg3+ 25.Kh1 Rd8 the position is still unclear. 22...hxg5 23.fxg5 Qd8 24.Qf3 Qxd3 25.gxf6 Rxf6 26.Qh5+ Kg8 27.Bg5 Qd4+ 28.Kh1 Be6 0–2 (!)

Results

  Total G1 G2 G3 G4 G5* G6*
Hikaru Nakamura 4½ ½ ½ ½ 0 ½ 1
Wesley So 3½ ½ ½ ½ 1 ½ 0

* Games 5 and 6 are worth two points each.

Games

 
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1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Be7 5.Bf4 0-0 6.e3 Nbd7 7.c5 Nh5 8.Be2 D37: Queen's Gambit Declined: 5 Bf4. 8.Bd3 Nxf4 9.exf4 b6 10.b4 a5 11.a3 c6 12.0-0 Ba6 13.Bxa6 Rxa6 14.Qe2 Ra7 15.g3 Bf6 16.Ne5 Bxe5 17.fxe5 Qa8 18.Rab1 axb4 19.axb4 Rb8 20.Qc2 Nf8 21.f4 Ng6 22.f5 exf5 23.Qxf5 bxc5 24.bxc5 Rxb1 25.Rxb1 1/2-1/2 (70) Nakamura,H (2745)-So,W (2767) chess.com INT 2020 8...Nxf4 9.exf4 b6 10.b4 a5 11.a3 c6 12.0-0 Qc7 13.g3 axb4 14.axb4 Rxa1 15.Qxa1 f6 16.Re1 bxc5 17.bxc5 e5
18.Bf1N Predecessor: 18.Bd3 g5 19.Qb1 Rf7 20.fxe5 fxe5 21.Nxe5 Nxe5 22.Rxe5 Bd7 23.Ne2 Bf6 24.Re3 1/2-1/2 (48) Grischuk,A (2766)-Karjakin,S (2782) Paris 2018 18...e4 19.Nd2 f5 20.Nb3 Bf6 21.Rb1 Re8 22.Nd1
22.Qa4 22...g5 22...Nf8! 23.Qc3 Bd7 23.fxg5 Bxg5 24.Qa5! Bd8 24...Qb7 is interesting. 25.Nc3 Nf6 26.Qa2 Qf7 27.Na5 Bd7 25.Qxc7 Bxc7 26.Ra1 Nf8 27.Bh3 f4 27...Be6= 28.Ra8! White has the initiative. Bd7
29.Bxd7! Rxa8 29...Nxd7 30.Rxe8+ 30.Bxc6 Double Attack Rb8 31.Nc3 Kg7 32.Bxd5 e3 33.fxe3 fxe3 34.Kf1 h5 35.Nd1 Re8 36.Ke2 Ng6 37.Bf3 aiming for d5. h4 The position is equal. 38.Nxe3 hxg3 39.hxg3 Bxg3 Threatens to win with ...Bf4. 40.Na5 Nf4+ 40...Bf4!? 41.Nac4 Bxe3 42.Nxe3 Nf4+ 43.Kd2 Ne6= 41.Kd2 Be1+ Decoy 42.Kxe1 Rxe3+= Endgame Double Attack. KRN-KBN 43.Kf2 Rd3 44.c6 c7 is the strong threat. Nh3+ 45.Ke2 Nf4+ 46.Kf2 Black must now prevent c7. Nh3+ 47.Ke2 Nf4+ 48.Kf2 Accuracy: White = 86%, Black = 88%. ½–½
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WhiteEloWBlackEloBResYearECOEventRnd
Nakamura,H2829So,W2741½–½2020Clutch Chess 20201
So,W2741Nakamura,H2829½–½2020Clutch Chess 20202
Nakamura,H2829So,W2741½–½2020Clutch Chess 20203
So,W2741Nakamura,H28291–02020Clutch Chess 20204
Nakamura,H2829So,W2741½–½2020Clutch Chess 20205
So,W2741Nakamura,H28290–12020Clutch Chess 20206

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André Schulz started working for ChessBase in 1991 and is an editor of ChessBase News.

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