Playing in open tournaments can easily be difficult for top players, but with 5.0/5 Caruana had a concinving start in Charlotte. However, in round 6 the world's number 2 stumbled against GM Nikolas Theodorou.

Fabiano Caruana
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e5 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.a3 d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Qc2 Nxc3 7.bxc3 Bd6 8.g3 0-0 9.Bg2 Qe7 9...Re8 10.d3 Bf5 11.Nd2 Qd7 12.Rb1 Rab8 13.Qa4 Bh3 14.0-0 Bxg2 15.Kxg2 a6= 10.d3 Bg4 10...h6 11.0-0 Na5 12.c4 c5 13.Nd2 f5 14.Nb1 Nc6 15.Nc3 Rb8 16.Rb1 Nd4 17.Qd1 11.h3 Bd7 12.0-0 b6 13.e4 f6 14.d4 Qf7 15.Be3 Kh8 16.a4 Rad8 17.Rfe1 Na5 18.Nd2 Qh5 19.g4 19.Kh2= 19...Qf7 20.Qa2?! 20.Rf1!?= 20...Be6 21.d5 Bd7 22.Nc4 Nxc4 23.Qxc4 h5 24.Qe2 g6 25.gxh5 gxh5 26.Kh1 Rg8 27.Rg1 Qh7 28.Raf1 28...Rg4! 29.f3? 29.hxg4?? hxg4+ 29.Kh2 Rdg8 29...Rg7 30.hxg4 hxg4+ 31.Kg3 f5 32.exf5 32.Rh1? f4+ 33.Bxf4 exf4# 32...e4+ 33.Bf4 Bxf4+ 34.Kxf4 Qh6+ 35.Kxe4 Re8+ 36.Kd3 Bxf5+ 37.Be4 Rxe4 38.Qxe4 Qf4 39.f3 g3 40.Kd4 Qd2+ 41.Ke5 Bxe4 42.fxe4 g2 43.Rf3 Qg5+ 44.Kd4 Qd2+ 29.-- Rxe4 30.Bxe4 Qxe4+ 31.f3 Qh4 32.Qg2 Qxh3+ 33.Qxh3 Bxh3 34.Rf2= 29...Rg3 30.h4 Rdg8 31.Kh2 Bc5 31...Qe7!? 32.Bxc5 bxc5 33.Qf2 Qg6 34.a5 f5?? 34...Qh6-+ 35.exf5?? 35.Bh3 Rxg1 36.Rxg1 Qf6 37.Rxg8+ Kxg8 38.Qg3+ Kh7 39.f4 35...Qxf5 36.Qxg3 Rxg3 37.Kxg3 Qf4+ 38.Kf2 Qd2+ 39.Kg3 Qf4+ 40.Kf2 Qxh4+ 41.Ke3 Qf4+ 42.Kf2 Qd2+ 43.Kg3 h4+ 44.Kh2 Qf4+ 45.Kh1 h3 46.Rb1 Bf5 47.Rb8+ Kh7 48.Rf8 hxg2+ 49.Rxg2 Qc1+ 0–1

With this win Theodorou took the lead, but then drew his games in rounds 7 to 9, while Caruana won all three remaining games and took the tournament by a whole point ahead of Grigoriy Oparin.
Final standings
# |
Name |
Rating |
Fed |
Pts |
Prize |
1 |
GM Fabiano Caruana |
2805 (2857) |
USA |
8.0 |
$7500.00/trophy - 1st Place |
2 |
GM Nikolas Theodorou |
2612 (2694) |
GRE |
7.5 |
$3500.00 - 2nd Place |
3 |
GM Grigoriy Oparin |
2653 (2730) |
USA |
7.0 |
$1700.00 - 3rd Tie |
4 |
GM Illia Nyzhnyk |
2576 (2637) |
UKR |
7.0 |
$1700.00 - 3rd Tie |
5 |
IM Gulrukhbegim Tokhirjonova |
2385 (2459) |
USA |
7.0 |
$3300.00 - 3rd Tie / U2500 1st / Womens 1st |
6 |
GM Awonder Liang |
2687 (2755) |
USA |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
7 |
GM Alexander Donchenko |
2617 (2617) |
GER |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
8 |
GM Abhimanyu Mishra |
2616 (2714) |
USA |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
9 |
GM Olexandr Bortnyk |
2603 (2677) |
UKR |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
10 |
GM Lázaro Bruzón |
2578 (2658) |
USA |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
11 |
GM John Michael Burke |
2573 (2661) |
USA |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
12 |
GM Bharathakoti Harsha |
2531 (2638) |
IND |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
13 |
GM Guha Mitrabha |
2511 (2511) |
IND |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
14 |
GM Gleb Dudin |
2510 (2636) |
HUN |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie |
15 |
IM Isik Can |
2508 (2508) |
TUR |
6.5 |
$314.29 - 5th Tie GM NORM |
...264 players
Games
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In the FIDE Circuit leaderboard Caruana is now just behind Arjun Erigaisi.

Source: FIDE
The player with the most points in 2024 will qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, and this is a race between Caruana and Erigaisi, although Nodirbek Abdusattorov still has a slight chance.
After the U.S. Masters Caruana travelled to Saint Louis to collect more circuit points in the Saint Louis Masters, which starts on 3 December. Meanwhile, Erigaisi and Abdusattorov will try to pick up points at the Qatar Masters, which also starts on 3 December.
The last chance to gain the necessary points to win the Circuit will come at the end of the year at the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York.
Tournament page