[Event "Saint Louis Rapid 2025"]
[Site "Saint Louis USA"]
[Date "2025.08.13"]
[Round "9.4"]
[White "Gukesh, D"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "Crowther,Mark"]
[ECO "C53"]
[WhiteElo "2776"]
[BlackElo "2784"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[WhiteFideId "-1"]
[PlyCount "177"]
[GameId "2210678212177963"]
[EventDate "2025.08.11"]
[EventType "rapid"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O h6 7. Re1 O-O 8. h3 (8. b4 $5 Bb6 $8 9. a4 $11) 8... a5 {C54: Giuoco Piano: 4 c3 Nf6, main lines with 5 d4 and 5 d3.} 9. Nbd2 {[%cal Bb1d2,Bd2f1,Bf1g3][%mdl 32]} a4 10. Bb5 Bd7 {White has an edge.} 11. Nf1 Ne7 12. Bxd7 Nxd7 13. d4 Bb6 14. Ng3 f5 15. Qd3 $1 $146 {[%mdl 8] A Gukesh novelty, it's ambitious but the engines don't like it.} (15. Nxf5 $11 Nxf5 16. exf5) (15. exf5 Nxf5 16. Nxf5 Rxf5 17. Be3 exd4 18. Nxd4 Rf7 19. Qc2 Qf6 20. Nf3 Qf5 21. Qd2 {½-½ Suleymanli,A (2620)-Pichot,A (2638) ESP-chT CECLUB Div1 Linares 2024 (4.8)}) 15... f4 16. Nf1 Kh8 17. N1h2 Ng6 18. Bd2 c5 19. dxc5 Nxc5 20. Qc2 Qc7 21. Rad1 Rfd8 22. Re2 Qf7 23. c4 Ne7 24. Ne1 (24. b4 $15 axb3 25. axb3) 24... Nc6 $17 25. Nhf3 Kh7 $1 {Excellent but costing quite a bit of time. It's the right way to prepare g5.} 26. Nd3 ({White should try} 26. b3) 26... g5 27. Nb4 $2 {The engine thinks this is maybe losing.} (27. Bc3 $17) 27... Rg8 28. Bc3 $2 {This definitely is losing.} (28. Nd5 g4 29. hxg4 (29. Nxb6 $2 gxf3 30. Bc3 Rxg2+ 31. Kf1 Rag8 $19) 29... Rxg4 30. Bxf4 (30. Nxb6 $2 Rag8 $19) 30... Ne6 $19) (28. Nxc6 bxc6 29. Nh2) 28... g4 $19 29. hxg4 Rxg4 (29... Nxb4 30. Bxb4 Rxg4 {is more accurate.}) 30. Rxd6 (30. Nh2 $142 Rg7 31. Rxd6) 30... Rag8 {There are better moves.} (30... Qh5) (30... Nxb4) 31. Nd5 (31. Nxe5 $2 Rxg2+ 32. Kh1 Qh5#) 31... Rxg2+ 32. Kf1 Bd8 $2 {Black is still a bit better but this is all starting to go wrong.} (32... R2g6 $1 $19 {[%cal Rg6d6] has better winning chances.} 33. Rxc6 (33. Nxe5 $2 Rg1#) (33. Bxe5 $2 Nxe5 $19) 33... bxc6 (33... Rxc6 $2 34. Nxe5 Qh5 35. Ke1 $19) 34. Nxb6 Rg2 (34... Qa7 35. Bxe5 Qxb6 36. Rd2 $11)) 33. Rxd8 $17 {[%mdl 64] Gukesh siezes his chance.} Nxd8 34. Bxe5 Nd7 {Repels Nf6+} 35. Ke1 (35. Bxf4 $2 Qh5 36. e5+ (36. Qxa4 $2 Qh1+) 36... Kh8 $19) (35. Qxa4 $2 Nxe5 36. Re1 Nxf3 $19) 35... Ne6 $1 36. Qxa4 $6 (36. Qc3 $17) 36... Ng5 $2 (36... Nxe5 $1 $19 37. Nxe5 Qg7) 37. Nxg5+ $11 (37. Nxf4 $2 Nxf3+ 38. Kd1 Rg1+ (38... Nfxe5 $2 39. Nxg2 Rxg2 40. Qa3 $19) 39. Kc2 Ndxe5 $19) 37... R8xg5 38. Bd4 {[%cal Oa4d7] Forced.} (38. Bxf4 $2 Rg1+ 39. Kd2 Rxd5+ 40. exd5 Qxf4+ 41. Kc3 Rc1+ 42. Rc2 Qf3+ 43. Kb4 Qf8+ 44. Kc3 Nc5 $19) 38... Ne5 39. Qb3 {Repels Nf3+} Nc6 $11 (39... Rg1+ {is more complex.} 40. Kd2 f3 41. Re3 Rf1) 40. Bf6 {[%cal Oe4e5]} Rg6 41. Qc3 $6 (41. e5 $1 $11 Nd4 42. Qb6) 41... h5 $2 {[%mdl 8192] And suddenly black's position falls apart but Caruana was down to the increment.} (41... f3 $1 $17 {stays on course.} 42. Qxf3 Nd4) 42. e5 $1 $18 {[%cal Oe5e6]} Qe6 {and ...Qf5 would now be decisive} 43. Nxf4 Rg1+ 44. Kd2 Qd7+ 45. Qd3 {The safe way of playing it.} (45. Nd5) 45... Qxd3+ 46. Kxd3 R6g4 47. Ke4 (47. Nxh5 Rd4+ 48. Ke3 Kg6 $11) (47. Re4 $1) 47... h4 $2 (47... Nd4 48. Rd2 (48. Kxd4 Rxf4+ 49. Ke3 Rxc4 $14) 48... Re1+ 49. Kxd4 Rxf4+ 50. Kc5 Kg6) 48. f3 Nd4 {[#]} 49. Rh2 $1 (49. Kxd4 Rxf4+ 50. Ke3 Rxc4 $11) (49. fxg4 Nxe2 50. Nxe2 h3 51. Nxg1 h2 $11) 49... Re1+ 50. Kxd4 Rxf4+ {[%mdl 4096] Endgame KRR-KRB} 51. Kd5 Kg6 52. Bxh4 (52. Rxh4 Rxh4 53. Bxh4 Rd1+ 54. Ke6 Rd4) 52... Rd1+ 53. Kc5 $6 (53. Ke6 $142 Rdd4 54. Rg2+ Kh5 55. Bf6) 53... Kf5 $2 (53... Rdd4 {might work better.}) 54. Bf6 Rxf3 55. Rh7 {Prevents Rd7} Ra1 56. Rxb7 Rxa2 57. b4 Rc2 58. Rc7 Rfc3 59. Kb5 Rb3 60. Ka4 Rb1 61. Ka5 Ra2+ 62. Kb5 Rab2 63. Be7 Kxe5 64. Bf8 Ke4 65. Rd7 {Repels Rd2} Rf1 66. Bg7 Rb3 (66... Rg2 $142 67. c5 Rg5) 67. c5 {[%cal Bc4c5,Bc5c6][%mdl 32] White is clearly winning.} Rc1 68. Rd6 Kf5 (68... Rg3 $142 69. Rd4+ Ke3) 69. c6 Rg3 70. Bb2 Rc2 71. Bd4 Rg8 72. Bb6 Rb8 73. Ka6 (73. Rd7 $142 Ke6 74. Rh7) 73... Ra2+ 74. Kb5 Rc2 75. Rh6 (75. Rd7 $142 {and c7 would now be decisive} Ke6 76. Rh7) 75... Ke5 (75... Rc8 $142 76. Rh5+ Kf6) 76. Rh7 Ke6 77. Rb7 (77. c7 $142 Rxc7 78. Rxc7) 77... Rc8 78. Bc5 Ra2 79. Re7+ Kd5 80. Rd7+ Ke6 81. Re7+ Kd5 82. c7 Raa8 83. Rd7+ Ke6 84. Rd6+ Ke5 85. Kb6 (85. Kc6 $142 Rab8 86. Rd8 {[%mdl 64] Promotion}) 85... Rg8 86. Kb7 Rae8 87. b5 Ke4 88. b6 Rg7 89. Kc6 1-0

