Search
Saint Louis Rapid 2019 · Saint Louis USA · 11 August 2019

Caruana, F. vs Carlsen, M., Saint Louis Rapid 2019

Caruana, F. 1–0 Carlsen, M.
Caruana, F. vs Carlsen, M.
87654321
abcdefgh
Black rook
Black king
White pawn
Black pawn
White pawn
White rook
Black pawn
Black pawn
White pawn
White pawn
White king
77/77
  1. 1.
  3. 2.
  5. 3.
  7. 4.
  9. 5.
  11. 6.
  13. 7.
  15. 8.
  17. 9.
  19. 10.
  21. 11.
  23. 12.
  25. 13.
  27. 14.
  29. 15.
  31. 16.
  33. 17.
  35. 18.
  37. 19.
  39. 20.
  41. 21.
  43. 22.
  45. 23.
  47. 24.
  49. 25.
  51. 26.
  53. 27.
  55. 28.
  57. 29.
  59. 30.
  61. 31.
  63. 32.
  65. 33.
  67. 34.
  69. 35.
  71. 36.
  73. 37.
  75. 38.
  77. 39.
Saint Louis Rapid 2019, 11 August 2019

The Caruana-Carlsen game from the 2019 Saint Louis Rapid (Round 4.1) was won by Caruana as White. The Saint Louis Rapid was the second section of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour stop in Saint Louis, played at 25+10 time control over multiple double-round days.

Caruana’s win was a Closed Spanish in which his deeper preparation showed. The middlegame featured a structural plan Caruana had clearly worked on at home — a pawn structure that produced a clear White edge by move 25. Carlsen’s defensive resources, normally sufficient, could not solve the position by accurate play; he resigned in roughly 40 moves.

The result was one of relatively few classical-format wins Caruana managed against Carlsen during the 2018-2020 period. Their head-to-head record in this period heavily favoured Carlsen overall, but Caruana’s direct preparation occasionally produced concrete wins like this one.

The 2019 Saint Louis Rapid was won by Levon Aronian. Carlsen finished co-second with Caruana. The overall 2019 Grand Chess Tour was won by Carlsen across the calendar year, with the Saint Louis events being part of his consistent presence near the top of every event.