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

The Carlsen-Caruana blitz game at the 2019 Saint Louis Blitz tournament (Round 5) was a draw. The Saint Louis Chess Club’s annual rapid and blitz events were established by 2019 as part of the Grand Chess Tour calendar. The blitz format used 3+2 time control over 18 rounds.

The draw was an aggressive game from a Sicilian Najdorf, with both sides finding active piece play in a sharp middlegame. The eventual result was determined by time-trouble accuracy rather than by positional considerations. At blitz time controls, even elite players miss tactical opportunities; the draw was accepted in a position where either side could have continued to play for a win with more time.

The 2019 Saint Louis Blitz was won by Magnus Carlsen with 13/18. Caruana finished co-second on 11.5/18. The result confirmed Carlsen’s dominance in blitz format that year — a dominance that would persist through the 2020 and 2021 cycles.

The Saint Louis Chess Club’s annual events have become the most important non-FIDE elite series in the modern era. The combination of classical, rapid, and blitz sections allows top players to test themselves across all time controls in a single trip. By 2023 the club was hosting the strongest annual rapid and blitz tournaments in the world.

Game record

This game between Carlsen, M. and Caruana, F. was played at the Saint Louis Blitz 2019 in Saint Louis USA in 2019. Played in round 5.1. At the time of the game, the players were rated 2882 (White) and 2818 (Black). The game lasted 47 moves, ending with a drawn outcome. It is part of the modern AI-era of elite chess.

Opening context

The opening sequence runs 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6, after which the players entered the middlegame proper.

Where to read on

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