A 4/4 start grants Carlsen overall victory
Magnus Carlsen once again demonstrated his remarkable ability to adapt to any format and perform at the highest level, regardless of the opposition. After expressing frustration with his standard of play over the first two days, the Norwegian grandmaster produced a commanding finish on the final day in Saint Louis.
Carlsen scored four consecutive wins – two against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and two against Fabiano Caruana – to secure overall victory at the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown with two games to spare.
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Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: Forcing moves
The innovative “clutch” point system, which increased the value of wins each day, rewarded consistent fighting spirit across the 18 rounds. Carlsen mastered this structure to perfection, ending with an outstanding total of 25½ points, 9 clear of his nearest rival. Over the course of the event, he lost only three games and drew five, once again proving his unrivalled adaptability in rapid chess.
After clinching yet another title in his illustrious career, Carlsen noted:
It is really satisfying to be able to show that, when I’m playing well, I’m still quite a bit better than the others.
Fabiano Caruana finished in second place with 16½ points, capping a demanding week that had begun with his triumph at the US Championship just three days earlier. Understandably drained after claiming his fourth consecutive – and fifth overall – national title, Caruana admitted, “I couldn’t bring myself to look at chess”. Despite his fatigue, he still managed to outperform two of the world’s top players to finish runner-up in Saint Louis, later reflecting with humility, “I don’t even understand how I got second”.
Hikaru Nakamura ended in third on 14 points, while Gukesh, who had led after day one, ultimately took fourth place with 10 points.
The strongest chess player in the world has done it again! | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The match against Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The match against Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The order of play remained unchanged from the previous rounds. Carlsen began the day with another 2–0 sweep over Gukesh, replicating his result from the day before but with even greater confidence and technical precision.
Unlike on Tuesday – when his pair of wins was immediately followed by two losses to Caruana – the Norwegian maintained full control throughout Wednesday’s session. His four victories in succession were mathematically sufficient to secure the tournament before the final two mini-matches were even played.
Gukesh 0-1 Carlsen
Analysis by Johannes Fischer
A final interview with the tournament winner | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Celebrating with the fans | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Caruana’s day began strongly as well, with a 1½–½ victory over Nakamura. This result confirmed his second place in the standings. Nakamura recovered later in the day, scoring by the same 1½–½ margin against Gukesh. Those games were hard-fought but underscored Gukesh’s fading momentum after his bright start to the tournament.
The Indian grandmaster, the only participant set to compete in the upcoming FIDE World Cup, may have held back portions of his opening preparation, possibly conserving energy for the gruelling knockout event starting Sunday. True to his modest nature, Gukesh avoided any excuses, remarking with a smile:
There are no better training partners than these three – the good thing is these three won’t be there.
The competition concluded with a quiet finale in terms of results. The last two mini-matches -Carlsen versus Nakamura and Caruana versus Gukesh – ended in draws across all four games, marking the first time in the event that an entire round produced no decisive results. For Carlsen, who had already clinched the title, the final games served more as confirmation of his stability than as tests of endurance.
Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Fabiano Caruana alongside Chris Bird and Cristian Chirila | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Gukesh ½-½ Caruana
Analysis by Karsten Müller
