Two draws, no lack of excitement
The Grand Chess Tour Finals began in São Paulo with the first classical games of the semifinals. Both pairings featured sharp middlegame moments, though ultimately neither encounter produced a decisive result. The Finals, staged at the World Trade Center, form the conclusion of the tenth anniversary season of the Tour founded by Garry Kasparov in 2015.
The knockout format involves two classical, two rapid and four blitz games in each match, with a scoring system that gives 6 points for a classical win, 4 points for a rapid win, and 2 points for a blitz win. This places particular importance on the first two days of play.
In the game between Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian, Caruana opted for the rare 7.a3 before continuing with the novelty 9.h4 out of a French Defence. Aronian replied with 9…h5, a move Caruana later explained he had also considered in his preparation, though he noted that 9…0-0 would have led to far wilder complications.
The game’s critical moment arrived on move 13, when Caruana could have opted for 13.Be3, offering a pawn in exchange for sustained initiative. Instead, he chose the quieter 13.g3, after which the position equalised quickly.
Reflecting afterwards, Caruana described the outcome as “a very minor disappointment”, knowing he had missed his chance to apply lasting pressure. Aronian, meanwhile, admitted he had not been planning to capture the pawn sacrifice at all, underlining how fine the margins were in this sharp setup.
Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The contest between Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was more eventful. The young Indian had navigated his way into a strong position and, approaching move 39, had the chance to play 39.Qc7, a resource that would have forced Black to concede an exchange.
With the clock ticking down, however, Praggnanandhaa hesitated and, with a single second remaining, committed the error 39.Rc2. This transformed the game instantly, leaving him to defend a rook ending a pawn down.
Vachier-Lagrave pressed, but could not find the precise continuation required to convert the advantage, and the players eventually repeated moves. Praggnanandhaa confessed afterwards that nerves had played a role, admitting he had “panicked without reason” in the critical moment. (Find below analysis of the endgame by GM Karsten Müller).
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Both matches now stand level at 3 points apiece. The players will return for the second classical games with colours reversed, knowing that another 6 points remain on offer before the contests shift into rapid and blitz stages.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Praggnaandhaa ½-½ Vachier-Lagrave
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
The playing hall in Brazil’s most populous city | Photo: Lennart Ootes
