Clutch Chess 2025 R4-6: Carlsen soars to the top despite two losses against Caruana
The World Champion, D Gukesh had a tough day at Cluch Chess Champions Showdown 2025. He had a winless second day. Gukesh suffered two losses against Magnus Carlsen. Then he drew the first game against Hikaru Nakamura. In the second game, he got a solitary chance in a relatively balanced rook endgame. However, he missed it and it ended in a draw. He lost the next game against Fabiano Caruana and finished the day with a draw. Carlsen lost his first game of the event against Caruana. The World no.1 suffered a second loss against Caruana too. He has taken sole lead 11.5/18. Caruana is close behind at 10.5/18. Nakamura and Gukesh are at 7/18 each. The last three rounds, six games will be played today starting from 12 p.m. local time, 10:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy
A tough day for Gukesh
Round 4 Game 1: Carlsen - Gukesh: 2-0
World Champion, GM D Gukesh (2693) made an incorrect break in the endgame 27...e5? resulting him in arriving at a difficult queen and minor piece endgame against the World no.1, GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2808).
The second game stormed into a rook and knight endgame by move no.20. Gukesh provoked a rook trade at an inopportune moment arriving at a lost pawn endgame. However, Carlsen made an inaccuracy allowing Gukesh to get back.
Gukesh - Carlsen, Game 2
25.c4?? was a big mistake. Instead, 25.Rxe4 or Rb4 would have kept the game going. The game continued 25...Rxd4 26.exd4 Kf7 27.Kf2 Kf6 28.Ke3 Kf5 29.b4 a6? now White needed to play 30.a4 to stay in the game. 30.h4?? abandoned White's last chance as he lost the game in the next few moves.
Round 5: Gukesh - Nakamura: 2-2
First game between D Gukesh (2693) and Hikaru Nakamura (2737) was a well contested draw.
Nakamura - Gukesh, Game 2
In the second game, Gukesh got a great winning chance in the end when his opponent, Nakamura blundered 46.Rb7?? Black needed to play 46...Rb3+ 47.Kc1 Kxa4-+ and it would have been winning for Black as his connected passed b and c-pawns would have prevailed over White's sole passed pawn on f5. 46...Rf2+ meandered the game into a draw.
Caruana - Carlsen: 4-0
Fabiano Caruana (USA, 2767) became the first player to beat Magnus Carlsen at this event. He not only beat the World no.1 once but won the second game also.
Caruana - Carlsen Game 1
21...Rb8? ignored the potential threats on the kingside. Caruana meticulously launched his attack 22.h4+- Ra6 23.h5 Kf8 24.g4 the key difference between playing g4 while the pawn was at h3 and now at h5 is, Nh4 cannot stop the h-pawn's movement anymore. 24...Nh6 25.Kf3 bringing another piece into the attack Rxa2 26.g5 Nf5 27.Kg4 using the king as an attacking piece as it is already an endgame. 27...g6 28.hxg6 fxg6 29.e6 the Berlin wall is destroyed 29...Bd6 30.Nf6 bxc3 31.Rh1 Bxf4 32.Rh7 threatening Rf7# 32...Ng7 33.Rh8+ Ke7 34.Rxb8 and it's over. White won the game in the next few moves.
Carlsen - Caruana, Game 2
In the second game Carlsen went wrong early in the game 10.Ke2? e5! 11.dxe5 Nxe5 12.Rd1 Nd3 and eventually White lost the game after White's king went all over the board. 13 out of the first 43-moves were only king's move for White. Carlsen was on the verge of losing against Caruana twice on the previous day, it happened on the second day.
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Schedule
Three rounds will be played each day on 27th, 28th and 29th October from 12 p.m. local time, 10:30 p.m. IST.
Watch live stream
Replay Round 4-6 games
Standings after Round 6
Links
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Clutch Chess 2025 R1-3: World Champion Gukesh makes a great start, beats Caruana twice
@ 28/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |
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Carlsen, Nakamura, Caruana and Gukesh set to clash at Clutch Chess Champions Showdown 2025 starting today
@ 27/10/2025 by Shahid Ahmed (en) |