SPOT ON CHESS PUZZLES: Set, Point and Combined Rapid and Blitz Match Results.

Blitz Chess. Fun. Action Packed. Full of errors. And stressful!

Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana ended up tying for first in the Blitz tournament with 11 points out of 18 possible points or games but winner overall in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz combined standings. Congratulations to one of the top GMs in the World and our American/Italian chess legend!

In a winner takes all (Or if Caruana draws!) round 18 final blitz showdown between leaders MVL and Caruana it was a game lost by Maxime Vachier-LaGrave… when MVL blundered away his win with a careless move. See puzzle one! As the third Chess Champion of the World Jose Raul Capablanca said: “The stronger player is always lucky”. Of course we could have stated this had MVL won that game as well!

THE GAMES:

GM Fabiano Caruana vs GM Maxime Vachier-LaGrave
Saint Louis Blitz, Saturday November 18th of 2023

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Nf3 c6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. Bd3 dxc4 7. Bxc4 b5 8. Be2 a6 9. O-O c5 10. d5 exd5 11. Nxd5 Bb7 12. Nxf6+ Nxf6 13. a4 b4 14. b3 Bd6 15. Bb2 O-O 16. h3 Ne4 17. Qc2 Qe7 18. Rad1 Rad8 19. Bc4 Ng5 20. Nxg5 Qxg5 21. f4 Qe7 22. Qe2 Bc7 23. Rfe1 Kh8 24. Qg4 f6 25. Qe6 Qxe6 26. Bxe6 Be4 27. Bc4 a5 28. Kf2 h5 29. g3 Kh7 30. Ke2 Kg6 31. Bd3 Bxd3+ 32. Rxd3 Rxd3 33. Kxd3 Rd8+ 34. Ke2 c4 35. bxc4 Bb6 36. c5 Bxc5 37. Rc1 Bf8 38. g4 hxg4 39. hxg4 b3 40. Rc3 Rb8 41. Rc4 Bb4 42. Kd3 Rh8 43. Rc1 Rh4 44. Bd4 Rxg4 45. Rb1 Rg2 46. Rxb3 Ra2 47. e4 Rxa4 48. Rb1 Kf7 49. Rc1 Ra3+ 50. Kc4 Bd2 51. Rf1 Rh3 52. Ra1 Bxf4 53. Rxa5 Be3 54. Bc3 Bf2 55. Ra6 Re3 56. e5 fxe5 57. Bd2 Re2?? 58. Kd3 Rxd2+ 59. Kxd2 Bd4 60. Kd3 g5 61. Ke4 Ke7 62. Rg6 Kf7 63. Rxg5 Ke7 64. Rxe5+ Bxe5 Draw - By insufficient Material. 1/2-1/2

GM Alireza Firouzja vs GM Ian Nepomniachtchi
Saint Louis Blitz, Saturday November 18th of 2023

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. g3 d5 4. Bg2 Be7 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 c5 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. d4 cxd4 9. Nxd4 Nc6 10. Nc3 Nxc3 11. bxc3 Bd7 12. Rb1 Na5 13. Nb3 Bc6 14. Qxd8 Bxd8 15. Ba3 Re8 16. Nxa5 Bxa5 17. Bxc6 bxc6 18. c4 Red8 19. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 20. Rxd1 Rd8 21. Rb1 h5 22. Bc5 Rd2 23. Rb8+ Kh7 24. Rb7 Bb6 25. Bxb6 axb6 26. e3 Rc2 27. Rxf7 Rxc4 28. Re7 Re4 29. Rd7 b5 30. Rd6 c5 31. Rc6 Re5 32. Kf1 Kg6 33. Ke2 Kf7 34. Rc7+ Kf6 35. f3 h4 36. f4 Rd5 37. e4 hxg3 38. hxg3 Rd4 39. Kf3 c4
40. e5+ Kg6 41. Re7 Rd3+ 42. Kg4 Ra3 43. Rxe6+ Kh7 44. Rb6 Ra5 45. e6 Kg6 46. f5+ Kf6 47. Rb7 c3 48. Rf7+ Ke5 49. e7 Ra8 50. Rf8 Kd5

GM Fabiano Caruana vs GM Ian Nepomniachtchi
Saint Louis Blitz, Saturday November 18th of 2023

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e5 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 6. bxc3 e4 7. Ng5 Qe7 8. f3 d6 9. Nxe4 Nxe4 10. Qxe4 Qxe4 11. fxe4 b6 12. d3 h5 13. Be2 h4 14. h3 f6 15. Bd2 Be6 16. Rf1 Ke7 17. Kd1 Rag8 18. Kc2 g5 19. d4 Bd7 20. Rf2 g4 21. hxg4 Bxg4 22. Bd3 Rh6 23. Raf1 Rg7 24. Be1 Bc8 25. Rh1 Ba6 26. Bf1 Na5 27. c5 Bxf1 28. cxd6+ cxd6 29. Rhxf1 Rhg6 30. Kd3 Rh7 31. c4 Nc6 32. Rh1 Nb8 33. a4 Nd7 34. a5 Ke6 35. axb6 axb6 36. Ra2 Rg4 37. g3 h3 38. Rah2 Rh8 39. Rxh3 Ra8 40. Rh7 Nf8 41. d5+ Resigns. 1-0

CHESS NEWS WEBSITES:

Mark Crowther’s THE WEEK IN CHESS (TWIC)

https://theweekinchess.com

The SAINT LOUIS CHESS CLUB Website @

https://saintlouischessclub.org

Chess24

https://chess24.com/en

Thanks for tuning in - get out there and roll the bones! ~ S.