That's The Clutch! - Wesley So vs Caruana | Clutch Chess USA

Opening: King's Indian
Title: That's The Clutch! - Wesley So vs Caruana | Clutch Chess USA

Hello Chess Friends and Welcome to the Channel. This afternoon the Clutch International will begin with magnus Carlsen, Caruana Wesley So and other 5 top players. What is the Clutch, the clutch is format that gives more points to the two last games of the day. It's a system to keep the matches always open until the last game. Last week the 4 strongest american players played in the Clutch USA. Wesley So and Caruana reached the final and yesterday we watched together their game 11, a clutch game won by Wesley So that gave him 3 points and the lead in the final. Today we are going to watch game 12, another clutch game, with Caruana that with the Black pieces must play to win to equalize the match. But winning will be enough? At the end of the video we will be well prepared, with all the rules, so we'll enjoy the Clutch International. Now let's begin with our game.

[Event "2020-clutch-chess"]
[Site "
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "24"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "0-1"]


1. d4 d6 {If Wesley plays e4 it becomes a Pirc} 2. Nf3 Nf6 {controlling e4} 3.
c4 g6 {we are in the King's Indian territory} 4. Nc3 {to support e4} Bf5 {
preventing it (one interesting idea is to keep fighting for the e4 square with)
} 5. g3 {is the main continuation but this line doesn't score well for white} (
5. Ng5 {and if} h6 {still e4!} 6. e4 Bg4 (6... hxg5 7. exf5 gxf5 8. Bxg5 {
favors white with the bishop pair and a better structure}) 7. Nf3 Bg7 {after
Be2} 8. Be2 {white scores 90% something incredible and there is also a game to
study: Pepe Cuenca vs Jules Moussards played last year.}) 5... Ne4 6. Qb3 Nxc3
{So recapture with the pawn to keep the queen on the b-file} 7. bxc3 Be4 8. Bg2
Bg7 9. O-O O-O 10. Ne1 {is not a great idea because Caruana will exchange the
bishops} (10. Bh3 Nd7 11. Be3 b6 12. d5 {preventing Bishop back to c6 or b7.
And then Nd2 to exchange the bishops on f5 where is better for white}) 10...
Bxg2 11. Nxg2 b6 12. e4 Nc6 13. Qa4 {is a novelty. Ne3 was played before} Qe8
14. Qc2 e5 15. d5 Na5 16. Ne3 Qd7 17. Kh1 Rae8 18. Bd2 Nb7 19. g4 {wants to
prevent f5, blocking the black pawns on the dark squares to limit the bishop.
That's why Caruana brings the bishop to a new diagonal} Bh6 20. Nf5 {this
sacrifice is a trap. Caruana can exchange the bishops but can't win the knight}
Bf4 (20... Bxd2 21. Qxd2 gxf5 {because Black gets checkmated} 22. Qg5+ Kh8 23.
Qf6+ Kg8 24. gxf5) 21. Ne3 Bxe3 22. Bxe3 {this is a critical moment of the
game because So is going to play Bh6 winning the exchange. Caruana can play f6
to save the rook but Caruana has a different, stronger idea} Qxg4 {Black is a
pawn up but also with a better pawn structure and a better king safety, but
will lose the exchange} 23. Bh6 Qf3+ 24. Kg1 f5 {here is the idea, to attack
the king} 25. Bxf8 Rxf8 {If white tries to exchange the queens with Qd1, the
Black queen will capture both e4 and c4 and three pawns and the initative for
the exchange are a great advantage} 26. Rae1 {the only hope is to defend from
the attack and go to the endgame} (26. exf5 {is suicide} Rxf5 27. Qd2 h6 28.
Rfe1 Qg4+ 29. Kf1 Nc5) 26... Nc5 27. Re3 Qg4+ 28. Kh1 (28. Rg3 Qxe4 29. Qxe4
Nxe4 30. Rd3 f4 {2 pawns for the exchange but this endgame is won for Black
because there are too many weaknesses in white's structure}) 28... Nxe4 {
wins the second pawn} 29. f3 Qf4 30. Ree1 Ng5 31. Qg2 Kg7 {improves the king
because the endgame is near} 32. Qg3 Qxg3 33. hxg3 f4 34. g4 Kf6 35. Kg2 e4 36.
fxe4 Ke5 {f3+ is coming. Let's make a free move} 37. Rf3 {a desperate measure
to try and hold the rook endgame with a pawn less.} (37. a3 f3+ 38. Kh2 Kf4 {
wins a new pawn and white has no space to maneuver}) 37... Nxf3 38. Kxf3 Rh8
39. Rg1 h5 40. gxh5 {the last critical moment: how to recapture?} Rxh5 (40...
gxh5 {is a mistake} 41. Rg6 {there is the checkmate threat} Re8 {defends but
becomes passive} 42. a4 {and it's a draw, because after Rh6 the extra pawn is
gone}) 41. Rxg6 Rh3+ 42. Ke2 Rxc3 {everything will fall and the king is safe
because without the white c3 pawn, can move to d4. Wesley So resigns.} 0-1


Caruana equalized the match but there is a final rule. Whoever wins more clutch games wins the match in case of a tie. Caruan won more games but Wesley So more clutch games and because of that he won the Clutch USA.

Photos by:
Lennart Ootes
FIDE Master and Professional Photographer
You can follow him here:
@LennartOotes

clutch chess,clutch chess champions showdown,clutch chess 2020,wesley so clutch chess,clutch chess wesley so,clutch chess finals,clutch chess championship,clutch chess usa,clutch chess tournament,clutch chess usa final,caruana vs,wesley so,so wesley,wesley so vs,wesley so vs caruana,caruana vs wesley so,wesley so rapid,wesley so lindores,chess online,chess24,chess videos,chess games,chess,chess 2020,youtube chess,chess with gabriel,gabriel chess,