[Event "GCT Finals 2026"] [Site "Saint Louis"] [Date "2026.08.24"] [Round "1.8"] [White "Caruana, Fabiano"] [Black "So, Wesley"] [Result "1-0"] [ECO "B07"] [WhiteElo "2792"] [BlackElo "2765"] [Annotator "TA"] [PlyCount "131"] [GameId "2347867933605925"] [EventDate "2026.??.??"] [TimeControl "1500+10"] {[%evp 13,130,9,37,10,25,25,57,60,78,43,59,68,63,73,66,52,85,55,69,67,81,45,45,42,45,31,366,352,329,336,327,320,323,340,319,351,350,316,344,338,333,318,301,112,131,136,150,138,141,147,136,133,155,152,168,168,168,168,167,160,161,135,138,135,144,122,120,116,162,162,162,162,162,145,162,162,162,162,163,133,163,157,162,150,163,112,112,110,110,94,84,87,100,4,68,68,68,68,70,63,63,65,173,106,119,68,216,252,410,410,410,369,418,410,399,399,29987,29988,29986]} 1. e4 {[%emt 0:00:00]} g6 {[%emt 0:00:00]} 2. d4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Bg7 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 3. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:10]} d6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 4. Bd3 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 5. c3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} e5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 6. Be3 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 7. h3 {[%emt 0:00:24]} O-O {[%emt 0:00:32]} 8. Nbd2 {[%emt 0:00:14] is the legacy move (8.0-0). B07: Pirc Defence: Miscellaneous Systems.} Nh5 {[%emt 0:00:38]} 9. O-O {[%emt 0:00:14]} Qe8 {[%emt 0:00:34]} 10. Re1 {[%emt 0:00:19] White is slightly better.} Kh8 $146 {[%emt 0:00:28]} ({Predecessor:} 10... f5 11. exf5 gxf5 12. Bc4+ Kh8 13. dxe5 f4 14. Bd4 dxe5 15. Bxe5 Bxe5 16. Bd5 Bxh3 17. Bxc6 Qxc6 18. gxh3 {1-0 Arias Santana,M (2090)-Gonzalez Acosta,B (2385) CRI-ch Costa Rica 1997 (5)}) 11. b4 {[%emt 0:01:23]} a6 {[%emt 0:00:13][%CAl Ba7a6,Ba6a5][%mdl 32]} 12. a4 {[%emt 0:00:14]} exd4 {[%emt 0:00:16]} 13. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Bd7 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 14. Nxc6 {[%emt 0:00:12]} bxc6 {[%emt 0:00:53]} 15. Bd4 {[%emt 0:00:11] White is more active.} a5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 16. Bxg7+ {[%emt 0:00:27]} Kxg7 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 17. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:18] Dodges Qe5} Qe7 {[%emt 0:00:21]} 18. Qd2 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Rfe8 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 19. e5 {[%emt 0:00:19] Prevents Qf6.} d5 $2 {[%emt 0:00:11][%mdl 8192] [#]} (19... dxe5 $14 20. Nxe5 (20. Rxe5 Qd6 $16) 20... Qd6 21. Nxd7 Rxe1+ 22. Qxe1 Qxd7 23. Qe5+ Nf6) 20. g4 $18 {[%emt 0:00:13]} axb4 {[%emt 0:00:32]} 21. cxb4 {[%emt 0:00:12]} Reb8 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 22. b5 {[%emt 0:00:59]} cxb5 {[%emt 0:00:19]} 23. axb5 {[%emt 0:00:01]} (23. gxh5 bxa4 24. h6+ Kg8 $18) 23... Rxa1 {[%emt 0:01:27]} 24. Rxa1 {[%emt 0:00:18]} Nf6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 25. exf6+ {[%emt 0:00:15]} Qxf6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 26. Qd1 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Bxb5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 27. Bxb5 Rxb5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 28. Qd4 $2 {[%emt 0:00:49] [#]} (28. g5 $18 Qb2 29. Rc1) 28... Qxd4 {[%emt 0:00:16]} 29. Nxd4 $16 {[%emt 0:00:09][%mdl 4096] Endgame KRN-KR} Rb4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 30. Nc6 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Rc4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 31. Ra6 {[%emt 0:00:12]} d4 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 32. Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Rc5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 33. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:18]} Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:14]} 34. Nxd4 {[%emt 0:00:24]} Rxh3 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 35. Kg2 {[%emt 0:00:14]} Rd3 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 36. Nf3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 37. Ra4 {[%emt 0:00:18] Wards off Rc4} Rc5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 38. Rd4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} h6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 39. Kg3 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Rc3 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 40. Kf4 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Rc5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} (40... g5+ $16 {was necessary.} 41. Kg3 f6 42. Rd7+ Kg6) 41. Ne5 $18 {[%emt 0:00:13]} Rc2 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 42. f3 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 43. Nd3 {[%emt 0:00:15]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 44. Re4+ {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 45. Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Rd2 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 46. Ke3 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Rc2 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 47. Nd3 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kg5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 48. Re7 {[%emt 0:00:09]} f5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 49. gxf5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} (49. Re5 $18) 49... Kxf5 $16 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 50. Rf7+ {[%emt 0:00:13]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} 51. Rh7 {[%emt 0:00:10]} h5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 52. Nf4+ {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kf6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 53. Rh6 {[%emt 0:00:11]} ({Better is} 53. Nd5+ $16 Ke5 54. Nxc7) 53... Kf5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} ({Black should try} 53... Rc3+ $11 54. Kd4 Ra3) 54. Rh8 {[%emt 0:00:11]} (54. Rxg6 Rc3+ 55. Ke2 Kxf4 $11) (54. Nxg6 $6 Kg5 55. Rh8 Kxg6 $11) 54... Rc3+ {[%emt 0:00:10]} 55. Nd3 {[%emt 0:00:09]} c5 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 56. Rf8+ {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kg5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 57. Kd2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} Rc4 {[%emt 0:00:08]} (57... Ra3 $14) 58. Rc8 {[%emt 0:00:09]} (58. f4+ $18 Kh6 59. Ne5) 58... Kh4 {[%emt 0:00:13]} 59. Ne5 {[%emt 0:00:11]} ({Much weaker is} 59. Nxc5 $6 g5 $11) (59. f4 $16) 59... Rd4+ {[%emt 0:00:09]} (59... Ra4 $14) 60. Ke3 $18 {[%emt 0:00:08]} Rd5 $2 {[%emt 0:00:16]} (60... Rd6 61. Rg8 (61. Rxc5 $2 Kg3 $18) 61... Ra6 62. Nxg6+ Kh3 63. Nf4+ Kh4 64. Ng2+ Kh3) 61. Nxg6+ {[%emt 0:00:09]} Kg5 {[%emt 0:00:08]} 62. Rg8 {[%emt 0:00:11]} Rd6 {[%emt 0:00:12]} 63. Ne5+ {[%emt 0:00:10]} Kf5 {[%emt 0:00:10]} 64. f4 {[%emt 0:00:09]} Ra6 $2 {[%emt 0:00:10]} (64... h4 $18 65. Rg5+ Ke6) 65. Rg5+ {[%emt 0:00:09]} Ke6 {[%emt 0:00:09]} 66. Rg6+ {[%emt 0:00:09] Weighted Error Value: White=0.19 (very precise) /Black=0.27 (precise) Loses game: --- Black=1 Missed win: White=1 --- Mistake: White=4 Black=6 Inaccurate: White=3 Black=2 OK: White=9 Black=4 Best: --- Black=1} 1-0