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Wesley So vs. Fabiano Caruana

Date: March 8, 2026
Round: Champions Bracket Final — Match 11 — Playoff Game 1 (Blitz)
White: Wesley So (2789)
Black: Fabiano Caruana (2769)
Result: 1/2-1/2
SF 18

Game Notation (PGN)

[Event "2026 The American Cup Open"]
[Site "Saint Louis, US"]
[Date "2026.03.08"]
[Round "3.3"]
[White "So, Wesley"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[Board "1"]
[TimeControl "180+2"]
[WhiteFideId "5202213"]
[BlackFideId "2020009"]
[WhiteElo "2789"]
[BlackElo "2769"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteClock "0:00:09"]
[BlackClock "0:00:08"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[EndDate "2026.03.08"]
[EndTime "21:55:04"]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:03:02]}  c6 {[%clk 0:03:04]} 2. d4 {[%clk 0:03:00]}  d5 {[%clk 0:03:05]} 3. e5 {[%clk 0:03:01]}  c5 {[%clk 0:03:06]}
4. dxc5 {[%clk 0:03:01]}  e6 {[%clk 0:03:07]} 5. a3 {[%clk 0:02:59]}  Nc6 {[%clk 0:03:08]} 6. Nf3 {[%clk 0:02:48]}  Bxc5 {[%clk 0:03:08]}
7. b4 {[%clk 0:02:41]}  Bb6 {[%clk 0:03:09]} 8. Bd3 {[%clk 0:02:41]}  f6 {[%clk 0:03:10]} 9. Bb2 {[%clk 0:02:31]}  fxe5 {[%clk 0:03:10]}
10. Nxe5 {[%clk 0:02:32]}  Nf6 {[%clk 0:03:11]} 11. O-O {[%clk 0:02:31]}  O-O {[%clk 0:03:11]} 12. Nd2 {[%clk 0:02:31]}  a5 {[%clk 0:03:12]}
13. b5 {[%clk 0:02:31]}  Nxe5 {[%clk 0:03:12]} 14. Bxe5 {[%clk 0:02:32]}  Bd7 {[%clk 0:03:11]} 15. c4 {[%clk 0:02:22]}  Be8 {[%clk 0:03:10]}
16. h3 {[%clk 0:02:14]}  Bg6 {[%clk 0:02:44]} 17. Bxg6 {[%clk 0:02:13]}  hxg6 {[%clk 0:02:45]} 18. Qe2 {[%clk 0:02:09]}  a4 {[%clk 0:02:18]}
19. Rad1 {[%clk 0:01:55]}  Qe7 {[%clk 0:02:06]} 20. Nf3 {[%clk 0:01:40]}  Ne4 {[%clk 0:01:25]} 21. cxd5 {[%clk 0:01:12]}  exd5 {[%clk 0:01:26]}
22. Qa2 {[%clk 0:01:04]}  Rad8 {[%clk 0:01:27]} 23. Qb2 {[%clk 0:00:41]}  Rf5 {[%clk 0:01:08]} 24. Rd3 {[%clk 0:00:35]}  Bc5 {[%clk 0:00:49]}
25. Bd4 {[%clk 0:00:29]}  Bd6 {[%clk 0:00:47]} 26. Qa2 {[%clk 0:00:24]}  Bb8 {[%clk 0:00:40]} 27. Rfd1 {[%clk 0:00:24]}  Kh7 {[%clk 0:00:32]}
28. Be3 {[%clk 0:00:15]}  Rdf8 {[%clk 0:00:18]} 29. Kf1 {[%clk 0:00:06]}  Qe8 {[%clk 0:00:06]} 30. Qb2 {[%clk 0:00:06]}  Qf7 {[%clk 0:00:05]}
31. Qe2 {[%clk 0:00:05]}  Bd6 {[%clk 0:00:06]} 32. Kg1 {[%clk 0:00:06]}  Bc7 {[%clk 0:00:06]} 33. b6 {[%clk 0:00:07]}  Bd6 {[%clk 0:00:07]}
34. Nd4 {[%clk 0:00:05]}  Re5 {[%clk 0:00:05]} 35. Nf3 {[%clk 0:00:06]}  Rf5 {[%clk 0:00:06]} 36. Nd4 {[%clk 0:00:07]}  Re5 {[%clk 0:00:07]}
37. Nf3 {[%clk 0:00:09]}  Rf5 {[%clk 0:00:08]} 1/2-1/2