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Levon Aronian vs. Fabiano Caruana

Date: March 9, 2026
Round: Elimination Bracket Final — Match 13 — Game 2 (Rapid)
White: Levon Aronian (2731)
Black: Fabiano Caruana (2727)
Result: 1-0
SF 18

Game Notation (PGN)

[Event "2026 The American Cup Open"]
[Site "Saint Louis, US"]
[Date "2026.03.09"]
[Round "54.2"]
[White "Aronian, Levon"]
[Black "Caruana, Fabiano"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Board "1"]
[TimeControl "1500+10"]
[WhiteFideId "13300474"]
[BlackFideId "2020009"]
[WhiteElo "2731"]
[BlackElo "2727"]
[WhiteTitle "GM"]
[BlackTitle "GM"]
[WhiteClock "0:15:27"]
[BlackClock "0:04:52"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[EndDate "2026.03.09"]
[EndTime "19:25:15"]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:25:19]}  c5 {[%clk 0:25:19]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:25:28]}  Nc6 {[%clk 0:25:27]} 3. Bb5 {[%clk 0:25:37]}  g6 {[%clk 0:25:36]}
4. O-O {[%clk 0:25:45]}  Bg7 {[%clk 0:25:44]} 5. d3 {[%clk 0:25:54]}  Nf6 {[%clk 0:25:30]} 6. Nc3 {[%clk 0:25:47]}  O-O {[%clk 0:25:37]}
7. e5 {[%clk 0:25:51]}  Ne8 {[%clk 0:25:33]} 8. Bxc6 {[%clk 0:25:45]}  bxc6 {[%clk 0:25:31]} 9. Re1 {[%clk 0:25:31]}  f6 {[%clk 0:25:37]}
10. exf6 {[%clk 0:25:31]}  Nxf6 {[%clk 0:25:45]} 11. Qe2 {[%clk 0:25:39]}  d6 {[%clk 0:25:11]} 12. Qxe7 {[%clk 0:25:17]}  Qxe7 {[%clk 0:25:19]}
13. Rxe7 {[%clk 0:25:26]}  Nd5 {[%clk 0:25:27]} 14. Nxd5 {[%clk 0:24:53]}  cxd5 {[%clk 0:25:35]} 15. Rb1 {[%clk 0:25:02]}  a5 {[%clk 0:22:51]}
16. Bg5 {[%clk 0:23:21]}  Bg4 {[%clk 0:22:26]} 17. Ne1 {[%clk 0:23:05]}  Rae8 {[%clk 0:20:34]} 18. h3 {[%clk 0:22:19]}  Bf5 {[%clk 0:20:13]}
19. b3 {[%clk 0:21:42]}  Bc3 {[%clk 0:17:09]} 20. Nf3 {[%clk 0:21:43]}  d4 {[%clk 0:12:49]} 21. Bf6 {[%clk 0:20:31]}  Rxe7 {[%clk 0:09:21]}
22. Bxe7 {[%clk 0:20:34]}  Rf7 {[%clk 0:08:21]} 23. Bxd6 {[%clk 0:20:39]}  Bb4 {[%clk 0:08:30]} 24. Ne5 {[%clk 0:19:16]}  Ra7 {[%clk 0:07:25]}
25. Nc4 {[%clk 0:18:38]}  Ra6 {[%clk 0:07:34]} 26. a4 {[%clk 0:16:27]}  g5 {[%clk 0:07:09]} 27. f3 {[%clk 0:16:16]}  h5 {[%clk 0:07:08]}
28. Bg3 {[%clk 0:15:11]}  Re6 {[%clk 0:06:27]} 29. Kf1 {[%clk 0:15:19]}  g4 {[%clk 0:06:35]} 30. fxg4 {[%clk 0:15:12]}  hxg4 {[%clk 0:06:43]}
31. hxg4 {[%clk 0:15:14]}  Bxg4 {[%clk 0:04:09]} 32. Be1 {[%clk 0:15:18]}  Be2+ {[%clk 0:04:18]} 33. Kf2 {[%clk 0:15:22]}  Bh5 {[%clk 0:04:26]}
34. Bxb4 {[%clk 0:15:24]}  Re2+ {[%clk 0:04:34]} 35. Kf1 {[%clk 0:15:26]}  axb4 {[%clk 0:04:43]} 36. Rc1 {[%clk 0:15:32]}  Kg7 {[%clk 0:04:45]}
37. a5 {[%clk 0:15:40]}  Kf6 {[%clk 0:04:36]} 38. a6 {[%clk 0:15:45]}  Re7 {[%clk 0:04:44]} 39. Ra1 {[%clk 0:15:34]}  Ra7 {[%clk 0:04:52]}
40. Nd6 {[%clk 0:15:27]} 1-0