SPOT ON CHESS: Right Result, Wrong Path. US Chess Championship Round 11 & GM Caruana Champ

SPOT ON CHESS: Right Result, Wrong Path.

This year's edition of the US Championship could, quite conceivably, have played out differently than it did. But as Capablanca once said, "The stronger player is always lucky!". Fabiano Caruana took top honors in the end.

After eleven grueling rounds of top level chess Fabi took first place with 8 points - a mere half a point ahead of second place Wesley So - who finished on 7.5 points. But oh things could have been so much different had Wesley won his last round game, thus tying for first, and then forcing a playoff. And he did have an advantage at points in that last round game against GM Grigoriy Oparin - one of Caruana's trainers!

Rewind a bit further back and had GM Caruana not missed a forced win in their direct encounter earlier on in the event then he would have instead finished with 8.5 points, instead of his actual 8 points. In that "variation" of this event GM So would have had second place with 7 points instead of the 7.5 points. A point and half as opposed to a single half point deficit... and had Wesley So won his last round game, instead of drawing it, then quite possibly it would have been him wearing the Crown of US Champion for 2025. As long as he would have ALSO been able to then defeat Fabiano in their head to head playoffs match. Competitive chess is tough man!

Stay well, play well and and always represent!