Daijiworld Media Network - Saint Louis

Saint Louis, Oct 30: Magnus Carlsen dominated the Clutch Chess Champions Showdown, leaving reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in fourth place.

Over three days of intense play, Carlsen defeated Gukesh twice and also secured two victories over GM Fabiano Caruana, eventually drawing both games against GM Hikaru Nakamura. These performances earned him a first prize of USD 120,000, plus a USD 50,000 bonus for his draws against Nakamura, bringing his total winnings to USD 170,000.

Caruana finished second with 16.5 points, nine points behind Carlsen, while Nakamura secured third place with 14 points. Gukesh ended the tournament with 10 points.

On the final day, Carlsen won his first four games, each win awarding three points. His opening target was Gukesh, whom he defeated twice more, bringing his total victories over the Indian star to five wins and one draw during the tournament.

Reflecting on his performance, Gukesh acknowledged the challenge, stating, “At some point it was very tough to start getting wins, and when it's like that against this opposition, it usually goes downhill quite fast. But overall it was a great experience, especially before the World Cup. There are no better training partners than these three!”

Gukesh, who initially led the tournament after winning the opening game, struggled in subsequent rounds. On Day 2, he suffered two losses to Carlsen and managed only a draw in his first game against Nakamura, whom he had beaten on Day 1 to avenge his loss in the earlier Checkmate: USA vs India exhibition match.

Later, Gukesh missed a critical opportunity in a balanced rook endgame, leading to a draw, and then lost to Caruana, finishing the day with a draw in his final game. Despite his strong start, the young Indian GM was unable to maintain momentum against the world’s top players.

Carlsen’s dominant performance not only secured his prize but also highlighted his formidable form ahead of the upcoming World Cup.