Carlsen Beats Caruana To Win Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge
World number-one Magnus Carlsen defeated GM Fabiano Caruana in the final classical game to win the inaugural 2024 Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge and the $60,000 top prize. GM Levon Aronian took third place with a powerful win over GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, while GM Alireza Firouzja drew against GM Gukesh Dommaraju to book an invite to next year's event with fifth place. GM Vincent Keymer took seventh by beating World Champion Ding Liren, who ended with no wins and 10 losses.
For the first few days it had looked as though Carlsen bit off more than he could chew by allowing this event to be called the G.O.A.T. Challenge, but, not for the first time in chess history, he turned everything around to finish on top of the pile.
The final day was surprisingly short, with all four matches decided in classical chess.
Carlsen 1.5-0.5 Caruana
Scores were level going into the second classical game, but there was one bad omen for Caruana—Carlsen had scored 3/3 in his games with the white pieces in the knockout. Sure enough, he would go on to make it 4/4.
It makes sense that having the first move can be an even bigger advantage in Chess960, where no one knows how to neutralize the advantage of getting to play the first move. Of course, no one knows which first move is best either, with arguments arising. When the world number-one played 1.g4, not for the first time in Weissenhaus, Aronian told the confessional: "I think the only reason that Magnus plays g4 is to write 'The Grob' on the scoresheet!"
This time, however, the Armenian-U.S. GM was wrong on both counts. 1.g4 was the best move (according to Stockfish), or up there with 1.0-0-0, and Carlsen had written "Polish Opening" on his scoresheet.
Insisting on 2023! Never back down.💪 https://t.co/tg16C6inpy
— Anish Giri (@anishgiri) February 16, 2024
That usually refers to the move 1.b4 (also known as "The Orangutan"), but Carlsen pointed out that as the king had started on d1 it felt like kingside and queenside were swapped around. No one said Chess960 was going to be easy, either to play or to talk about!
The move worked to perfection, however, since Caruana's 1...c6?! was an immediate mistake, with his opponent appearing in the confessional to describe it as, "really confusing to me, because it seems like it’s unnecessary and weakening." Unsurprisingly, Carlsen hadn't changed his verdict after the game, when he commented: "I was heavily helped by the fact that I think my position was just much better after two moves, and this can happen in Freestyle Chess."
My position was just much better after two moves, and this can happen in Freestyle Chess!
—Magnus Carlsen
What followed was a powerful game, where Carlsen got to launch a pawn storm that left the world number-two restricted to passive defense. When a long-awaited f5-break finally did come for the American star...
Tania is thrilled as Caruana finally gets to break with f5! #FreestyleChess pic.twitter.com/9EfmDfbSPU
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 16, 2024
...any hope was short-lived. Carlsen went on to wrap up a fine win that is our Game of the Day, and analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao below:
Carlsen told WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni it was his favorite game of the tournament.
What was your favorite game to watch? 😌 Drop it in the comment section. 🤓#chessplayer #freestylechess #FreestyleChessGOAT2024 #ChessRevolution #WEISSENHAUS #chesscom #bmw #polar #sanpellegrino #maxnomic #frankrudolfhamburg #champagnelaurentperrier pic.twitter.com/QFPCHTVlUc
— freestyle-chess (@chess_freestyle) February 16, 2024
He'd earlier told the commentators, "It feels awesome to win the event, and to win in classical chess is very good." The Norwegian, who will next be in action in the GRENKE Chess Classic at Easter, picked up $60,000—in $20 bills, if he wanted to leave with a suitcase of money.
GOAT took it in the end pic.twitter.com/XnzdA2V7mN
— Tania Sachdev (@TaniaSachdev) February 16, 2024
Caruana took $40,000 for second place.
Aronian 1.5-0.5 Abdusattorov
19-year-old Abdusattorov, who started the event by winning the round-robin, had let a huge chance slip the day before to take the lead in the third-place match. He was made to pay for it by Aronian, whose inevitable optimism about his opening position in the second game was this time justified. By the time 11.c5! appeared on the board, it was clear it was only a question of whether Black could hold on.
Abdusattorov tried to counterattack on the other wing, but ultimately a passed c-pawn proved devastating. Aronian only had to navigate one last trick to win the game and match.
So despite their young rivals being on fire at the start of the event, we ended with three "veterans" on the podium, with Aronian taking $30,000, while Abdusattorov picked up $20,000.
Carlsen felt that we might see a similar pattern with the older players succeeding at the upcoming Candidates Tournament in Toronto:
"The old guys were having a moment at the end, so probably one of the older players, but it’s always a great tournament to follow, especially second half. There’s going to be mayhem because everyone needs to win a lot of games, and I think a lot of ups and downs will happen. It’ll be fun!"
Firouzja 1.5-0.5 Gukesh
This was perhaps the most unpredictable match-up, and also the most topsy-turvy game, with Gukesh initially doing well in a game he had to win with the white pieces after losing the day before. Firouzja has been impressive in Chess960, however, and he gradually took over before 24...Ne3! was essentially the match-winning move. In what followed he could have won the game as well, but instead he professionally steered towards the draw he needed.
That meant Firouzja took $15,000, but more importantly picked up an invite to next year's event. Gukesh took $12,000.
Keymer 2-0 Ding
There's been so much to enjoy in Weissenhaus, but the one thing that's been hard to watch is the world champion's miserable event, which began with six losses in a row and never improved in the knockout. The final count was 10 losses, three draws, and no wins for a player who once went 100 classical games unbeaten.
Something is clearly up with Ding, since his play has been unrecognizable. In the second game against Keymer, he essentially collapsed with 11.Bf4?, failing to appreciate how weak the d4-pawn could be. It was also telling that he rushed and put up no resistance in what followed—a pattern we've seen again and again in Weissenhaus.
Ding took $8,000 for last place and will be hunting for his mojo before he returns for the GRENKE Chess Classic in six weeks' time.
For Keymer, meanwhile, it was fitting that he won the final match, since his play in Weissenhaus has merited more than the $10,000 and seventh place he ultimately took.
All that was left was for Carlsen to hit the gong to officially end the first edition of Freestyle Chess.
Magnus hits the gong and the 2024 #FreestyleChess G.O.A.T. Challenge is official over! pic.twitter.com/xxGh7qHgO8
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 16, 2024
We're promised this will not be the last, and, if the plans of Jan Buettner come to fruition, this might just be the start of a huge addition to the chess calendar.
My dream is a Grand Slam of #FreestyleChess tournaments, 5 tournaments on 5 continents, and 5x the prize money, $1 million per tournament! pic.twitter.com/bcWU721mwH
— chess24.com (@chess24com) February 16, 2024
"A joy from start to finish," said the G.O.A.T. after surviving the challenge.
The Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge takes place February 9-16, 2024 in the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort, Germany. All games are Chess960. It starts with a seven-round rapid tournament to decide pairings before a classical knockout tournament with two-game matches. A tie is decided by two 15+10 rapid games, then, if needed, two 5+2 blitz games, then finally an armageddon game. The prize fund is $200,000 with $60,000 for first place.
The live broadcast of the day, hosted by IM Tania Sachdev, GM Peter Leko, GM Niclas Huschenbeth, and WIM Fiona Steil-Antoni.
Previous posts:
- Day 7: Carlsen-Caruana Final Starts With Draw As Firouzja, Keymer Win
- Day 6: Caruana Blunders 2 Rooks But Still Sets Up Carlsen Final
- Day 5: Carlsen, Aronian With One Foot In Freestyle Chess Final
- Day 4: Carlsen Storms Back To Join Abdusattorov, Caruana, Aronian In Semis
- Day 3: Carlsen, Ding Defeated In First Classical Chess960 Games
- Day 2: Abdusattorov Beats Carlsen To Win Rapid, Plays Ding In Quarterfinals
- Day 1: Gukesh Beats Carlsen As Keymer Takes Early Freestyle Chess Lead
- Carlsen, Ding, Caruana In New $200,000 Classical Fischer-Random Event
Colin McGourty led news at Chess24 from its launch until it merged with Chess.com a decade later. An amateur player, he got into chess writing when he set up the website Chess in Translation after previously studying Slavic languages and literature in St. Andrews, Odesa, Oxford, and Krakow.
