"Mostly tired and a little bit embarrassed, but happy overall" - Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana Analysis: Victory Against Hikaru Nakamura

In a post-game interview with FIDE, Fabiano Caruana evaluates his victory over Hikaru Nakamura, expressing a mix of fatigue and satisfaction. He breaks down the critical strategic shifts, noting how the match transitioned from a likely draw into a complex endgame following his opponent's errors. Caruana reflects on specific tactical moments, including a brief period of internal panic when he miscalculated potential defensive resources. Despite missing some optimal winning lines, he explains how controlling the open files and creating passed pawns eventually forced a decisive advantage. The discussion highlights the psychological pressure of long tournaments and the technical precision required to convert narrow leads into wins.

Interviewer: We’re back with the winner of the big clash from board number one. Fabiano Caruana is here. Fabiano, congratulations. How are you feeling?

Fabiano Caruana: Mostly tired and a little bit embarrassed, but happy overall.

Interviewer: What were the key moments? We won’t quiz you on your opening prep, but did you feel like you got something after moves like Queen A4 and B6?

Fabiano Caruana: I couldn’t remember the line if I played it correctly. We both knew the position existed but couldn't remember the details. I played d5 at some version, which surprised me, but I couldn’t figure out what the problem with it was; it looked totally fine to me. At one point, I thought it was almost a draw where we trade everything after b5, but then he played Qe6. I thought maybe he was trying to play for something.

Interviewer: Did you feel you had an advantage at that stage?

Fabiano Caruana: I still thought it was going to be a draw. He was concerned I might win a pawn, but even if I did, it wasn't a big deal. However, I started to get happy when he could no longer easily play g6 and h5; things got murky for him then. Once I got the e-file, I thought I had very serious winning chances. It gradually got worse for him until he decided to sack a pawn.

Interviewer: Was that a deliberate choice by him?

Fabiano Caruana: I don’t know, but it’s Hikaru—he doesn’t miss tactics. I didn't see a move for him, so he probably thought if I achieved C5, he would fall apart. I assume it had to be completely winning, but I still had to win another pawn.

Interviewer: There was a specific moment at move 66 involving Bf5 and Bb5. Was that an idea you considered?

Fabiano Caruana: I was already going for the bishop ending; that was my overall plan. I wasn't 100% sure how to make progress if he just waited, but eventually, G4 and G5 wins. I thought it had to be winning, which it is.

Interviewer: It looked like there might have been an easier path with Kf5.

Fabiano Caruana: Yeah, that’s nice; I probably should have found that. I felt something was winning and decided to go for the line I chose, which might have been the only one that wasn't winning. I couldn't quite see how to make progress, but I realised later I needed to put the bishop on H3 to put him in Zugzwang.

Interviewer: Did you have any concerns near the end?

Fabiano Caruana: When I played f6, I had a momentary panic because I suddenly saw he had d3 ideas. But he played Ke7 so quickly that I didn't really have time to sweat it. He started shaking his head pretty much immediately after he played it. It was such a long game; at some point, it just gets to you.

Interviewer: Congratulations again. It’s a long tournament, so we won’t keep you. Thank you for joining us and best of luck for the rest of the event.

Fabiano Caruana: Thanks.