Ending second in any occasion or event would typically be some extent of pleasure for any participant, proper? Flawed, for American-Italian grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, issues are completely different. Caruana, who positioned second within the just lately concluded Saint Louis Speedy & Blitz 2025, a Grand Chess Tour occasion on Friday, desires to be inducted into the US Chess “Corridor of Disgrace” after reflecting on his efficiency within the blitz portion.
For context, Caruana gained the fast occasion in Saint Louis, ending with 14 out of a doable 18 factors. Anticipated to proceed his sturdy run within the shortest time management in blitz, he as an alternative suffered a free fall, shedding six video games and ending eighth out of 10 gamers with 7.5 factors. Regardless of this, he secured second place general with 21.5 factors, simply half some extent forward of France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
“I don’t truly know. I finished with the ability to play chess the final two days…,” chuckled Caruana through the post-tournament evaluation with GM Yasser Seirawan and IM Nazi Paikidze. “My childhood coach was just lately inducted into the US Chess Corridor of Fame… Bruce Pandolfini and I feel I must be inducted into the US Chess Corridor of Disgrace,” he laughed.
Fabiano Caruana: “I finished with the ability to play chess the final 2 days… My childhood coach was just lately inducted into the US Chess Corridor of Fame, Bruce Pandolfini, and I feel I must be inducted into the US Chess Corridor of Disgrace!” pic.twitter.com/oUH0QTM7d1
— chess24 (@chess24com) August 15, 2025
When requested if he was completely happy together with his second-place end, Caruana replied: “I often attempt to… however I can’t be completely happy, no.”
“I imply, in fact, second place will not be unhealthy or something, and I’m fortunate to have second place contemplating how I performed within the blitz. It was going very properly. I feel I used to be enjoying properly in fast. I imagine that my high quality was very excessive till the final sport, and even together with the final sport, it’s nonetheless a fairly good outcome general,” he added.
Golden run for Aronian
In the meantime, American-Armenian Levon Aronian continued his stellar kind to say one more title. After ending the fast portion second behind Caruana with 13 factors, Aronian dominated the blitz, scoring 11.5 out of 18 to win the occasion with a mixed 24.5 factors.
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