GCT Finals: MVL and Caruana advance to the final

After the classical portion of the Grand Chess Tour Finals had concluded with all games drawn, the semifinals were left to be decided in rapid and blitz play. With six games to follow – two rapid encounters worth four points each, and four blitz games worth two points each – the margins for error became smaller and the intensity greater. The two matches followed different paths: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave defeated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu with a convincing score, while Fabiano Caruana overcame Levon Aronian only in the final stages. | Photo: Lennart Ootes