Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, CCT Final KO 2024

Grünfeld Defense (D78) · 1-0 (Magnus Carlsen won) · 45 moves · Round 1.3 · 20 December 2024

♔
White
Magnus Carlsen
1 – 0
Black
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
♚
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Moves
0 / 89

About This Game

Game summary

  • WhiteMagnus Carlsen
  • BlackMaxime Vachier-Lagrave
  • Result1-0 · Magnus Carlsen won
  • EventCCT Final KO 2024
  • Round1.3
  • Date20 December 2024
  • OpeningGrünfeld Defense (D78)
  • Length45 moves
  • Type of eventRapid

This is game 196 of 208 between Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the Rama Chess database (2005–2025). In all their games Carlsen leads 78–44 with 86 draws.

Previous game: Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave, 1-0 (CCT Final KO 2024, 2024).

Next game: Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave, 1-0 (Titled Tue 11th Feb Early, 2025).

Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave: all 208 gamesCarlsen in the Grünfeld DefenseCarlsen games of 2024Maxime Vachier-Lagrave profile

The moves of Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, CCT Final KO 2024

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.g3 c6 4.Bg2 d5 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 dxc4 8.e4 b5 9.a4 a5 10.axb5 cxb5 11.Nc3 Bb7 12.d5 b4 13.Na4 Nbd7 14.e5 Nxd5 15.e6 N7b6 16.exf7+ Rxf7 17.Ng5 Rf5 18.g4 Rf6 19.Nc5 Bc6 20.Nce6 Qd7 21.Nxg7 Kxg7 22.Ne4 Nf4 23.Qxd7 Nxd7 24.Nxf6 Nxg2 25.Re6 Nxf6 26.Rxc6 Ne1 27.Rxc4 Nd3 28.g5 Nd7 29.Rc7 N7e5 30.Rxe7+ Kg8 31.Be3 a4 32.Kg2 a3 33.bxa3 b3 34.Bd4 Nf4+ 35.Kf1 Nf3 36.Bf6 Nxh2+ 37.Kg1 Nf3+ 38.Kh1 Nd3 39.Re3 Nfe1 40.Raxe1 Nxe1 41.Rxe1 Rxa3 42.Re8+ Kf7 43.Re7+ Kf8 44.Rxh7 Ra2 45.Kg2 1-0

Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave met over the board in this full-length game at CCT Final KO 2024 in 2024. The game dates from the contemporary engine era.

From Grünfeld Defense (D78) the players entered a fight over the centre. Here the struggle often turns on the central pawns and minor-piece play.

Running to 45 moves, the game moved through a full middlegame into an endgame, showing how an advantage is carried between phases.

Magnus Carlsen is one of the grandmasters featured in the RamaChess archive, where you can browse their complete game collection, favourite openings and notable wins.

Working through a full game like this trains pattern recognition — the more you study, the faster you spot familiar ideas in your own play.

In the end, Magnus Carlsen won with the white pieces. Step through the moves on the interactive board above and try the position trainer to sharpen your own play.

Frequently asked questions

What is the head-to-head record of Magnus Carlsen and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave?

In the 208 games between them in our database (2005 to 2025) Carlsen leads 78–44 with 86 draws. This game is number 196 of 208.

Where and when was Magnus Carlsen vs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave played?

At the CCT Final KO 2024, round 1.3, on 20 December 2024.

Who played this game?

This game was played between Magnus Carlsen (White) and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Black), at CCT Final KO 2024 in 2024.

What opening was played?

The game used Grünfeld Defense (ECO code D78). A fight over the centre.

What was the result?

Magnus Carlsen won with the white pieces.

How long was the game?

The game lasted 45 moves (89 plies).

Can I replay this game move by move?

Yes. Use the interactive board on this page to step through every move, or open the analyser and Practice mode.

Where can I find more games like this?

Browse the full Grünfeld Defense collection, Magnus Carlsen's complete game archive, and thousands more grandmaster games in the RamaChess archive.

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