Page 3 - Sinquefield Cup News Today

The Sinquefield Cup, annually the strongest invitational tournament in the U.S., got off to a less than stellar start at the Chess Club of St. Louis, with just two decisive games -- two -- through Sunday's Round 5 and Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda pulling out of the 10-grandmaster field after Round 1, citing ill health.

Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez both scored back-to-back wins in rounds 6 and 7 of the Sinquefield Cup to join Wesley So in the lead of the standings. Caruana, in fact, defeated So on Tuesday, and he did it in remarkable style. By beating the former sole leader, Caruana also secured first place in the Grand Chess Tour and crossed the 2800-mark in the live ratings list! | Photo: Lennart Ootes

American GMs Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez lead the Sinquefield Cup with 4/6 scores and two rounds to play in the final event of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour.

Wesley So scored his second victory in this year’s Sinquefield Cup by beating Levon Aronian with the white pieces in Monday’s sixth round. Moreover, wins for Leinier Dominguez (over Anish Giri) and Fabiano Caruana (over Alireza Firouzja) greatly increased So’s chances of qualifying to the Candidates Tournament either by rating or via the FIDE Circuit. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Levon Aronian became the second player to grab a win in the Sinquefield Cup, as he beat Alireza Firouzja with the white pieces in round 5. This result allowed Wesley So to overtake Firouzja in the live ratings list, while it also reduced the rating gap between Firouzja and Anish Giri. The three players are fighting to get one of the two remaining spots in the 2024 Candidates — one will be granted via the ratings list and the second via the FIDE Circuit. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Following three rounds without decisive games, an exciting fourth round in the Sinquefield saw the draw streak being broken. Wesley So was the first to grab a win in the classical tournament, as he got the better of an adventurous Richard Rapport, who employed the King’s Indian Defence with the black pieces. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

No decisive games have been played in the first three rounds of the Sinquefield Cup, despite players entering fighting lines out of the opening more often than not. In other news, Jan-Krzysztof Duda withdrew from the tournament due to health issues, and his round-1 game will be taken out of consideration for the final standings. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Balanced, well-played games were seen on all five boards in the first round of the Sinquefield Cup. Leinier Dominguez was the one closest to getting a win on Tuesday, as he put pressure on top seed Fabiano Caruana with the black pieces. In the fight for the Candidates spots still up for grabs, a crucial encounter will be seen in round 2, when Alireza Firouzja will have the white pieces against Anish Giri. | Photo: Crystal Fuller

The Sinquefield Cup is taking place on November 21-30 at the World Chess Hall of Fame in Saint Louis. The 9-round classical tournament is the last event in this year’s Grand Chess Tour. It also plays a key role in the fight for the last two spots still up for grabs in the 2024 Candidates Tournament. | Follow the games live with expert commentary starting at 20.00 CET (14.00 ET, 0.30 IST)

Fabiano Caruana became the 2023 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz champion after a dramatic final day of blitz, which came down to a winner-take-all last round game against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Caruana ended with 21/36 points, Vachier-Lagrave finished second with 20.5, while Ian Nepomniachtchi and Le Quang Liem tied for third place with 20 points each. | Photo courtesy of Saint Louis Chess Club, Lennart Ootes