TWIC is 31. First issue 17th September 1994.12th Sinquefield Cup 2025 (7)
Praggnanandhaa joins Caruana in the lead of the Sinquefield Cup after beating Firouzja in Round 7
Mark Crowther - Tuesday 26th August 2025
Praggnanandhaa explains his game after round 7. Photo © | https://grandchesstour.org
The Sinquefield Cup is positioned for an exciting finish after Praggnanandhaa's win against Alireza Firouzja allowed him to catch Fabiano Caruana in the lead after seven of the nine rounds. Caruana drew against Levon Aronian and Wesley So beat the World Champion Gukesh. This means Praggnanandhaa and Caruana have 4.5/7 and Aronian and So 4/7 with Sam Sevian, MVL and Duda a further half point further back.
Round 8 pairings: Abdusattorov-Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa-So, Sevian-Duda, MVL-Caruana, Gukesh-Aronian.
Round 7 Summary
Praggnanandhaa won the most significant game of the day when he took advantage of Alireza Firouzja's mistakes. 19.d4?! was probably just a bit too ambitious but 25.dxe5? was just losing, but Praggnanandhaa didn't find the most precise, 25...c4! instead playing 25...Rxd1? allowing Firouzja saving chances, but 27.Qa4? (27.Qd6!) was a final mistake from which there was no recovery.
Gukesh came armed with a new idea (11...Bh4) in the Berlin against Wesley So, it led to a very unbalance position and the opening up of So's kingside. Gukesh had the opportunity to get play with 20...d5 but after his 20...Re7 he was always on the back foot. 21...d5? (21...Bc8) was a further error. 24.Re5 offered Gukesh a chance with 24...Nh4! but after 24...Bc8? Gukesh's position soon fell apart.
When you're struggling like Nodirbek Abdusattorov is then all your opponents target you for a win. Jan-Krzysztof Duda took advantage of a serious mistake 31...Qd7? before that Abdusattorov probably had the better of things afterwards there was no recovery.
Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian played a very sharp French Defence that quickly simplified to a draw. MVL had a small edged about Sam Sevian but 21.Qa2 made the position equal again. There were a few small changes in evaluation after that but when they reached the endgame the draw was the most likely result.
| 12th Sinquefield Cup Saint Louis (USA), 16-29 viii 2025 | cat. XX (2750) | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1. | Caruana, Fabiano | g | USA | 2784 | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | . | 1 | 4½ | 2845 | |||
| 2. | Praggnanandhaa, R | g | IND | 2779 | ½ | * | . | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | 1 | ½ | 4½ | 2850 | |||
| 3. | So, Wesley | g | USA | 2745 | ½ | . | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | 1 | . | 4 | 2793 | |||
| 4. | Aronian, Levon | g | USA | 2737 | ½ | . | ½ | * | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | 1 | 4 | 2794 | |||
| 5. | Sevian, Samuel | g | USA | 2683 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | ½ | . | . | ½ | ½ | 3½ | 2761 | |||
| 6. | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | g | FRA | 2736 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | 3½ | 2751 | |||
| 7. | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | g | POL | 2725 | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | . | . | * | 0 | ½ | 1 | 3½ | 2765 | |||
| 8. | Firouzja, Alireza | g | FRA | 2766 | 0 | 0 | ½ | ½ | . | ½ | 1 | * | ½ | . | 3 | 2704 | |||
| 9. | Gukesh, D | g | IND | 2776 | . | 0 | 0 | . | ½ | ½ | ½ | ½ | * | 1 | 3 | 2693 | |||
| 10. | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | g | UZB | 2771 | 0 | ½ | . | 0 | ½ | ½ | 0 | . | 0 | * | 1½ | 2515 | |||
| Round 7 (August 25, 2025) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caruana, Fabiano | - Aronian, Levon | ½-½ | 34 | C11 | French Defence | |
| So, Wesley | - Gukesh, D | 1-0 | 39 | C67 | Ruy Lopez Berlin | |
| Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | - Sevian, Samuel | ½-½ | 57 | A29 | English Four Knights | |
| Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | - Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 1-0 | 57 | C48 | Four Knights Rubinstein | |
| Firouzja, Alireza | - Praggnanandhaa, R | 0-1 | 31 | B31 | Sicilian Rossolimo | |
Sinquefield Cup Round 7
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