With a combating draw vs. GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, GM Alireza Firouzja clinched the Grand Chess Tour with a spherical to spare on Tuesday. In the meantime, the battle for the 2024 Sinquefield Cup continues with GM Fabiano Caruana trailing by a degree and in a must-win place heading into the final spherical.
The Sinquefield Cup will conclude with spherical 9 on Wednesday, August 28, at 12 p.m. ET / 18:00 CEST / 9:30 p.m. IST. Â
Spherical 8 Outcomes
Standings After Spherical 8
Nepomniachtchi 1/2-1/2 Firouzja
Firouzja unleashed an trade sacrifice on transfer 15, seeming to catch Nepomniachtchi unexpectedly. Persevering with ambitiously, Firouzja sacrificed a pawn with test within the hopes of gaining sufficient exercise to compensate.Â
When Nepomniachtchi started to realize the higher hand, Firouzja switched gears into lively protection within the arising pawn-down ending. Although Nepomniachtchi pressed for 80 strikes, the event chief finally fought his means again to equality. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes this hard-fought duel as our Recreation of the Day beneath.Â
Firouzja took over the GCT lead together with his victory on the Saint Louis Fast & Blitz and robust showings on the Superbet Traditional Romania and the SuperUnited Fast & Blitz Croatia. Now that he is assured at the very least second on the Sinquefield Cup, he is clinched the tour as a result of his closest rival, Caruana can not catch him.
Congratulations to @AlirezaFirouzja on successful the 2024 #GrandChessTour! He wants solely a draw tomorrow to ensure successful the Sinquefield Cup as properly 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3viZO6bJWY
— chess24 (@chess24com) August 27, 2024
Praggnanandhaa 1/2-1/2 Caruana
GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu made important efforts to imbue vigorous play into his conflict with Caruana. Within the middlegame, the Indian prodigy gave up a part of his king’s pawn cowl however underestimated his opponent’s sources. The 18-year-old grandmaster defined his choice:Â
I made a decision to go for it. Yeah, I may play one thing else and doubtless make a draw with none struggle. I wished to maintain extra recreation within the place.
I wished to maintain extra recreation within the place.
―Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu
Ding 1/2-1/2 Abdusattorov
GM Ding Liren gained a snug, risk-free edge on the kingside, middle, and queenside vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov. But, the world champion fearful that his opponent may create play towards the doubled, remoted pawns and determined to just accept a threefold-repetition draw on transfer 23. He defined:Â
I believed I may be barely worse…Â It appears like I performed good strikes, however I did not consider properly.Â
It appears like I performed good strikes, however I did not consider properly.
―Ding Liren
Giri 1/2-1/2 Gukesh
In a Ruy Lopez, GM Gukesh Dommaraju provided a pawn sacrifice vs. GM Anish Giri that quickly led to an unstoppable repetition.Â
So 1/2-1/2 Vachier-Lagrave
GMs Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave traded queens early and fought out a good rook and opposite-color bishop ending till transfer 49.Â
Within the last spherical, Firouzja simply wants a draw with White vs. Praggnanandhaa to seal clear first. Caruana’s solely probability lies in taking part in for a win vs. Giri and hoping that the GCT victor suffers his first and solely lack of the occasion.
In the meantime, the 5 grandmasters on a good rating: So, Abdusattorov, Vachier-Lagrave, Praggnanandhaa, and Gukesh will duke it out for third place or perhaps a shot at second if Caruana falters.Â
Spherical 9 Pairings
The 2024 Sinquefield Cup is the final leg and last classical occasion of the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. Ten gamers compete in a classical single round-robin for his or her share of a $350,000 prize fund.
Earlier Protection
