In a round marked by tactical caution and strategic balance, all five games in the fifth round of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup ended in draws, leaving American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana firmly in the sole lead with 3.5 points. The event, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour and hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club, features a star-studded field of 10 elite players competing for a $350,000 prize fund, with the top prize of $100,000 up for grabs. This tournament serves as the fifth leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, offering crucial points for qualification to the year-end finale, where the top four overall tour standers will advance.
Indian teenage sensation R Praggnanandhaa, aged 20 and rated 2779, secured a straightforward draw against France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (rated 2736) in just 26 moves. Playing with black, Praggnanandhaa faced the Rossolimo Sicilian opening but encountered no real pressure, as both players opted for a safe repetition in the middlegame. Praggnanandhaa, a rising star who has already notched multiple super-tournament victories, remains tied for second with 3 points.
World Champion D Gukesh, the 19-year-old Indian prodigy rated 2783 who claimed the classical title in 2024 as the youngest ever, endured a tense battle against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda (rated 2753). Defending with black in a Queen Pawn opening, Gukesh pushed for complications but found himself in a precarious spot after Duda's clever maneuvers granted him a computer-evaluated advantage. However, a middlegame error by Duda allowed Gukesh to counter and force a repetition after 45 moves, salvaging the half-point. Gukesh now sits among a crowded group at 2.5 points.
Also Read: Praggnanandhaa Defeats Gukesh, Moves to World No. 3
Elsewhere, Caruana (rated 2784), the 2018 World Championship challenger, split points with fellow American Wesley So (rated 2745) to preserve his half-point edge. US youngster Samuel Sevian (rated 2683) held firm against Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov (rated 2762), while veteran Levon Aronian (rated 2737), also from the US, drew with France's Alireza Firouzja (rated 2766).
With four rounds remaining after today's rest day, the standings are tightly packed: Caruana leads at 3.5, followed by Praggnanandhaa and Aronian at 3 each. Five players—Gukesh, Firouzja, So, Sevian, and Vachier-Lagrave—share fourth place with 2.5 points. Duda holds 2 points, while Abdusattorov trails at 1. The close scores promise intense competition ahead, as players vie not only for the Sinquefield title but also for Grand Chess Tour supremacy in this classical format event, widely regarded as the strongest chess tournament on American soil.
Results from Round 5:
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA, 2.5) drew with R Praggnanandhaa (IND, 3);
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL, 2) drew with D Gukesh (IND, 2.5);
Fabiano Caruana (USA, 3.5) drew with Wesley So (USA, 2.5);
Samuel Sevian (USA, 2.5) drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB, 1);
Levon Aronian (USA, 3) drew with Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 2.5).
Also Read: Praggnanandhaa Defeats Gukesh, Moves to World No. 3