On Monday, GM Alireza Firouzja defeated GM Ding Liren in the 2024 Sinquefield Cup to extend his lead to one point with two rounds remaining. GM Fabiano Caruana is the only player within striking distance of a clear second place.
GM Nodirbek Abdusatlov used a combination of strategic and tactical ideas to defeat GM Wesley Soh and claim his first classic win at GCT.
The Sinquefield Cup will see its eighth round take place on Tuesday, August 27th at 2pm EST / 8pm CEST / 11:30pm IST.
Round 7 results
Image: St. Louis Chess Club.
Rankings at the end of the 7th round
Photo: St. Louis Chess Club.
Abdusatlov 1-0 So
Abdusatlov decided to test his opponent by opting for a variation of the Nimzo Indian that Seo had previously struggled with, losing to Caruana in 25 moves at last year's Sinquefield Cup.
Abdusatlov's preparation paid off. After putting pressure on Seo's weaker pawns, Abdusatlov won with some tactical ingenuity. The 19-year-old grandmaster described his feelings during the game:
At this point, I was feeling very confident in my position, but there had been so many incredible saves in this tournament, one of which was Wesley vs. Plugg, so I really didn't want to miss this one.
I definitely didn't want to miss this.
-Nodirbek Abdusatlov
GM Rafael Leitao shares his analysis of today's game below.
After his comeback against Giri yesterday, momentum was in Abdusatlov's favor. Photo: Renato Uthes/Grand Chess Tour.
Firouzja 1-0 Din
Firouzja led Ding into a tense and complicated position. The World Champion defended well for much of the midgame, but spent a lot of time studying the intricacies of the position. In contrast, Firouzja played at a much faster pace, running out his opponent's clock while holding all the pieces on the board, and waiting for Ding's time to run out to create further opportunities. The GCT leader's plan worked like clockwork.
On the 29th move, Ding broke a long period of tension in the centre with a miscalculation under time pressure, attempting a pawn break there but collapsing his queenside in the process.
I was very happy because he had little time left… I wasn't surprised that he missed. It's a very difficult position on the board. Very passive.
I'm not surprised he failed. It's a very difficult position to be in…
-Alireza Firouzja
For Firouzja, everything went according to plan today. Photo: Renato Uthes/Grand Chess Tour.
Caruana 1/2-1/2 Gukesh
Caruana and GM Gukesh Domaraj played an unconventional Italian midgame, with both players reaching the endgame with weak pawns. Caruana tried to extend his small advantage, but with his isolated pawns doubled up, it looked like he had little to play for.
But starting with the bad-looking 23.Ra3, the American Grandmaster's pieces slide into harmonious squares, seemingly tuned to apply maximum pressure on Black's weaknesses.
With both teams under time pressure, Caruana had a tactical chance which he missed and Gukes prevented further chances. General manager Cristian Chirilla said:
It turns out that Gukesh is a really strong defender. Another difference between the world champion Ding and the challenger Gukesh is that Gukesh is very comfortable playing long matches, which doesn't seem to be the case for Ding.
Gukesh has proven to be a really strong defender.
-Christian Chirilla
When Caruana missed his chance, Gukes didn't give him another chance. Photo: Renato Würtz/Grand Chess Tour.
Prajnananda 1/2-1/2 Nepomniachtchi
GM Ian Nepomniacz made an unusual pawn sacrifice in the Petrov Defense, surprising GM Pragnanandha Rameshbabu. The young grandmaster accepted the sacrifice and looked for a way to gain an advantage with the first move. When the second challenger proposed a three-way repetition, Pragnanandha thought for over 30 minutes and reluctantly accepted a draw rather than risk it while preparing for his opponent.
Pragnanthar eventually accepted the draw but wanted to continue playing. Photo: Renato Uthes/Grand Chess Tour.
Ian Nepomniachtchi finished his match against Pragnanandha with more time on his hands than he started, proving his preparation for today went extremely well. #GrandChestour #SinquefieldCup #plug #Ian Nepomniachtchi pic.twitter.com/ZAnyslPUTr
— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) August 26, 2024
Vachier Lagrave 1/2-1/2 Giri
GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Anish Giri played a very balanced and peaceful match in Berlin.
The consecutive draw record has reached 24! https://t.co/DqldVd1NmU
— Chess24 (@chess24com) August 26, 2024
In the eighth round, Firouzja will play black against Nepomniachtchi. Caruana, who is one point behind, will try to gain an advantage with black pieces against Praggnanandhaa, while the players tied for third place will be looking for a win to stay in the running for the championship.
Round 8 matchups
Image: St. Louis Chess Club.
The 2024 Sinquefield Cup is the final tournament and final Classic event of the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. Ten players will compete in a Classic Singles Round Robin for a prize of $350,000.
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