Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France to move into a share of the lead with American Wesley So after the eighth and penultimate round of the Sinquefield Cup here on Wednesday.
The victory took Praggnanandhaa to five points from eight games and assured the Indian of a place in the Grand Finale of the Grand Chess Tour later this year.
Wesley So drew with compatriot Sevian Samuels to remain on five points, while Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov and Germany’s Vincent Keymer moved to third place on 4.5 points after contrasting victories.
Pragg Punishes Early Sacrifice
Playing with the white pieces, Vachier-Lagrave opted for an aggressive approach in his final white game of the tournament, but his early tactics against Praggnanandhaa failed to produce the desired result.
The game featured the Ruy Lopez, with Praggnanandhaa choosing the Moller variation. Vachier-Lagrave sacrificed a piece early, but the move ultimately left him exposed.
Praggnanandhaa gave up three pawns in exchange for the sacrificed piece but coordinated his remaining forces effectively and completed the victory in just 28 moves.
Keymer Stuns Caruana
Keymer produced another impressive performance with the white pieces to defeat top seed Fabiano Caruana.
The German entered a dynamic middlegame from an irregular Queen’s Pawn opening and used his tactical strength to gain the upper hand. He picked off two pawns before eventually forcing Caruana’s resignation after 76 moves.
Sindarov also continued his late surge, defeating Jorden van Foreest for his third consecutive victory.
The Uzbek produced a technically strong performance in an endgame arising from the Petrosian variation of the Queen’s Indian Defence. After an early pawn sacrifice, he won a rook for a minor piece and gradually converted his advantage in 56 moves.
Final Round Set Up
The final round promises a tight finish at the top.
Praggnanandhaa will play with the white pieces against Anish Giri, while Sindarov takes on Wesley So in another crucial encounter.
Keymer will face van Foreest and could join the leaders if he wins, setting up the possibility of a three-way or even four-way tie depending on other results.
With Praggnanandhaa already assured of his Grand Finale place, the Indian will now look to finish the Sinquefield Cup on a high and challenge for the title.
Results — Round 8
- Javokhir Sindarov beat Jorden van Foreest
- Wesley So drew with Sevian Samuels
- Vincent Keymer beat Fabiano Caruana
- Anish Giri drew with Levon Aronian
- R Praggnanandhaa beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
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