Sinquefield Cup GCT

Round 5 of the Sinquefield Cup was the final round before the day off and the players certainly gave their all. The most remarkable games were played by the current and former World Champions.

Day one of the first classical event of the Grand Chess Tour was full of fighting chess and decisive results. Even with slower time controls, it is clear that the players came to play. Levo Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Sergey Karjakin started the tournament off well as they defeated their opponents in a fine manner.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

As if the last round of the Sinquefield Cup was not thrilling enough, the fans were treated to one final and less formal event, Ultimate Moves. Unlike regular tournaments that require quiet and concentration, Ultimate Moves is a fun team event that actually encourages banter and “trash talking” between the teams.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

After a very dramatic round, America’s #3 rated player, Wesley So, won the 2016 Sinquefield Cup. His road to victory was not easy, as today there were several different scenarios in which someone could have tied with him, sending them to the playoffs tomorrow; in the case he lost, someone could have passed him! Wesley was very solid throughout the tournament, not losing any games and making draws when he needed to, a strategy that he felt worked very well for him

By Tatev Abrahamyan

The leader of the tournament, Wesley So, was not able to seal the deal today, as he drew quickly against his compatriot, Fabiano Caruana. It seemed as if it was going to be a quick round, for three of the games ended very quickly, but Levon Aronian got a very solid advantage right out of the opening and masterfully progressed it towards a win.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

After a seven hour day, the standings didn’t change and all ended in a draw. Wesley So is still leading with only two rounds to go, trailed closely by Vishy Anand and Veselin Topalov, who are both half a point behind.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

The rest day was exactly what the doctor prescribed, as the players were rejuvenated and came ready to fight. After three days of quiet games, Round 6 produced five exciting games and three decisive results. The most dramatic result of the round came when Wesley So beat Veselin Topalov, surpassing him by half a point and taking the sole lead of the tournament.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

After more than six hours of play, it seemed that the round would end with all peaceful results, but a dramatic finish left Topalov at the top of the leaderboard. The start of the round was very promising as several of the games were very complicated.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

​​It appears that even chess players are not fans of Mondays, as round 4 of the 2016 Sinquefield Cup saw five quiet draws. Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana drew very quickly, as the former was ill and did not feel up to the task.

By Tatev Abrahamyan

​​​Day three of the 2016 Sinquefield Cup was very peaceful, but not without some fireworks. Much to everyone’s surprise, Topalov blundered a simple tactic right out of the opening, but his opponent, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, did not find the most precise continuation and only drew the game.