R Praggnanandhaa squanders winning position in Sinquefield Cup, Firouzja leads after round 5

In a thrilling fifth round of the Sinquefield Cup, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa missed out on a crucial victory against Wesley So, while D Gukesh settled for a hard-fought draw. The tournament, which is the final leg of the Grand Chess Tour, saw Alireza Firouzja emerge as the sole leader after defeating Anish Giri.

Despite holding a winning position, Praggnanandhaa was unable to convert it into a victory, highlighting the need for improvement in his technical skills. This is not the first time the young Indian player has struggled to capitalize on advantageous positions, as seen in his previous round against Gukesh.

With Firouzja leading the pack with 3.5 points, Wesley So closely follows with 3 points. The upcoming sixth round will see a highly anticipated match between So and Firouzja, with both players vying for the top spot.

The standings also include Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Ding Liren, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Fabiano Caruana, all sharing the third spot with 2.5 points each. Anish Giri finds himself at the bottom of the table with 1.5 points.

The results of the fifth round saw Praggnanandhaa drawing with Wesley So, Firouzja defeating Giri, Nepomniachtchi drawing with Ding Liren, Abdusattorov drawing with Gukesh, and Caruana drawing with Vachier-Lagrave.

As the tournament progresses, fans can expect more intense battles and surprising outcomes in the Sinquefield Cup.