Grandmaster D Gukesh draws with Caruana, Firouzja extends lead in Sinquefield Cup

In a thrilling seventh round of the Sinquefield Cup, Grandmaster D Gukesh played out a hard-fought draw against top seed and local favourite Fabiano Caruana, while Frenchman Alireza Firouzja extended his lead by a full point. The other Indian in the fray, R Praggnanandhaa, drew his seventh game in a row to maintain a fifty per cent score.

Firouzja, who defeated world champion Ding Liren of China, now has five points, with Caruana trailing behind with four points. Five players, including Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, are tied for third place with 3.5 points each.

In other matches, Nodirbek Abdusattorov stopped Wesley So’s winning streak, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew with Anish Giri. Gukesh put up a strong fight against Caruana in an Italian opening game, managing to secure a draw despite being in a difficult position in the endgame.

Praggnanandhaa faced off against Ian Nepomniachtchi, with the game ending in a quick draw after just 19 moves. The highlight of the day was Firouzja’s impressive performance against Liren, where he capitalized on his opponent’s mistakes to secure a victory.

With just two rounds remaining, the competition is heating up as Firouzja looks to maintain his lead and claim the title. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the Sinquefield Cup.