Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa Holds Reigning World Champion Ding Liren to Draw in Sinquefield Cup

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa Holds World Champion Ding Liren to a Draw in Sinquefield Cup

In a thrilling sixth round of the Sinquefield Cup, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa showcased his exceptional skills by holding the reigning world champion Ding Liren to a draw. The final leg of the Grand Chess Tour witnessed some intense battles, with World Championship challenger D Gukesh also playing out an enterprising draw with France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

The highlight of the round was Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi suffering a shocking loss to Fabiano Caruana of the United States in just 25 moves. Caruana, who currently leads the tournament with 4 points, seems determined to give a tough competition to Alireza Firouzja, who is also performing exceptionally well.

With just three rounds remaining, Caruana and Wesley So are closely following Firouzja with 3.5 points each. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Vachier-Lagrave, and Liren share the fourth spot with three points each, while Nepomniachtchi and Abdusattorov are half a point behind. Anish Giri stands last on two points in the USD 3,50,000 prize money tournament.

Gukesh, who has been putting in a lot of effort in every game, faced a tough challenge against Vachier-Lagrave. Despite a double-edged idea in the middle game that earned him a pawn, Gukesh had to settle for a draw after a hard-fought battle that lasted 72 moves.

On the other hand, Praggnanandhaa’s game against Liren was relatively smooth, with both players making no serious mistakes. The draw was agreed upon without much drama, showcasing Praggnanandhaa’s composure and skill on the board.

As the tournament progresses, the competition is heating up, with players giving their best to secure a top spot. Fans can expect more thrilling matches in the upcoming rounds as the battle for supremacy continues in the Sinquefield Cup.