Sinquefield Cup: Caruana, Praggnanandhaa maintain lead as Abdusattorov scores first win

The penultimate round of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup delivered drama but left the standings at the top unchanged. GMs Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu remain joint leaders heading into the final round, while GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov finally broke through with his first victory of the tournament.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!World No. 2 Caruana safely held a draw with GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a balanced Ruy Lopez, a result that suited both players. Caruana stayed on top of the leaderboard, while Vachier-Lagrave all but secured qualification for the upcoming Grand Chess Tour Finals. Despite lamenting missed opportunities earlier in the event, the Frenchman remains unbeaten and in solid form.Praggnanandhaa also shared the point, against GM Wesley So, in a finely played Italian Game. So introduced a key improvement in the Two Knights Defense, neutralising White’s pressure. Though Praggnanandhaa probed slightly in the rook-and-knight endgame, So defended accurately to hold the balance.The biggest story of the day came from Abdusattorov, who punished GM Alireza Firouzja in a roller-coaster battle. The Uzbek No. 1 declined an early draw repetition, pressed for advantage, and capitalised when Firouzja miscalculated in the late middlegame. Firouzja, who has now suffered three losses, fell out of contention for the Finals. Abdusattorov, meanwhile, described the tournament as “the most difficult of my career” but said he hopes to come back stronger from the experience.World champion Gukesh Dommaraju pressed hard against GM Levon Aronian in a Queen’s Indian, seizing the initiative early and pushing for victory deep into the endgame. Aronian defended resourcefully, and although Gukesh still had winning chances, a late slip allowed Aronian to escape. The draw leaves both players just half a point behind the leaders.Elsewhere, GM Sam Sevian and GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda split the point after a near-perfectly played Italian, demonstrating precision that computer engines later assessed at 99% accuracy.Heading into the decisive final round, Caruana faces Gukesh with White in a heavyweight clash, while Praggnanandhaa takes on Aronian with the Black pieces. Wesley So, also in striking distance, will look to challenge against Abdusattorov. With multiple contenders still alive, the Sinquefield Cup title remains wide open and promises a thrilling conclusion.