Sinquefield Cup 2025: Gukesh saves lost game to stay in race for GCT finals
Round 6 of the Sinquefield Cup 2025 ended with all games drawn as Fabiano Caruana stayed in the sole lead. India’s Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa kept their Grand Chess Tour Final hopes alive with respectable performances in St. Louis.
Round 6 of the Sinquefield Cup 2025 saw all five games end in draws, but there was still plenty of action. World Champion D Gukesh was in big trouble against France's Alireza Firouzja, but he defended calmly and saved half a point in the end from a losing position.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa looked slightly better against Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland, but the advantage slipped away and the game ended with both players at a level.
Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana maintained his lead at the top after drawing with Sam Sevian. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave also came very close to a win against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, but the young Uzbek Grandmaster fought hard to survive. Levon Aronian and Wesley So saw their game end in a quick draw too.
More from ChessSinquefield Cup 2025: Round 6 results
- Praggnanandhaa ½–½ Duda
- Gukesh ½–½ Firouzja
- Sevian ½–½ Caruana
- Aronian ½–½ So
- Abdusattorov ½–½ Vachier-Lagrave
Caruana is still leading the Sinquefield Cup 2025 with 4 points and looks in a strong position to reach the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finals. Aronian and Praggnanandhaa are just half a point behind Caruana, keeping their hopes alive as the event moves into the final stages.
For Gukesh, the draw in round six means he is still in the fight, but he will likely need wins in the remaining games to have a real chance to qualify for the final. Firouzja and MVL are looking good to seal spots in the GCT finals despite a draw in the latest round. The top four in the GCT standings will make the finals in Brazil.
The Sinquefield Cup 2025 is the last classical event of this year’s Grand Chess Tour and is being played in St. Louis from August 18 to 28. With only three rounds to go, every half-point could be important in deciding who qualifies for the GCT Final.
Sinquefield Cup 2025: Standings
| Rank | Player | Rating | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabiano Caruana (USA) | 2784 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Levon Aronian (USA) | 2737 | 3.5 |
| 3 | R Praggnanandhaa (IND) | 2779 | 3.5 |
| 4 | Wesley So (USA) | 2745 | 3.0 |
| 5 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) | 2736 | 3.0 |
| 6 | Sam Sevian (USA) | 2683 | 3.0 |
| 7 | Alireza Firouzja (FRA) | 2766 | 3.0 |
| 8 | Gukesh Dommaraju (IND) | 2776 | 3.0 |
| 9 | Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL) | 2725 | 2.5 |
| 10 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) | 2771 | 1.5 |
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