Round 9

Fabiano Caruana is the Sinquefield Cup winner.
This year, Fabi has never failed to win a tournament in St. Louis: US championship, Rapid & Blitz, and Sinquefield Cup!
In the last round, the American Ace defeated Richard Rapport to win the tournament with 5.5/8.

Congratulations, Fabiano!

Round 8

In the second-to-last round, the intensity subdued with four draws, maintaining Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez at the forefront of the Sinquefield Cup as they approach the tournament's conclusion. The sole match that evolved into a significant battle unfolded between Rapport and Aronian. The top-ranked Romanian player, Rapport, exerted considerable effort during an endgame featuring bishops of opposite colors. Despite his persistence, he was unable to create any opportunities for victory.

Standings after Round 8

Fabiano Caruana	4.5 (7)
Wesley So	4.5 (8)
Leinier Dominguez	4.5 (7)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	3.5 (7)
Levon Aronian	3.5 (7)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	3.5 (7)
Anish Giri	3.0 (7)
Alireza Firouzja	2.5 (7)
Richard Rapport	2.5 (7)

Here is a nice interview with Dominguez, who's fighting to win the tournament:

Round 7

Fabiano Caruana scored a vital victory over Wesley So, leveling the tournament standings and securing the overall triumph in the 2023 Grand Chess Tour! Leinier Dominguez won over Rapport, marking his second consecutive win and positioning himself favorably to potentially secure a qualification spot for the 2024 FIDE Candidates based on rating. As the Sinquefield Cup enters its final two rounds, the competition remains intense for both the tournament title and the two qualifying spots, available through the FIDE Circuit and the January 2024 FIDE Rating.

Standings after Round 7

Fabiano Caruana	4.0 (6)
Wesley So	4.0 (7)
Leinier Dominguez	4.0 (6)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	3.0 (6)
Levon Aronian	3.0 (6)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	3.0 (6)
Alireza Firouzja	2.5 (7)
Anish Giri	2.5 (6)
Richard Rapport	2.0 (6)

Round 6

Amid escalating tensions in the 2024 FIDE Candidates competition, Wesley So advanced a step closer to qualification by securing his second victory, triumphing over Levon Aronian. Meanwhile, both Firouzja and Giri suffered defeats in their matches against Caruana and Dominguez, respectively, widening So's lead to a substantial 10 points in the current FIDE live ratings chart.

While maintaining his lead in the Sinquefield Cup with three rounds remaining, So is set to face a crucial game against Caruana as Black in the upcoming match tomorrow.

Standings after Round 6:

Wesley So	4.0 (6)
Fabiano Caruana	3.0 (5)
Maxime Vachier_Lagrave	3.0 (6)
Leinier Dominguez	3.0 (5)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	2.5 (5)
Levon Aronian	2.5 (5)
Alireza Firouzja	2.0 (6)
Anish Giri	2.0 (5)
Richard Rapport	2.0 (5)

On the right of the score, the number of played games

Round 5

GM Wesley So joined GM Levon Aronian as the sole player with a win so far, defeating French GM Alireza Firouzja.

Here is a nice post-game interview with Levon:

The standings, with the forced byes due to Duda's forfeit, are a bit confusing.

Wesley So	3.0 (5)
Levon Aronian	2.5 (4)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	2.5 (5)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	2.5 (5)
Fabiano Caruana	2.0 (4)
Alireza Firouzja	2.0 (5)
Leinier Dominguez	2.0 (4)
Anish Giri	2.0 (4)
Richard Rapport	1.5 (4)

On the right of the score, the number of played games

Tomorrow, Sunday, is a rest day.

Round 4

Following a well-deserved Thanksgiving break, the players reentered the competition today with a noticeable surge in enthusiasm. Enthusiastic fans gathered at the World Chess Hall of Fame entrance, eagerly awaiting photos and autographs, which the players willingly provided. The vibrant atmosphere set the stage for the end of the tournament's string of draws, and at last, it happened! When the dust settled, GM Wesley So secured a decisive victory, propelling himself into the lead and strengthening his bid for a spot in the 2024 Candidates Tournament. GM Levon Aronian had a bye today, as GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda withdrew from the competition.

Standings after Round 4

Wesley So	2.5 (4)
Fabiano Caruana	2.0 (4)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	2.0 (4)
Alireza Firouzja	2.0 (4)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	2.0 (4)
Levon Aronian	1.5 (3)
Leinier Dominguez	1.5 (3)
Anish Giri	1.5 (3)
Richard Rapport	1.0 (3)

On the right of the score, the number of played games

Round 3

The news about Duda's health again dominated round 3, and, unfortunately, right before the start of the round, the organization communicated that Duda withdrew from the tournament.
Dominguez got an extra rest day, and the rest of the games ended in a draw. A decisive result has yet to be seen after three rounds.
Because of Duda’s withdrawal from the event, players will now play eight games, and GM Anish Giri’s draw in the first round against Duda will be voided.

Standings after Round 3

Fabiano Caruana	1.5 (3)
Alireza Firouzja	1.5 (3)
Ian Nepomniachtchi	1.5 (3)
Wesley So	1.5 (3)
Levon Aronian	1.5 (3)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	1.5 (3)
Leinier Dominguez	1.0 (2)
Richard Rapport	1.0 (2)
Anish Giri	1.0 (2)

On the right of the score, the number of played games

Here is a nice interview with Ian Nepomniachtchi:

Round 2

Round 2 was characterized by one of the games that didn't occur due to Duda's sickness.
Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana were very close to scoring their first victories in the tournament, but their games eventually finished on draws, as the rest of the played games.

Standings after Round 2

Fabiano Caruana	1.0
Alireza Firouzja	1.0
Ian Nepomniachtchi	1.0
Wesley So	1.0
Levon Aronian	1.0
Anish Giri	1.0
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave	1.0
Leinier Dominguez	1.0
Richard Rapport	0.5
Jan-Krzysztof Duda	0.5

Notice that Rapport and Duda didn't play their Round 2 game.

Here is a nice interview with Anish Giri after Round 2:

Round 1

The beginning of the last segment of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour was a relatively calm initial round, resulting in draws for all five games. Notably, the pivotal match between So and Firouzja, with substantial repercussions for the 2024 FIDE Candidates tournament (see table below), also ended in a draw. The lengthiest encounter of the day occurred in the game between Dominguez and Caruana. The former top Cuban player pressured Fabiano considerably in a rook endgame with an additional pawn. Despite these efforts, Dominguez couldn't breach Caruana's defense.

Bo.	No.	Rtg	Title	Name	Result	Title	Name	Rtg	No.
Round 1 on 2023/11/21 at 14:00 ET
1	10	2734	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	1/2	GM	Aronian, Levon	2727	1
2	9	2745	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	1/2	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2795	2
3	8	2748	GM	Rapport, Richard	1/2	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2771	3
4	7	2752	GM	Giri, Anish	1/2	GM	Duda, Jan-Krzysztof	2731	4
5	6	2752	GM	So, Wesley	1/2	GM	Firouzja, Alireza	2777	5

The Sinquefield Cup, an integral part of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) circuit, will captivate chess enthusiasts and aficionados again in 2023.
The Saint Louis Chess Club hosts this prestigious annual event, boasts a rich history, and is renowned for its competitive classical format.
With a total prize fund of $350,000, the Sinquefield Cup is a battle for supremacy and the final frontier for players vying for crucial points in the 2023 Grand Chess Tour.
The tournament is a ten-player round-robin, with a time control of 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 more minutes for the rest of the game. There's a 30-second increment per move.
Here is the situation for the GCT standings entering the last event:

Player	Superbet Chess Classic Romania	Poland GCT Rapid & Blitz	Croatia GCT Rapid & Blitz	Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz	Total points	Prize money
Fabiano Caruana (United States)	13		7	13	33	$160,000
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	4.5	7.5		10	22	$72,750
Alireza Firouzja (France)	7.8		8	6	21.8	$82,750
Wesley So (United States)	7.8	7.5		4.5	19.8	$75,750
Ian Nepomniachtchi (FIDE)	2		10	7.5	19.5	$65,500
Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland)	4.5	10	3.5		18	$59,250
Richárd Rapport (Romania)	7.8	5	5		17.8	$64,750
Anish Giri (Netherlands)	7.8	4		2	13.8	$60,750
Ding Liren (China)	3				3	$16,000

Fabiano Caruana is the favorite since he's participating in the Sinquefield Cup.
Indeed, the GCT point distribution is as follows:

1st: 12 (13 if no tiebreak playoff is needed)
2nd: 10
3rd: 8
4th: 7
5th: 6
6th: 5
7th: 4
8th: 3
9th: 2
10th: 1

Therefore, theoretically, MVL, with a current difference of 11 points, can still win the Grand Chess Tour. But it would happen only if he won and Caruana placed last.

Play starts November 21, at 1 PM Central Time - 2 PM ET.

Date	Time	Event
November 21	2:00 PM	Round 1
November 22	2:00 PM	Round 2
November 23	2:00 PM	Round 3
November 24	2:00 PM	Round 4
November 25	2:00 PM	Round 5
November 26		Rest Day
November 27	2:00 PM	Round 6
November 28	2:00 PM	Round 7
November 29	2:00 PM	Round 8
November 30	2:00 PM	Round 9
November 30	7:30 PM	Playoffs (If Necessary)
December 1		GCT Playoff

December 3		Player Departure

The Prize fund will be distributed as follows:

Place	Prize
1st	$100,000
2nd	$65,000
3rd	$48,000
4th	$32,000
5th	$26,000
6th	$21,000
7th	$18,500
8th	$16,000
9th	$13,000
10th	$10,500

Sinquefield Cup 2023