Caruana, Aronian and MVL top scorers
After four wins and two draws in the first six rounds, Fabiano Caruana began the third and final day of the rapid tournament in Saint Louis as the sole leader. In the last round of the second day, Caruana had taken advantage of a major blunder by the then leader, Levon Aronian, to win their direct encounter and overtake him at the top of the standings. In round seven, the world number three picked up where he had left off the previous day, defeating Grigoriy Oparin – results in the rapid tournament count double.
Aronian, along with Wesley So the closest pursuer to Caruana, also won his game against Sam Shankland, keeping up the pressure. Wesley So, however, had to settle for a draw against Le Quang Liem.
World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju was still struggling to gain momentum and lost to Leinier Dominguez in round seven.
In round eight, Caruana extended his lead with a victory over Le Quang Liem. Aronian, however, refused to be shaken off and stayed in close contention by defeating Oparin.
Wesley So, after a loss to Gukesh, could no longer keep pace with the two leaders.
Before the final round, Caruana led with 14 points, followed by Aronian on 12. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Leinier Dominguez, and Wesley So each had nine points.
In the final round, Caruana, with black, faced Gukesh, while Aronian had the same colour against Le Quang Liem.
The Classical Sicilian has stood the test of time as one of the most principled and fighting defences against 1.e4. With its rich history spanning world championship matches and modern elite tournaments, this opening remains a favourite among players who seek a dynamic, counterattacking approach without venturing into extreme theoretical battles like the Najdorf or Sveshnikov.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 6.h3
Caruana emerged from the opening against Gukesh with the better position and a strong attack. However, he missed several promising continuations, and the game developed into a complex struggle. An endgame arose in which Gukesh was down the exchange but had several extra pawns. Caruana lost the game, but since Aronian could only manage a narrow draw against Le Quang Liem, Caruana nevertheless won the rapid tournament by a one-point margin over Aronian.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave stands in third place going into the blitz section
