Duda and Gukesh battle it out
The fifth round of the Sinquefield Cup produced the first clean sweep of draws in this year’s edition. Although no decisive games were recorded, the day was far from uneventful, with several encounters carrying tension and interest deep into the middlegame.
Fabiano Caruana retained his position as sole leader of the tournament with 3½ points, while Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu remain half a point behind on 3 points each. A group of five players, including world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, follows on 2½ points.
Caruana, coming from back-to-back wins in rounds three and four, adopted a pragmatic strategy with white against Wesley So. The game developed from a symmetrical English Opening, where both players followed theory for some time. While Caruana maintained a small pull, So defended accurately and ensured that the balance was never seriously disrupted. With no way to make progress without taking risks, Caruana settled for a draw.
Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The day’s most dramatic duel was played between Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Gukesh Dommaraju. Their game quickly became highly tactical, with sharp exchanges leaving both players in complex territory.
Duda generated strong attacking chances and appeared close to inflicting Gukesh’s second defeat of the tournament. At the critical moment, however, the Polish grandmaster missed the spectacular resource 27.Bg2, which would have swung the evaluation decisively in his favour. Without this final blow, the initiative slipped away, and Gukesh was able to navigate the complications. After a tense sequence of moves, the game resolved into a threefold repetition.
Duda ½-½ Gukesh
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
All eyes on the enthralling game between Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Alireza Firouzja also aimed for complications in his clash with Levon Aronian. The French representative sacrificed two pawns in order to unbalance the position and generate active chances, but Aronian, who has been in excellent form throughout the summer, defended with clarity. Despite Firouzja’s efforts, the initiative did not yield concrete rewards, and the game soon petered out to a repetition after just under an hour of play.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s meeting with Praggnanandhaa followed a similar pattern: the French grandmaster pressed in the middlegame, and at moments it seemed the Indian youngster might have to solve practical problems. However, Pragg’s calm defence neutralised the pressure, and the game eventually concluded peacefully.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Check out Karsten Müller’s Endgame Magic Show with Praggnanandhaa!
The final game to finish was between Sam Sevian and Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Sevian, eager to register his first win of the tournament, pushed ambitiously in the middlegame and tried to pose practical challenges for his opponent. Abdusattorov, however, who has struggled in earlier rounds, showed resilience and calculated precisely in the critical moments, holding the balance and ensuring that the game did not slip away from him.
The tournament now pauses for a rest day before resuming on Sunday, 24 August. Round six will see leader Caruana taking the black pieces against Sevian.
