A third missed chance for MVL
Round six of the Sinquefield Cup again produced five draws, but the scoreboard alone did not reflect the intensity of play in Saint Louis. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja both had realistic chances to score full points, against Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Gukesh Dommaraju respectively, yet both games slipped from their grasp. As a result, Fabiano Caruana maintained his narrow lead with 3½ points, followed by Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu on 3 points.
Gukesh’s encounter with Firouzja was an eventful affair. A Najdorf Sicilian quickly left the beaten track, as the players were navigating fresh territory right out of the opening. Gukesh was the first to take the initiative, but his choice of 21.Ned5 with the wrong knight let the advantage slip.
Firouzja responded with the precise 21…Na6 and soon gained the upper hand. Once he got to play 27…f5 it was clear that he had realistic winning chances.
Eventually the position got simplified into an endgame in which Firouzja had an extra pawn. However, his 36…Rxc2, grabbing a second extra pawn temporarily, was not the most precise path to make the most of his advantage.
The most accurate continuation here was 36…f4 37.Rxd6 Rh5+, taking the initiative. Firouzja had only a bit over 1 minute on his clock at this point, though, so it is understandable that he failed to figure out all the nuances of the position.
From this point on, Gukesh defended with great care, holding a difficult pawn-down ending. At one point, he was down to just two seconds, yet still managed to find the necessary moves to escape with half a point.
Gukesh Dommaraju and Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Vachier-Lagrave’s frustration continued as he let another strong position go unconverted. In a reversed Rossolimo, he punished Abdusattorov’s 24.b3 with 24…Re8, seizing the initiative and gradually steering the game into a favourable endgame.
At one stage, with queens off the board, the French grandmaster held a straightforward technical win. Abdusattorov, however, clung on resourcefully. The game simplified into a king and pawn ending which, despite Black’s extra pawn, was a theoretical draw. Six rounds in, all of MVL’s games have been drawn, with three clear wins left behind.
Abdusattorov ½-½ Vachier-Lagrave
Analysis by GM Karsten Müller
Nodirbek Abusattorov | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Sam Sevian also came close to shaking up the standings in his game against Caruana. He obtained a superior position but chose to end matters with a threefold repetition rather than enter sharp complications. This decision ensured Caruana’s continued leadership.
The remaining games, Praggnanandhaa v. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Aronian v. Wesley So, were relatively quiet affairs and ended without serious winning chances for either side.
Still in the lead – Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Tied for second place – Levon Aronian | Photo: Lennart Ootes
