So wins on demand, then prevails in three-way tiebreaker
The Sinquefield Cup concluded in Saint Louis with an eventful final day that saw Wesley So produce an impressive late surge to claim overall victory.
So began the tournament quietly, drawing his first six games, before defeating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in round seven and holding firm with another draw in round eight. In the last round, he faced Nodirbek Abdusattorov with the white pieces and demonstrated why he has long been regarded as one of the most reliable positional players at the top level. So’s win came in what was the only decisive result of the day, finishing the classical portion of the event on 5½ points. As Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu both drew their games, the standings ended with a three-way tie for first place.
Round 9 results
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves
Gukesh Dommaraju held Fabiano Caruana to a draw with the black pieces in the final round | Photo: Crystal Fuller
So’s win against Abdusattorov was a reminder of the virtues of controlled, methodical play. Abdusattorov, who endured a very difficult event, was unable to generate meaningful counterplay once White seized the initiative. So improved his pieces gradually and forced concessions from Black without allowing any tactical counter-chances. By the time the players reached the endgame, White’s positional dominance had been transformed into a tangible advantage, and So pressed home his edge without faltering.
So 1-0 Abdusattorov
Analysis by Johannes Fischer
Check out Karsten Müller’s Endgame Magic Show with Wesley So!
Nodirbek Abdusattorov had a tough tournament | Photo: Crystal Fuller
With three players tied at the top on 5½ points, the regulations required a playoff to determine the tournament winner. A blitz round-robin with a time control of five minutes plus a two-second increment was organised between Pragg, Caruana and So.
In the first game of the playoff, So defeated Pragg with the white pieces, putting him in the lead straight away. Pragg struck back in the following game, beating Caruana to keep himself in contention and setting the stage for a decisive finale.
Praggnanandhaa 1-0 Caruana
Analysis by Karsten Müller
Check out Karsten Müller’s Endgame Magic Show with Praggnanandhaa!
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu started the playoffs with a win | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The third and final game matched So against Caruana, with the stakes clearly defined: Caruana needed a win to keep the tiebreak going (all three players would have obtained 1 point each), while So only required a draw to clinch the title.
Caruana pressed with the white pieces and managed to obtain a material advantage of two pawns in a major piece endgame. So, however, proved why he has a reputation as one of the hardest players in the world to beat. Despite being under pressure, he steered the game towards simplification and eventually forced a draw, which was enough to secure overall victory in both the playoff and the tournament. Praggnanandhaa, with one win and one loss, finished second in the tiebreak standings, leaving Caruana in third place.
Caruana ½-½ So
Analysis by Johannes Fischer
Playoffs standings
All games – Playoffs
Draw agreed – Wesley So is the tournament winner | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Following his tournament victory, Wesley So thanked God and his mom Lotis Key – he also thanked English grandmaster Gawain Maroroa Jones, since he used a line from Jones’ book Coffehouse Repertoire 1.e4 in the decisive round-nine game | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Although So celebrated a tournament triumph, the Grand Chess Tour standings provided a more sobering outcome for him. Despite his strong finish in Saint Louis, he narrowly missed qualification for the GCT Finals, falling short by just half a tour point. The four places went instead to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana, Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa, who had accumulated more consistent results across the season.
The Finals are scheduled to be played in São Paulo, Brazil, from 28 September to 3 October. For So, the Sinquefield Cup win was a significant achievement and a reminder of his enduring class, even if it did not carry him through to the closing event of the tour.
