Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa’s hopes of a strong finish at the Sinquefield Cup took a hit as he squandered a winning position against Wesley So of America in the fifth round. The Indian prodigy, who had a chance to move into contention for the title, faltered in the endgame, allowing So to escape with a draw.
Praggnanandhaa’s setback was compounded by World Championship challenger D Gukesh, who settled for a hard-fought draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. The Indian duo, who have been in impressive form this year, have now dropped valuable points in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja of France emerged as the sole leader after beating Anish Giri of Holland. The French prodigy, who has been in scintillating form, now has 3.5 points, a half point ahead of So.
The other matches in the 10-player round-robin tournament ended in draws. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, Ding Liren of China, Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, and Fabiano Caruana of the United States all shared the third spot on 2.5 points each.
Praggnanandhaa’s loss was particularly disappointing as he had been in a commanding position against So. The Indian had a significant material advantage in the endgame but failed to convert it into a victory. This has been a recurring theme for Praggnanandhaa, who has often struggled to close out games from winning positions.
Despite the setback, Praggnanandhaa remains in contention for a top-three finish. He will need to bounce back strongly in the remaining rounds and hope that the leaders falter.
