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Caruana Wins Sinquefield Cup
Caruana capped off his 2023 classical run with a trifecta of victories. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Caruana Wins Sinquefield Cup

NM_Vanessa
NM NM_Vanessa
| 42 | Chess Event Coverage

GM Fabiano Caruana added the 2023 Sinquefield Cup to his year of victories on Thursday. In his final round vs. GM Richard Rapport, Caruana combined strategic clarity with dynamic execution to break his opponent's defenses. 

Caruana dominated the 2023 Grand Chess Tour, winning the tour itself along with three of the four events he competed in: the Superbet Classic Romania, the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, and the Sinquefield Cup. 

GM Leinier Dominguez finished in second after drawing vs. GM Levon Aronian. GM Wesley So, who finished his tournament in round eight, won third. 

2023 Sinquefield Cup: Final Standings

After the penultimate round―with two Candidates spots hanging in the balance―the players had a fun-spirited discussion of the various hypothetical scenarios. 

With his own Candidates qualification already secure and the Grand Chess Tour in his pocket, Caruana had one last goal remaining as the last round began.

Caruana 1 - 0 Rapport

When Rapport played the energetic pawn break, 21...c5!?, Caruana was ready for the resulting tactical nuances, and he soon gained a dominant position in the endgame, revolving around his advanced passed pawn. The American grandmaster shared his assessment:

I thought this endgame, there’s absolutely no risk for White. Worst case he equalizes somehow. Best case he’s in serious danger, which is what I felt, because his knights are very awkward.

As the players reached time trouble, Rapport tried to construct a defensive setup. Yet, Caruana’s forces continuously increased the pressure until they found cracks in his opponent’s resistance. Caruana's last round victory is our Game of the Day, with analysis by GM Rafael Leitao below.

Caruana takes home $100,000 in addition to the $100,000 prize for his GCT first place. He reflected on his unbelieveable finish: 

I actually remember last year. Because last year, Alireza, he came, he won the Rapid & Blitz, he won the Sinquefield Cup, and he won the Grand Chess Tour. I remember thinking: This is amazing. I can’t ever dream of doing this. 

This year, I did what he did.

I remember thinking: This is amazing. I can’t ever dream of doing this. 

This year, I did what he did.

―Fabiano Caruana

This victory brings Caruana's classical rating up to 2804. On the January 2024 list, he will officially be over 2800 for the first time in over two years.

Aronian ½ - ½ Dominguez

Though Dominguez began the round tied with Caruana and in contention for first, he had the black pieces, making it more difficult to create winning chances. His game vs. Aronian was solid and balanced throughout. Yet, at one point, Aronian could have spiced up the middlegame with a bishop sacrifice to open up the enemy kingside.

GM Garry Kasparov made a guest appearance on the tournament broadcast, sharing his feelings on the decision Aronian faced:

It's even, but it's exciting... I think White has an excellent position, very entertaining, and I would say it's easy to play with White... I would think if the tournament goes poorly, why not take on h6? Have fun.

In the fight for the Candidates rating spot, So has retained his slight lead while Dominguez trails by one rating point. 

Nepomniachtchi ½ - ½ Giri

In his usual fast-paced playing style, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi reached move 25 with more time than he started with and over an hour more than GM Anish Giri. With his first move advantage and extra time, Nepomniachtchi tried to generate active play around his opponent's king, but Giri defended accurately. 

For the second Candidates spot, Giri continues to lead in FIDE Circuit points, though his closest competitor, GM Gukesh Dommaraju, could surpass him in the London Chess Classic. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club.

Vachier-Lagrave ½ - ½ Firouzja

GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja dove into a theoretical battle in the main lines of the Berlin Defense where White sacrifices three pawns to open up the black king. Yet, the game quickly wound down with a perpetual check. 

Results - Round 9

White Black
Caruana 1 - 0 Rapport
Nepomniachtchi 1/2 - 1/2 Giri
Aronian 1/2 - 1/2 Dominguez
Vachier-Lagrave 1/2 - 1/2 Firouzja
So Rest Day

How to replay the 2023 Sinquefield Cup

You can keep up with all the games and results of the tournament on our live events platform by following this link.

All Games

The 2023 Sinquefield Cup is the strongest international classical OTB tournament in the U.S. and the final leg of the 2023 Grand Chess Tour. Starting November 21 at 2:30 p.m. ET/20:30 CET/01:00 (+1) IST, 10 elite grandmasters will compete for their share of the $350,000 prize fund.

Previous Coverage

NM_Vanessa
NM Vanessa West

Vanessa West is a National Master, a chess teacher, and a writer for Chess.com. In 2017, they won the Chess Journalist of the Year award.

You can follow them on X: Vanessa__West

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