Javohir Sindarov remains unbeaten in St. Louis and closes in on the leader
Uzbek grandmaster Javohir Sindarov finished the first six rounds of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament in the United States unbeaten. On the second day, he drew against elite players Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana, taking sole second place with 7 points.
With three rounds remaining in the rapid section, Sindarov is just two points behind leader Praggnanandhaa. Today’s games could determine his chances of winning the rapid competition.
Three elite opponents, three important draws
Rounds 4–6 of the rapid event were played on the second day of the tournament. Sindarov avoided defeat in all three games.
His results:
Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
4 | Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa | Draw |
5 | Levon Aronian | Draw |
6 | Fabiano Caruana | Draw |
Praggnanandhaa is currently leading the tournament, Aronian has extensive rapid and blitz experience, while Caruana has the highest classical rating among the participants. Avoiding defeat against all three grandmasters in one day was therefore an important result for Sindarov.
Still unbeaten after six games
On the opening day, Javohir drew with Anish Giri and Vincent Keymer and defeated Jorden van Foreest.
His record after six rounds is therefore:
1 win;
5 draws;
0 losses.
In the Grand Chess Tour rapid event, a win is worth 2 points and a draw 1 point. Sindarov’s one win brought him 2 points, while his five draws added 5 more, for a total of 7 points.
In this scoring system, consistent unbeaten play is highly valuable. However, Sindarov may need at least one win in the remaining games to catch the leader.
Praggnanandhaa retains the lead
After six rounds, India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa leads with 9 points. He has recorded three wins and three draws.
Sindarov holds sole second place with 7 points. Five grandmasters – Anish Giri, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Vincent Keymer and Leinier Domínguez – follow him on 6 points each.
Place | Chess player | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa | India | 9 |
2 | Uzbekistan | 7 | |
3–7 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | 6 |
3–7 | Wesley So | USA | 6 |
3–7 | Levon Aronian | USA | 6 |
3–7 | Vincent Keymer | Germany | 6 |
3–7 | Leinier Domínguez | USA | 6 |
8–9 | Jorden van Foreest | Netherlands | 5 |
8–9 | Fabiano Caruana | USA | 5 |
10 | Awonder Liang | USA | 4 |
Sindarov’s one-point cushion over his pursuers is encouraging, but the standings are extremely tight. A single result on the final rapid day could send him to the top or several places down.
Today’s first opponent is Leinier Domínguez
The final three rapid rounds will be played on August 4. Games start at 12:00 p.m. St. Louis time and 10:00 p.m. Uzbekistan time.
Sindarov’s remaining opponents:
Round | Opponent | Color |
|---|---|---|
7 | Leinier Domínguez | White |
8 | Awonder Liang | White |
9 | Wesley So | Black |
Playing with the white pieces in his first two remaining games could be an important opportunity for Javohir. Against Awonder Liang in particular, who is last with 4 points, an aggressive approach in pursuit of victory is expected.
However, Leinier Domínguez is one of Sindarov’s direct pursuers with 6 points. Therefore, the seventh-round game is crucial not only for chasing the leader but also for preserving second place.
A win would increase the pressure on Praggnanandhaa
Because a rapid win is worth two points, the situation can change quickly. If Sindarov beats Domínguez in the seventh round, he will reach 9 points and could at least temporarily draw level with Praggnanandhaa.
The Indian leader will face Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer and Jorden van Foreest today. Since all three are high-level opponents, Praggnanandhaa could also drop points.
The best-case scenario for Sindarov:
Beat Domínguez with the white pieces.
Make the most of his chances against Liang.
Play safely but actively against Wesley So in the final round.
Rather than waiting for Praggnanandhaa’s results, fight for the maximum score in his own games.
The scoring system changes in blitz
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz consists of two sections. A nine-round rapid event is followed by an 18-round double round-robin blitz tournament.
The rapid time control is 25 minutes per player plus 10 seconds after every move. In blitz, players receive 5 minutes plus 2 seconds per move.
Points are also scored differently:
Format | Win | Draw | Loss |
|---|---|---|---|
Rapid | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Blitz | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
A strong rapid result therefore provides a major advantage, but it does not guarantee overall victory. With 18 blitz games to play, the standings can still change significantly.
$200,000 and points for the GCT Final
Ten grandmasters are taking part in the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament. The total prize fund is $200,000, with $50,000 going to the winner. Regular Grand Chess Tour participants are also competing for tour points, which are crucial for qualifying for the season-ending GCT Final.
Tournament participants:
Javohir Sindarov, Fabiano Caruana, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, Leinier Domínguez, Awonder Liang, Vincent Keymer, Anish Giri, Jorden van Foreest and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Sindarov’s consistency must now turn into wins
Going unbeaten for six rounds is an impressive achievement in a tournament featuring an elite field. It is especially notable that Sindarov shared the points with leader Praggnanandhaa, Aronian and Caruana on the same day.
However, draws alone will not be enough to win the rapid section. Javohir has the opportunity to play with the white pieces in two games, and those encounters could determine his standing in the tournament.
So far, the Uzbek grandmaster has completed the most important task: he has remained unbeaten among the world’s best-known chess players and is chasing the leader. Now it is time to turn consistency into maximum points.
How many points do you think Javohir Sindarov will score in the final three rapid rounds? Leave your prediction in the comments and share the article with chess fans on Telegram or other social networks!
Comments 0
…