Sinquefield Cup 2024, Round 4: Wesley So takes the lead, Firouzja has 9 lives
GM Wesley So defeated GM Ian Nepomniachtchi on Thursday at the 2024 Sinquefield Cup to move into first place, tied with GM Alireza Firouzja. Firouzja himself only just managed to survive the brilliant tactical play of GM Gukesh Dommaraju in our match of the day.
The Sinquefield Cup will continue with the fifth round on Friday, August 23, 2:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CEST / 11:30 p.m. IST.
Table after round 4
Gukesh vs Firouzja: 1/2-1/2
Gukesh was able to develop a wealth of tactical ideas in the Berlin endgame against Firouzja. Can you figure out how the challenger created sparks in the following position?
White’s move.
On move 23, Gukesh set off even more fireworks with a rook sacrifice.
23.Rd6!! Another brilliant move from Gukesh today! It is definitely the most spectacular game of the fourth round. #grandchesstour #SinquefieldCup pic.twitter.com/vT42LIiqrs
— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) 22 August 2024
The 18-year-old grandmaster continued to use every opportunity to put pressure on the opponent, cutting off Firouzja’s counterplay on the queenside and then letting his passer advance on the other side. With both players running out of time, a critical moment arrived and Gukesh was able to win a bishop and three pawns against a rook.
But ultimately, the Indian prodigy was confronted with the infamous words of GM Emanuel Lasker: “The game that is hardest to win is a game won.” GM Rafael Leitao’s insights into our game of the day will follow shortly.
So against Nepomniachtchi: 1-0
By move 20, So and Nepomniachtchi reached a very equal middlegame, with the latter still having more time on his clock than at the beginning.
The players exchanged more pieces, including their queens. Although So gained an additional passed pawn, the endgame was down to few pawns and Nepomniachtchi’s rooks were active.
But little by little, So made progress. GM Peter Svidler said:
Wesley is one of the best in the world when it comes to exploiting small advantages, asking small questions, just constantly improving, not offering a draw and not giving the opponent clear chances for that draw.
Wesley is one of the best in the world when it comes to taking advantage of small things…
―Peter Svidler
Things went from bad to worse for Nepomniachtchi when the American grandmaster moved his king to the queenside to support his passer. The black king, meanwhile, was cut off on the kingside and unable to help.
Ding against Caruana: 1/2-1/2
In the middlegame, GM Ding Liren outwitted GM Fabiano Caruana to gain a significant positional advantage. The world champion increased his pressure on the queenside while fending off the American grandmaster’s counterplay on the kingside. Caruana said: “I realized I was in an uncomfortable situation because there was no way to prevent the bishop exchange.”
Ding continued his pressure until move 37, when he offered a knight exchange that lost all his advantage. The players soon exchanged queens with bishops in a stalemate.
Giri vs Praggnanandhaa: 1/2-1/2
Although on the surface Grandmasters Anish Giri and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu played a peaceful 33-move encounter, behind the scenes there was a web of tactical ideas to sort through. Praggnanandhaa shared:
I missed b4. When I played …Re8, he started making funny faces and I thought: I should give up now. Anish has prepared some tricks for me. At least I can fight now.
He started making funny faces and I thought: I should step back at that moment.
―Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu
Vachier-Lagrave vs Abdusattorov: 1/2-1/2
Grandmasters Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Nodirbek Abdusattorov both recovered from their disappointing games yesterday, exchanging an equal rook endgame on move 21 and soon repeating the position.
Round five is the round before the rest day, which often pushes players to play their best. Firouzja will make the first move against Giri, while So will play with black against Praggnanandhaa.
The 2024 Sinquefield Cup is the final leg and final classical event of the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. Ten players will compete in a classical single round robin tournament for their share of $350,000 in prize money.
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