Sinquefield Cup 2021

[Marc Andre Beaudry]

Wesley So has had a very good year and he is establishing himself as a worthy world championship candidates, he always improve. He's also a great teacher as his chessable videos and course are amazing, he seems to be studying everything plus je is a very nice guy.

[Hans Jung]

MVL agreed to a draw with the Shak to at least tie for first in the Sinquefeld Cup. Success for Maxim!

Two hours into the other games it looks like MVL might win this clear. Rapport is holding off Caruana and So - Dominguez is shaping to a draw.

Rapport decided to open things up and is now suffering in a long endgame. Keeps the fans on the edge of their seats. Could be a six hour game.

[Wayne Komer]

Sinquefield Cup 2021

August 26, 2021

Round Nine

Recap of Round Eight

With all five games drawn today American Grandmaster Wesley So clinched 1st place in the 2021 Grand Chess Tour. After today's round, he secured himself a minimum of 7 GCT points from the Sinquefield Cup and can no longer be mathematically caught in the overall tour standings. For his efforts, So earns the $100,000 first place bonus prize.

The slew of peaceful results also leaves Vachier-Lagrave leading the Sinquefield Cup with 5.5/8, half a point ahead of Caruana, So, and Dominguez heading into tomorrow’s final round.

Vachier-Lagrave - So | ½-½, 50 moves

A sharp piece of preparation put So under pressure in the 5.Re1 Berlin, but he managed to defend precisely and slowly equalize by forcing trades along the e-file. Having a half-point lead in the event, MVL decided not to risk too much, and acquiesced to a draw after all the exchanges.



After 14.Qf3 Black was under a bit of strain, but So continued with 14...Be6 and 15...Be7, slowly untangling his position.

Caruana - Svidler | ½-½, 42 moves

Caruana essayed an interesting line (6.e5) in the Giuoco Piano, and was able to achieve a small strategic plus, having the better side of a middlegame with opposite colored bishops. However Svidler defended accurately, not letting White get any initiative, and once the queens were exchanged neither side was left with any real winning chances.

Xiong - Mamedyarov | ½-½, 34 moves

The players discussed the topical 3...a6 variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined, as Mamedyarov gave himself an isolated queen pawn in exchange for long-term piece activity. While the game stayed equal for some time, it was due to open up once the players approached the first time control. As the players entered mutual time-trouble the fireworks started, with Mamedyarov sacrificing an exchange in order to start a direct attack against White’s king. Xiong then missed the best chance to squash Black’s initiative, and instead played a move that was winning in all lines but allowed a fantastic saving resource that Mamedyarov soon found. Black was then able to force a draw by perpetual check.



28...Nd3! saved the game for Mamedyarov, as after 29.Qxd2 Qh2+ 30.Kf2 Qg3+ White is forced to allow a perpetual, since the king cannot step on e2/f1 in view of Bc4, winning the queen.

Dominguez - Shankland | ½-½, 32 moves

This game featured a quiet line of the English Attack (6.Be3) in the Najdorf, with Dominguez looking to outplay Shankland in strategic fashion. But Shankland handled the middlegame just fine, and even managed to reach a slightly better endgame according to the engines. During mutual time-trouble, the players started to repeat moves in a position that appeared equal, but as it turned out both players missed a winning resource for Shankland, overlooking a key tactical detail. Instead, the game was soon drawn by repetition.

Position after 29.Be6



After 29.Be6, the players repeated with 29...Nd4 30.Bd5 Nf5 31.Be6 etc., but Black could have won with 29...Rxe4! 30.Bxf5 Rf4, where 31.Rgxg7 is met with R8xf5! (the move that both players missed) and Black is left with an extra piece. If White doesn’t play 31.Rgxg7, then Black has a clear extra pawn and much better position, with excellent winning chances.

Swiercz - Rapport | ½-½, 50 moves

A balanced London middlegame quickly turned sharp when Rapport decided to recapture a piece with gxf6, doubling his pawns on the f-file in exchange for an open g-file. Black’s enterprising play wasn’t really enough to pose serious problems for White, as Swiercz remained better throughout the game, but he wasn’t able to increase his advantage substantially, and the players eventually simplified into a drawn rook endgame. With the draw, So’s GCT victory was secured, as Rapport will no longer be able to pass him in the tournament standings.

Loek van Wely, Simon Williams and Andras Toth commentate

Round 9, August 26
Shankland, Sam – Swiercz, Dariusz
A11 English, Caro-Kann Defensive System

1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 Nf6 3.Bg2 c6 4.c4 dxc4 5.O-O Nbd7 6.Qc2 Nb6 7.a4 a5 8.Na3 Be6 9.Ng5 Qd7 10.e4 Bg4 11.Nxc4 Nxc4 12.Qxc4 e5 13.b3 Bb4 14.Bb2 h6 15.Nf3 Bxf3 16.Bxf3 Qe7 17.Rad1 O-O 18.d4 exd4 19.Rxd4 Nd7 20.Be2 Rad8 21.Rfd1 Nc5 22.Qc2 Rxd4 23.Rxd4 Rd8 24.e5 Rxd4 25.Bxd4 Ne6 26.Bb2 Qc5 27.Qc4 Qxc4 28.Bxc4 Nc5 29.Kf1 b5 30.axb5 cxb5 31.Bxb5 Nxb3 32.Ke2 Nc5 33.Bd4 a4 34.Bxc5 Bxc5 35.Bxa4 Kf8 36.Bb3 Ke7 37.f4 f6 38.e6 f5 39.Kf3 h5 40.Kg2 Kf6 41.Kf3 Ke7 42.Kg2 Kf6 43.Kf3 Ke7 1/2-1/2

Round 9, August 26
Mamedyarov, Shakhriyar – MVL
D85 Grunfeld, Modern Exchange variation

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 Bg7 7.Nf3 c5 8.Rb1 O-O 9.Be2 cxd4 10.cxd4 Qa5+ 11.Bd2 Qxa2 12.O-O Bg4 13.Rxb7 Bxf3 14.Bxf3 Bxd4 15.e5 Na6 16.Rxe7 Rad8 17.e6 fxe6 18.Qe1 Nc5 19.Bc3 Nd3 20.Bxd4 Nxe1 21.Rg7+ Kh8 22.Rd7+ Kg8 23.Rg7+ Kh8 24.Rd7+ Kg8 25.Rg7+ 1/2-1/2

Round 9, August 26
So, Wesley – Dominguez, Leinier
D27 QGA, Classical

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 a6 6.O-O c5 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Be2 Ke7 10.Nc3 b5 11.Nd2 Bb7 12.Nb3 Nbd7 13.Na5 Rab8 14.Bd2 Ne4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4 16.Rfc1 Rhc8 17.a4 bxa4 18.Bxa6 Rc7 19.Bc3 Bd6 20.Rxa4 Nc5 21.Bb4 Bd5 22.Bf1 Rcc8 23.Bxc5 Rxc5 24.Rxc5 Bxc5 25.Nc4 Bxc4 26.Rxc4 Bd6 27.Rc2 Be5 28.g3 Rxb2 29.Rxb2 Bxb2 30.h4 h6 31.Bd3 Bc3 32.Bc2 Bb2 33.Bd3 Bc3 34.Bc2 Bb2 35.Bd3 1/2-1/2

Round 9, August 26
Svidler, Peter – Xiong, Jeffery
C55 Two Knights Defence

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.a4 d6 6.Nc3 g5 7.Be3 Bg7 8.h4 g4 9.Nh2 Ne7 10.Qe2 c6 11.d4 exd4 12.Bxd4 Ng6 13.O-O-O Qe7 14.Bxf6 Bxf6 15.Nxg4 Bxh4 16.Ne3 Bf6 17.Qd2 h5 18.Kb1 h4 19.Rhe1 Bg5 20.Qxd6 Qxd6 21.Rxd6 Ne5 22.Bb3 h3 23.gxh3 Bxh3 24.Nf5 Rd8 25.Ka2 Rxd6 26.Nxd6+ Ke7 27.Nxb7 Bc8 28.Nc5 Rh2 29.Rg1 f6 30.f4 Bxf4 31.Rg8 Be3 32.Nd3 Nxd3 33.cxd3 Ba6 34.Rg7+ Kd6 35.Bc4 Bxc4+ 36.dxc4 a5 37.Rf7 Bd4 38.Kb3 Rh4 39.Rf8 Kc5 40.Ra8 Kb6 41.Rb8+ Kc5 42.Ra8 Kb6 43.Rb8+ Kc5 44.Ra8 1/2-1/2

Round 9, August 26
Rapport, Richard – Caruana, Fabiano
B44 Sicilian Defence

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Bf4 d6 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.c4 Rb8 8.Qc2 e5 9.Be3 Nf6 10.Nc3 Qc7 11.Be2 Be7 12.O-O O-O 13.Rac1 Be6 14.b3 h6 15.h3 a5 16.Rfd1 Rfd8 17.Bf3 Nh7 18.Qe2 Bg5 19.Rd3 Qe7 20.Rcd1 Rd7 21.Bd2 Bxd2 22.Qxd2 Ng5 23.Be2 Rbd8 24.Qe3 f5 25.c5 d5 26.exd5 Bxd5 27.f4 Ne4 28.Nxd5 cxd5 29.c6 d4 30.Qc1 Rc7 31.fxe5 Qxe5 32.Qc4+ Kh7 33.Bf3 Ng5 34.h4 Nxf3+ 35.Rxf3 Rd5 36.h5 Qe4 37.Rdf1 d3 38.Rf4 Qe6 39.Rxf5 Qe3+ 40.Kh2 Rd4 41.Re1 Rxc4 42.Rxe3 Rd4 43.Rf1 d2 44.Rd1 Rxc6 45.Re2 Rc2 46.a3 Rd5 47.Kg3 Rc3+ 48.Kh4 Rd4+ 49.g4 Rdd3 50.Rh2 Rc2 51.b4 a4 52.b5 Rb2 53.Rh3 Rd6 54.Rh2 Ra2 55.Rg2 Kg8 56.Rh2 Kf7 57.Re2 Rb2 58.Rf1+ Rf6 59.Rd1 Rd6 60.Rf1+ Rf6 61.Rd1 Rd6 62.Rf1+ 1/2-1/2

Wesley So clinched 1st place in the 2021 Grand Chess Tour, having performed the best of the field cumulatively throughout the full tour!

Congratulations to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave on winning the Sinquefield Cup -the final leg of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour.

Final Standings

1 MVL 6
2-4 Caruana, Dominguez, So 5.5
5 Rapport 4.5
6-8 Xiong, Mamedyarov, Shankland 4
9 Svidler 3.5
10 Swiercz 2.5

[Wayne Komer]

Sinquefield Cup 2021

August 27, 2021

Recap of Round Nine (Final)

After a quick draw against Mamedyarov, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won the 2021 Sinquefield Cup, securing clear first place after his closest rivals were unable to catch him in the ninth and final round. MVL is the first two-time clear winner of the event, having also taken first place in the 2017 edition. For his efforts, Vachier-Lagrave earns $90,000 in prize money, as well as a bonus $50,000 for finishing second in the overall Grand Chess Tour.

With the win, Vachier-Lagrave also secured second place in the overall Grand Chess Tour, with Mamedyarov finishing third after all was said and done. The 2021 Grand Chess Tour winner, Wesley So, had already clinched first place at the conclusion of yesterday’s round.

Mamedyarov - Vachier-Lagrave | ½-½, 25 moves

The game was over within ten minutes of the start of the round as the players repeated a well-known “book draw” in the Grunfeld, securing MVL at least a tie for first place. However the intrigue didn’t end there as Caruana, So, and Dominguez still had a chance to catch MVL with a win.



Final position of Mamedyarov - Vachier-Lagrave, which earlier this year became an infamous way for players to force a draw in elite events, as the moves Kh8 Rd7+ Kg8 Rg7+ are completely forced, with neither side being able to avoid a draw by repetition.

So - Dominguez | ½-½, 35 moves

Wesley opted for the quiet but venomous Exchange Variation (7.dxc5) of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted, leading to a queenless middlegame where White typically plays for a small plus. Dominguez did not appear to have any serious issues in the game, comfortably holding his own as he allowed White to win a pawn in exchange for some piece activity. So’s extra pawn was fairly weak and never able to get going, and once Dominguez inevitably won the pawn back the position was completely drawn.

Shankland - Swiercz | ½-½, 43 moves

Good preparation by Swiercz as Black in the Catalan allowed him to solve all of his problems out of the opening, with Shankland holding a bit of pressure with the two bishops but Black having excellent control over the dark squares. After some logical play by both sides, the players eventually found themselves in an equal endgame, and after further exchanges the game ended with a three-fold repetition.

Svidler - Xiong | ½-½, 44 moves

Faced with an aggressively early g7-g5 push in the Italian Game, Svidler reacted well by fighting back in the center and castling queenside. But after achieving a dominating position, Svidler started to go wrong, missing the strongest opportunities, and eventually settling for an endgame with an extra pawn but with plenty of compensation for Black. Xiong took his chance to get back into the game and managed to hold, creating enough counterplay to hold the balance.

Rapport - Caruana | ½-½, 62 moves

The final game of the day carried the most intrigue as Caruana needed a win in order to catch up to Vachier-Lagrave and tie for first place. Playing as Black Fabiano opted for the Sicilian, and was a bit worse out of the opening but managed to turn things around by creating strong kingside counterplay. Rapport defended well and only ended up slightly worse in a heavy-piece endgame, as Caruana continued to press and play on for the full point. Unfortunately for Fabiano, there simply wasn’t enough in the position, as Rapport successfully held the rook endgame and MVL was declared the clear champion.



25...d5! created some serious counterplay for Caruana, but Rapport was able to maintain the balance.

https://grandchesstour.org/blog/2021...up-day-9-recap

[Hans Jung]

Its been a while since Ive seen a player win a top tournament by drawing in the last two rounds.

[Marc Andre Beaudry]

MVL had a great tournament after he had a bad 2021, now he's back in the top ten where he belongs. He plays very interesting and principled chess. If only he could play the Grunfeld a little less.

[Hans Jung]

I totally agree. With all respect to MVL he is principled in playing the Grunfeld and the Najdorf (too often) and its costing him points. Not even the great Garry could play the Najdorf all the time with success.