Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa held on to his lead at the 2025 Sinquefield Cup alongside Americans Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian, with all three players moving to two points after three rounds in Saint Louis on Wednesday.
Praggnanandhaa held Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov to a comfortable draw with black pieces after sustaining some early pressure from his opponent.
The other Indian in the event, reigning World Champion D Gukesh, also had a tame draw against local player Sam Sevian. With this, Gukesh took his tally to 1.5 points from three rounds, placing him just half a point behind the leading pack after a difficult start to the tournament. Gukesh had lost to Praggnanandhaa in the first round with black pieces, before making a swift comeback in the second round against Abdusattorov.
INTERACTIVE: D. Gukesh vs Sam Savian
Gukesh praised his opponent, Sevian, calling him a “strong player,” and seemed content with a calm draw.
“It was a fine result. A draw with black is always a fine result. I was pressing for some time, but it was never really much (the position to play for a win),” Gukesh said after the match.
The only decisive result of the round came in the game between Caruana and defending champion Alireza Firouzja. The latter, who had earlier won a 100-move marathon battle against Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, failed to replicate that against the American, losing in a severe time scramble.
Abdusattorov, after a horrendous start with back-to-back losses, registered his first point of the tournament. A curious incident occurred during his game when the Uzbek incorrectly claimed a three-fold repetition in a drawn position against Praggnanandhaa. The Indian was awarded two extra minutes, but the duo soon ended the game peacefully.
INTERACTIVE: Praggnanandhaa vs Abdusattorov
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After the contest, Abdusattorov admitted his nerves got the better of him.
“Yesterday, I also had a very complicated game,” he said, referring to his loss against Gukesh. “It was a double-edged position and I think somehow my nerves are not in place. I have to look at my mistake… I couldn’t calculate deeply enough because my brain is not working,” he added with a laugh.
Praggnanandhaa will face Sevian in the fourth round, while Gukesh will lock horns with Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who is among the five players on 1.5 points.
When asked about his previous matches against the creative MVL, the world champion said, “they are always super-exciting. Looking forward to playing a good game tomorrow.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
