R Praggnanandhaa remains composed as the Sinquefield Cup 2025 enters its final stage. With a playoff still possible, the young Indian star is determined to book his place in the Grand Chess Tour Finals. While world champion D Gukesh has struggled for consistency, Praggnanandhaa has dominated the tournament and now shares the lead with Fabiano Caruana after eight rounds.
Round 8: Praggnanandhaa Holds Wesley So
On Tuesday, Praggnanandhaa played out a steady draw against Wesley So, who had earlier “defeated Gukesh in the seventh round.” The 20-year-old now sits on five points and will face Levon Aronian in the final round. Caruana, ranked World No. 3, also drew against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and will play Gukesh next.
Close Battle in the Standings
The leaderboard remains tight. Aronian and Wesley are joint-second with 4.5 points. Maxime, Sam Sevian, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda follow with 4 points. Gukesh has 3.5, Alireza Firouzja is at 3, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov lags behind with 2.5.
Also Read: Viswanathan Anand Chooses Between India’s Top Trio: Gukesh, Pragg or Arjun?
Playoff Still on the Cards
Praggnanandhaa, ranked World No. 4, and Caruana are the clear favourites to lift the Sinquefield Cup. Yet, “there’s a strong possibility that they may have to face off in the playoffs” if neither secures an outright lead after Round 9.
