Round 5 of the Sinquefield Cup 2025 saw a rare full slate of draws, leaving the leaderboard largely unchanged, but the tension was palpable as the tournament entered its final stretch.
Indian Grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh played cautiously yet effectively, securing draws against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, respectively. Praggnanandhaa, playing with black, faced no resistance in a 26-move Rossolimo Sicilian, while Gukesh survived a tactical scare in a Queen’s pawn opening before neutralising Duda’s initiative in 45 moves.
Fabiano Caruana of the USA maintained his sole lead with 3.5 points after a peaceful draw with Wesley So. The rest of the field remains tightly packed, with just one point separating the leader from the eighth-placed player.
With four rounds remaining and a rest day ahead, the race to qualify for the Grand Chess Tour finale is heating up.
