Indian chess prodigies D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa were held to draws in the fourth round of the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, as Fabiano Caruana of the United States seized the sole lead with a commanding win over Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Gukesh, playing white, faced a resilient Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a Queen pawn game that saw early queen exchanges and a balanced rook endgame. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa, also with white, opted for the Queen’s Gambit Declined against Samuel Sevian, but the game quickly transitioned into a simplified endgame with no decisive chances.
Caruana’s aggressive play dismantled Abdusattorov’s kingside ambitions, ending the game in just 30 moves. With this win, Caruana now leads the tournament with 3 points from 4 rounds, followed closely by Praggnanandhaa and Levon Aronian at 2.5 points each.
The tournament, featuring 10 elite players across nine rounds, boasts a prize pool of $350,000. With five rounds remaining, the leaderboard remains tightly packed, promising high-stakes drama in the days ahead.
