D Gukesh Bounces Back in Style, Defeats Abdusattorov at Sinquefield Cup

Sinquefield Cup: Gukesh Bounces Back, Praggnanandhaa Holds Caruana

World champion D Gukesh bounced back strongly from his opening-round setback with a fine victory over former world rapid champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the second round of the Sinquefield Cup.

Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa opted for a quiet approach, settling for a draw against American star Fabiano Caruana. In another key result, France’s Alireza Firouzja produced a flawless endgame to outplay Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, marking the only other decisive game of the day.

After two rounds, Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian, and Firouzja share the lead with 1.5 points each. Gukesh has climbed to joint fourth alongside Caruana, Wesley So, Samuel Sevian, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Duda trails with half a point, while Abdusattorov remains without a score following back-to-back defeats.

Sinquefield Cup – Round 2

Gukesh strikes back with a fine win
D Gukesh, facing the Open Sicilian once popularised by Viktor Korchnoi, entered a sharp line against Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The Uzbek managed to secure a strong passed pawn in the centre, but his exposed king proved costly as Gukesh’s precise manoeuvres gradually tilted the game in his favour.

In the ensuing rook-versus-knight endgame, Abdusattorov had chances for counterplay, but time pressure prevented him from finding the exact defence. Gukesh capitalised with accurate exchanges to clinch a much-needed victory.

Praggnanandhaa solid, Firouzja flawless
R Praggnanandhaa tested Fabiano Caruana with the Rossolimo Variation, a weapon Caruana himself had often used in his World Championship match against Magnus Carlsen. The American, however, navigated the pawn structures with ease, and after a series of exchanges, the game fizzled into a balanced rook-and-minor-piece endgame, ending in a draw.

Elsewhere, Alireza Firouzja demonstrated clinical endgame technique, converting a bishop-and-knight versus lone king position with textbook precision against Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

Round 2 results:

R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 1.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (USA, 1)
Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 1.5) beat Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Pol, 0.5)
Levon Aronian (USA, 1.5) drew with Samuel Sevian (USA, 1)
Wesley So (USA, 1) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra, 1)
D Gukesh (Ind, 1) beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb, 0)

Sinquefield Cup – Round 1

Praggnanandhaa outplays World Champion Gukesh
Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa made a dream start to his campaign by defeating World Champion D Gukesh in their opening-round clash, rising to third in the live world rankings. Playing White against Gukesh’s Queen’s Gambit Accepted, Praggnanandhaa gained the bishop pair and a strong initiative after his opponent chose a dubious queen exchange.

Under time pressure, Gukesh faltered as Praggnanandhaa pressed home his advantage, winning a pawn and converting smoothly in just 36 moves. “I think he was a bit off today… it feels good to finally beat him again after two years,” said the 19-year-old. The win also levelled their classical head-to-head record at three apiece.

Aronian punishes Abdusattorov, others split points
In another decisive encounter, Levon Aronian held firm against Nodirbek Abdusattorov’s attack before pouncing on a blunder to secure the full point. Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana drew with Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Samuel Sevian held Wesley So, and the French duo Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja also shared the spoils.

Round 1 results: