GCT 2025: Qualification Chances for Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa Ahead of Sinquefield Cup
The 10th edition of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) has entered its decisive stage, with the final classical event — the Sinquefield Cup 2025 — currently underway in Saint Louis, USA. For the second year in a row, India has two full-tour representatives: World Champion D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa.
The 2025 tour began in Poland with the Superbet Rapid & Blitz, followed by the Superbet Chess Classic Romania and SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, before moving to the US for the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and the Sinquefield Cup. Placement points from each event decide the overall standings, with the top four qualifying for the GCT Finals in Brazil (Sept 26 – Oct 4).
Tour recap so far:
- Poland: Wildcard Vladimir Fedoseev won.
- Romania: Praggnanandhaa shared first place with MVL and Firouzja, then clinched victory in tiebreaks.
- Croatia: Magnus Carlsen (wildcard) emerged champion.
- Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: Levon Aronian took the title.
At present, MVL leads with 28 points, followed by Aronian (23.5), Firouzja (22.5), and Caruana (20). Praggnanandhaa is 5th with 20 points, while Gukesh sits 8th with 16.
How Praggnanandhaa Can Qualify
- With 20 points, Praggnanandhaa is just 0.5 points behind Caruana (4th place).
- If he finishes ahead of Caruana in the Sinquefield Cup, he will almost certainly secure a Finals spot.
- If Caruana outperforms him, Praggnanandhaa needs to outscore Firouzja by 2.5 points or Aronian by 3.5 points to break into the top four.
What Gukesh Needs to Do
- Gukesh, on 16 points, requires a big result.
- His most realistic route is to win the Sinquefield Cup outright, which would give him 13 points (total 29).
- Even then, at least two of Aronian, Firouzja, Caruana, or Praggnanandhaa must finish poorly (bottom four) for his qualification chances to stay alive.
In short, Praggnanandhaa has a strong shot at making the finals, while Gukesh must go all out for victory to keep his hopes alive.
