"One of the best King's Indian games I've ever played in my life"

Javokhir Sindarov won the second edition of the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown in Saint Louis, finishing the three-day rapid tournament with 20½ points. The Uzbek GM entered Thursday's final session tied for second place with Fabiano Caruana, 2½ points behind leader Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, but overtook the Indian GM in the closing stages.

Sindarov earned $168,000 in prize money and bonuses, while also securing a tournament victory in his final competitive appearance before challenging Gukesh Dommaraju for the World Championship. The match will take place in Geneva, with the first game scheduled for 24 November. Having won the Candidates earlier this year, Sindarov has now added another victory against elite opposition before his first appearance in a world title match.

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The Clutch Chess format gives increasing importance to decisive results as the competition progresses. On Thursday, each victory was worth 3 points, while draws counted for only 1 point, providing an incentive to play for wins. Sindarov made the most of the scoring system, collecting three wins and three draws to add 12 points to his tally. Praggnanandhaa and Caruana both scored 8 points on the final day, while Hikaru Nakamura, who had led after the opening session, managed only 4.

The final standings saw Sindarov finish on 20½ points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 19, Caruana on 16½ and Nakamura on 12.

Final standings

The contest for first place remained close throughout Thursday's six games. Sindarov began by drawing and then defeating Pragg in their first two-game mini-match, taking over the lead. The Indian grandmaster responded by scoring two victories over Nakamura, collecting six points from their encounters, while Sindarov obtained a win and a draw against Caruana.

In his first encounter against Pragg, Nakamura, playing white, had a clear advantage in the middlegame after 31.Ne5! (Black cannot play 31...Qxe5 due to 32.Ng6+, capturing the queen next with the rook from e1).

However, the US grandmaster was not accurate while playing with the initiative in the ensuing struggle, allowing Pragg to slowly restore the balance. By move 40, Black was already for choice in a position with all six major pieces still on the board.

With both major-piece trios well coordinated, it is the passer on the d-file what gives Black a clear edge in this setup. Nakamura soon erred in time trouble, and Pragg went on to get a very valuable 43-move victory.

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Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu had very realistic chances of claiming the title in Saint Louis | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Consequently, Pragg entered the final two rounds with a 1½-point advantage over Sindarov. The two contenders still had to face Caruana and Nakamura, respectively, with a total of 6 points still available.

It was at this stage that Sindarov produced the most remarkable game of the tournament. Playing black against Nakamura, he launched a direct attack from a King's Indian Defence, beginning with a bishop sacrifice and subsequently giving up two exchanges. The encounter featured several tactical ideas, with the Uzbek grandmaster maintaining the initiative and converting his advantage into a full point.

Speaking to Maurice Ashley afterwards, Sindarov described the encounter as "one of the best King's Indian games I've ever played in my life". Referring to his decision to continue sacrificing material even after obtaining a winning position, he added: "If I started playing beautifully, let's finish playing beautifully".

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Meanwhile, Pragg had obtained a lasting advantage against Caruana, playing with an extra pawn for much of their encounter. However, the five-time US champion defended accurately and managed to secure a draw in a game that lasted 100 moves.

The combination of results left Sindarov half a point ahead of Pragg going into the final round.

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu playing white against Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Pragg thus needed to defeat Caruana with the black pieces, as a draw would leave him relying on Nakamura beating Sindarov (the latter had the white pieces). From a Slav Defence, the Indian grandmaster established a Stonewall pawn structure and sought complications in an attempt to generate winning chances.

The position eventually became double-edged, but Pragg made a costly mistake in the late middlegame, allowing Caruana to trap his queen.

The American converted the resulting advantage, ending his tournament with a victory.

Sindarov, meanwhile, drew his final game against Nakamura, securing overall victory by a margin of 1½ points. The result comes at a useful moment for the 20-year-old Uzbek, who will now turn his attention to the World Championship match against Gukesh.

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Javokhir Sindarov during what turned out to be an absolutely brilliant victory over Hikaru Nakamura | Photo: Lennart Ootes

A fan takes the chance to get a selfie with the man of the hour | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Fabiano Caruana in good spirits | Photo: Lennart Ootes

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Links

• Saint Louis Chess Club
• Full tournament regulations
• Carlsen astounds once again, wins Champions Showdown with two games to spare