Sindarov to face elite opposition ahead of World Championship match against Gukesh
The Saint Louis Chess Club will host the Clutch Chess: Champions Showdown from 27 to 29 October, bringing together four chess superstars for an 18-game rapid tournament with a prize fund of $425,000.
Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Javokhir Sindarov will compete in an event with an unusual scoring system: wins become increasingly valuable as the tournament progresses, giving players opportunities to make up ground on the final day.
The competition follows the same general format as last year's edition, which was won by Magnus Carlsen. The Norwegian will not defend his title, but Caruana and Nakamura return for another attempt, while Pragg and Sindarov make their first appearances in the event.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves
The lineup includes the two strongest US players of this era and two young players who have enjoyed considerable success in 2026. Praggnanandhaa won this year's Grand Chess Tour, defeating Caruana in the final back in August, also in Saint Louis. The Indian grandmaster overturned a six-point deficit on the last day of that match to claim the title.
Javokhir Sindarov, meanwhile, won the Candidates Tournament in April and is preparing to challenge Gukesh Dommaraju for the World Championship in November. The Uzbek grandmaster will thus have an opportunity to test himself against three experienced opponents in a rapid event less than a month before his world title match.
Fabiano Caruana recently finished runner-up at the US Championship, losing the title to Wesley So in a rapid playoff after the two players finished level in the classical tournament. Hikaru Nakamura, who remains among the world's highest-rated players despite being mostly inactive, completes the field.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu facing Fabiano Caruana at the Grand Chess Tour Finals in Saint Louis | Photo: Lennart Ootes
An unusual scoring system
The four participants will compete in three double round-robins, one on each day. Every player will face each opponent twice per day, once with each colour, for a total of six games daily and eighteen over the tournament.
The time control is 10 minutes per player, with a 5-second increment from move one.
The main feature of the Clutch Chess format, devised by grandmaster Maurice Ashley, is that the value of a victory increases from one day to the next.
| Day |
Win |
Draw |
Loss |
| Day 1 |
1 |
½ |
0 |
| Day 2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
| Day 3 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
The Hyper-Accelerated dragon is fast, from the very first moves, your bishop heads to g7, seizes the long diagonal, and turns into the most feared piece on the board.
It rewards players who love initiative and clear attacking plans.
This two-volume course presents a complete repertoire for Black after 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 g6 - the Hyper-Accelerated Dragon. In recent years, this dynamic line has grown significantly in popularity, with several of the world’s top players adding it to their repertoires.
This variation has two main advantages for black, he does not have to face the Rossolimo or Moscower Variation after 3.Bb5 and in many lines he can play d5 in one go and save a tempo. This first volume covers the Open Sicilian with both the razor sharp lines from the dragon and the positional Maroczy Bind.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 6.Be3 Qb6 Introduction
The system gives particular importance to the final six games, when a single victory is worth as much as three wins on the opening day. Moreover, a draw on the last day is worth only one-third of a victory, providing an additional incentive to play for a win.
Javokhir Sindarov was recently in Saint Louis, as he participated in the last two events of the Grand Chess Tour | Photo: Crystal Fuller
According to the tournament regulations, draw offers are not permitted before Black has completed move 60.
The tournament features $425,000 in total prize money, including $125,000 for first place, $94,000 for second, $72,000 for third and $62,000 for fourth. Additional bonuses are awarded for individual victories: $1,000 on day one, $2,000 on day two and $3,000 on day three.
The money allocated to drawn games is accumulated in the Champion's Jackpot, which goes to the eventual tournament winner in addition to the first-place prize. If two players finish tied for first, a single Armageddon game will determine the champion. A three- or four-way tie will be settled by an Armageddon round-robin.
Play begins at 12.00 noon local time (18.00 CET) on Tuesday 27 October, with the same starting time on Wednesday and Thursday. The Saint Louis Chess Club will provide live coverage through its YouTube and Twitch channels, with commentary from grandmasters Maurice Ashley and Yasser Seirawan, alongside broadcaster James Dash Patterson.
Hikaru Nakamura at the Candidates Tournament in Cyprus | Photo: Nils Rohde
Carlsen's victory in 2025
The inaugural edition in October 2025 saw Magnus Carlsen secure overall victory with two games to spare. The Norwegian scored four consecutive wins on the final day, defeating Gukesh and Caruana twice each, and eventually finished with 25½ points.
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.Caruana took second place with 16½ points, followed by Nakamura on 14 and Gukesh on 10. Interestingly, the Indian world champion had been the sole leader after the opening day, but the increasingly valuable victories allowed Carlsen to pull well ahead in the final stages.
All games - 2025 edition
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