One decisive result, as So continues to lead
Four of the five games ended in draws in round six of the Sinquefield Cup, with the evaluations remaining largely balanced across those encounters. The only decisive result came in the all-Dutch meeting between Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest, with Giri scoring his first win of the tournament.
Both players had endured a difficult first half of the event. Giri had collected three draws and suffered two defeats, while Van Foreest had lost three times and drawn twice. Their meeting therefore offered both a chance to improve their position in the standings, but it was Giri who made the most of the opportunity.
Van Foreest remains alone at the bottom of the standings on 1/6. All four of his games with the black pieces have ended in defeat, while his two games with white have been drawn. He has lost 18.1 rating points so far in the classical event in Saint Louis.
The four draws elsewhere meant there was no change at the top. Wesley So continues to lead with 4/6, while Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave remain tied for second place on 3½/6. In Monday's seventh round, So will have White against Giri.
Round 6 results
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
Leader Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave explored a Berlin Defence which ended in a 67-move draw - MVL, playing white, got some chances to put pressure in a position with a bishop and seven pawns per side | Photo: Lennart Ootes
World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov and top seed Fabiano Caruana played a 42-move draw on Sunday | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Giri and Van Foreest entered a Queen's Indian Defence, and Black appeared to be well prepared for the opening, as Van Foreest obtained a comfortable position. The game remained dynamically balanced through the early middlegame.
The character of the position changed after 21...g5?!, when Van Foreest tried to force matters on the kingside. The advance did not immediately lose material, but it created lasting weaknesses around the black king and ultimately became the central strategic problem in Black's position.
Giri responded by looking for ways to penetrate the weakened structure.
After 22.f3 Nd6 23.hxg5 hxg5 24.c5 Nde8, Giri had the opportunity to strike in the centre with 25.e4, a move suggested repeatedly by commentator Peter Svidler and assessed as very strong for White.
Giri chose a different approach, preferring to improve his pieces gradually and increase the pressure on the kingside. One particularly effective manoeuvre involved his bishop, which initially appeared passive on b2. Giri rerouted it via 29.Ba3 Rf7 30.Bd6 Qd8 31.Be5
This manoeuvre allowed the bishop to take up an influential post, while Black's own bishop and queen remained poorly placed on b7 and c8.
The position soon became increasingly difficult for Van Foreest. Giri gained useful tempi with a series of small threats, while Black struggled to bring his pieces into the defence. By the time White played 41.Bg5, the dark squares around the black king were firmly under Giri's control and his knight on g3 was ready to join the attack.
Van Foreest resigned in this position. One possible continuation would have seen the bishop manoeuvre from g5 to f4 and then e5, creating deadly threats. The victory lifted Giri to 2½/6, while Van Foreest's difficult run continues in Saint Louis.
With the moves d4-Nf3-e3-Bd3 White aims for simple piece development and to slowly build up a devastating attack on the kingside!
One of the simplest openings for White to learn, and one of the most frustrating ones for Black to face! With the moves d4-Nf3-e3-Bd3 White aims for simple piece development and to slowly build up a devastating attack on the kingside!
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: e4-e5 attacking ideas
Jorden van Foreest | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Compatriots, friends and rivals - Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 6
All games
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