9/1/2021 – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave couldn’t have asked for a better time to win the Sinquefield Cup. Scoring six points in nine rounds, he became the only player to outrightly win the event twice. Equally important for him, the win beckons a return to top form. In an interview with Dhananjay Khadilkar, he remarked, “I have absolutely no doubt that I am part of the chess elite”. | Photo: Austin Fuller

8/29/2021 – The Sinquefield Cup concluded on August 26 with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave scoring 6/9 points and winning clear first ahead of three Americans: Fabiano Caruana, Leinier Dominguez, and Wesley So. So scored 2½/3 in the early rounds and played a very solid tournament, which brought him the 2021 Grand Chess Tour title. Joshua Doknjas takes a look at 4 interesting games from the event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/27/2021 – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave got clear first place at the Sinquefield Cup after all five games finished drawn in round 9 — i.e. none of the chasers managed to catch up with him in the last hurdle. Thanks to his performance in Saint Louis, MVL returned to the top 10 in the world ranking and grabbed second place in this year’s Grand Chess Tour. Wesley So, Fabiano Caruana and Leinier Dominguez finished a half point back. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/26/2021 – After a quick draw against Mamedyarov, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won the 2021 Sinquefield Cup, securing clear first place after his closest rivals were unable to catch him in the ninth and final round. MVL is the first two-time clear winner of the event, having also taken first place in the 2017 edition. For his efforts, Vachier-Lagrave earns $90,000 in prize money, as well as a bonus $50,000 for finishing second in the overall Grand Chess Tour. | Photo: Crystal Fuller

8/26/2021 – With all five games drawn on Wednesday, Vachier-Lagrave is leading the Sinquefield Cup, half a point ahead of Caruana, So, and Dominguez heading into the final round. At the same time, American Grandmaster Wesley So has clinched first place in the 2021 Grand Chess Tour, securing a minimum of 7 GCT points from the Sinquefield Cup. He can no longer be mathematically caught in the overall tour standings. For his efforts, So earns the $100,000 first place bonus prize. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/24/2021 – For the first time in this year’s tournament, all the games in the Sinquefield Cup at the Saint Louis Chess Club ended drawn, with Peter Svidler missing a ‘hidden’ winning opportunity against Leinier Dominguez. With three rounds to go, Wesley So, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Leinier Dominguez are sharing the lead with 4 points each, while Fabiano Caruana remains half a point behind. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/23/2021 – Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is again sharing the lead at the Sinquefield Cup after beating Dariusz Swiercz in Saturday’s fifth round. MVL tops the standings together with Wesley So and Leinier Dominguez. Fabiano Caruana, who went into round 5 as a co-leader, was defeated by Jeffery Xiong (pictured). | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/21/2021 – Leinier Dominguez was one of four winners in Friday’s fourth round at the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis. Dominguez beat Maxime Vachier-Lagrave’s Najdorf Defence to join Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So in the lead of the standings. Meanwhile, Richard Rapport, Sam Shankland and Dariusz Swiercz all scored their first wins of the tournament. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/20/2021 – A particularly exciting round saw four players winning with the white pieces at the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis. Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave are leading the standings on 2½/3, with Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (pictured) and Leinier Dominguez currently a half point behind. | Photo: Crystal Fuller

8/19/2021 – The second round of the Sinquefield Cup in Saint Louis was played on Wednesday. Wesley So was the only winner of the day. The Filipino-born star inflicted Dariusz Swiercz’s second loss in a row. So thus joined Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Leinier Dominguez in the lead of the event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

8/18/2021 – Exciting chess continues to be the norm in Saint Louis, as the Sinquefield Cup kicked off with a number of thrilling games on Tuesday. Fabiano Caruana, Leinier Dominguez and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave won their first-round games and are the early leaders of the event. Caruana’s victory over Sam Shankland was particularly attractive. | Photo: Crystal Fuller

8/17/2021 – The final event of the Grand Chess Tour’s sixth edition, the Sinquefield Cup, will begin on August 17th, immediately following the conclusion of the 2021 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz. The event will feature ten top-ranked international players competing for a total prize fund of $325,000, and will determine the winner of the 2021 Grand Chess Tour, who will take home the additional $100,000 prize. | Pictured: Jeffery Xiong at the opening ceremony | Photo: Austin Fuller