India’s R Praggnanandhaa settles for another draw at the Sinquefield Cup, but remains firmly in contention with three rounds left in the Grand Chess Tour event.Praggnanandhaa draws Levon Aronian of the United States in the sixth round and stays joint second with 3.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa holds on despite pressure
Praggnanandhaa tries to create complications against Aronian but the American successfully handles the tricky middle game. The Indian grandmaster loses two pawns at one stage but manages to avoid defeat and secure a valuable half-point.Wesley So continues to lead the tournament with four points after drawing with France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Praggnanandhaa shares second place with Vachier-Lagrave and Germany’s Vincent Keymer.The USD 475,000 tournament sees only one decisive result in the sixth round, with Anish Giri defeating compatriot Jorden van Foreest. Giri launches a strong attack against the black king in the middle game, forcing Van Foreest into another loss.
Three rounds remain
Aronian, Fabiano Caruana and Samvel Sevian are on three points each, while Giri and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov have 2.5 points. Van Foreest remains at the bottom with one point.Praggnanandhaa’s draw keeps him within striking distance of leader So, setting up an important final three rounds as the Indian looks to challenge for the title.
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