Keymer defeats Praggnanandhaa in St. Louis at Sinquefield Cup

Vincent Keymer defeated R Praggnanandhaa in St. Louis on Thursday in their round three game at the Sinquefield Cup, part of the Grand Chess Tour.

The Indian grandmaster, who had been enjoying a strong run, conceded the loss to the German and now sits on 1.5 points after three rounds, slipping into a tie for fourth place. The event is a 10-player, nine-round tournament with $475,000 in prize money.

Wesley So beat Fabiano Caruana to register his second straight victory and move to 2.5 points, becoming the tournament’s first sole leader. So, who began his career in the Philippines and now represents the United States, added to his hopes of being one of the four players to qualify for the Grand Chess Tour grand finale.

Praggnanandhaa shares 1.5 points with Caruana, Keymer and surprise entry Sevian Samuels of the United States. Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan and Anish Giri are on one point each, while Jorden Van Foreest sits last with 0.5.

In the Keymer–Praggnanandhaa encounter the opening proved uneventful but the Indian blundered away his chances and the game ended in a checkmate on the board. The report described the decisive finish as a rare checkmate at top-level grandmaster play.

Anish Giri lost to Sevian Samuels after a marathon that stretched beyond 100 moves; Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew with Javokhir Sindarov; and Levon Aronian agreed a draw with Jorden Van Foreest. Vachier-Lagrave and Aronian each remain among the early leaders on two points.

Six rounds remain in the nine-round, $475,000 Sinquefield Cup, with the standings set to evolve as the field contests the middle portion of the Grand Chess Tour event.