Sinquefield Cup: Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa aim for spot in GCT Finals - Preview

The Sinquefield Cup 2025, the final leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) before the season-ending finals in São Paulo, kicks off on August 18 with India’s brightest stars - World Champion D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa - set to headline the action in St. Louis.

For India, the stakes are high. Praggnanandhaa has already proved his mettle this season by winning the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in May, while Gukesh impressed with a third-place finish at the Croatia Rapid & Blitz. Both have also committed to playing the Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan next month, showing their hunger to compete across formats.

The ten-player field at the Sinquefield Cup 2025 is among the strongest assembled this year, bringing together some of the world’s elite grandmasters. Representing the United States are Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, and Samuel Sevian, while France fields two heavyweights in Alireza Firouzja and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

The line-up also features Jan-Krzysztof Duda from Poland and Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan. Adding to the excitement are India’s young stars, World Champion D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, both of whom are aiming to make a deep impact in St. Louis.

Notably missing is Magnus Carlsen, who has chosen to skip classical chess events despite winning the Croatia Rapid & Blitz earlier in the tour. His absence, however, leaves the title race wide open.

A fight for the 4 spots of GCT Finals 2025

At the top of the GCT Tour standings, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (28 points) leads both the points table, while Levon Aronian (23.5), Alireza Firouzja (22.5), and Caruana (20.5) occupy the other top-four spots. The top four players after Sinquefield will qualify for the Sao Paulo Finals (September 26–October 4).

For Gukesh, it marks a return to his strongest discipline, classical chess, after recent rapid and blitz outings. Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, enters the tournament with his eyes firmly on the podium as he sits 5th in the GCT standings (20 points), within striking distance of a finals berth. Gukesh currently trails in 8th place (16 points), making the Sinquefield Cup his last chance to push higher.

The tournament will be played over nine rounds of classical chess from August 18–28, with a USD 350,000 prize pool on offer. With seasoned stars like Aronian in red-hot form - fresh off titles in Las Vegas Freestyle Chess and St. Louis Rapid & Blitz - and Vachier-Lagrave proving consistent, India’s prodigies will need to bring their very best to cut.

The Sinquefield Cup has often been a stage where reputations are made, and for Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, it offers not just a shot at glory but also a chance to keep India firmly in the spotlight of world chess.