2016 Sinquefield Cup (St. Louis, USA)
Defending Champion, GM Levon Aronian (Armenia)
Photo by Lennart Ootes
With the World Champion Magnus Carlsen dropping out of the Grand Chess Tour to prepare for the World Championship in November and Vladimir Kramnik dropping out for what is presumed to be health issues, the Sinquefield Cup will be missing two legendary attractions, but will still be a powerful event. The American triad of Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Wesley So will hold down home court against the top seed and world #2, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave who has vaulted twenty spaces from last year.
MVL on his rise "My opening preparations have been working much better, so I'm getting positions I feel very much at ease" #SinquefieldCup
— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) August 5, 2016
In the 2015 Sinquefield Cup, MVL was #24 in the world at 2731, but now has a rating of 2819, a career-high. There have been wild fluctuations in rating of several of the competitors with drops by Giri (-24 from 2793), Anand (-46 from 2816) and Topalov (-55 from 2816) from a year ago. Levon Aronian is the defending champion of the Sinquefield Cup and has rebounded after a slump in 2014-2015.
The Sinquefield Cup had been rescheduled due to the changing of the Olympiad which was affected by the World Championship. It was a cascading effect. Nevertheless, the field has an All-Star line-up with China’s Ding Liren and seven-time Russian champion Peter Svidler filling in the vacated spots.
The 2016 Sinquefield Cup is an elite international event, featuring 10 of the strongest chess players in the world. Over the course of nine rounds, these competitors will battle for $300,000 in prize money (first: $75,000, second: $50,000, third: $40,000, last: $15,000) plus points toward the Grand Chess Tour and the coveted title of 2016 Sinquefield Cup Champion.
The venue is the Chess Club and Scholastic Center at 4657 Maryland Avenue, Saint Louis, MO 63108. Tickets cost $10 per round or $80 for all ten rounds. Full information available at the official web site. Live commentary will be given by an eminent line-up of Maurice Ashley, Jennifer Shahade, Yasser Seirawan with roaming commentating by Alejandro Ramirez. For more information, visit www.grandchesstour.com or follow along at @CCSCSL.
August 4th – August 16th, 2016 (St. Louis, USA) Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (4657 Maryland Ave.) |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Name | Rating | Country | Flag | Age |
| No. 2 | GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2819 | France |
 |
25 |
| No. 4 | GM Fabiano Caruana | 2807 | USA |
 |
23 |
| No. 5 | GM Levon Aronian | 2792 | Armenia |
 |
33 |
| No. 6 | GM Hikaru Nakamura | 2791 | USA |
|
29 |
| No. 7 | GM Wesley So | 2771 | USA |
|
22 |
| No. 8 | GM Viswanathan Anand | 2770 | India |
 |
47 |
| No. 10 | GM Anish Giri | 2769 | Netherlands |
 |
22 |
| No. 11 | GM Veselin Topalov | 2761 | Bulgaria |
 |
41 |
| No. 13 | GM Ding Liren | 2755 | China |
 |
22 |
| No. 14 | GM Peter Svidler | 2751 | Russia |
 |
40 |
| Official Site | |||||
Executive Director of CCSCSL Tony Rich addresses attendees.
Videos and Photos by CCSCSL
Hikaru Nakamura
Photo by Lennart Ootes.
Jeanne Sinquefield rings the opening bell for round one.
Photo by Lennart Ootes.
Anish Giri came close to winning again Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, but went astray and ceded the half-point. Photo by Spectrum Studios.
Video by chess.com (Mike Klein).
The game between Viswanathan Anand and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
results in theoretical debates.
Photo by Lennart Ootes.
Interview with GM Viswanathan Anand
Video by chess.com (Mike Klein).
Veselin Topalov gives Fabiano Caruana something to think about while Nakamura looks on.
…while GM Maurice Ashley gives his angle on the position!
Peter Svidler trying to get on the board today.
Two of the most genial chess players shake hands…
Levon Aronian and Wesley So…
…before the battle!
Photos by Austin Fuller.
Video by chess.com (Mike Klein).
Photo by Austin Fuller.
Unfortunately for Ding, the game ended peacefully. However, Caruana caused fans to get into a nervous tizzy.
He joked about it after the game, but to see the video was quite nerve-wrecking. He was dangerously close to forfeiting.
Video by CCSCSL.
Fat Chimp Studios… this is how it’s done!
Wesley So on the move as Anish Giri gets a different perspective.
So in deep thought.
Photo by Lennart Ootes.
Video by CCSCSL.
Hey Nice Daaim a fancy fan! hahaha, Chessdrummas what do u think of the play by the top TRADITIONAL GMS in this event? What do u think they learnin in St. Louie? Anything? Adia? Buffalonians what do u think of rd2 by Vishy is that GENIUS? UM just curious? ULTRAMODERNIST.
Levon looks much better today after citing illness yesterday.
Ding Liren trying to gain confidence after losing +25 ELO in China.
Nakamura vs. Svidler was rich in ideas.
Photos by Lennart Ootes.
Video by CCSCSL.
Chessdrummas i hear Maurice keep sayin Ultra this and Ultra that durin this event. Does this chess look ULTRAMODERN to U ? Adia? Buffalonians? Frank Johnson of ATL? UM JUST CURIOUS?
Ding Liren in a good mood after his win over Svidler.
Action outside of the St. Louis Chess Club.
Photos by Lennart Ootes.
Video by CCSCSL.
Oh thanks Daaim i see the Traditional gms still practicing, how do u think they doin with my funny knight trick? lol. OH GM Carlsen thats really me on chess.com not actually a ghost or an alien UM ready when U R, oh U2 Dapsay! Daaim is Maurice still BlackBear on ICC with the rest of the traditional gms they tellin me in Buffalo N.Y. that Dlugy and them guys still practicin over there is that true? havent been there since 2008 when i gave their gm a few chess lessons on that site! hahaha ULTRAMODERNIST.
Sup Drummas , currently Um checkin out the Topy – Giri game rd. 7 , i wanna see if hes knows what hes doin with the Nf6-d7-c5-e6 ? I KNOW it looks KTAZY from a traditional point of view but UM sure its an Ok concept despite what was said about it here in Buffalo, NY. Adia what yall talkin about in N.Y.C at the Marshall Chess Club with Alex King? ULTRAMODERNIST.
Hikaru Nakamura making several statements today.
MVL and Nakamura entered a discussion in the Berlin and battled to a draw.
Topalov trying to regain his lead after falling yesterday to So.
Photos by Lennart Ootes.
Video by CCSCSL.
Daaim i saw the video u posted yesterday where Naka wuz talkin about the computers changing chess. Um checkin out the So – Corona game rd8, Do u think hes talkin about the NF6-e8-c7-d5 stuff played in this practice game? the reason UM askin is cuz the chessplayers here in Buffalo done gone and got quiet on me! unreal. ULTRAMODERNIST.
The penultimate round!
Elder-statesmen battling and young bucks locking horns!
Anish Giri got compliments on his suit,
but his play didn’t match. Svidler got the win.
Photos by Lennart Ootes.
Video by CCSCSL.
Video by CCSCSL.
St. Louis, Missouri, USA