Firouzja assumiu a liderança do GCT com sua vitória no Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz e fortes exibições no Superbet Classic Romania e no SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia. Agora que ele garantiu pelo menos o segundo lugar na Sinquefield Cup, ele conquistou o tour porque seu rival mais próximo, Caruana, não pode mais alcançá-lo.

Praggnanandhaa 1/2-1/2 Caruana

GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu made significant efforts to imbue lively play into his clash with Caruana. In the middlegame, the Indian prodigy gave up part of his king’s pawn cover but underestimated his opponent’s resources. The 18-year-old grandmaster explained his decision:

I decided to go for it. Yeah, I could play something else and probably make a draw without any fight. I wanted to keep more game in the position.

I wanted to keep more game in the position.

―Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

Ding 1/2-1/2 Abdusattorov

GM Ding Liren gained a comfortable, risk-free edge on the kingside, center, and queenside vs. GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Yet, the world champion worried that his opponent could create play against the doubled, isolated pawns and decided to accept a threefold-repetition draw on move 23. He explained:

I thought I might be slightly worse… It looks like I played good moves, but I didn’t evaluate well.

It looks like I played good moves, but I didn’t evaluate well.

―Ding Liren

So 1/2-1/2 Vachier-Lagrave

GMs Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave traded queens early and fought out an even rook and opposite-color bishop ending until move 49.

Na rodada final, Firouzja só precisa de um empate com as brancas x Praggnanandhaa para selar a vantagem primeiro. A única chance de Caruana está em jogar por uma vitória contra Giri e torcer para que o vencedor do GCT sofra sua primeira e única derrota no evento.

Enquanto isso, os cinco grandes mestres em uma pontuação equilibrada: Então, Abdusattorov, Vachier-Lagrave, Praggnanandhaa e Gukesh vão disputar o terceiro lugar ou até mesmo uma chance de segundo se Caruana vacilar.