Brian Jerauld
Communications Specialist
Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
SAINT LOUIS (August 31, 2014) — Apparently, not strong enough.
The 2014 Sinquefield Cup, boasting the strongest field in history with six of the top-nine Grandmasters in the world, has been dominated by just one. At the U.S. super-tournament’s halfway point, Italian GM Fabiano Caruana sits far in front with a perfect score — five points collected from five games — having consecutively defeated every other player in the field.
In Sunday’s fifth round at host venue Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, Caruana defeated GM Hikaru Nakamura for his first-ever victory over the American, completing the first cycle of the tournament’s double-round robin format. Also winning was World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen, who earned his first victory of the tournament against GM Levon Aronian; as well as Bulgarian GM Veselin Topalov, who has shaken off a winless start to find himself tied with Carlsen for second place, with 2.5 points each.
This year’s Sinquefield Cup has already provided some incredibly fighting chess, with 10 of its first 15 games ending with decisions. Monday will be a rest day, with play resuming Tuesday afternoon for round 6.
ROUND 5 RESULTS
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The 2014 Sinquefield Cup is a 10-round, double round robin tournament that runs through September 7, with each round beginning daily at 2:00 p.m. local time.
Nakamura is playing the best chess so far.
Nakamura will win his remaining games with absolute authority towards these Patsies. He will tear them into pieces and makes all of them bananas.
End is near for GM Nakamura’s chess playing career. Instead of progressing he is regressing. Time to hang up the fighting glove. It seems age has caught up on him. With so many younger super GM looming around, can’t see how he can win with these prodigies.
After a so-so performance at the Olympiad (where his TPR was below his rating), Caruana is suddenly Fischer at his spectacular best. This is not sustainable. Caruana’s planets simply made a rare alignment in the first 5 rounds. Things will be back to normal in the second half. But he probably has enough cushion to win the event.
Nakamura will beat them all in the second half. He’s gonna outsmart, pulverize and tear them into pieces brilliantly. They call it Naka’s revenge.
Any of you soothsayers care to predict who’ll win the next Superbowl? With so much wisdom, why not turn it into some real $$$? LOL