Sinquefield Cup

The Sinquefield Cup is an annual, invite-only chess tournament in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, honoring Rex Sinquefield and his wife Jeanne, the founders of the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.

Playing hall of the Sinquefield Cup 2015

Winners

#	Year	City	Winner(s)
1	2013	St. Louis	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)
2	2014	St. Louis	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)
3	2015	St. Louis	Levon Aronian (Armenia)
4	2016	St. Louis	Wesley So (United States)
5	2017	St. Louis	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)
6	2018	St. Louis	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)  Fabiano Caruana (United States)  Levon Aronian (Armenia)
7	2019	St. Louis	Ding Liren (China)

2013

The first edition (working title: 2013 Saint Louis International) was held from 9 to 15 September 2013 at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.[1] The four grandmasters played the classic time control 40 moves in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment as of move one, followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game in double round-robin format.[2] The total prize fund was $170,000,[3] with $70,000 going to the winner, $50,000 to runner-up, $30,000 to third place and $20,000 to fourth place.[4] The average FIDE rating for the field was 2797, the highest rated tournament at the time. The opening ceremony took place on 8 September 2013, and round 1 was held the next day.[5] This was the last tournament for Magnus Carlsen before the World Chess Championship 2013.[6]

1st Sinquefield Cup, 9–15 September 2013, St. Louis, USA, Cat. XXII (2797)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	Points	TPR
1	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2862		½ ½	½ 1	1 1	4½	2968
2	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2772	½ ½	Does not appear	1 0	1 ½	3½	2862
3	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2813	½ 0	0 1	Does not appear	½ ½	2½	2735
4	Gata Kamsky (United States)	2741	0 0	0 ½	½ ½	Does not appear	1½	2623

2014

The second edition was held from August 27 to September 7, at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis.[7] It is by rating the strongest tournament in the history of chess, as measured by actual average Elo rating of 2802 for the six participants, all in the top ten of FIDE's Elo rating list.

The six grandmasters again played the time control of 40 moves in 90 minutes with a 30-second increment for every move, followed by an additional 30 minutes plus the per-move-increment for the rest of the game, in a double round-robin tournament. According to the FIDE rating, the players were Numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 9 in the world.

The total prize fund was increased to $315,000, with $100,000 going to the winner.[8]

2nd Sinquefield Cup, 27 August – 7 September 2014, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXIII (2801.7)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	Points	Wins	H2H	TPR[9]
1	Fabiano Caruana (Italy)	2801		1 ½	1 1	1 1	1 ½	1 ½	8½			3103
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2877	0 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	½ ½	1 ½	½ 1	5½			2822
3	Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)	2772	0 0	½ ½	Does not appear	1 ½	0 ½	1 1	5			2807
4	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2768	0 0	½ ½	0 ½	Does not appear	1 ½	½ ½	4	1	1½	2738
5	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2805	0 ½	0 ½	1 ½	0 ½	Does not appear	½ ½	4	1	½	2731
6	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2787	0 ½	½ 0	0 0	½ ½	½ ½	Does not appear	3			2658

After round 7, Caruana had achieved a score of 7/7, which was described as a "historical achievement" by Levon Aronian.[10] Caruana drew his remaining games to finish with 8½/10 and a performance rating of 3103, the highest ever performance rating in a single tournament, besting Carlsen's performance in the 2009 Nanjing Pearl Spring tournament and Anatoly Karpov in the 1994 Linares chess tournament.[11] It was compared to Bobby Fischer's 20-game winning streak in 1970–1971.[11][12]

Vachier-Lagrave finished fourth, ahead of Aronian on tie-break (direct encounter).[13][14]

2015

The third edition was held from August 22 to September 3, at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis as the second leg in the 2015 Grand Chess Tour. The tournament featured the seven top players in the world, a feat only surpassed by the AVRO 1938 chess tournament.[15] The Sinquefield Cup is also the strongest tournament featured in the 2015 Grand Chess Tour with an average FIDE Rating of 2795.[16]

The 2015 Sinquefield Cup was a single round-robin event held with a time control of 40 moves in 2 hours, followed by the rest of the game in 1 hour with a 30-second increment from move 41.[17] Wesley So was selected as the tournament invite and joined the nine other players already participating in the Grand Chess Tour.[16]

3rd Sinquefield Cup, 22 August – 3 September 2015, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2794.6)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	Wins	H2H	SB	TPR	Tour Points
1	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2765		½	1	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	6				2923	13
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2853	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	0	0	1	½	1	5	3	½	21.25	2831	10
3	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2814	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	0	½	1	1	5	3	½	20.25	2835	8
4	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2731	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	½	½	1	5	2			2845	7
5	Anish Giri (Netherlands)	2793	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	5	1			2838	6
6	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	2771	½	1	0	½	0	Does not appear	½	1	1	0	4½	3			2797	5
7	Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)	2816	½	1	1	0	½	½	Does not appear	0	½	½	4½	2			2792	4
8	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2808	0	0	½	½	½	0	1	Does not appear	½	½	3½	1			2713	3
9	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2816	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	3½	0			2712	2
10	Wesley So (United States)	2779	0	0	0	0	½	1	½	½	½	Does not appear	3				2671	1

2016

The 4th Sinquefield Cup was played between August 4 and 16, 2016. It was rescheduled due to a clash with the 2016 Baku Chess Olympiad. This Sinquefield Cup is one of the tournaments of the 2nd Grand Chess Tour. Ding Liren was selected as the Wild Card for the Sinquefield Cup.[18] Vladimir Kramnik withdrew from Sinquefield Cup for health reasons. Fellow Russian player Peter Svidler replaced him.[19]

The prize fund was US$300,000, with $75,000 for 1st place, and points toward the overall 2016 Grand Chess Tour. Players received 120 minutes for 40 moves then 60 minutes for the rest of the game with an additional 30 seconds added per move starting from move 41. In case of a 2-way tie, a 2-game Rapid Match (10 minutes + 5 seconds increment starting from Move #1) followed by a 2-game Blitz Match (5 minutes + 2 seconds increment starting from Move #1) if tied again was to be played. If a tie after the Blitz match, an Armageddon game would decide the winner. All ratings listed below are from the August 2016 rating list.[20]

On August 14, 2016, Wesley So won the tournament, with 5½ points out of 9 (+2−0=7), ahead of former World Champions Veselin Topalov and Viswanathan Anand, and former winners Levon Aronian and Fabiano Caruana.

4th Sinquefield Cup, 4–16 August 2016, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2778.6)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	Wins	SB	TPR	Tour Points
1	Wesley So (United States)	2771		½	1	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	5½			2859	13
2	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2792	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	0	½	1	½	5	2	21.75	2820	7.75
3	Veselin Topalov (Bulgaria)	2761	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	5	2	21.00	2823	7.75
4	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2770	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	1	½	½	½	5	1	22.25	2822	7.75
5	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2807	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	5	1	21.50	2818	7.75
6	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2791	0	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	1	½	1	4½	2		2777	4.5
7	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2819	½	1	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	4½	1		2774	4.5
8	Ding Liren (China)	2755	½	½	0	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	1	½	4			2738	3
9	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2751	½	0	0	½	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	1	3½			2701	2
10	Anish Giri (Netherlands)	2769	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	Does not appear	3			2654	1

[21] [22]

2017

The 5th Sinquefield Cup was played from August 2 to August 11, 2017, and was the third leg of the 2017 Grand Chess Tour. It was won by Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, with 6 points out of 9 (+3−0=6).

5th Sinquefield Cup, 2–11 August 2017, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2787.7)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	Wins	H2H	TPR	Tour Points
1	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2789		1	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	6			2907	13
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2822	0	Does not appear	½	1	1	½	½	½	1	½	5½	3		2862	9
3	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2783	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	1	5½	2		2866	9
4	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2799	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	0	1	1	1	5	3		2825	6.5
5	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2773	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	1	½	5	2		2828	6.5
6	Peter Svidler (Russia)	2751	½	½	½	½	0	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	4½			2792	5
7	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2807	½	½	0	1	½	0	Does not appear	½	½	½	4			2747	4
8	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2792	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	0	3½			2709	3
9	Wesley So (United States)	2810	0	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	3	1	1	2665	1.5
10	Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)	2751	0	½	0	0	½	½	½	1	0	Does not appear	3	1	0	2672	1.5

2018

6th Sinquefield Cup, 18–28 August 2018, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2787.5)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Points	H2H	Wins	Black	TPR	Tour Points
1–3	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2842		½	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½	1	2	0	2861	15
1–3	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2822	½		½	½	½	½	½	½	1	1	5½	1	2	0	2864	15
1–3	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2767	½	½		½	1	½	½	½	½	1	5½	1	2	0	2870	15
4	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	2801	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	5		1	0	2829	10
5	Alexander Grischuk (Russia)	2766	½	½	0	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	4½	1	1	1	2790	6
6–7	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2779	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	4½	1	0	0	2788	6
6–7	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2768	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	4½	1	0	0	2790	6
8	Wesley So (United States)	2780	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	4		0	0	2745	3
9–10	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2777	0	0	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	3	½	0	0	2664	1.5
9–10	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2773	0	0	0	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	3	½	0	0	2664	1.5

The 6th Sinquefield Cup was the fourth leg on the Grand Chess Tour 2018; Carlsen, Caruana and Aronian tied for first, all with 5½ points out of 9 (+2−0=7). The deciding tiebreaker involved the drawing of lots to decide which two players would participate in the playoff for the title. Carlsen objected to this random chance tiebreaker and proposed a three-way playoff. Caruana did not agree to the three-way playoff as he had a playoff with Wesley So for a place at the 2018 London Chess Classic scheduled on the same day (Caruana would qualify to London after beating So in a playoff 1.5–0.5). The trio reached a compromise and agreed to share the title.[23]

2019

The 7th Sinquefield Cup was played from August 17 to August 29, 2019, and was the fifth leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour. It was won by Ding Liren on tiebreaks, 3-1. Both Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen were tied with 6½ points out of 11 (+2−0=9). The prize fund was US$325,000, with $82,500 for 1st place.

7th Sinquefield Cup, 17–29 August 2019, St. Louis, Missouri, United States, Category XXII (2783)

	Player	Rating	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Points	TB	Place	TPR	GCT Points
1	Ding Liren (China)	2805		½	½	½	1	1	½	½	½	½	½	½	6½	3	1	2845	16½
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2882	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	½	6½	1	2	2838	16½
3	Viswanathan Anand (India)	2756	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	½	6		3–4	2820	11
4	Sergey Karjakin (Russia)	2750	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	1	½	½	½	6		3–4	2821	11
5	Fabiano Caruana (United States)	2818	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	½	½	1	5½		5–8	2779	6½
6	Anish Giri (Netherlands)	2779	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	1	½	½	½	½	½	5½		5–8	2782	6½
7	Ian Nepomniachtchi (Russia)	2774	½	½	0	½	½	0	Does not appear	½	0	1	1	1	5½		5–8	2783	6½
8	Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (Azerbaijan)	2764	½	½	½	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	½	5½		5–8	2784	6½
9	Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)	2778	½	0	½	0	½	½	1	½	Does not appear	½	½	½	5		9–10	2746	3½
10	Hikaru Nakamura (United States)	2743	½	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	Does not appear	½	½	5		9–10	2750	3½
11	Wesley So (United States)	2776	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	½	½	½	Does not appear	½	4½		11–12	2718	1½
12	Levon Aronian (Armenia)	2765	½	½	½	½	0	½	0	½	½	½	½	Does not appear	4½		11–12	2719	1½

First place playoff, 29 August 2019, St. Louis, Missouri, United States

Place	Player	Rapid rating	Blitz rating	Rapid		Blitz		Score
1	Ding Liren (China)	2786	2779	½	½	1	1	3
2	Magnus Carlsen (Norway)	2895	2920	½	½	0	0	1

References

1. "St. Louis To Host Four Leaders - chess-news.ru". www.chess-news.ru. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
2. U.S. Chess Champs: Top 2 in World, Top 2 in U.S. Battle for Sinquefield Cup
3. "Carlsen and Aronian to play in US Super-GM". 17 June 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
4. "U.S. Chess Champs: The Sinquefield Cup". Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
5. "Carlsen, Aronian, Nakamura, Kamsky to play in first "Sinquefield Cup" - ChessVibes". www.chessvibes.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
6. "Sinquefield Chess Cup 2013 LIVE! - Chessdom". www.chessdom.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
7. "Live - www.uschesschamps.com". uschesschamps.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-09-10. Retrieved 2013-09-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
9. Sinquefield Cup, chessbase.com, 2014.
10. Roeder, Oliver (5 September 2014). "Fabiano Caruana Is Doing The Impossible At Chess's Most Competitive Tournament". Five Thirty Eight. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
11. Stevenson, Seth (18 September 2014). "Grandmaster Clash". Slate.
12. Campbell, Bradley (4 September 2014). "The Italian Bobby Fischer is making chess history in St. Louis". PRI.
13. "Rules & Regulations: 2014 Sinquefield Cup - www.uschesschamps.com". www.uschesschamps.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
14. "2014 Sinquefield Cup Pairings & Results - www.uschesschamps.com". www.uschesschamps.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
15. (PeterDoggers), Peter Doggers. "Top Players Return To St. Louis; 3rd Sinquefield Cup To Start Sunday - Chess.com". Retrieved 12 August 2017.
16. "Overview - Grand Chess Tour". grandchesstour.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
17. "2015 Rules & Regulations - Grand Chess Tour". grandchesstour.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
18. "Grand Chess Tour Announces 2016 Participants". chess.com. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
19. "Vladimir Kramnik withdraws from Sinquefield Cup". Retrieved 1 August 2016.
20. "Standard Top 100 Players August 2016". Retrieved 1 August 2016.
21. "Grand Chess Tour 2016 – ChessHive". chesshive.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
22. "Sinquefield Cup 2016 - The Week in Chess". theweekinchess.com. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
23. Saravanan, Venkatachalam (28 August 2018). "Sinquefield Cup: Three winners (one playoff)!". ChessBase.

External links

• Official website