Sinquefield Cup unfolds

The 2019 Sinquefield Cup, the strongest and richest invitational tournament anywhere, got underway yesterday with nine of the world’s top 10 players competing.

Norwegian world champion Magnus Carlsen, American Fabiano Caruana and Ding Liren of China, headlined the elite 12-player field that included Dutch GM Anish Giri, Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, home town bet Wesley So, Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi, Armenian Levon Aronian, and Azeri GM Shak Mamedyarov.

Indian Vishy Anand, Russian Sergey Kariakin and local GM Hikaru Nakamura, rounded out the top 12.

Carlsen, 28, who is seeking his fifth consecutive major tournament this year, remains the heavy favorite, though some experts cast doubts after that shocking defeat in the just-concluded St. Louis Grand Chess Tour, won by Levon Aronian of Armenia. The world champion lost 10 out of 27 games of rapid/blitz, and finished a miserable sixth in the 10-player field.

The Sinquefield Cup, the last classical event of the GCT, is being held at the St. Louis chess club and scholastic center in Missouri, USA. Now on its seventh year, the category 22 all-play-all event offers a hefty $325,000 total cash prize, with the champion getting $90,000 and the runner up $60,000.

* * * Carlsen entered this tournament as the top favorite. But he performed below expectation, starting badly and losing three games in the first five.rounds Incredible. If his bad form needs any confirmation, the following game provides it. Grand Chess Tour 2019 Rapid W) M. Carlsen (NOR) B) L. Aronian (ARM) Queen’s Pawn Opening 1. d4 Nf6