Qualification Eventualities for Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa for GCT Finals by way of Sinquefield Cup 2025: The tenth version of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) has reached its ultimate stage, with the final occasion of the tour, the Sinquefield Cup 2025, underway in Saint Louis. For the second consecutive yr, the GCT options two Indians — World Champion D. Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa — as full tour gamers.
The 2025 tour started with the Superbet Speedy & Blitz Poland, adopted by the Superbet Chess Traditional Romania. It then moved to Croatia for the SuperUnited Speedy & Blitz Croatia earlier than its ultimate cease in Missouri for the Saint Louis Speedy & Blitz and the Sinquefield Cup.
Every occasion awards placement factors along with prize cash. The mixed factors will decide the ultimate standings, with the highest 4 gamers qualifying for the GCT Finals in Brazil from September 26 to October 4.
Wildcard participant Vladimir Fedoseev gained the primary occasion in Poland. On the Superbet Chess Traditional Romania, a classical occasion, Praggnanandhaa completed joint first with France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja, successful the occasion in a tiebreak. Magnus Carlsen, a wildcard within the third occasion, gained the SuperUnited Speedy & Blitz Croatia, whereas Levon Aronian clinched the Saint Louis Speedy & Blitz.
MVL leads the standings with 28 factors from three occasions and is all however by to the finals. Aronian (23.5), Firouzja (22.5), and Caruana (20) are positioned second, third, and fourth, respectively, heading into the Sinquefield Cup. Praggnanandhaa is fifth with 20 factors, whereas Gukesh is eighth with 16.
How can Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh qualify for the GCT finals?
Of the 2 Indians, Praggnanandhaa has the higher probability to qualify, courtesy of his 20 factors. He sits simply half some extent behind the fourth-placed Caruana. The only path for Praggnanandhaa is to complete forward of Caruana within the Sinquefield Cup, which might successfully assure him a spot within the finals at Caruana’s expense. If Caruana finishes above him, Praggnanandhaa would want to complete 2.5 factors forward of Firouzja or 3.5 factors forward of Aronian to overhaul them within the standings.
Praggnanandhaa will face Sevian within the fourth spherical, whereas Gukesh will lock horns with Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who’s among the many 5 gamers on 1.5 factors. (Image Credit score: Grand Chess Tour/Lennart Ootes)
For Gukesh, one of the best ways to qualify can be to win the Sinquefield Cup outright. A sole winner receives 13 factors, which might take Gukesh to 29. He would then want no less than two of the gamers above him — Aronian, Firouzja, Caruana, or Praggnanandhaa — to have a poor end (for instance, within the backside 4) to solidify his probabilities.
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Full tour participant for GCT 2025
- Fabiano Caruana (USA)
- R. Praggnanandhaa (IND)
- D. Gukesh (IND)
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB)
- Alireza Firouzja (FRA)
- Wesley So (USA)
- Levon Aronian (USA)
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA)
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL)
Placement factors awarded in every GCT occasion
- 12/13*
- 10
- 8
- 7
- 6
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
Grand Chess Tour 2025 Factors Desk
| Participant | POL | ROU | CRO | STL | SIN | Factors |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 10 | 10 | — | 8 | 28 | |
| Levon Aronian | 7 | 3.5 | — | 13 | 23.5 | |
| Alireza Firouzja | 6 | 10 | 6.5 | — | 22.5 | |
| Fabiano Caruana | — | 7 | 3.5 | 10 | 20.5 | |
| R Praggnanandhaa | 8 | 10 | 2 | — | 20 | |
| Wesley So | — | 3.5 | 10 | 6 | 19.5 | |
| Nodirbek Abdusattorov | — | 6 | 5 | 7 | 18 | |
| Gukesh Dommaraju | — | 3.5 | 8 | 4.5 | 16 | |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 3.5 | 1 | 6.5 | — | 11 | |
| Vladimir Fedoseev | 13 | — | — | — | — | 13 |
| Magnus Carlsen | — | — | 13 | — | — | 13 |
| Bogdan-Daniel Deac | 5 | 3.5 | — | — | — | 8.5 |
| Lê Quang Liêm | — | — | — | 4.5 | — | 4.5 |
| Aravindh Chithambaram | 3.5 | — | — | — | — | 3.5 |
| Anish Giri | — | — | 3.5 | — | — | 3.5 |
| Leinier Domínguez | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 |
| David Gavrilescu | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 |
| Grigoriy Oparin | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 |
| Veselin Topalov | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Ivan Šarić | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 |
| Sam Shankland | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 |
| Samuel Sevian | — | — | — | — | 0 |
(Desk up to date after Saint Louis Speedy & Blitz)