2021 Sinquefield Cup – Day 6 Recap
For the first time in the event all five games in today’s round ended peacefully, as while a few players stood better at various points no one could increase their advantage to a significant degree. With the slew of draws, So, Vachier-Lagrave, and Dominguez remain at the top of the standings with 4.0/6, while Caruana is still a half-point behind with three rounds left to play.
Swiercz – Mamedyarov | ½-½, 42 moves
A 5.Re1 Berlin gave Swiercz a small but nagging advantage in terms of the structure, though he was never able to do much against Mamedyarov’s stubborn defense. A risky pawn grab (23…Bxa2) a-la Game 1 of the 1972 Spassky-Fischer World Championship worked out just fine for Mamedyarov, who was able to force liquidations and eventually secure a draw in the endgame.
Dominguez – Svidler | ½-½, 35 moves
One of the sharpest games of the round featured an aggressive handling of the Black side of the Italian Game by Svidler, who seemed to burn all bridges by advancing his kingside pawns towards White’s king. Missing an opportunity (pointed out by the engines) in the middlegame to sacrifice a knight and launch a powerful attack, Svidler instead played more calmly, allowing Dominguez to consolidate and equalize the game.
Caruana – Vachier-Lagrave | ½-½, 46 moves
In a highly important game for the standings Caruana came armed with some deep theoretical preparation, targeting MVL’s beloved Najdorf and repeating the same line (6.Be3) that Dominguez used earlier to score a win against the French No. 1. MVL deviated from the game with Dominguez, though still found himself under serious pressure, using up more than half his time while Caruana was still clearly in his preparation. In a complex middlegame with opposite sides castling, Fabi had managed to create a powerful passed pawn on f6, but MVL was just in time to create counterplay with a passed pawn of his own. Not seeing a way to break through, Caruana then forced a draw as the players reached the first time-control.
Shankland – Rapport | ½-½, 47 moves
An unusual line in the Scotch Opening led to a fresh position early on, as both players castled queenside before starting to fight for key squares in the center and kingside. It seemed as though Rapport had a small edge thanks to his healthier pawn structure, but ultimately couldn’t make anything out of it, eventually allowing simplifications into a drawn rook endgame.
Xiong – So | ½-½, 56 moves
The final game of the round to finish saw Xiong utilizing the London System, as he managed to put So under some pressure in the middlegame thanks to his better piece coordination. So defended well, and although Xiong missed a few chances to increase his edge he was never close to winning, as the game eventually petered out into a drawn bishops of opposite color endgame.
