Fabiano Caruana
The “lowest” rated players in the field, GMs Veselin Topalov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – officially, the eighth and ninth-best players on earth – earned full points in Friday’s third round, while the top-two players on the globe suffered defeat.
GMs Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian entered the weekend with a loss each, sending them backward in a strongest-ever field that features two world champions, current and former – and both in the cellar.
Showing no effects to the magnitude is Caruana, who knocked off the current champion Carlsen on Friday to take a 1.5-point lead over the field after three perfect rounds.
Round 3 results:
GM Veselin Topalov 1 – 0 GM Hikaru Nakamura
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 1 – 0 GM Levon Aronian
GM Magnus Carlsen 0 – 1 GM Fabiano Caruana
Round 3 standings:
1. GM Fabiano Caruana 2801 – 3
2-3. GM Levon Aronian 2805 and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave 2768 – 1.5
4-6. GM Magnus Carlsen 2877, GM Hikaru Nakamura 2787 and GM Veselin Topalov 2772 – 1
Round 4 pairings:
GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave – GM Hikaru Nakamura
GM Magnus Carlsen – GM Veselin Topalov
GM Fabiano Caruana – GM Levon Aronian
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. Monday, September 1 will be a rest day.
The 2014 player field features six of the top-ten players in the world and averages a historical 2802 rating. The winner will take home $100,000.
Text by Brian Jerauld
