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Undefeated Caruana Wins 2014 Sinquefield Cup |
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Sunday, 07 September 2014 20:35 |
GM Fabiano Caruana has won the 2014 Sinquefield Cup undefeated, besting the strongest-rated field in chess history by a three-game margin.
Caruana (8.5/10) went a record seven consecutive wins to start the U.S. super-tournament, then closed with three draws, including his final round match with GM Levon Aronian on Saturday. Considering the improbable streak and the caliber of opponents he achieved it against -- all six players are among the world's top-ten -- Caruana's performance in Saint Louis is already being argued as one of the best-ever.
The reigning World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen, who sarcastically referred to Caruana's performance as "depressing" to thunderous laughter in the post-event press conference, took second place with 5.5/10. In the tenth and final round, last year's Sinquefield Cup winner Carlsen found his way into an early and easy draw-by-repetition with the only player who could have challenged him for second place, GM Veselin Topalov. Carlsen won $75,000.
Topalov (5/10), who had begun the tournament with two straight losses, settled for $50,000 in clear third. Aronian (4/10) finished tied for fourth with GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, both winning $35,000 for their efforts. GM Hikaru Nakamura (3/10) drew with Vachier-Lagrave in the final round to earn $20,000.
Brian Jerauld
Communications Specialist
Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis
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