A Taste of Gukesh vs. Ding at the Grand Chess Tour Finale

Round one of the 2024 Sinquefield Cup will offer a sneak peek of the upcoming world championship match: GM Ding Liren and GM Gukesh Dommaraju will meet for the first time since Gukesh became the challenger.

As the finale of the Grand Chess Tour, the Sinquefield Cup gathers a slew of other elite competitors. In particular, GMs Alireza Firouzja and Fabiano Caruana will battle for the GCT throne. 

A World Championship Sneak Peek

For the first time since Gukesh won the 2024 Candidates Tournament, the challenger and world champion will cross swords. Gukesh is among the GCT regulars while Ding joins as the wild card.  

While Gukesh is currently at his peak at world number six, Ding has dropped to his lowest ranking since 2016 at number 15. The Indian prodigy officially surpassed Ding in May of this year. 

Both participants of the upcoming FIDE World Championship Match, D. Gukesh and Ding Liren, have arrived in St. Louis and met for the first time at our production house, where we conducted interviews with them. Are you looking forward to their game in the Sinquefield Cup, which… pic.twitter.com/fEp9cvcD2y

— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) August 17, 2024

Will the world champion find his former strength in time for the duel in Singapore in November? Will Gukesh continue his rise to become the youngest world champion ever?

The Sinquefield Cup will give us a sneak peek. In the very first round, Ding will have the white pieces vs. his teenage rival. Despite his recent form, the Chinese grandmaster has a 2-0 lifetime lead vs. Gukesh in classical, including a victory at Tata Steel earlier in 2024. 

Pickleball time @ Missouri pickleball club! pic.twitter.com/DOj8oeGIIR

— Gukesh D (@DGukesh) August 18, 2024

How does a world championship challenger prepare for a top-tier tournament? Play pickleball!

The Last Hurrah

Firouzja won the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz on August 16. In the process, he took over the GCT lead from the 2023 victor, Caruana.

Before that, Caruana looked to be running away with the tour. He won back-to-back events in Europe, the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia and the Superbet Classic Romania.

Though he only played in one event (and isn't playing in the Sinquefield Cup), GM Magnus Carlsen has still stamped his mark on the 2024 tour. He tagged in as a wild card to win the first event, the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland. 

The Rest of the Field: Longtime Powerhouses & Astonishing Prodigies

The Sinquefield Cup will feature all nine of the GCT regulars and the reigning world champion as the wild card. The 2021 and 2016 Grand Chess Tour victory, GM Wesley So, is currently placed third after finishing second at the recent Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz.

Ding Liren and Wesley So played a few friendly Fisher random games before the start of the Gala event in St Louis. #chess #Grandchesstour #fisherrandom #9lx #wesleyso #dingliren #chessplayers pic.twitter.com/Et8bO86sJa

— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) August 18, 2024

Fourth in the standings, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave is a two-time Sinquefield Cup champion, gaining the title in 2021 and 2017. Two prodigies to watch, GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, made their GCT debut this year. Two-time world championship challenger, GM Ian Nepomniachtchi, and the 2023 Tata Steel champion, GM Anish Giri, complete the potent field. 

The Sinquefield Cup begins on August 19, starting at 2 p.m. ET / 20:00 CEST / 11:30 p.m. IST. 

The 2024 Sinquefield Cup is the last leg and final classical event of the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. Ten players compete in a classical single round-robin for their share of a $350,000 prize fund. 

Previous Coverage

• Firouzja Wins STL Rapid & Blitz, Seizes GCT Lead From Caruana
• Caruana Wins Superbet Chess Classic Romania In Playoff After Dramatic Final Day
• Caruana Wins With 5 Rounds To Spare, Matches Carlsen's Record Of 27 Points
• Carlsen Wins Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland With 10-Game Winning Streak
• Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov Join 2024 Grand Chess Tour