Sinquefield Cup 2026 R7: Javokhir Sindarov Beats Vincent Keymer To Score His First Win

by Devansh Singh - 18/08/2026

In the 7th round of the 2026 Sinquefield Cup, Javokhir Sindarov defeated Vincent Keymer to register his 1st win of the tournament. All the other games between Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa, Levon Aronian and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Jorden van Foreest and Sam Sevian ended in a draw. Wesley So is still in the lead after a draw against Anish Giri in the 7th round. The tournament is still wide open for anyone to grab. The 8th round will start on 18th August at 12 PM Local Time / 10:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

An Endgame Mistake

The game between Javokhir Sindarov and Vincent Keymer was heading towards a draw, as it was an opposite-coloured bishop endgame and the pawn structure was also pretty much closed, but Sindarov had a 1-hour advantage on the clock, and time pressure led Vincent to make a mistake that cost him a full point.

1st win of WCC Challenger

Crucial Moment

Vincent just played h4 with the idea of exchanging the pawns, but black's king activity led Sindarov to win the game, as he can enter with Ke5 with the ideas of Kf4 or Kd4.

Wesley drew against Anish

Caruana drew against Praggnanandhaa

Levon Aronian drew against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

Jorden and Sam also drew their game

Fun banter before the round starts

Results

Standings

Replay Round 7 Games

Photo Gallery: GCT

About the 2026 Sinquefield Cup

The final regular-season stop and signature classical event of the Grand Chess Tour, the 2026 Sinquefield Cup returns to the Saint Louis Chess Club from August 8–21. Tournament play runs August 10–19, with ten elite grandmasters contesting nine rounds of classical chess and one last opportunity to earn Tour Points before the 2026 GCT Grand Finals.

The Field

Playing Field | Photo: Crystal Fuller / Saint Louis Chess Club

The current 10-player lineup features eight full-tour competitors: Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Jorden van Foreest, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. They are joined by wildcards Levon Aronian and Samuel Sevian.

Schedule

Prize Fund

The total prize fund is $475,000: a $350,000 base prize fund plus a $125,000 Decisive Games Bonus pool. The base first-place prize is $100,000, while the bonus pool is divided into equal shares based on the total number of decisive games, with one share awarded for each win.

How to Watch

Follow every round with professional commentary led by Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan on the Saint Louis Chess Club's YouTube channel and on Twitch. For spectators in Saint Louis, day passes include standing-room access to both the Sinquefield Cup and Cairns Cup playing halls, live Grandmaster commentary, and complimentary food, snacks, and beverages.

Format

The Sinquefield Cup is a 10-player, 9-round single round-robin classical tournament. The time control is 90 minutes for the first 40 moves, followed by 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. Players receive 1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.

Venue: Saint Louis Chess Club

The Saint Louis Chess Club stands as the premier global destination for competitive play, anchoring Saint Louis as the “Chess Capital of the United States.” This state-of-the-art facility features a world-class tournament hall designed to accommodate everyone from local enthusiasts to legendary Grandmasters. As a non-profit educational organization, the club serves as the prestigious home for all major U.S. Championship events as well as the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, the Sinquefield Cup, the Cairns Cup and more.