Sevian enters the Symmetrical Four Knights Game, aiming for a solid and balanced start.
Alireza secures his king on the kingside.
Sevian follows suit, castling on the kingside to safeguard his king.
Queens Gone, Early Endgame Ahead 👑 With the queens traded off quickly, the game steers into an early endgame battle!
A symmetrical pawn structure has emerged, with the position remaining balanced for now.
Alireza brings out his dark-squared bishop, potentially targeting Sevian’s unprotected c-pawn.
Sevian develops his light-squared bishop in similar fashion, aiming at Alireza’s c-pawn.
Alireza repositions his knight, simultaneously uncovering a discovered attack on Sevian’s pawn.
Sevian defends his pawn with his rook, signaling intentions of expanding on the queenside with pawn pushes.
Alireza repositions his knight, turning the pressure onto Sevian’s bishop.
Sevian retreats his knight to protect the c-pawn, freeing his rook to contest the d-file.
In the endgame, Alireza begins mobilizing his king, bringing it closer to the action.
Sevian brings his rook into play, challenging Alireza for control of the open d-file.
Alireza advances his pawn, solidifying his queenside structure.
Sevian begins activating his king, stepping into the endgame battle.
With the rooks traded, the game transitions into an equal minor piece endgame.
A repetition is unfolding, and it looks like a handshake and a draw are just around the corner!
It was a quiet finish to the tournament for both players, as Alireza Firouzja and Samuel Sevian made a draw in their final-round clash.
The game began with the Four Knights Opening, quickly steering into a balanced structure with complete symmetry. Neither side showed much ambition to break the equilibrium, as both players blitzed out their moves with confidence and steered the game toward safety.
While there were no fireworks, the result carried meaning: Firouzja stopped his losing streak after two tough rounds, while Sevian completed an extraordinary run - nine draws in nine games, remaining unbeaten but without a single decisive result.
The last day of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup brings us another intriguing clash.
For Alireza Firouzja, the tournament has been a rollercoaster. After back-to-back losses, including a tough defeat in Round 8 against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, he’ll be eager to finish on a fighting note and restore some momentum.
Facing him is Samuel Sevian, who has quietly carved out a remarkable streak - eight straight draws in eight rounds. Solid, consistent, and impossible to break so far, Sevian has shown resilience but is still searching for that elusive first win.
So what happens today? Will Alireza shake off the setbacks and strike back in the final round or will Sevian’s iron-solid run continue, making it nine draws in nine?