Wesley goes for the classic Italian Game, seeking a calm yet flexible setup with rich strategic possibilities.
In the Italian Game, Nodirbek opts for the sharp Two Knights Defense, inviting early tactical possibilities.
Instead of the usual one-square advance in the main line, Wesley pushes his d-pawn two squares, immediately opening up the center!
Nodirbek exchanges pawns in the middle.
Instead of recapturing immediately, Wesley pushes his pawn, attacking Nodirbek’s knight!
Rather than moving his attacked knight, Nodirbek pushes his pawn forward, striking back by attacking Wesley’s bishop.
Wesley sidesteps with his bishop, avoiding the attack while pinning Nodirbek’s knight.
Nodirbek repositions his knight, stepping out of the pawn's attack.
Wesley secures his king on the kingside and prepares to bring his rook into play.
Nodirbek retreats his knight to defend his vulnerable c-pawn.
Wesley develops his knight toward the center, boosting control over key squares.
Nodirbek secures his king on the kingside.
Wesley mobilizes his queen, eyeing a potential shift toward the kingside.
Nodirbek reinforces his central pawn, solidifying his control of the middle.
Wesley repositions his queen, setting up the possibility of bringing his dark-squared bishop into the attack!
Nodirbek shifts his king, releasing his g-pawn from the pin.
Wesley repositions his knight, bringing it to a more active square with greater influence.
Nodirbek advances his pawn, driving Wesley’s knight out of the center.
A misstep leaves weaknesses in Nodirbek’s pawn structure, giving Wesley potential targets.
By creating weaknesses in Nodirbek’s pawn structure, Wesley secures a small positional advantage.
Nodirbek finds the right move, parrying Wesley’s dual threats and holding the position together.
Wesley plays aggressively, advancing his pawn on the kingside to gain space and spark activity!
Nodirbek retreats his rook to safety, stepping out of the attack.
Wesley places his knight on an excellent square, blocking Nodirbek’s pawn and cementing control.
Nodirbek develops his knight, bringing it into the game to increase his piece activity.
Wesley brings his bishop into play, smoothly connecting his rooks and completing development.
Nodirbek seeks to trade knights, aiming to simplify the position and relieve pressure.
Wesley advances his pawn, aiming to gain space and create activity on the kingside.
Nodirbek positions both rooks on the f-file, halting Wesley’s f-pawn advance for the moment.
Wesley shifts his rook, aiming to double his rooks on the f-file and increase pressure.
Nodirbek stops Wesley’s f-pawn advance, maintaining control and keeping the position solid.
Wesley maneuvers his queen, aiming to bring it to a more powerful and threatening square.
Wesley maintains a small advantage, but the question remains, how will he convert it into a breakthrough?
Nodirbek sacrifices a pawn to disrupt Wesley’s pawn structure.
Wesley takes the pawn, eyeing the opportunity to maintain his extra material and consolidate his advantage.
Wesley methodically enhances his position, optimizing his pieces and strengthening his control.
Nodirbek plays cautiously, making waiting moves while assessing Wesley’s plans.
Wesley continues improving all his pieces, positioning them optimally before committing to any pawn breaks.
Wesley begins activating his king, ideally heading toward the queenside to safeguard his pawns!
A mistake by Nodirbek, advancing and sacrificing his d-pawn could have halted Wesley’s king march.
Wesley brings his king fully to the queenside, securing his pawns and strengthening his position.
Wesley patiently prepares a kingside pawn push, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
Nodirbek is forced into a defensive stance, patiently holding his position and waiting for a chance to counter.
Wesley positions both rooks on the h-file, aiming to prepare a decisive h-pawn break.
We’ve reached move 40, triggering the second time control. Both players receive an additional 30 minutes on their clocks.
With the h-file blocked, Wesley redirects his rooks and attention to the f-file, seeking new avenues of pressure.
Nodirbek starts exchanging pieces, but the trades work in Wesley’s favor, strengthening his advantage.
Wesley enjoys a big edge, with an extra pawn, an active queen, and multiple targets in Nodirbek’s position.
Grabbing the c-pawn would have been a blunder for Wesley, as Nodirbek could have gained a winning advantage with a queen check.
Nodirbek protects his c-pawn, adopting a passive stance.
In the final round of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup, Wesley So secured a convincing victory over Nodirbek Abdusattorov in an Italian Game, showcasing both sharpness and precision.
The battle started positionally, but Wesley immediately looked for opportunities. Nodirbek made a few inaccurate decisions, leaving weaknesses in his pawn structure. Wesley expertly exploited those weaknesses, culminating in a memorable king walk - a subtle but powerful demonstration of his positional mastery.
With this win, Wesley not only finished strong but also shook up the leaderboard. Caruana and Praggnanandhaa drew their games, which means we now have a three-way tie at the top! That sets the stage for playoffs to decide the ultimate winner and it’s happening right away. Stay tuned for the decisive showdown!
It all comes down to this: the last round of the 2025 Sinquefield Cup!
Wesley So has been his usual solid self, coming off a Round 8 draw against Praggnanandhaa. But today, there’s no room for half-points, a win and some luck could push him into the Grand Chess Tour Finals in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
On the other side of the board, Nodirbek Abdusattorov arrives with momentum after a strong win over Alireza Firouzja in Round 8. Though he’s out of the race for Finals qualification, he’s more than capable of spoiling Wesley’s chances and ending his own event on a high note.
The stakes couldn’t be clearer: Wesley needs victory, Nodirbek is playing for pride. Who will rise in this final clash?