Overview

• All five Round 5 games were drawn, leaving Fabiano Caruana alone on 3.5/5 heading into the break.
• R. Praggnanandhaa and Levon Aronian trail on 3 points, with Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Sam Sevian, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave on 2.5.
• Jan-Krzysztof Duda held Gukesh after finding brilliant tactics but missing the winning 27.Bg2!! in the day’s sharpest battle.
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov halted his slide by drawing Sevian to reach 1 point, while Sevian remains undefeated with five draws.
• The nine-round, 10-player St. Louis event is the final classical leg of the $350,000 Grand Chess Tour; play resumes Sunday with four rounds to decide standings and Finals qualification, with scenarios indicating a continued lead could secure Caruana a São Paulo berth.