Overview

• After a round of draws at the top, the co-leaders held versus Vachier‑Lagrave and So to remain tied ahead of the last round.
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov claimed his first win of the event by defeating Alireza Firouzja, denting the Frenchman's Finals hopes.
• Reigning world champion D. Gukesh drew with Levon Aronian and is out of contention for the title and the Grand Chess Tour Finals race.
• Final-round pairings set the stage for a decisive day: Duda–Vachier‑Lagrave, Caruana–Gukesh, Aronian–Praggnanandhaa, So–Abdusattorov, and Firouzja–Sevian.
• Vachier‑Lagrave remains unbeaten with eight draws and is widely viewed as well placed to qualify, while a playoff for the Cup remains possible.