Caruana bags $100,000 bonus and rejoins the 2800 Elo club as the chess elite continues race for Candidates spots

Fabiano Caruana’s banner year continued yesterday as the American grandmaster won the 2023 edition of the Sinquefield Cup, a prestigious invitational that is the final leg of the annual Grand Chess Tour. Topping the overall standings, Caruana also nabbed himself a $100,000 bonus for his efforts.

A bronze medal at the World Cup (and with it, qualification for the Candidates), defending the U.S. Championship title, winning the first Grand Chess Tour event of the year and following it up with a triumph at the St. Lous Rapid & Blitz, then the Sinquefield Cup itself: It’s been a trophy-laden year for Caruana, even before counting the close calls at Norway Chess and the FIDE Grand Swiss. And he has now once again established himself above the 2800 Elo mark, a remarkable accomplishment in an age of rating deflation, where only he and Magnus Carlsen will reside heading into 2024.