Levon Aronian pulled off a stunning comeback against Vincent Keymer in round two of the Sinquefield Cup, recovering from a lost position to steal the win. That result capped a dominant day for White, which swept four of the five games on the board.
The scoreline tells the story. White won every decisive game in the round. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave outplayed Sam Sevian in a complicated middlegame battle. The other two white victories came without major drama, though the Aronian recovery stands out as the round's defining moment. Keymer had every reason to expect a draw or better but let the advantage slip away in the endgame.
This follows similar domination in Cairns, where White scored three wins in the same round, suggesting the opening preparations heavily favored the first-move advantage. Players relying on the black pieces will need sharper defensive resources moving forward, or White's advantage in future rounds could become uncomfortable.
The Sinquefield Cup remains one of the year's strongest tournaments, and early results already show how deeply the world's best prepare their openings. Aronian's comeback win proves the games remain far from decided even when the position looks hopeless. One careless move can unwind an entire advantage, and Keymer learned that lesson the hard way.