Fabiano Caruana at Sinquefield 2014

The chess world is abuzz with the extraordinary performance of Fabiano Caruana at this year's Sinquefield Cup:

• On Chess: St. Louis Witnessing Chess History-As-It-Happens At Sinquefield Cup

  The 2014 Sinquefield Cup, the global super-tournament now in progress in the Central West End, had already been prepared to leave its mark in time. Headlined by reigning World Chess Champion GM Magnus Carlsen, along with five other of the world’s top-10 International Grandmasters, the event was set to become a part of chess lore even before its first move: The six-player field is the strongest-rated ever, averaging a 2802 strength never seen in the game’s 1,500-year history.

• Caruana Demolishes Topalov, Increases Lead Again

  Caruana began his second time around the field, but so far it's looking the same as the first. A mere 31 moves and barely three hours was all it took to take out GM Veselin Topalov in round six.

• Grande! Mostruoso! Fabiano Caruana is at 7,0/7 at Sinquefield Cup

  Day after day the Italian-American superstar Fabiano Caruana is making history. Fabulos Fabiano aka Fabi is now at 7,0/7 in the strongest ever chess tournament, the Sinquefield Cup, breaking every expectation, shattering even the bravest predictions.

  With his victory in round 6 he surpassed the 5,0/5 start of Ivanchuk at Mtel Masters 08, with the victory today another achievement remains behind – the 6,0/6 of Karpov in Linares 1994. The modern times of chess have a new king, king Fabiano Caruana. One has to look back to 1968 where in Wijk Aan Zee the legendary Korchnoi started with 8,0/8. The times now are so different and the competition so fierce that already Fabiano’s success can be proclaimed as the most memorable streak in the history of chess.

• Sinquefield Cup Round 8: The Streak Ends, But Caruana Clinches Tournament Victory With Two Rounds To Spare

  In today's game he was close to a win against Carlsen, but 26. 0-0 let the foot off the gas and Carlsen scraped his way to a drawish ending, one which Caruana didn't seem too intent to try to win. From the perspective of tournament victory, a draw was sufficient, and for all his strength and ambition even Carlsen cannot hope to make up a three point deficit in the two remaining rounds.

• Undefeated Caruana Wins Sinquefield Cup by Three Points

  Fabiano Caruana finished the 2014 Sinquefield Cup with a solid draw against Levon Aronian to end the highest-rated tournament in history with a magnificent 8.5/10 -- three points ahead of his nearest follower, the World Champion GM Magnus Carlsen.

• Fabiano Caruana wins Sinquefield Cup with stunning performance

  There are only two historic precedents for such a runaway start in an elite event. Long ago at Avro 1938 Reuben Fine began with 5.5/6 against a sextet who included four world champions – José Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, Max Euwe and Mikhail Botvinnik. And at Linares 1994 Anatoly Karpov began 6-0 before drawing in round seven with Garry Kasparov. Karpov finished with 11/13 in what was widely considered the best tournament performance of all time.