Rubber composition for tires, and pneumatic tire

A rubber composition for tires, comprising:

• a diene polymer;
• silica;
• and
• a liquid resin having a softening point of −20° C. to 20° C., which is at least one selected from the group consisting of liquid coumarone-indene resins, liquid indene resins, and liquid α-methylstyrene resins,
• the diene polymer being a modified diene polymer obtained by reacting a component (A) and a component (B),
• the liquid resin being present in an amount of 3 to 40 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of a rubber component of the rubber composition,
• the silica being present in an amount of 30 to 120 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of a rubber component of the rubber composition,
• the component (A) being an active alkali metal-terminated conjugated diene polymer obtained by polymerizing a conjugated diene monomer alone or with an aromatic vinyl monomer, in the presence of a component (C), wherein the conjugated diene monomer is at least one of 1,3-butadiene or isoprene, and the aromatic vinyl monomer is styrene,
• the component (B) being a modifier containing a functional group,
• the component (C) being a chemical species obtained by reacting an organic alkali metal compound and a compound represented by the following Formula (2):
• wherein R1 and R2 are the same as or different from each other, each representing a hydrogen atom, a branched or unbranched alkyl group, or a branched or unbranched aryl group, and
• the component (B) modifier being a compound represented by the following Formula (3):
• wherein R3 and R4 are the same as or different from each other, each representing a C1 to C3 alkylene group;
• R5 and R6 both represent a hydrogen atom;
• R7 represents a C6 to C10 cycloalkylene group;
• and n represents an integer of 2.