Fabiano Caruana defends Superbet Classic title in thrilling tiebreaker with Indian Grandmasters

World number two Fabiano Caruana successfully defended his Superbet Classic title in a thrilling four-way tiebreaker, showcasing his dominance in rapid chess. The tournament, which started off rather dull, saw Caruana lose to Anish Giri in the Classical format, creating a wide-open competition with Indian Grandmasters D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa, as well as France’s Alireza Firouzja all tied for first.

In a nail-biting final round, Praggnanandhaa managed to salvage a draw against Alireza, who had a completely winning position for a long time. If Alireza had won, there would have been no need for tiebreak games as he would have overtaken Caruana on points. However, Caruana’s loss, coupled with Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa’s draw, led to a four-way tiebreaker to determine the winner.

Caruana, known for his classical chess prowess, surprised everyone by winning all three rapid games against Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Alireza, clinching the first prize of $68500. The tiebreaker saw the Indian Grandmasters struggling to keep up with Caruana’s precision and experience.

Praggnanandhaa, in particular, fought hard in the final round against Alireza, managing to salvage a draw despite being in a difficult position. Gukesh, on the other hand, settled for a draw with Wesley So in a quick 22-move game, showcasing his solid defense.

Overall, the Superbet Classic provided an exciting finish with Caruana once again proving his mettle in rapid chess. The tournament highlighted the intense competition among top players and the resilience of young talents like Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa against seasoned veterans.