Recap of September 3 Titled Tuesdays: Sarana and Deac Emerge Victorious

The first Titled Tuesdays of September saw two regulars, GMs Alexey Sarana and Bogdan-Daniel Deac, emerge victorious with 10 points each. Sarana secured his fourth win of the year, while Deac claimed his second title. In a field of 765 players, Sarana dominated the early tournament with a perfect 9/9 start, only to be halted by GM Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 10th round. Despite the setback, Sarana managed to secure the win after tiebreaks with Nepomniachtchi. On the other hand, Deac’s path to victory in the late tournament, featuring 525 players, was marked by consistent performance without any losses. A draw in round six ended his chances of perfection, but he clinched the title with a strong finish.

Sarana and Deac walked away with $1,000 each for their first-place finishes, while other top players also earned cash prizes. The Titled Cup standings saw GM Aleksandra Goryachkina leading the women’s category, setting up an exciting competition with GM Alexandra Kosteniuk and IM Polina Shuvalova close behind. In other categories, GM Denis Lazavik led the juniors, GM Gata Kamsky topped the seniors, and WCM Veronika Shubenkova led the girls.

The Titled Tuesday tournaments are a weekly highlight on Chess.com, attracting top titled players from around the world. The intense competition and thrilling victories make it a must-watch event for chess enthusiasts.