Praggnanandhaa Finishes Strong, Ties for Third in Croatian Grand Chess Tour
Praggnanandhaa Shines in Croatia, Finishes Tied for Third in Grand Chess Tour
July 7, 2026 – Croatia – Indian chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa showcased resilience on the final day of the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour, finishing tied for third place with French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The tournament concluded on Monday, July 6, with France’s Firouzja Alireza taking home the top honors, accumulating an impressive 23.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa, who started the day with a setback against Germany’s Vincent Keymer, bounced back remarkably, securing 6 points from his last eight games. Despite suffering another loss to compatriot D. Gukesh, the young Indian star managed to defeat Alireza, marking a significant achievement against the tournament champion.
Alireza, who had a stellar start in the blitz format with 8 points out of 9 on the opening day, faced challenges on the final day, earning only 5 points. This allowed Uzbek Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov to catch up, leading to a dramatic tie-break finale. The first two games ended in draws, and Alireza secured his victory in the Armageddon match, needing only a draw as Black to clinch the title.
Keymer finished with 20 points, placing him just ahead of reigning world champion Gukesh, who ended in sixth with 18.5 points. Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri and Romanian Deac Bogdan Daniel rounded out the top eight, while local favorite Ivan Saric struggled, finishing last with just 7 points.
In terms of prize money, Alireza walked away with $47,000, while Abdusattorov earned $42,000. Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave each took home $25,000 for their shared third-place finish.
Looking ahead, Praggnanandhaa finds himself in a challenging position in the Grand Chess Tour standings, currently sitting sixth with 11.5 points. With the finale scheduled for later this year, the young talent will need to elevate his game in the upcoming events in St. Louis, which will feature both rapid and blitz formats, followed by a classical event.
As the chess world watches closely, Praggnanandhaa’s journey continues, promising thrilling matches ahead as he aims for a stronger comeback in the prestigious Grand Chess Tour.
Points Table:
- Firouzja Alireza (Fra) – 23.5
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) – 23.5
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra) – 21.5
- R. Praggnanandhaa (Ind) – 21.5
- Vincent Keymer (Ger) – 20
- D. Gukesh (Ind) – 18.5
- Anish Giri (Ned) – 17
- Deac Bogdan-Daniel (Rou) – 15
- Jorden van Foreest (Ned) – 12.5
- Ivan Saric (Cro) – 7
Published – July 07, 2026, 01:55 am IST