Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo and France’s Alireza Firouzja Win Titled Tuesday on February 25

Iran’s current and former number-one players, GM Parham Maghsoodloo and France’s GM Alireza Firouzja, emerged as the winners of the Titled Tuesday event on February 25. Maghsoodloo secured a clear victory with 10 points, while Firouzja had to rely on tiebreaks for his 9.5 points to edge out GM Sam Sevian. Additionally, GM Hikaru Nakamura reclaimed the lead in the Titled Tuesday Grand Prix standings with a fourth-place finish in the late event.

In the early tournament, which attracted 820 participants, Maghsoodloo and GM Arjun Erigaisi both started strong with 6/6 scores. However, setbacks in round seven saw Maghsoodloo losing to GM Grigoriy Oparin, while Arjun settled for a draw with GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Despite these setbacks, both players bounced back and won their next three rounds. In the final round, Maghsoodloo overtook Arjun to claim first place, with Arjun settling for second. The top five also included Eduardo Iturrizaga, Alexander Grischuk, and Magnus Carlsen.

In the late tournament, which featured 555 players, Firouzja and Sevian faced early losses but managed to bounce back. In the final round, Firouzja defeated Duda, while Sevian faced Nakamura. Firouzja emerged as the winner, with Sevian taking second place. The top five also included Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Nakamura, and Duda.

Overall, the Titled Tuesday events showcased intense competition and impressive performances from top players. The next Titled Tuesday with over 1,000 participants will feature a doubled prize pool, adding even more excitement to the prestigious weekly tournament for titled players.