Super Chess Classic: Praggnanandhaa Held to Draw by Deac; Firouzja Withdraws Amid Injury
Super Chess Classic: Praggnanandhaa Held to Draw; Firouzja Withdraws Amid Injury Concerns
Bucharest – The Super Chess Classic, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour, witnessed a dramatic turn of events as Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa was held to a draw by Romania’s Deac Bogdan-Daniel. Meanwhile, French prodigy Alireza Firouzja made the tough decision to withdraw from the tournament due to an ankle injury, marking a significant shift in the competition.
Firouzja, who had already played two games despite his injury, opted to step back on the rest day of the ten-player, nine-round tournament. His withdrawal allowed Germany’s Vincent Keymer to extend his lead to a full point after receiving a walkover in this round.
Keymer now stands as the sole leader with 4.5 points, a full point ahead of a tightly packed group including Holland’s Jorden Van Foreest, Anish Giri, top-seeded American Fabiano Caruana, and Praggnanandhaa, all tied at 3.5 points each.
In a tournament where draws were the order of the day, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France and Wesley So share the sixth spot with three points apiece, while World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan trails closely with 2.5 points. Deac Bogdan-Daniel, despite being the lowest-ranked player, has proven to be a formidable local wildcard, currently sitting at ninth with two points. Firouzja concludes his campaign with just one point from five games.
In his match against Deac, Praggnanandhaa opted for the Stonewall Dutch opening, aiming for complications right from the start. However, Deac matched him move-for-move, leading to a series of trades that ultimately resulted in a draw after 68 moves.
Sindarov, who recently triumphed in the Candidates Tournament, is yet to secure a win in this event, having drawn his fifth game against Caruana. The match featured an Italian opening where Caruana held a slight advantage, but the players ultimately settled for a draw after repeating moves.
In another match, Van Foreest and Giri also ended in a stalemate, contributing to the day’s overall trend of draws.
With three rounds remaining in the tournament, which boasts a total prize pool of $375,000—$100,000 of which is reserved for the winner—the competition remains fierce.
Round 6 Results:
- Deac Bogdan-Daniel drew with R Praggnanandhaa
- Vincent Keymer received a walkover against Alireza Firouzja
- Fabiano Caruana drew with Javokhir Sindarov
- Jorden Van Foreest drew with Anish Giri
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on Keymer as he seeks to maintain his lead and claim the coveted title.