Praggnanandhaa Holds Wesley So to Draw in Super Chess Classic Round 5
Praggnanandhaa Holds Steady with Draw Against Wesley So at Super Chess Classic
Bucharest, Romania — In a day marked by strategic stalemates, Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa faced off against American chess star Wesley So in the fifth round of the Super Chess Classic, part of the prestigious Grand Chess Tour. The match concluded in a draw, marking Praggnanandhaa’s fourth tie of the tournament.
Despite the lack of decisive outcomes, Germany’s Vincent Keymer maintained his lead with a half-point advantage, now sitting at 3.5 points. Praggnanandhaa remains in contention, sharing second place with Dutch players Anish Giri and Jorden Van Foreest, each with 3 points.
The day saw no victories, as other notable players also settled for draws. France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Wesley So are tied for fifth place with 2.5 points, while American Fabiano Caruana and World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan follow closely behind with 2 points each. Romanian player Bogdan-Daniel Deac rounds out the standings in ninth place with 1.5 points, just ahead of French prodigy Alireza Firouzja.
In the highly anticipated match between Praggnanandhaa and So, the Indian Grandmaster opted for the Berlin Defense. The early game saw a cautious approach from So, who allowed Praggnanandhaa to exchange three minor pieces. As the game progressed into the middle phase, So gained a slight advantage with a breakthrough on the kingside. However, Praggnanandhaa showcased his resilience, crafting counterplay that led So to agree to a draw after 45 moves.
In other matches, Keymer also employed the Berlin Defense against Giri, leading to a quick draw in just 32 moves. Vachier-Lagrave faced Van Foreest, while Firouzja returned to the tournament after an ankle injury, drawing with Sindarov. Deac managed to hold Caruana to a draw, further emphasizing the day’s trend of cautious play.
As the tournament takes a brief pause on Tuesday, players will regroup for the remaining four rounds of this USD 350,000 prize money event, promising more thrilling chess action ahead.
Round 5 Results:
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew with Jorden Van Foreest
- Wesley So drew with R Praggnanandhaa
- Bogdan-Daniel Deac drew with Fabiano Caruana
- Alireza Firouzja drew with Javokhir Sindarov
- Anish Giri drew with Vincent Keymer
Stay tuned as the Super Chess Classic continues to unfold, with top players vying for supremacy in this elite tournament.