Zagreb, July 4: Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa ended the rapid section of the Grand Chess Tour as joint leader, sharing the top spot with France’s Alireza Firouzja. Both players scored 12 points after nine rounds, setting up an exciting blitz stage ahead.
Praggnanandhaa produced a remarkable surge on the final day, winning all three of his games. He defeated Croatia’s Ivan Saric in the Caro-Kann Defence, outplayed Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac in the Petroff Defence, and overcame Dutch star Anish Giri in a Catalan Opening. These victories lifted him to the top of the standings.
Firouzja, who had led earlier, was matched by Praggnanandhaa’s late charge. France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished close behind with 11 points each, while India’s D. Gukesh drew all three of his final-day games to end on 10 points.
The rapid section concluded with Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja tied at 12 points, followed by a tightly packed group of contenders. With 18 rounds of blitz remaining, the title race remains wide open.
India’s strong presence in the top five, with both Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh performing consistently, highlights the country’s growing stature in world chess. Fans now await the blitz rounds to see if Praggnanandhaa can convert his momentum into overall victory.
