Grand Chess Tour Super Chess Classic 2026 Kicks Off in Romania

by Devansh Singh - 14/05/2026

The 1st Classical Chess event of the Grand Chess Tour 2026 will start today at the Old Palace of the National Bank of Romania, situated in the heart of Old Town of Bucharest. The drawing of lots took place yesterday in the opening ceremony, and the rounds will start from today. The sole Indian participant, R. Praggnanandhaa, will take on Alireza Firouzja with the White pieces in Round 1. The 1st round will start on 14th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photos: Abhyudaya Ram and Lennart Ootes

One of the Strongest Playing Fields

This year's Grand Chess Tour is featuring one of the strongest fields, with World Championship Challenger Javokhir Sindarov taking part in his first classical event after winning the Candidates. All eyes will be on his performance.

Lineup | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Fabiano Caruana (2788, USA)
Javokhir Sindarov (2776, UZB)
Anish Giri (2767, NED)
Vincent Keymer (2759, GER)
Alireza Firouzja (2759, FRA)
Wesley So (2754, USA)
R. Praggnanandhaa (2733, IND)
Jorden van Foreest (2731.9, NED)
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2717, FRA)
Bogdan-Daniel Deac (2650, ROU)

Check out what happened in the Opening Ceremony

The Trophy to fight for | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Garry Kasparov addressing the room | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

WC Challenger Javokhir Sindarov and Garry Kasparov | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

What an opportunity to play against the best | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Kasparov played a simultaneous exhibition match | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Pragg playing Simul | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram/ChessBase India

What a beautiful chess set | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram/ChessBase India

Pairings and Results

Round 1

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, GCT

Video Gallery: ChessBase India

Interview with Anish Giri | Video: ChessBase India

Line Up

Check out the Line-up: Here | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

A spectacular start to the in Bucharest. Watch the amazing opening ceremony featuring the world’s top chess stars and unforgettable moments | Video: ChessBase India

Schedule

Prize Fund

The total prize fund for each of the Classical Events shall be Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000), which shall be distributed as follows:

Source: Official Site

Format and Time Control

10-player Round Robin
90 minutes for 40 moves, and 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1.

Point System

1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss in all games.

Venue: National Bank of Romania Museum

Housed within the stunning Old Palace in Bucharest’s historic Lipscani district, the National Bank of Romania Museum offers a captivating journey through financial history. Visitors can explore one of the most significant numismatic collections in Central and Eastern Europe, featuring rare gold coins, antique banknotes, and the legendary National Treasure.

National Bank of Romania | Photo: Grand Chess Tour