Praggnanandhaa survives a Scare, Overall a Peaceful day at Super Chess Classic 2026

by Devansh Singh - 15/05/2026

The 1st Classical event of the Grand Chess Tour 2026 started in Bucharest with a peace as all 5 games ended in a draw. Although the game between R Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja was a roller-coaster ride, as Alireza was clearly better, Praggnanandhaa managed to escape from a really bad spot to hold a draw. In the second round, R Praggnanandhaa will face the World Championship Challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, with black pieces. The 2nd round will start on 15th May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Start with 5 draws

Super Chess Classic 2026 started with 5 draws, except Praggnanandhaa and Alireza's game; all other games ended in a solid draw. Anish Giri drew against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Fabiano Caruana drew against Jorden van Foreest, who recently defeated Magnus in classical chess. Vincent Keymer and Wesley So also played a solid draw. Bogdan Daniel Deac drew his game against Javokhir Sindarov.

Praggnanandhaa survived a scare | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Praggnanandhaa vs Alireza Firouzja (0.5-0.5)

In the middlegame, Praggnanandhaa found his king in big trouble against Alireza's Major piece attack,, but Alireza missed some crucial moves to finish the game. Pragg managed to survive a bad position and get an equal rook endgame to draw the game.

Praggnanandhaa vs Alireza Firouzja (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Check out this amazing game between Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja, commentary by IM Sagar Shah

Jorden van Foreest vs Caruana Fabiano (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Wesley So vs Vincent Keymer (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Bogdan Daniel Deac drew his game against Javokhir Sindarov | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Anish Giri drew against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave with black pieces | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Replay Round 1 Games

Pairings and Results

Round 1 Results | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Standings after Round 1 | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Round 2 Pairings | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, GCT

Such a beautiful place to play chess | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Fans everywhere | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

The Stare! | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

One selfie please | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

National Bank of Romania Museum | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

GM Natalia Zhukova and GM Alexander Onischuk | Photo: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour

Video Gallery: ChessBase India

Interview with Fabiano Caruana

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