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In one of chess’ strangest scenes, Alireza Firouzja played a Romania Classic match against Javokhir Sindarov from a hotel bed after an ankle injury forced special arrangements.
Javokhir Sindarov played Alireza Firouzja under unusual conditions (Credit: Lennart Ootes / Grand Chess Tour)
Alireza Firouzja was quite literally forced to make moves without moving on Monday.
In one of the most bizarre scenes seen in elite chess, the French GM played his fifth-round game at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania from a hotel bed after suffering an ankle injury earlier in the tournament.
After suffering an ankle injury, Alireza Firouzja is playing against Javokhir Sindarov from a special room at the hotel during Round 5 of the Superbet Chess Classic.A truly historic moment in elite chess!#Grandchesstour pic.twitter.com/0g37YkW5n5— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) May 18, 2026
Chess, But Make It Bedside
The unusual encounter took place during Round 5 of the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest, the first classical-format stop of the ongoing Grand Chess Tour.
Firouzja’s opponent, Javokhir Sindarov, also skipped the official playing hall at the Museum of the National Bank of Romania and instead arrived at the hotel room where the special setup had been arranged.
Photos and footage from the game quickly went viral online, where Firouzja was seen stretched out on a bed while Sindarov sat beside him with a chessboard placed between them.
The French-Iranian star ditched the usual formal attire required at FIDE and Grand Chess Tour events, opting instead for casual lounge clothing.
Why Firouzja Played From A Bed
The extraordinary arrangement became necessary after Firouzja injured his ankle following his third-round loss to Anish Giri.
Although scans confirmed there was no fracture, the injury was serious enough for Firouzja to miss his fourth-round clash against world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana.
After the third round, Alireza Firouzja suffered an ankle injury. Fortunately, the ankle wasn’t broken or fractured. After consulting with his team and the organizers, he has decided to continue the tournament in a special room with the agreement with his opponents in the… pic.twitter.com/HTrqd7QhXB— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) May 18, 2026
Tournament organisers later confirmed that special permission had been granted for Firouzja to continue playing from a separate room, provided his opponents agreed and an arbiter remained present.
Sindarov accepted the arrangement, and the two eventually played out a 58-move draw, with Firouzja handling the white pieces.
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