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R Praggnanandhaa faces Alireza Firouzja in round one of the Super Chess Classic, part of the Grand Chess Tour, with Fabiano Caruana top seed and Javokhir Sindarov in top form.
Indian Chess Grand Master R Praggnanandhaa (X)
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa will take on Alireza Firouzja of France in the first round of the Super Chess Classic, the first classical event of the year that is part of the Grand Chess Tour.
Left as the lone Indian in the field following world champion D Gukesh’s withdrawal from the classical format this year, Praggnanandhaa drew a favourable lot and will have five white games out of nine rounds in the 10-player all-play-all event.
The total prize pool of the event is USD 350000, with an additional USD 125000 as bonus. The first prize is USD 100000.
R Praggnanandhaa needs an improved performance after a mediocre showing in the Candidates tournament in April, and he has dropped to number 16 in the world live ratings.
Fabiano Caruana of the United States starts as the top seed and is slated to meet in-form Jorden van Foreest of Holland in the opener.
Van Foreest sensationally defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the recently concluded Te Pe Sigeman chess tournament. He has been quite consistent in recent times and is currently number 20 in the world rankings.
Javokhir Sindarov Takes D Gukesh’s Spot!
After Gukesh withdrew from the main events, his place was offered to his world championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan just before the Candidates began.
Few expected Sindarov to dominate the Candidates the way he did and earn the right to challenge Gukesh later this year.
Sindarov is currently the most dominant player in the elite circuit, known for his ability to handle extremely complex positions. The Uzbek won the World Cup in October last year, had a decent start to 2026 in the Tata Steel Masters, and then won the Candidates with an all-time best performance.
Sindarov will be the cynosure of all eyes here and will face Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania.
Anish Giri of The Netherlands will meet Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, who has had an impeccable record in the Grand Chess Tour.
German player Vincent Keymer, another feared opponent, is set to play against Wesley So of the United States.
For Praggnanandhaa, it is a favourable pairing, and it remains to be seen whether the Indian can rediscover his winning form.
Apart from Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa will have white games against Wesley So, Caruana, Vachier-Lagrave and Vincent Keymer. His duel against Sindarov will be in the second round, where the Uzbek will have the white pieces.
Pairings Round 1:
R Praggnanandhaa (IND) vs Alireza Firouzja (FRA): Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) vs Anish Giri (NED); Deac Bogdan-Daniel (ROU) vs Javokhir Sindarov (UZB); Wesley So (USA) vs Vincent Keymer (GER); Jorden Van Foreest (NED) vs Fabiano Caruana (USA).
(With inputs from Agencies)
Bucharest, Romania
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