Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa stormed to a joint lead in the rapid section of the Grand Chess Tour's Croatian leg after winning three straight games on the final day. He finished level with France's Alireza Firouzja, both on 12 points, as the rapid portion concluded in Zagreb.
Praggnanandhaa's Winning Streak
After falling slightly behind on the second day, Praggnanandhaa saved his best for the last three rounds. He defeated Ivan Saric of Croatia, Deac Bogdan-Daniel of Romania, and Anish Giri of the Netherlands to catch up with Firouzja. The Indian prodigy's aggressive play in the Caro Kann defense against Saric gave him an active position from the start, and although conversion took time, he remained in control throughout.
In the second game, Praggnanandhaa broke through Deac's defenses in a Petroff defense. By move 15, the outcome was clear, as the Romanian lost a piece and never recovered. Against Giri, Praggnanandhaa was in top form, winning a pawn from a Catalan opening and finishing efficiently with tactical maneuvers in just 34 moves.
Leaders and Contenders
France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov are within striking distance with 11 points each. World champion D Gukesh of India and Germany's Vincent Keymer are close behind with 10 points each. Giri holds eighth place with eight points, ahead of Deac and Jorden van Foreest of the Netherlands on seven points each, while Saric is last with only two points.
Gukesh's Contrasting Day
For Gukesh, the final day was a stark contrast to Praggnanandhaa's success. The youngest-ever world champion could only draw all three of his games, falling slightly behind. He split points with Abdusattorov, Keymer, and Firouzja.
Standings After Rapid Section
The standings after nine rounds of rapid chess are: 1-2: Firouzja Alireza (Fra) and R Praggnanandhaa (Ind) 12 points each; 3-4: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (Fra) and Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 11 each; 5-6: D Gukesh (Ind) and Vincent Keymer (Ger) 10 each; 7: Anish Giri (Ned) 8; 8-9: Deac Bogdan-Daniel (Rou) and Jorden van Foreest (Ned) 7 each; 10: Ivan Saric (Cro) 2.
With 18 blitz rounds still to be played, the competition remains wide open. Praggnanandhaa's momentum could be crucial as the tournament moves into the faster time control.
