Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa delivered a strong finish to claim joint third place in the Croatian leg of the Grand Chess Tour on Monday.
France’s Firouzja Alireza won the title with 23.5 points, tying with Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Praggnanandhaa shared third spot with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave at 21.5 points.
The Indian prodigy recovered from a rough start, losing to Vincent Keymer, and then scored six points from his final eight games. His notable victories included a win over Alireza, showcasing his fighting spirit and tactical depth.
Alireza dominated the opening blitz rounds with eight points out of nine but faltered on the final day, allowing Abdusattorov to catch up. The two drew their tie-break games, and Alireza secured the crown after holding a draw as Black in the Armageddon decider.
Keymer finished fifth with 20 points, while world champion D. Gukesh placed sixth with 18.5. Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri ended seventh on 17 points, followed by Deac Bogdan-Daniel, Jorden Van Foreest, and Ivan Saric.
Alireza earned $47,000, Abdusattorov $42,000, and Praggnanandhaa along with Vachier-Lagrave shared $25,000 each. In overall Grand Chess Tour standings, Fabiano Caruana leads with 20 points, Keymer follows with 19, and Alireza sits third. Praggnanandhaa holds sixth place with 11.5 points and must perform strongly in the upcoming St. Louis events to reach the finale.
The next two legs of the tour will take place in St. Louis, featuring rapid, blitz, and classical formats.
