Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa began his campaign in the Grand Chess Tour Croatia with a brilliant victory over top seed Vincent Keymer before drawing his next two games to finish joint second on the opening day of the rapid section.
Praggnanandhaa held France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and compatriot, world champion D Gukesh, in hard-fought draws to end the day with four points. His attacking brilliance against Keymer, where he launched a fierce assault with the white pieces and secured victory in just 26 moves, stood out as the highlight of the day.
France’s Alireza Firouzja emerged sole leader with five points after winning his first two games and drawing with Anish Giri of the Netherlands. Keymer recovered from his opening-round defeat with two victories, joining Giri and Vachier-Lagrave in the chasing pack.
Gukesh, who lost to Firouzja in the opener, bounced back with a convincing win over Croatia’s Ivan Saric. He later showcased his defensive skills against Vachier-Lagrave, holding firm under pressure. Gukesh now sits on three points alongside Romania’s Deac Bogdan-Daniel.
The rapid section consists of nine rounds, followed by an 18-round blitz marathon. The winner will be decided based on cumulative points across both formats. After Croatia, the Grand Chess Tour will continue with two more events in Saint Louis, USA.
Praggnanandhaa’s strong start reinforces his growing stature in world chess, especially after his recent triumph at Norway Chess. His performance in Zagreb keeps him firmly in contention for the title.
