Super Chess Classic Romania: Praggnanandhaa Draws With Giri, Vincent Keymer Wins Title

File photo: Praggnanandhaa (FIDE)

Hyderabad: Germany’s young Grandmaster Vincent Keymer won the Super Chess Classic tournament with a magnificent performance. Keymer clinched the title by defeating the Netherlands’ Jorden van Foreest in the final round. Meanwhile, India’s star Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa secured an easy draw against the Netherlands’ Anish Giri in his final match.

Prior to the final round, Keymer and the American Fabiano Caruana were in a tie for the lead. However, Keymer clinched the title by winning the decisive match. Keymer secured a total of six points throughout the tournament. He won four matches, drew four, and lost only one. His sole defeat came against Uzbekistan’s J. Sindarov. Upon becoming champion, Keymer received a prize purse of 100,000 US dollars. This result has also strengthened his position for this year’s Grand Chess Tour Finals.

The match between Praggnanandhaa and Giri was played in the Capablanca Variation of the Nimzo-Indian Defence. The position remained balanced right from the opening moves, and after a series of moves, the game ended in a draw on the 31st move. Giri appeared somewhat disappointed in the final round; despite playing with the white pieces, he did not adopt a more aggressive strategy.

Caruana drew his match against France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and secured second place with 5.5 points. In the final round, the match between Wesley So and the USA’s Sindarov also ended in a draw. Both players tied for third place, each finishing with 5 points. Praggnanandhaa, Giri, Van Foreest, Vachier-Lagrave, and Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac tied for second place with 4.5 points. France’s Alireza Firouzja finished in last place after withdrawing from the tournament following the fifth round.

Recent Super Chess winners

2026: Vincent Keymer

2025: R. Praggnanandhaa

2024: Fabiano Caruana

2023: Fabiano Caruana

2022: Maxime Vachier-Lagrave

2021: Shakhriyar Mamedyarov