GM Alireza Firouzja followed in the footsteps (not literally) of GM Tony Miles as an ankle injury forced him to play round five of the Super Chess Classic Romania 2026 from a hotel bed. GM Javokhir Sindarov almost won that clash, but it was a day when no one managed to deliver a final blow.
GM Anish Giri spoiled a great position against GM Vincent Keymer‘s Berlin, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu missed a chance to join the leader by beating GM Wesley So, while there were quieter draws in GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac vs. GM Fabiano Caruana and GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave vs. GM Jorden van Foreest.
Round six is on Wednesday, May 20, starting at 9:10 a.m. ET / 15:10 CEST / 6:40 p.m. IST.
There was a fight on every board, but for a second time in this year’s Super Chess Classic Romania, all five games were drawn.
Round 5 Results
That means that Keymer retains his half-point lead over Giri, Van Foreest, and Praggnanandhaa. Caruana could join that group in second place if he beats Firouzja in his game in hand.
Standings After Round 5
Our Game of the Day is Firouzja’s escape against Sindarov, which GM Rafael Leitao analyzes below.
After suffering an ankle injury, Alireza Firouzja is playing against Javokhir Sindarov from a special room at the hotel during Round 5 of the Superbet Chess Classic.
A truly historic moment in elite chess!#Grandchesstour pic.twitter.com/0g37YkW5n5
— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) May 18, 2026
From Tony Miles to Alireza Firouzja – the fighting spirit lives on! No matter the circumstances, the game goes on! ♟️#chess #Grandchesstour #alirezafirouzja #chesshistory
Photos from GCT by Lennart Ootes pic.twitter.com/XKIe3gxEy9
— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) May 18, 2026
Round six starts on Wednesday with Keymer-Firouzja and Caruana-Sindarov among the highlights, but only two of the four players in those games will be rested, since the round-four Caruana-Firouzja game will be played on Tuesday’s rest day.
Round 6 Pairings
How to watch?
The 2026 Super Chess Classic Romania is the second event on the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and runs from May 13 to 23 at the Museum of the National Bank of Romania in Bucharest. It’s a 10-player round-robin with a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves, followed by 30 more minutes for the rest of the game, plus a 30-second increment starting on move one. The prize fund is $475,000.
Previous Coverage: