Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa Lead Indian Charge At Zagreb Rapid And Blitz

World champion D Gukesh and rising star R Praggnanandhaa will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Zagreb Rapid and Blitz Tournament, beginning here on today as part of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) , one of the most competitive global circuits in chess.

The Zagreb event is the third tournament of the GCT season , with three more legs still to follow. It will bring together several of the world’s top-ranked players across rapid and blitz formats, promising intense competition over the next week.

Gukesh, who has taken a break from classical chess events on the tour citing workload and recent performance considerations, continues to remain active in faster formats. He will participate as a wild card entrant in both rapid and blitz sections , keeping his presence alive on the international circuit. The reigning world champion is also preparing for his title defence against Javokhir Sindarov later this year, a match that has already generated significant anticipation.

Praggnanandhaa enters the tournament in strong form after a landmark victory at Norway Chess , where he finished ahead of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious event. His ability to transition his classical success into faster formats will be closely watched in Zagreb.

The tournament features a hybrid format with nine rapid rounds and 18 blitz rounds . In rapid chess, a win earns two points and a draw one point, while in blitz, a win carries one point and a draw half a point, ensuring high stakes in every game.

The field is stacked with elite international talent. Germany’s Vincent Keymer, the Netherlands’ Anish Giri, and France’s Alireza Firouzja are among the rating favourites going into the event.

Also in contention are France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and late addition Jorden van Foreest, adding depth to the European challenge.

The lineup is further strengthened by Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Croatia’s Ivan Šarić, and Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac, completing a world-class field expected to deliver high-intensity action in both rapid and blitz disciplines.