Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh Stay In Contention With Key Blitz Wins In Croatia

Indian grandmasters R. Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju recorded important victories in the blitz section of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia , keeping themselves in contention as tournament leader Alireza Firouzja continued to hold a clear advantage at the top of the standings.

Praggnanandhaa defeated Ivan Šarić , while Gukesh overcame Jorden van Foreest in the latest round of blitz action. The victories helped Praggnanandhaa improve his overall tally to 15.5 points and Gukesh to 14 points in the combined standings.

The tournament features nine rapid rounds and 18 blitz rounds , with cumulative points deciding the champion. The rapid section concluded with Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja sharing first place on 12 points each . Praggnanandhaa produced an impressive comeback after an inconsistent start, while Firouzja remained one of the most consistent performers throughout the rapid phase.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Nodirbek Abdusattorov finished the rapid section close behind on 11 points each , while Gukesh and Vincent Keymer collected 10 points apiece. Anish Giri ended the rapid segment with eight points, followed by Bogdan-Daniel Deac and van Foreest on seven points each. Šarić finished with two points.

The blitz phase, however, has reshaped the leaderboard. Firouzja strengthened his position by defeating Abdusattorov in a crucial encounter, taking his blitz score to eight points and his overall tally to 20 points , the highest in the field.

Abdusattorov remains on 17 points overall and is now tied with Vachier-Lagrave, who boosted his title hopes with a victory over Deac. The pair trail Firouzja but remain firmly in the hunt for the championship.

For the Indian contingent, Praggnanandhaa continues to be the highest-placed player in fourth position with 15.5 points , while Gukesh is fifth with 14 points . Although both players have lost ground after their strong rapid performances, their latest victories have kept them within striking distance heading into the remaining blitz rounds.

With several games still left to be played, the battle for the title remains open, while Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh will look to build on their recent wins and climb further up the standings.