Pragg's 26-Move Masterpiece Lights Up Zagreb Chess Tour

Fresh from his landmark triumph at the prestigious Norway Chess 2026 tournament, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continued his rich vein of form with a commanding start in the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia , the Zagreb leg of the elite Grand Chess Tour (GCT) . The Chennai-based star finished the opening day of the rapid section in joint second place, firmly establishing himself as one of the leading contenders for the title.

Praggnanandhaa opened his campaign with a stunning victory over German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer , the tournament's top seed and one of the most in-form players on the international circuit. The Indian prodigy produced a breathtaking attacking display, launching a fierce assault on Keymer's king and wrapping up the contest in just 26 moves . The game is already being hailed by analysts as one of the standout performances of the tournament.

He followed up that victory with hard-fought draws against French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and compatriot D Gukesh , the reigning World Champion. With a win in rapid chess worth two points and a draw worth one, Praggnanandhaa concluded the day on four points , sharing second place with Anish Giri , Vachier-Lagrave and Keymer.

French star Alireza Firouzja emerged as the sole leader on five points after winning his first two games and drawing the third. Widely regarded as one of the strongest rapid and blitz specialists in the world, Firouzja is expected to be among Praggnanandhaa's biggest challengers as the tournament progresses.

Meanwhile, Gukesh endured a mixed day. After suffering an opening-round defeat to Vachier-Lagrave, the youngest-ever world champion bounced back strongly by defeating Croatia's Ivan Saric before drawing with Praggnanandhaa. He finished the day on three points alongside Romania's Bogdan-Daniel Deac .

The Zagreb event is the third stop of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour , one of professional chess's most prestigious annual circuits featuring many of the world's highest-rated players. The tournament consists of nine rounds of rapid chess followed by 18 rounds of blitz , with the final standings determined by cumulative points from both sections. The tour itself carries a prize pool of nearly $2 million , with top performers earning qualification to the season-ending Finals in Saint Louis, USA .

For Praggnanandhaa, the strong start carries added significance. Having already won Norway Chess ahead of Magnus Carlsen and secured qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament , the 19-year-old is increasingly being viewed as a future world title challenger. His emphatic victory over Keymer and unbeaten opening day in Zagreb further underline the growing influence of India's new generation of chess stars on the global stage.

Standings after Round 3 (Rapid):

Firouzja (5); Praggnanandhaa, Giri, Vachier-Lagrave and Keymer (4 each); Gukesh and Deac (3 each); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2); Jorden van Foreest (1); Saric (0).