Bucharest, May 14 – Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa maintained his joint lead at the Superbet Chess Classic 2025 with a composed draw against Poland's Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the sixth round, while compatriot D Gukesh suffered a costly defeat to France’s Alireza Firouzja.
Praggnanandhaa in Control, Draws with Duda
Playing black in an English Opening, Praggnanandhaa navigated early tactical pressure from Duda with poise. The Polish GM launched an aggressive middle-game strategy, sacrificing his queen for a rook and a minor piece. However, Praggnanandhaa held firm, accurately assessing the balance of power and neutralizing any threats. With neither side gaining a clear advantage, the game concluded in a fair draw, taking Praggnanandhaa to 3.5 points and keeping him in the lead.Gukesh’s Slip Costs Dearly
In contrast, Gukesh endured a tough battle against Firouzja. Although the middle game presented equal chances, Gukesh faltered in a seemingly drawn endgame. A critical blunder in a rook-and-bishop ending with equal pawns proved fatal, handing Firouzja a full point. This loss marked Gukesh’s second in the tournament and dropped him to 2 points, causing a slip to fifth place in the live world rankings. Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi has now overtaken Gukesh to become the new world number three.Other Key Results
- Fabiano Caruana tried to unsettle local favorite Deac Bogdan-Daniel with an ambitious piece sacrifice, but ultimately had to settle for a draw.
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, another co-leader, was unable to make headway against Nodirbek Abdusattorov and agreed to a quick draw.
- Levon Aronian and Wesley So, both representing the USA, also played out a balanced draw.
Standings After Round 6 (Top Scorers)
- R Praggnanandhaa (IND) – 3.5
- Alireza Firouzja (FRA) – 3.5
- Fabiano Caruana (USA) – 3.5
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA) – 3.5