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A Tactical Blunder, A Brilliant Finish: How Keymer Became Champion
A Tactical Blunder, A Brilliant Finish: How Keymer Became Champion
A Tactical Blunder, A Brilliant Finish: How Keymer Became Champion

A Tactical Blunder, A Brilliant Finish: How Keymer Became Champion

Yellarthi Chennabasava
May 24, 2026

German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer emerged victorious at the Super Chess Classic after defeating Dutch player Jorden van Foreest in the final round on Saturday, while India’s R Praggnanandhaa concluded his campaign with a composed draw against Anish Giri .

The final round began with Keymer and American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana tied at the top on five points each. Keymer rose to the occasion with a clinical performance using the white pieces in a Sicilian Defence , capitalising on a tactical error by Van Foreest in the middlegame before converting his advantage smoothly in 46 moves.

The victory took Keymer to six points from four wins, four draws and just one defeat, helping him secure the tournament title outright along with the USD 100,000 winner’s prize . Caruana, meanwhile, had to settle for second place after drawing against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in the final round despite trying to press for victory.

Praggnanandhaa, one of India’s brightest young stars, once again showed his growing maturity at the elite level. Facing Giri with the black pieces in a Nimzo-Indian Defence , the Indian Grandmaster equalised comfortably and steered the game into a balanced bishop-and-pawn endgame that ended in a draw after 31 moves.

The 20-year-old Indian finished on 4.5 points in a five-way tie alongside Giri, Van Foreest, Vachier-Lagrave and Romania’s Bogdan-Daniel Deac . American GM Wesley So and Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov shared third place with five points each after drawing their final-round game.

While Keymer’s triumph was the headline achievement of the tournament, Praggnanandhaa’s steady performance further highlighted India’s growing strength in world chess . Competing confidently against some of the world’s top Grandmasters, the Indian youngster demonstrated the composure and consistency that have become hallmarks of the country’s new generation of players.

Alongside talents such as D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi , Praggnanandhaa represents a generation that is no longer seen as underdogs but as genuine contenders at elite international events — a sign of India’s emergence as one of the strongest forces in global chess.