Praggnanandhaa Catches Up With Firouzja As Croatia Rapid Section Ends In Tie

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa caught up with Alireza Firouzja at the end of the rapid section of the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2026 , turning what had looked like a comfortable lead for the French star into a tied race ahead of the blitz rounds.

Firouzja had led from the opening day of the tournament and appeared in control after six rapid rounds. He had moved to 10 points from a possible 12 , including a win over Praggnanandhaa in Round 6, while the Indian Grandmaster was on 6 points at that stage. With only three rapid games left, the gap was significant.

But the final day changed the shape of the tournament. Praggnanandhaa began by beating Ivan Saric , then defeated Bogdan-Daniel Deac , and finished the rapid section with a win over Anish Giri . That clean finish gave him six points from the last three rounds and lifted him to 12 points .

Firouzja, meanwhile, could not protect the cushion he had built. He drew against Jorden van Foreest in Round 7, then suffered the decisive setback of the day when Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat him in Round 8. A final-round draw against world champion D Gukesh was enough for Firouzja to reach 12, but not enough to stay ahead of Praggnanandhaa.

The result leaves Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa tied for first after the rapid section. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Nodirbek Abdusattorov are just one point behind on 11 , while Gukesh and Vincent Keymer are on 10 . With 18 blitz games still to be played, the tournament remains wide open.

The Croatia leg follows the standard Grand Chess Tour Rapid & Blitz format. The rapid section is a nine-round single round-robin, with wins worth two points and draws worth one. The blitz section will be played over July 4 and 5 , with two nine-round round-robins at 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment , where wins are worth one point and draws half a point.

For Praggnanandhaa, the rapid finish was another reminder of his ability to stay in a tournament even after setbacks. He had lost to both Abdusattorov and Firouzja on the second day, but recovered with three straight wins when it mattered most.

For Firouzja, the challenge now is to reset quickly. He led from the start, but the Round 8 loss to Abdusattorov proved costly. The title will now be decided in blitz, where form can shift quickly and even a small losing streak can change the standings.

With Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja level, Abdusattorov and Vachier-Lagrave within one point, and Gukesh still close enough to make a move, the Croatia event heads into its decisive phase with the leaderboard tightly packed.