R Praggnanandhaa produced a spirited fightback on the final day to finish joint third at the Croatia leg of the Grand Chess Tour, while France’s Alireza Firouzja claimed the title after an Armageddon tie-break in Zagreb on Monday.
Praggnanandhaa finished with 21.5 points, level with France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, while Firouzja edged Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov after both players ended the tournament on 23.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa stages late recovery
The Indian Grandmaster endured a difficult start to the day, losing his opening blitz game to Germany’s Vincent Keymer. However, he responded strongly by collecting six points from his remaining eight games.
His only other defeat came against compatriot D Gukesh, but Praggnanandhaa also handed eventual champion Firouzja one of his rare losses of the tournament to secure a share of third place.
World champion Gukesh finished sixth with 18.5 points, while Keymer claimed fifth place on 20 points.
Firouzja seals title in tie-break
Firouzja looked set for a comfortable victory after a dominant opening day of blitz, where he scored eight points from a possible nine. However, a slower finish allowed Abdusattorov to draw level at the top of the standings.
The title was decided through a tie-break after two drawn rapid games. Firouzja then secured the championship by drawing the Armageddon game with the black pieces, which was enough under the event’s regulations.
Firouzja collected USD 47,000 for winning the tournament, while Abdusattorov received USD 42,000. Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave shared the third-place prize of USD 25,000 each.
Grand Chess Tour race continues
Despite his tournament victory, Firouzja remains third in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings with 18 points. American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana continues to lead the circuit with 20 points, followed by Vincent Keymer on 19.
Praggnanandhaa is sixth in the overall standings with 11.5 points and will need strong performances in the remaining events to qualify for the Grand Chess Tour Finals later this year.
The next two legs of the tour will be held in St. Louis, featuring one rapid and blitz event followed by a classical tournament.
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