Praggnanandhaa Slips to Fourth as Alireza Firouzja Dominates Blitz at Grand Chess Tour Croatia
India's R Praggnanandhaa saw his title challenge take a major hit after a difficult start to the blitz section at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, while France's Alireza Firouzja produced one of the most dominant blitz performances in recent Grand Chess Tour history to move into a commanding lead.
After ending the rapid section tied for first, Praggnanandhaa struggled to maintain the same momentum in the faster time control, collecting just 3.5 points from the opening nine blitz rounds. The Indian Grandmaster dropped to fourth place with 15.5 points, while Firouzja stormed ahead on 20 points, opening a massive three-point cushion over his nearest challengers with just one day of competition remaining.
World champion D Gukesh also endured another inconsistent day and slipped to fifth place with 13.5 points, leaving India's hopes of winning the Croatian leg resting on a remarkable turnaround in the final nine blitz rounds.
If the rapid section had been closely contested, the blitz competition belonged entirely to Alireza Firouzja. The French Grandmaster was virtually unstoppable, scoring eight wins from his nine games to collect an incredible eight points from a possible nine. His aggressive style, tactical sharpness and ability to capitalise on even the smallest inaccuracies left the rest of the elite field struggling to keep pace.
The result allowed Firouzja to move three clear of Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan and fellow Frenchman Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, who are tied for second with 17 points each. Such dominance is rarely witnessed at Grand Chess Tour events, where the world's strongest players generally remain separated by only narrow margins.
By the end of the day, Firouzja had established at least a seven-point advantage over half of the ten-player field.
Praggnanandhaa entered the blitz section full of confidence after an excellent comeback during the rapid games had earned him a share of the overnight lead alongside Firouzja. The 19-year-old even began the day positively by defeating Vincent Keymer before drawing his second-round encounter against Anish Giri. However, what followed proved costly.
Praggnanandhaa suffered four consecutive defeats, a sequence that completely altered the complexion of his tournament. The losing streak not only pushed him down the standings but also appeared to affect his rhythm for the remainder of the day. He eventually finished the opening blitz session with 3.5 points, a respectable return in isolation but well below the standard required to remain alongside Firouzja.
Despite the setback, the Indian grandmaster remains mathematically in contention for a podium finish heading into the final day.
World champion D Gukesh endured another frustrating day in Zagreb. Like Praggnanandhaa, the youngest-ever world champion found it difficult to build consistency across the nine blitz rounds. Gukesh suffered four defeats during the day and managed only a marginally better return than his compatriot, reaching 13.5 points overall.
The Chennai Grandmaster currently occupies fifth place, trailing Praggnanandhaa by two points and Firouzja by six and a half. Although his chances of winning the tournament appear slim, a strong finish could still improve his final standing in one of the strongest fields assembled this season.
Firouzja's extraordinary performance ensured that even several of the world's leading grandmasters were left trailing. Germany's Vincent Keymer sits sixth with 13 points, followed by Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri on 12.5 points. Romania's Bogdan- Daniel Deac occupies eighth place with 11.5 points, while Dutch player Jorden van Foreest has 9.5 points.
Croatia's Ivan Saric rounds out the standings with five points after another difficult day against world-class opposition.
The sizeable gap between Firouzja and the remainder of the field illustrates just how exceptional his blitz performance has been.
Although Firouzja appears firmly in control of the tournament, the battle for the remaining podium positions remains wide open. Only 4.5 points separate second place from sixth, meaning every game during the final nine blitz rounds will have significant implications. Praggnanandhaa, in particular, has every reason to remain optimistic.
His rapid performance earlier in the tournament demonstrated that he possesses the form required to challenge the world's elite. If he can quickly rediscover that level in blitz, a podium finish remains a realistic objective. The same applies to Gukesh, who will be eager to finish strongly after an inconsistent campaign so far.
While the title may now appear destined for Firouzja barring a dramatic collapse, India's two Grandmasters still have valuable objectives ahead. A podium finish at a Grand Chess Tour event remains a significant achievement, particularly in a field featuring several of the world's highest-rated players.
For Praggnanandhaa, the challenge will be to recover mentally from an uncharacteristic run of defeats and return to the fearless, dynamic style that carried him to the top of the standings during the rapid section.
As the USD 200,000 tournament enters its final day, all eyes will be on whether Firouzja can complete one of the most dominant victories in Grand Chess Tour history or if Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh can mount one final surge to improve their positions before the tournament concludes.
Standings after Rapid (9 rounds) and Blitz (9 rounds)
Alireza Firouzja (France) – 20 points
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) – 17 points
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – 17 points
R Praggnanandhaa (India) – 15.5 points
D Gukesh (India) – 13.5 points
Vincent Keymer (Germany) – 13 points
Anish Giri (Netherlands) – 12.5 points
Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania) – 11.5 points
Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) – 9.5 points
Ivan Saric (Croatia) – 5 points
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