Alireza Firouzja strengthened his grip on the 2026 Grand Chess Tour: Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia after another outstanding day of rapid chess, finishing the second day with 10 points from 12 possible and opening a three-point lead over the chasing pack. Meanwhile, reigning World Champion D. Gukesh staged an impressive comeback to rejoin the battle for the podium, while R. Praggnanandhaa endured a difficult finish to the day after a bright start.
Firouzja Continues His Dominance
The French grandmaster once again proved unstoppable, collecting five points from six games on Day 2. His clinical conversion of promising positions and consistent endgame technique helped him extend his tally to 10 points, making him the clear tournament leader heading into the final three rapid rounds.
Behind him, the race remains tightly packed with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, Vincent Keymer, and D. Gukesh all tied on 7 points.
Gukesh Recovers Brilliantly After Early Setback
Gukesh’s second day began on a disappointing note as he suffered a defeat against Bogdan-Daniel Deac, briefly losing ground in the standings. Rather than allowing the loss to derail his campaign, the Indian star responded with consecutive victories.
He defeated Jorden van Foreest before following it up with another important win against Anish Giri, collecting two valuable points that lifted him back into a share of second place on 7 points.
The recovery significantly changed the tournament picture. Instead of slipping into the middle of the standings, Gukesh once again finds himself firmly in contention with three rapid rounds still remaining.
Praggnanandhaa’s Momentum Slows
R. Praggnanandhaa enjoyed a positive start to Day 2 but could not sustain the momentum.
The Indian grandmaster lost successive games against Nodirbek Abdusattorov and tournament leader Alireza Firouzja, dropping valuable points in the standings. Those defeats left him on 6 points, one point behind the large group tied for second place.
Although the gap is small, the losses have made the final rapid rounds considerably more important for Praggnanandhaa if he hopes to enter the blitz section among the leaders.
Updated Standings After Day 2
Rank | Player | Points |
1 | Alireza Firouzja | 10 |
T-2 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 7 |
T-2 | Bogdan-Daniel Deac | 7 |
T-2 | Vincent Keymer | 7 |
T-2 | D. Gukesh | 7 |
T-6 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 6 |
T-6 | R. Praggnanandhaa | 6 |
T-6 | Anish Giri | 6 |
9 | Ivan Saric | 2 |
10 | Jorden van Foreest | 2 |
Remaining Rapid Pairings
The final three rapid rounds could dramatically reshape the standings.
D. Gukesh’s remaining opponents:
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- Vincent Keymer
- Alireza Firouzja
These fixtures are particularly significant because all three opponents are either immediate rivals or the tournament leader. Strong results would give Gukesh an opportunity to erase Firouzja’s lead before the blitz portion begins.
Praggnanandhaa also remains within striking distance of the leaders, but after consecutive defeats he will need a strong finish to regain momentum heading into the 18-round blitz competition.
Key Turning Points
Several results reshaped the standings during Day 2:
- Bogdan-Daniel Deac defeated Gukesh, temporarily knocking the World Champion off the pace.
- Gukesh responded with consecutive victories over Jorden van Foreest and Anish Giri, climbing back into a tie for second.
- Praggnanandhaa lost to Abdusattorov, costing him ground in the standings.
- Firouzja defeated Praggnanandhaa, extending his overall lead to three points and tightening his grip on first place.
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Decisive Moves
With only three rapid rounds remaining before the tournament transitions into blitz, Firouzja remains in control. However, Gukesh’s late surge has kept him firmly in the title race, while Praggnanandhaa still has an opportunity to close the gap if he can produce a strong finish to the rapid section.
BY PURVI SEHRAWAT
