Round seven brought a major change in the standings at the Super Chess Classic Romania, as former sole leader Vincent Keymer was defeated by Javokhir Sindarov. The result allowed Fabiano Caruana and Jorden van Foreest to join Keymer in the lead with two rounds to go.
Sindarov's victory was his first since his remarkable triumph at the Candidates Tournament, while Caruana also scored a key win, beating defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu with the black pieces. Van Foreest, meanwhile, was due to face Alireza Firouzja, but received a forfeit win after the French representative withdrew from the tournament because of an ankle injury.
The remaining two games of the round ended drawn. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave v. Bogdan-Daniel Deac did not move far from equality, while Anish Giri v. Wesley So saw the US star once again demonstrate strong defensive ability. So chose the unusual 11...Bb7?!, a novelty, instead of the more logical 11...Bd7, a move previously tried by players such as Andrey Esipenko and Max Warmerdam. The point of 11...Bd7 is that it keeps an eye on the idea Giri introduced in the game: 12.Nf5
Giri thus obtained a positional advantage and later converted it into a superior endgame. So, however, again showed why he is regarded as one of the hardest players to beat in the circuit. Despite the pressure, he found enough defensive resources to hold the position and escape with a half point.
Wesley So | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Keymer, Caruana and Van Foreest are now tied for first place on 4½/7, with Giri half a point behind. All four frontrunners will play the final two rounds, as they have already either faced Firouzja or received a forfeit win against him. Keymer is scheduled to face fellow co-leaders in the last two rounds: Caruana first, then Van Foreest.
Giri is also close enough to the lead to remain in contention, and will likely look for winning chances in Friday's game against Bogdan-Daniel Deac. However, it should be noted that the Romanian representative has consolidated his position in the standings by drawing his last four games against elite opponents.
Round 7 results
| Bo. | Rtg | White | Result | Black | Rtg | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2733 | GM | Praggnanandhaa, R | 0 - 1 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2788 | ||
| 2 | 2776 | GM | Sindarov, Javokhir | 1 - 0 | GM | Keymer, Vincent | 2759 | ||
| 3 | 2717 | GM | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | ½ - ½ | GM | Deac, Bogdan-Daniel | 2650 | ||
| 4 | 2759 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | - - + | GM | Van Foreest, Jorden | 2735 | ||
| 5 | 2767 | GM | Giri, Anish | ½ - ½ | GM | So, Wesley | 2754 |
Javokhir Sindarov got the better of Vincent Keymer | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
| Rk. | Name | Rtg | Pts. | TB1 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM | Van Foreest, Jorden | 2735 | 4,5 | 0 | |
| GM | Keymer, Vincent | 2759 | 4,5 | 0 | ||
| GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2788 | 4,5 | 0 | ||
| 4 | GM | Giri, Anish | 2767 | 4 | 0 | |
| 5 | GM | So, Wesley | 2754 | 3,5 | 0 | |
| GM | Praggnanandhaa, R | 2733 | 3,5 | 0 | ||
| GM | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 2717 | 3,5 | 0 | ||
| GM | Sindarov, Javokhir | 2776 | 3,5 | 0 | ||
| 9 | GM | Deac, Bogdan-Daniel | 2650 | 2,5 | 0 | |
| 10 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | 2759 | 1 | 0 |
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