Four players in the chasing group

The third leg of the Grand Chess Tour got under way in Zagreb on Wednesday, with the first three rounds of rapid chess at the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia tournament. Alireza Firouzja made the strongest start, scoring two wins and a draw to emerge as the sole leader on 5/6 points. In the rapid section, wins are worth 2 points and draws 1 point.

Firouzja began the tournament with victories over the two underdogs in the field, Ivan Saric and Bogdan-Daniel Deac. The results put him in an early lead, but neither win came easily. Saric and Deac both obtained advantages at certain moments in their games, creating difficult practical problems for the now sole leader, before the French GM managed to turn both encounters in his favour.

Mastering Calculation - Think Clearly, Calculate Precisely, Improve Consistently

Chess is a concrete game. There is no way around training your calculation skills. Improve your visualization, pattern recognition and learn calculation techniques such as reciprocal thinking with this course.
Calculation is at the heart of practical chess. Every chess concept builds on proper calculation technique. Therefore, all chess players should continuosly train the fundamental techniques, concepts and patterns this course will present. The goal isn't only to teach you to calculate, but to give you the tools and insights to keep improving long after the final lesson.
Free sample video: Introduction

Free sample video: Quiet Moves

In round three, Firouzja faced Anish Giri and drew to remain alone in first place. The game reached a tricky queenless position, in which Giri showed good technique to keep the balance. The draw was enough for Firouzja to finish the day one point ahead of the nearest chasers.

The beautiful playing hall in Zagreb | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Four players stand in shared second place on 4/6: Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Vincent Keymer. Giri, Pragg and MVL each collected a win and two draws over the first three rounds, giving them steady starts in a format where rapid victories carry extra weight.

Keymer reached the same score in a more irregular way. The German grandmaster lost to Pragg in a very entertaining battle in the opening round, but then recovered with two wins. He defeated Jorden van Foreest and Nodirbek Abdusattorov in similarly remarkable games.

Van Foreest and Saric had the most difficult starts of the day. Van Foreest finished with only 1/6 points, while Saric, the local representative, suffered three defeats.

Firouzja will face a demanding schedule on Thursday, as all three of his opponents belong to the chasing group currently on 4/6, as he is set to play Keymer with black, Vachier-Lagrave with white and Praggnanandhaa with black.

Master Class Vol.7: Garry Kasparov

On this DVD a team of experts gets to the bottom of Kasparov's play. In over 8 hours of video running time the authors Rogozenko, Marin, Reeh and Müller cast light on four important aspects of Kasparov's play: opening, strategy, tactics and endgame.

Former world champion Garry Kasparov, who holds Croatian citizenship, played the honorary first move on Maxime Vachier-Lagrave's board | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Praggnanandhaa 1-0 Keymer

The Bulletproof 1.b3 Repertoire

This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas.
Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King's Indian Setup

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Vachier-Lagrave 1-0 Gukesh

Attack like a Super Grandmaster

In this Fritztrainer: “Attack like a Super GM” with Gukesh we touch upon all aspects of his play, with special emphasis on how you can become a better attacking player.

Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju recovered from his round-one loss with a victory over Ivan Saric | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Standings after round 3 (win = 2 pts, draw = 1 pt)

All games

Links

• Official website
• Tour's overall standings