Six players still with chances
Since sole leader Fabiano Caruana only has a +2 score with one round to go at the Superbet Chess Classic, no fewer than six players still have chances of winning the event on Friday. Standing a half point behind the leader are Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja, while Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Ian Nepomniachtchi — standing a half point further back — still have outside chances of claiming the title.
For MVL or Nepo to win the tournament, Caruana would need to lose his game with black against Anish Giri and neither of the players belonging to the chasing trio should score more than a half point — i.e. the game between Pragg and Firouzja must end in a draw.
As per the Grand Chess Tour regulations, in case of a tie for first place — a likely scenario given the tournament situation — a rapid and blitz (if necessary) playoff will take place once the ninth round is over on Friday.
Remarkably, all round-9 games are pertinent to the fight for first place:
- Anish Giri v. Fabiano Caruana
- Praggnanandhaa v. Alireza Firouzja
- Wesley So v. Gukesh
- Ian Nepomniachtchi v. Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- Bogdan-Daniel Deac v. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
Players in bold have chances to win the event.
Standings after round 8
Results - Round 8
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.

Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Firouzja ½ - ½ Nepomniachtchi
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bf4 c5 4.e3 Nc6 5.Nbd2 Nh5 6.dxc5 Nxf4 7.exf4 a5 8.Bb5 e6 9.Ne5 Bd7 10.Nxd7 10.Nd3 Nb4 11.Bxd7+ Qxd7 12.Nxb4 axb4 10...Qxd7 11.Qf3 Qc7 12.0-0-0 12...Be7 12...Bxc5 13.Qc3 Bxf2 13...Qb6 14.Qxg7 0-0-0 14.Bxc6+ Qxc6 15.Qxg7 0-0-0 13.f5 0-0 14.Qg3 14.fxe6 Nd4 15.exf7+ Rxf7 16.Qd3 Nxb5 17.Qxb5 14...Qxg3 15.fxg3 Nd4 16.Bd3 Bxc5 17.fxe6 fxe6 18.Rhe1 Rae8 19.g4 Rf2 20.c3 Nc6 21.Nf3 g6 21...Rxg2 22.Bf5 Nd8 23.Rxd5 22.Ng5 Bd6 23.Rxe6 Rxe6 24.Nxe6 Kf7 25.Ng5+ Kf6 26.Nf3 Bf4+ 27.Kb1 Rxg2 28.Bb5 Ne7 29.h3 Rg3 30.Rf1 g5 31.Nd4 31...Ng6 31...Rxh3 32.Bd7 Ng6 32.Rh1 Rg2 33.Nb3 b6 34.Rd1 Ne7 35.Nd4 Be3 36.Nc6 Rg1 37.Rxg1 Bxg1 38.Nxe7 Kxe7 39.Kc2 Kd6 40.Kd3 Ke5 41.Bc6 Kd6 42.Bb5 Ke5 43.Bc6 Kd6 44.Bb5 Ke5 45.Bc6 ½–½
This video course includes GM Anish Giri's deep insights and IM Sagar Shah's pertinent questions to the super GM. In Vol.1 all the openings after 1.e4 are covered.

Ian Nepomniachtchi | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 8
All games
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