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The first round of the 2025 Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest saw Alireza Firouzja and Wesley So take the early lead after securing contrasting wins.
Firouzja claimed victory in the all-French matchup against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, demonstrating fine technique to secure the full point. Meanwhile, So benefitted from a one-move blunder by wildcard and local representative Bogdan-Daniel Deac. Deac's oversight handed So a straightforward win in a game that had otherwise remained balanced.
As it is often the case, Deac found himself in deep time trouble while facing So. His error on move 40 came in the very last move before getting 30 extra minutes on the clock.
Wesley So facing the time-trouble addict Bogdan-Daniel Deac | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The clash between Indian prodigies Gukesh Dommaraju and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu was one of the more entertaining encounters of the round. Gukesh, the reigning world champion, gained a clear advantage in a sharp, tactical middlegame. However, he failed to convert his edge, and the game ended in a 35-move draw.
Despite the missed opportunity, the game provided an engaging display of dynamic chess from both players.
Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Levon Aronian and Nodirbek Abdusattorov played the first game to finish, agreeing to a relatively quiet draw. Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana, the winner of the last two Superbet Classics, pushed for a long time against Jan-Krzysztof Duda. Caruana managed to reach a (theoretically drawn) rook endgame with an extra pawn but was unable to make further progress. After 73 moves, Duda's precise defence forced Caruana to concede the draw.
Looking ahead to round two, Firouzja will have the black pieces against Duda, while So will also play black against Vachier-Lagrave.
The playing hall in the Grand Hotel Bucharest | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Analysis by André Schulz
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