The fourth round of the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest produced two decisive results, leading to a three-way tie for the lead. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave secured a convincing victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, while Levon Aronian claimed his first win of the event by defeating Jan-Krzysztof Duda with the black pieces. Vachier-Lagrave's win brought him level with Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, both of whom drew their games, at 2½/4 points.
Vachier-Lagrave, who had lost in the first round and narrowly missed a win against Aronian in the third, delivered a surprisingly dominant performance against Gukesh. The world champion, who had yet to lose a game in the tournament, found himself in trouble early on. Vachier-Lagrave felt he had won the opening battle and noted that Gukesh's aggressive reaction only worsened his position.
Already in a tough position, instead of seeking stability, the Indian grandmaster lashed out with 22...c5 (better is 22...Rab8), a move that allowed Vachier-Lagrave to seize the initiative.
The Frenchman's precise follow-up, starting with 23.dxc6 bxc6 24.Qc3 Bc5 25.Ra4, saw him achieving near-perfect coordination among his pieces.
With White's rooks dominating the open files and his queen eyeing crucial squares, Gukesh's position began to disintegrate rapidly. The Indian player's attempt to activate his pieces only hastened his downfall, and he was forced to resign on move 31, as MVL's technical play left no room for counterplay.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Levon Aronian, who had struggled in the first three rounds, finally got on the scoreboard with a well-crafted win over Jan-Krzysztof Duda. The game developed into a queenless middlegame, in which Duda temporarily held an extra pawn but failed to activate his rook on the kingside in time. Aronian's pieces, in contrast, were remarkably active.
Aronian's 32...Bxc4 not only gained a pawn but also opened lines for his rooks, as the sequence continued with 33.bxc4 Rxc4 34.Bb8 (34.Kh2 was a necessary defensive resource) e4 35.Bf4 Rxc3
Black's connected, far-advanced pawns became the decisive factor in the position. Five moves later, Aronian ended the game with the tactical shot 40...Ra1, forcing Duda to resign.
There is no stopping the passer on the e-file.
Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Levon Aronian | Photo: Lennart Ootes
The game between Alireza Firouzja and Wesley So was another high-stakes encounter, as the French number-one aimed to bounce back after his costly loss to Caruana in round three. Firouzja emerged from the opening with a strong initiative in a Berlin Defence and gradually outplayed So to reach a commanding position. However, in a dramatic twist, Firouzja blundered a full exchange in one move, completely squandering his advantage.
As commentators noted, Firouzja's lapse was particularly surprising given his level of control up to that point. The miscalculation cost him the win and nearly cost him the game, as So swiftly regrouped to create counterplay. Despite the setback, Firouzja managed to stabilise the position and secure a draw.
In the remaining two games of the round, Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu both drew their encounters to remain tied for the lead.
Alireza Firouzja and Wesley So sharing a laugh | Photo: Lennart Ootes
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