Two players remain undefeated
Vladimir Fedoseev and Alireza Firouzja are sharing the lead after two days of rapid chess at the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland tournament, the inaugural event of this year's Grand Chess Tour. The competition is taking place at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.
Fedoseev had finished Saturday as the sole leader, after collecting two wins and a draw on the first day. Importantly, the Slovenian representative missed a key opportunity to defeat Firouzja in their direct encounter in round one, a result that might prove crucial in the final standings. On Sunday, Fedoseev drew all three of his games, allowing Firouzja to catch up with him at the top of the standings. Wins are worth 2 points in the rapid section, and the two co-leaders currently stand on 8 points out of a possible 12.
Firouzja had a strong start to the second day. He defeated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in round four and then secured two draws, against Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Levon Aronian. Notably, Fedoseev and Firouzja are the only players who remain undefeated in Warsaw.
Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.Standing one point behind the leaders is Aravindh Chithambaram. The Indian grandmaster beat Veselin Topalov in round four and followed up with two draws to remain in clear contention for first place.
Another point behind Aravindh are Aronian, Duda and Bogdan-Daniel Deac. All three have identical records after six rounds, each scoring one win, one loss, and four draws.
At the bottom of the standings is Veselin Topalov. The former FIDE world champion, who is making a rare appearance in an elite tournament at the age of 50, continued to struggle on Sunday. Much like on the first day, Topalov lost his first two games before bouncing back with a victory. In round six, he managed to defeat Praggnanandhaa, currently one of the world's top classical players after winning the Tata Steel Masters earlier this year - Topalov himself won the tournament in Wijk aan Zee twice, in 2006 and 2007, almost twenty years ago.
Alireza Firouzja defeated Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in round four | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Veselin Topalov facing Bogdan-Daniel Deac with black (1-0) | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Vachier-Lagrave 1-0 Gavrilescu
The course is designed to provide a deep yet practical repertoire for Black, balancing solid foundations with aggressive counterplay.
The Classical Sicilian has stood the test of time as one of the most principled and fighting defences against 1.e4. With its rich history spanning world championship matches and modern elite tournaments, this opening remains a favourite among players who seek a dynamic, counterattacking approach without venturing into extreme theoretical battles like the Najdorf or Sveshnikov.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: 6.h3
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Standings after round 6 (win = 2pts; draw = 1pt)
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