Sharp battles, no lack of drama

The rapid section of the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland tournament concluded on Monday with three players tied at the top of the standings. Aravindh Chithambaram scored two wins and one loss to join Vladimir Fedoseev and Alireza Firouzja in the lead as the competition now moves into the blitz portion.

Aravindh's most important result came in the final round of rapid chess, when he defeated Firouzja in a dramatic encounter. Firouzja, who had been leading the event after beating Veselin Topalov in round eight, found himself in a difficult position against the Indian grandmaster. The French representative failed to foresee a tactical shot when he allowed Aravindh to play 25.Rxd5

Black could not capture the rook with 25...Nxd5 due to the immediate mate with 26.Qxg7#. Firouzja instead chose 25...Qg4, and Aravindh in turn missed the strongest continuation with 26.Qxe7, which would have allowed White to coordinate his pieces and create decisive threats against the weakened black king.

White instead went for 26.Bxf6 Bxf6 27.Nxf6+ gxf6 and 28.Qe7 (28.Qd6 is stronger).

Despite these missed chances, Aravindh kept pressing. Firouzja defended resourcefully to reach a drawn rook endgame a pawn down - but eventually lost on time on move 85!

The Classical Sicilian - A Timeless Counterattacking Weapon

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.
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Free video sample: 6.h3

Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Earlier in the day, Aravindh had defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda after surprising his opponent by playing an offbeat opening variation. However, he was then defeated in his game with black against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Heading into the blitz portion of the tournament, Aravindh, Firouzja and Fedoseev are tied with 11 points each. They hold a one-point lead over Levon Aronian and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. The blitz section will consist of 18 rounds, with 1 point awarded for a win and ½ point for a draw.

Given the large number of blitz games still to be played, other players remain within realistic striking distance. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, currently on 9 points, and even Bogdan-Daniel Deac and Jan-Krzysztof Duda, both on 8 points, will have plenty of opportunities to fight for top honours over the next two days.

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu ended the rapid section with back-to-back wins over David Gavrilescu and Jan-Krzysztof Duda | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Aravindh 1-0 Duda

Aravindh, Chithambaram VR2749

1–0

Duda, Jan-Krzysztof2739

GCT Superbet Rapid Poland 2025 Warsaw28.04.2025[CC]

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Nf6 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.d4 Nd6 6.Ba4 Aravindh deviates from the much-explored line leading to the Berlin endgame: 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.dxe5 Nf5 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 6...e4 7.Re1 Be7 8.Ne5 b5 By far the most popular continuation is 8...0-0 9.Nc3 and Black now has a number of alternative, playable ways to proceed. 9.Bb3 Na5 10.Bxf7+

This move, not approved by the engines, had been tried by Wei Yi against Arjun Erigaisi at this year's online Chessable Masters. Arjun won that game. Still, Black does not have a winning position after this move - and facing this line in a rapid game might turn out to be quite tricky. 10...Nxf7 11.Nxf7 Kxf7 12.Qh5+ Kf8 Of course not 12...g6 13.Qd5+ Kg7 14.Qxa8 Nor 12...Kg8 13.Qd5+ Kf8 14.Qxa8 13.Nc3 Bb7 After spending 12 minutes (in a 25-minute game) Duda falters, giving up his advantage. White is now for choice - and has a clear edge on the clock. Correct is Wei's 13...Qe8 14.Qxb5 and the Chinese GM here went for the inaccurate Nc6 Stronger is 14...Nb7 15.Nxe4 Qg6 16.Bf4 c6 17.Qe2 when Black has made progress (mostly trying to develop his pieces), while still a piece up for two pawns. 15.Rxe4 Rb8 16.Qe2 Qf7 17.d5 Nd8 and White has a clear advantage. 14.Nxe4 But Aravindh fails to find the refutation. Black is better now. Correct is 14.Qxb5 c6 15.Qf5+ Kg8 16.Nxe4 with dynamic equality - though White still has the initiative and a major advantage on the clock. 14...Qe8 15.Qxb5 d5 16.Qxa5 dxe4 17.Qxc7 Qc8 18.Qg3

Black has emerged from the complications with a piece for three pawns but, more importantly, he has managed to activate his pieces - and has a pair of bishops in an open position. 18...Qxc2 Commentator Peter Svidler described this move, which is not the most accurate, as "maximalist" Engines prefer 18...h5 and e.g. 19.Qb3 a5 20.d5 a4 21.Qb5 a3 22.Qb3 Bf6 and Black is for choice. 19.Bg5 Aravindh plays this imprecise manoeuvre while having 19 minutes on the clock (to Duda's 4). In practical terms, it made sense to play quickly to increase the pressure on his opponent, who came from being surprised by the offbeat opening. Better is 19.Bf4 Qd3 20.Re3 Qa6 21.Rc1 Qg6 and the double-edge struggle continues. 19...Bxg5 20.Qxg5 Qc4 An inaccuracy. Better is 20...Qc6 21.Qf4+ Qf6 22.Qc7 Qb6 and e.g. 23.Rac1 Re8 24.Qg3 21.Rac1 Qd5 22.Qg3 h5

The deciding mistake - curiously, the pawn push that was the most accurate alternative on move 18. Not giving up control of the c-file at once with 22...Rc8 was absolutely necessary, though White can still pose difficult problems after 23.Rxc8+ Bxc8 24.Qc7 Qd7 25.Rc1 and e.g. Kf7 26.Qf4+ Qf5 27.Rc7+ Ke8 28.Qd6 Qe6 and Black's bishop and queen hold things together. 23.Rc5 Qxd4 24.Rf5+ White's rook is fully activated, with decisive effect. Ke8 Black cannot play 24...Kg8 due to 25.Qb3+ Kh7 26.Qf7 and Black would need to give up a lot of material to prevent his opponent from checkmating the king. 25.Qc7 Bd5 26.Qd6 Rd8 27.Re5+ Kf7 28.Re7+ Kg8 29.Qxd8+ Kh7 30.Re8 Rxe8 31.Qxe8 Aravindh is now an exchange up in a completely winning endgame. Once his rook infiltrated, he converted his advantage swiftly and without major issues. Kh6 32.Qb5 h4 33.h3 g5 34.Qa6+ Kg7 35.Qe2 Bxa2 36.Qe3

1–0

How to attack - principles of training

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.

Local hero Jan-Krzysztof Duda | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Final standings - Rapid (win = 2 pts; draw = 1 pt)

All games - Rapid

Links

• Grand Chess Tour website
• Carlsen astonishes: 10 wins in a row grant him Superbet Poland triumph
• Caruana scores 3/3 in rapid playoff, wins Superbet Chess Classic
• Unstoppable Caruana dominates SuperUnited Croatia
• With two rounds to spare: Firouzja bags Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
• Alireza Firouzja conquers Saint Louis, again!