Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continues to share the lead at the Superbet Chess Classic in Bucharest after a composed draw against Alireza Firouzja in the seventh round on Thursday.
With two rounds left to play, the tournament is finely poised, with four players locked at the top.
Praggnanandhaa, playing with white pieces, opted for the English Opening against Firouzja. The game saw limited fireworks as both players remained cautious, ultimately heading into a balanced rook-and-pawn endgame that offered little room for error or opportunity. The result means Praggnanandhaa, Firouzja, Fabiano Caruana, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave all sit on four points from seven rounds.
The final stretch of the tournament promises an exciting finish, with the top prize of USD 100,000 still up for grabs.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion D Gukesh is still hunting for his first win in the event. His latest encounter against American Wesley So ended in a draw, leaving the Indian youngster on 2.5 points, far from the leader pack.
Elsewhere in Round 7, Levon Aronian split points with Fabiano Caruana, while Romania’s Deac Bogdan Daniel drew with Vachier-Lagrave. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov registered the only decisive result of the day, defeating Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Round 7 results:
R Praggnanandhaa (4) drew with Alireza Firouzja (4)
Levon Aronian (3.5) drew with Fabiano Caruana (4)
Deac Bogdan Daniel (3.5) drew with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (4)
Nodirbek Abdusattorov (3.5) beat Duda Jan Krzysztof (2.5)
Wesley So (3.5) drew with D Gukesh (2.5)\