Daijiworld Media Network – Zagreb
Zagreb, Jul 4: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa delivered a superb performance in the final round of the rapid section at the Croatia Grand Chess Tour, winning all three of his matches to finish as joint leader alongside France's Alireza Firouzja.
Praggnanandhaa defeated Croatia's Ivan Saric, Romania's Bogdan-Daniel Deac and the Netherlands' Anish Giri to surge to the top of the standings with 12 points heading into the blitz section.
Meanwhile, reigning world champion D Gukesh settled for draws in all three of his rapid games on the final day. He is currently placed on 10 points, two behind the joint leaders.
The tournament will now move into the 18-round blitz section, where the overall champion of the Croatia Grand Chess Tour will be decided.