New Delhi, April 29 (HS): Indian players Aravind Chithambaram and R. Praggnanandaa delivered outstanding performances on the third day of the Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Rapid and Blitz tournament ongoing in Poland.

Aravind Chithambaram maintained his impressive form from the second day, defeating Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Alireza Firouzja in the seventh and ninth rounds, respectively. With this victory, he has moved up to second place in the standings. Chithambaram has now won four matches, although he has faced defeats in two matches.

Meanwhile, Praggnanandaa bounced back from a disappointing performance on the second day with two consecutive victories against David Gavrilescu and Duda. His performance has moved him to fourth place in the standings. Notably, his accuracy in the fast-paced matches gave him an edge.

Russia’s Vladimir Fedoseev continues to hold the top position. Though he has only won two matches, his last six games have all ended in draws. On the other hand, Vesselin Topalov is at the bottom of the table, managing only five points with six losses so far.

Following the conclusion of the rapid rounds, blitz matches will begin today. With Magnus Carlsen’s absence, the title race is wide open, and both Indian players, Chithambaram and Praggnanandaa, are considered strong contenders. The total prize money for the tournament is $175,000, and it will also impact the final rankings of the entire Grand Chess Tour season.

The fast-paced Praggnanandaa, who won the Tata Steel Masters title this year and defeated world champion D. Gukesh, will once again try to live up to the hopes of his fans.

Chithambaram earned a wildcard entry here by winning the Prague Masters title, and now he is catching everyone’s attention with his phenomenal form.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar