Warsaw (Poland), April 30 (H.S.): In the Superbet Rapid and Blitz tournament of the Grand Chess Tour 2025, Russian Grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev delivered an outstanding performance on the first day of the blitz segment, solidifying his hold on the top position. For India’s R. Praggnanandhaa and Arvind Chithambaram, this day yielded mixed results.

Having already showcased powerful play in the rapid section, Fedoseev remained unbeaten in the nine rounds of blitz, not losing a single match. The current European Champion (in both rapid and Chess960 formats), Fedoseev now occupies the first position with 19 points.

Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa won four matches in blitz but faced defeat in three. His performance allowed him to seize second place in the overall standings. All eyes are now on the final nine rounds scheduled for April 30 to see if the young player can close the gap on Fedoseev.

Arvind Chithambaram did not seem to be in form during the blitz rounds. He won only two matches while suffering defeats in four. However, due to his excellent performance in the rapid segment, he remains jointly in third place with Maxim Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian.

The Superbet Rapid and Blitz tournament in Poland started with a single round-robin rapid section, which is now followed by a double round-robin blitz segment. Blitz games feature a 5+2 time control, with 1 point awarded for a win, 0.5 points for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. The tournament is being held at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar