Calm before Chaos at Super Chess Classic 2026

by Devansh Singh - 21/05/2026

It was a peaceful day at the Super Chess Classic 2026 as all 4 games ended in a draw. After Alireza's withdrawal, his next opponents will get points without playing. In the 6th round, Vincent was paired up against Alireza, and as he was unavailable, Vincent secured a point and gained a full-point lead with 4.5/6. R Praggnanandhaa drew against Bogdan Daniel Deac. The all-Dutch clash between Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest also ended in a draw, and Wesley So and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew after a long battle. Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov made a quick draw. 4 players are chasing Vincent with 3.5/6 points. The 7th round will start on 21st May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Fair or Unfair?

The chess world is divided over the decision to withdraw from the tournament. On one hand, everyone is praising Alireza for his fighting spirit in coming in that condition to play 2 rounds, while on the other hand, some people are saying he could have withdrawn before those 2 rounds, as it's unfair to previous opponents. The decision is yours to take if it's fair or not, but definitely, there will be more interesting battles coming up for you.

On the rest day, Alireza suffered a loss against Fabiano Caruana in their postponed game of round 4

Two World Championship Challengers, one played with Magnus, and the other is going to face Gukesh this year, Caruana vs Sindarov (0.5-0.5)

Praggnanandhaa made a solid draw against Bogdan Daniel Deac

Dutch No.1 Anish vs Dutch No.2 Jorden van Foreest (0.5-0.5)

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave drew against Wesley So

Replay Round 5 Games

Pairings and Results

Round 6 Results | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Standings after Round 6 | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Round 7 Pairings | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, GCT

The happiness of meeting your heroes

In a good mood after the game

Count the fans

Wait... are the rounds over?

What a scenic venue

The Constants

Video Gallery: ChessBase India

Line Up

Check out the Line-up: Here | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

A spectacular start to the in Bucharest. Watch the amazing opening ceremony featuring the world’s top chess stars and unforgettable moments | Video: ChessBase India

Schedule

Prize Fund

The total prize fund for each of the Classical Events shall be Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000), which shall be distributed as follows:

Source: Official Site

Format and Time Control

10-player Round Robin
90 minutes for 40 moves, and 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move 1.

Point System

1 point for a win, ½ point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss in all games.

Venue: National Bank of Romania Museum

Housed within the stunning Old Palace in Bucharest’s historic Lipscani district, the National Bank of Romania Museum offers a captivating journey through financial history. Visitors can explore one of the most significant numismatic collections in Central and Eastern Europe, featuring rare gold coins, antique banknotes, and the legendary National Treasure.

National Bank of Romania | Photo: Grand Chess Tour