Bucharest, 16 May (H.S.): Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa delivered a brilliant performance on Friday, defeating World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov with the black pieces in the second round of the Super Chess Classic Romania 2026, part of the Grand Chess Tour.

Defending champion Praggnanandhaa had earlier salvaged a draw from a difficult position against France’s Alireza Firouzja in the opening round. After securing victory in the second round, he joins the group of early leaders, sitting on 1.5 points from two games. Notably, all five first‑round games ended in draws.

This win held special significance for Praggnanandhaa as a form of redemption, since Sindarov had beaten him in both their encounters at the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

In those games, the Uzbek player had showcased aggressive chess by sacrificing his knight to seize initiative and dictate the course of the game.

This time too, Sindarov again offered a knight sacrifice, but Praggnanandhaa remained calm and precise in defence, capitalised on his extra piece, and eventually converted the advantage into a full point.

The Super Chess Classic Romania 2026 is a classical round‑robin tournament featuring 10 players and marks the second event of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour season.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar