Praggnanandhaa Triumphs at 2025 Superbet Classic After Dramatic Playoff

At the 2025 Superbet Classic Romania, Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu continued his remarkable year, securing his first Grand Chess Tour event win.

The Indian prodigy secured the title after a nail-biting playoff against France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. 

The Superbet Chess Classic Romania, held in Bucharest, was the second event of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour. Ten elite players competed in a classical round-robin format, and the total prize fund was $350,000. 

The star-studded GCT lineup included World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and defending GCT champion Fabiano Caruana. 

Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, and R Praggnanandhaa completed the set. 

Round-by-Round Highlights

Alireza Firouzja and Wesley So started strong, with wins over Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Bogdan-Daniel Deac in the first round. Other games, including Gukesh vs. Praggnanandhaa and Duda vs. Caruana, ended in draws. 

In round two, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Bogdan-Daniel Deac bounced back with victories. Vachier-Lagrave defeated Wesley So, while Deac outplayed Levon Aronian in a Nimzo-Indian. 

The hometown favorite got Levon in a positional bind, with Levon underestimating the speed of the g and h pawns. Firouzja maintained a half-point lead after a draw with Duda.

The games Caruana vs. Praggnanandhaa and Abdusattorov vs. Gukesh were also drawn.

Round 3 saw two decisive results among the top contenders. Fabiano Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja, who had been the sole leader, and Praggnanandhaa scored a nice win against Abdusattorov. 

The draws in this round were also intense, with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave holding an advantage against Levon Aronian before Levon found a resourceful exchange sacrifice to draw.

The most significant result of round four was wins for MVL and Levon. Vachier-Lagrave’s win over Gukesh and Aronian’s victory over Duda injected fresh dynamics into the tournament standings. 

The draws in the other games, particularly among the top contenders, meant the field remained tightly packed.

Round 5 was a day of remarkable solidity, with all five encounters concluding in draws. No single player could break away from the pack heading into the rest day. 

Alireza Firouzja’s victory over Gukesh was also the only defining moment of Round 6. This led to a four-way tie at the top in round 7, with Abdusattorov scoring his first win of the tournament 

After a lull, fireworks resumed in round 8. Praggnanandhaa secured a critical win with Black against Wesley So using the Benko Gambit. This win moved him into the sole lead heading into the final round. 

Final Round Drama Sets Up Three-Way Tie

The tension was palpable. Praggnanandhaa, needing only a draw to secure at least a share of first place, played safely against Levon Aronian, and the game ended in a draw.

But his closest pursuers mounted successful final-round charges.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave inflicted yet another defeat on Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Duda’s third loss of the tournament).

Alireza Firouzja, his other pursuer, pulled off an impressive win against hometown favorite Bogdan-Daniel Deac.

Despite finding himself in a worse position than his King’s Indian Defense, Firouzja showcased his tactical brilliance to outfox his Romanian opponent.

These results created a dramatic three-way tie for first place between Praggnanandhaa, Vachier-Lagrave, and Firouzja. This tie meant playoff games to determine the champion.

Tiebreak Victory Cements Tournament Win

With a three-way tie, a blitz round-robin playoff was held to determine the champion. The time control was five minutes per game with a two-second increment.

Praggnanandhaa drew his first blitz game against Alireza Firouzja. It was a complex Giuoco Piano where both players handled the intricacies well, leading to a draw by perpetual check. Alireza Firouzja then drew his game against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

This set up a decisive final blitz game between Praggnanandhaa and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

In a tense, heavy-piece endgame that initially looked drawn, Vachier-Lagrave made a critical error (36…a5? followed by 37…Qc3??), allowing Praggnanandhaa to capitalize and secure the win.

This tie-break performance was reminiscent of his Tata Steel Chess 2025 victory earlier this year, where he also prevailed in tie-breaks against World Champion Gukesh D. 

Final Standings

*Winner after tie-breaks

Tournament Implications

The tournament was noted for its fighting chess play and the dramatic conclusion. This makes it the third playoff in five years for this Grand Chess Tour event.

Praggnanandhaa’s victory marks a significant milestone in his chess career as his first Grand Chess Tour triumph. 

He earned $77,667 in prize money, an additional $10,000 bonus for winning the playoff, and 10 GCT points.

This is another notable win after his impressive Tata Steel Chess victory in January (another tie break win over Gukesh). 

For Indian chess, the result is yet another indication of their dominance in the current chess landscape.

Indian players like Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, and Arjun are adding significant notches after an already impressive 2024.

What’s Next?

With this victory, Praggnanandhaa gains valuable Grand Chess Tour points and positions himself strongly for the rest of the 2025 circuit. 

Praggnanandhaa is quickly building a reputation for his nerves of steel in pressure situations.

Chess fans worldwide will be eagerly watching to see if he can maintain this impressive momentum at upcoming elite events.

The chess calendar remains packed with prestigious tournaments for the rest of 2025, including more Grand Chess Tour events and the highly anticipated Champions Chess Tour stops.

If Praggnanandhaa’s performances at Tata Steel Chess and now the Superbet Chess Classic are any indication, the chess world should prepare for more remarkable achievements from yet another young Indian star.