New Delhi: R Praggnanandhaa played out a hard fought draw against Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest in the fourth round of the Super Chess Classic, while Germany’s Vincent Keymer emerged as the sole leader after registering an impressive victory in Bucharest.
Praggnanandhaa, who remains unbeaten in the tournament so far, moved to 2.5 points from four rounds with one win and three draws. Keymer, meanwhile, climbed to the top of the standings with three points after defeating French Grandmaster Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a commanding performance.
Playing with the black pieces, Praggnanandhaa faced an unusual opening setup from Van Foreest but managed to equalise comfortably without major difficulty. The Dutch player attempted to press for victory in the middle stages, but the Indian Grandmaster maintained solid control throughout the encounter. After a sequence of repeated moves, the game ended peacefully in 35 moves.
Keymer delivered one of the standout performances of the round with a sharp attacking display against Vachier-Lagrave. Using the white pieces in an English Attack variation against the Najdorf Sicilian Defence, the German Grandmaster gradually built pressure in the centre while exploiting weaknesses around his opponent’s king.
The turning point came when Keymer secured an exchange advantage by winning a rook for a bishop. Soon after, Vachier-Lagrave committed another error that led to further material loss, effectively ending the contest. The Frenchman resigned after just 38 moves.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Anish Giri quickly drew his game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, while Wesley So was held to a draw by Romanian player Bogdan-Daniel Deac.
French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja did not participate in the fourth round due to health concerns.
With several rounds still remaining, the tournament continues to remain closely contested as Praggnanandhaa stays firmly in contention near the top of the standings.
