Alireza Firouzja extended his lead at the top of the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia in Zagreb after producing, for the second day in a row, a score of two wins and one draw. The French grandmaster has reached 10 points out of 12 after six rapid rounds and now leads Vincent Keymer, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Gukesh Dommaraju and Bogdan-Daniel Deac by three points.
Firouzja Opens a Significant Gap in the Standings
The Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia is unfolding under the clear control of Alireza Firouzja, who has turned the first two rapid days into a display of consistency, practical precision and the ability to score even from demanding positions. After recording two wins and one draw on the opening day, the Frenchman repeated exactly the same result on Thursday to move to 10 points from a possible 12.
The distance to the rest of the field is already considerable. Firouzja leads his closest pursuers by three points with three rapid rounds still to be played before the blitz section begins. In a tournament where rapid wins are worth two points and draws one, that margin gives the leader valuable room, although the combined format still leaves plenty of competitive play ahead.
The group sharing second place consists of Vincent Keymer, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Gukesh Dommaraju and Bogdan-Daniel Deac, all on 7 points. Vachier-Lagrave, along with Firouzja, is the only player still unbeaten after six rounds, a statistic that reflects his solidity even if it has not yet allowed him to close the gap to first place.
Two Wins With Black Strengthen His Claim
One of the most relevant aspects of the second day was that both of Firouzja’s victories came with the black pieces. In round four, he defeated Vincent Keymer in a double-edged game that ended after 26 moves. Later, he beat Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu after the Indian grandmaster went wrong in an endgame that was objectively level.
With those results, Firouzja has won all three games he has played with black in the tournament. That perfect score with the second move is one of the keys to his advantage, especially in rapid chess, where holding complex positions without the initial initiative often requires precision, practical resilience and fine clock management.
His performance also confirms the strong competitive form he has brought to Zagreb. In a ten-player tournament featuring a field of top-level opponents, stringing together positive results across two consecutive days has allowed him to build a position of strength before the conclusion of the rapid section.
Keymer Falls to the Leader but Stays in Contention
Vincent Keymer began the day inside the chasing group and ended it still in that zone, although his direct loss to Firouzja increased the distance to first place. The clash with the leader was an opportunity to reduce the gap, but the Frenchman’s victory further strengthened his control of the standings.
Even so, Keymer remains on 7 points and is part of the group sharing second place. His situation is still competitive, though Firouzja’s advantage forces his rivals to take risks in the remaining rounds if they want to reach the blitz section with clearer chances.
In a rapid event, staying near the top after six rounds remains important. The difference is that Firouzja has converted his opportunities into wins more frequently, something that has an immediate effect on the standings under this scoring system.
Gukesh Responds After Losing to Deac
Gukesh Dommaraju experienced a day of contrasts. The world champion began with a loss to Bogdan-Daniel Deac, who outplayed him in a complex middlegame and claimed a highly valuable victory. Gukesh, however, responded immediately with two consecutive wins against Jorden van Foreest and Anish Giri.
That recovery allowed him to finish Thursday with 4 points out of 6 and join the group in second place. His tournament so far has been defined by a highly combative profile: he has signed only one draw, with most of his games ending decisively.
The victory over Giri closed a day that could have become much more difficult for the Indian player after the early setback. Instead of falling away from the leaders, Gukesh regained ground and remains among Firouzja’s direct pursuers before a final rapid day that will include a particularly important clash.
Deac Joins the Chasing Group
Bogdan-Daniel Deac was another of the day’s key figures. His victory over Gukesh in round four confirmed his ability to compete on equal terms with opponents from the very highest level and moved him into contention near the top of the standings. After that win, the Romanian grandmaster drew his remaining two games and also finished the day with 4 points out of 6.
Deac had already collected important wins in the tournament, including one against Ivan Saric. The accumulation of those results keeps him in a strong chasing group, level with Keymer, Vachier-Lagrave and Gukesh.
His presence in the upper part of the table adds interest to the standings, as the group is not made up only of established elite players, but also of profiles making good use of the rapid format and the scoring system to stay close to the main fight.
Vachier-Lagrave Remains Unbeaten
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave continues to hold one of the most solid records in the tournament: he is still unbeaten after six rounds. In such a demanding competition, that stability carries real value, although the scoring system places special emphasis on victories and forces players to turn solidity into wins if they want to close in on first place.
The Frenchman shares second place with 7 points, within a tightly packed group that can still significantly reshape the standings before the start of the blitz. The challenge for the chasing players is that Firouzja has already opened a three-point gap and has shown a superior ability to finish off favorable positions.
The battle for second place is therefore very tight, but the lead currently has a clear owner. The final rapid day will be crucial in determining whether anyone can reduce the difference before the tournament moves into the double round-robin blitz phase.
Zagreb Awaits a Rapid Finale With Firouzja-Gukesh Showdown
The tournament is being held at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb as the third leg of the Grand Chess Tour. The rapid section is played as a single round-robin, with wins worth two points and draws worth one. The standings will then be combined with the blitz results, which will be played as a double round-robin.
The game between Firouzja and Gukesh is scheduled for round nine on Friday, with the world champion taking the black pieces against the current leader. The matchup arrives with Firouzja clear at the top of the table and Gukesh in the chasing group after his recovery on the second day.
With six rapid rounds completed, the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia has Firouzja as the clear reference point of the tournament. His three-point lead, perfect score with black and ability to repeat a high-scoring day place him in a privileged position before the end of the first phase.
