Javokhir Sindarov starts winning again, beats Vincent Keymer at Super Chess Classic 2026

by Devansh Singh - 22/05/2026

Javokhir Sindarov defeated the sole leader, Vincent Keymer, in the 7th round of the Super Chess Classic Romania 2026. This win changed the race for the title as now 3 players are in a joint lead with 4.5/7 points. Fabiano Caruana defeated Praggnanandhaa with black pieces, while Jorden van Foreest received a forfeit point after the withdrawal of Alireza Firouzja. Now Caruana, Vincent, and Jorden are co-leading with 2 rounds to go. Who is going to prevail? What do you think? The 8th round will start on 22nd May at 4 PM Local Time/ 6:30 PM IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes

Free Points!!

Withdrawal of a player from a round-robin event always leaves some players at an advantage while others at a disadvantage. Alireza withdrew after playing 5 rounds. In the 6th round, Vincent got a free point to gain the sole lead without playing. Now, in the 7th round Jorden received a free point. Wesley So and Bogdan Daniel Deac will also receive forfeit points in the next two rounds.

Caruana scored a big win over Praggnanandhaa with black pieces | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

And with this win, Caruana climbed up to the World No. 2 spot | Source: 2700chess.com

Check out the games!

Now we will bring you all the action from this round.

Javokhir Sindarov vs. Vincent Keymer

This was the second classical clash between Sindarov and Vincent; the first one ended in a draw, and this time Sindarov prevailed as he predicted Vincent's opening choice correctly and played an excellent game.

Sindarov in the post-game interview | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

In the post-game interview, Sindarov said: "After yesterday's round, when he got a point, I expected him to play Tarrasch defence and play solid. I just wanted to play without any risk, and if I get chances, I would use them. I saw that when he has a good tournament situation, he always plays solid c5. So I expected him to play c5, and I prepared a little bit."

Javokhir Sindarov vs. Vincent Keymer (1-0) | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

R Praggnanandhaa vs. Fabiano Caruana

In the FIDE Candidates 2026, when Pragg and Fabi got paired, both games ended in a draw, but here Praggnanandhaa made some crucial mistakes on the opposite side of the castle position, and Fabiano managed to build his attack before Pragg to win the game.

Fabiano during the post-game interview | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

In the post-game interview, Fabiano said, "I think we've always had very big fights with Pragg. Even the draws, they happen, of course, but they've always been very tough draws. But he's just a very fighting player, and I also don't back down from a fight, I think. So we both kind of provoke each other."

Position after 24...Nd5

As we can already see, both sides are trying to exploit each other's king side, black's pieces look more active, and pawns are further pushed. This was the critical moment where Pragg blundered and played 25.Qe2, which allows Nf4 followed by b4 with a great initiative. Better was to play 25.Qd2.

R Praggnanandhaa vs. Fabiano Caruana (0-1) | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Bogdan Daniel Deac made a solid draw | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Anish Giri vs. Wesley So (0.5-0.5) | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Replay Round 7 Games

Pairings and Results

Round 6 Results | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Standings after Round 7 | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Round 8 Pairings | Graphic: Grand Chess Tour

Photo Gallery: ChessBase India, GCT

In the 8th round, Wesley So will get the forfeit point | Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour

Vincent is coming for the 7th round with Leko | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Wait what? Jorden is there? | Photo: Abhyudaya Ram

Video Gallery: ChessBase India

Round 6 Summary and Raw Moments

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