Alireza Firouzja scored 8/9 in the first day of blitz to open a three-point lead at the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia. Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave sit in second place. The final nine rounds begin Sunday in Zagreb.
French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja heads into the last day of the 2026 Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia with a clear advantage. He won eight of nine blitz games on day four and now leads his nearest rivals by three points.
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu began the day in joint first but lost four consecutive games after taking an early lead. He ended the day 4.5 points behind the leader.
Abdusattorov and Vachier-Lagrave each scored 6/9 to stay in contention. Firouzja said he took extreme risks in several games but was pleased with the outcome. The final rounds start at 14:00 CEST on July 5.