# In the Last 24 Hours: Firouzja Flies in the Zagreb Blitz

> In the last 24 hours at the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia in Zagreb, France's Alireza Firouzja scored a stunning 8/9 on the first blitz day to open a 3-point lead over Vachier-Lagrave and Abdusattorov. Pragg collapsed with 3.5/9. One full day of blitz remains to crown a champion.

_By PrimeChess Team, Chess for Everyone · Jul 5, 2026_

Imagine a race where one runner suddenly speeds up and leaves everyone behind. That is what just happened in chess. In the last 24 hours, one player turned a close fight into a runaway lead. His name is Alireza Firouzja.

## Where this is happening

The action is in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Ten of the best players in the world came here to play fast chess. This event is called the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia. It is part of a bigger series called the Grand Chess Tour 2026.

The players first played "rapid" chess. Rapid means each player gets 25 minutes. Then they moved to "blitz" chess. Blitz is even faster. Each player gets only 5 minutes. In blitz, there is almost no time to think. One small mistake can end the game in seconds.

## The big story

Saturday was the first day of blitz. And Firouzja was on fire. He played 9 games. He won 7 and drew 2. That is a score of 8 out of 9. In blitz, against the best players in the world, this is amazing.

Because of this, Firouzja is now the clear leader. He is 3 full points ahead of the field. His closest chasers are Maxime Vachier-Lagrave from France and Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan. Both are strong. But right now, they are looking up at Firouzja.

Firouzja explained his secret in a simple way. He said that when he is in good form, he likes to take big risks. On Saturday, the risks paid off again and again. One rival, Vachier-Lagrave, said it best: "There is one guy who is absolutely unstoppable."

## A hard day for Pragg

Not everyone had a happy day. The young Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, often just called "Pragg," started the day sharing first place. But blitz can be cruel. At one point he lost four games in a row. He finished the day with only 3½ out of 9. Just like that, his shared lead was gone.

This is the beauty and the pain of blitz. It can lift you up in one game and knock you down in the next.

## Standings before the final day

Here is a simple look at the top after Saturday:

| Player | Country | Points | Behind leader |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Alireza Firouzja | France | 20 | leader |
| Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | France | 17 | 3 points |
| Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Uzbekistan | 17 | 3 points |

One quick note: the great Magnus Carlsen is not playing this year. So the door is open for a new hero to shine.

## What happens next

The tournament ends today, Sunday. The players will play one more full day of blitz, nine games each. If two players tie for first, there will be a playoff to decide the winner.

Firouzja is close. A 3-point lead is big. But blitz is wild, and nothing is safe until the last move. Abdusattorov is still hopeful. He said with a smile that "with a little bit of help and a little bit of luck," he can still fight for first place.

So the story is not over. One player is flying. Others are chasing. And in a game this fast, anything can happen in the final hours. That is exactly why we love chess.