Last 24 Hours in Chess: Pragg Storms Back to Catch Firouzja in Zagreb
In the last 24 hours at the Super Rapid & Blitz in Zagreb, Croatia, GM Praggnanandhaa won three games in a row to catch leader Alireza Firouzja. A day after two painful losses, Pragg is tied for first as the fast blitz finish begins.
Three wins. One after another. That is how a young Indian star turned a bad week into a great one. In the last 24 hours, GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu caught the leader at the Super Rapid & Blitz in Zagreb, Croatia. Just one day earlier, he had lost two games and felt low. Chess can change fast.
What Just Happened
The tournament is in Zagreb, Croatia. It runs from July 1 to July 5. It is the third stop of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour, a series of top events for the best players in the world.
The first three days are "rapid" chess. In rapid, each player gets 25 minutes for the whole game, plus a little extra time per move. It is fast, but not too fast. You still have time to think.
On the final rapid day, Praggnanandhaa — most people just call him "Pragg" — was perfect. He won all three of his games. He beat Ivan Saric. He beat Bogdan-Daniel Deac. Then, playing the black pieces, he beat the experienced Anish Giri with a lovely finish. Three games, three wins.
The Leader Slips
For two days, one man had been on top: GM Alireza Firouzja. He is famous for his speed and his sharp attacks. He had built a big lead of three points. It looked safe.
But chess has no mercy on a slow day. Firouzja drew two games, against Jorden van Foreest and world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Then he lost to GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. Abdusattorov had prepared a clever opening idea, and it worked. Bit by bit, Firouzja's big lead melted away.
So now Firouzja and Pragg are tied at the very top. Two other players, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Abdusattorov, are just one point behind. The world champion Gukesh is close too. Six players are within striking distance. Nothing is decided.
The Standings After Rapid
| Place | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alireza Firouzja | 12 |
| 1 | Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | 12 |
| 3 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 11 |
| 3 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 11 |
| 5 | Gukesh Dommaraju | 10 |
| 5 | Vincent Keymer | 10 |
A win is worth 2 points. A draw is worth 1 point.
Now Comes the Blitz
The fun is not over. The next two days are blitz chess. Blitz is even faster: only 5 minutes each, plus 2 seconds per move. There is no time to relax. One small mistake can end a game in seconds.
This is where things get tricky for Pragg. Blitz is home ground for his rivals. Firouzja is one of the best blitz players alive. Abdusattorov is ranked number two in the world at blitz. Vachier-Lagrave, a former world blitz champion, is the only player who has not lost a single game so far. Pragg will have to be brave.
Why It Is Worth Watching
This is what makes chess so human. A player can feel crushed one day and fly the next. Pragg himself said that after his painful loss, he simply had to move on. He did — in the best way possible.
Now the board is set for a wild finish. Six players, two days, and the fastest chess of all. Who will hold their nerve? We will find out very soon. Pull up a chair and enjoy the show.
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