Super Chess Classic: Sindarov takes down Keymer, Caruana beats Pragg

by Carlos Alberto Colodro
5/22/2026 – Javokhir Sindarov defeated former sole leader Vincent Keymer in round seven of the Super Chess Classic Romania, allowing Fabiano Caruana and Jorden van Foreest to join Keymer in first place. Sindarov's win was his first since his Candidates Tournament triumph, while Caruana beat defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Van Foreest received a forfeit win following Alireza Firouzja's withdrawal. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally.
FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before. 

Caruana, Keymer and Van Foreest co-leaders

Round seven brought a major change in the standings at the Super Chess Classic Romania, as former sole leader Vincent Keymer was defeated by Javokhir Sindarov. The result allowed Fabiano Caruana and Jorden van Foreest to join Keymer in the lead with two rounds to go.

Sindarov's victory was his first since his remarkable triumph at the Candidates Tournament, while Caruana also scored a key win, beating defending champion Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu with the black pieces. Van Foreest, meanwhile, was due to face Alireza Firouzja, but received a forfeit win after the French representative withdrew from the tournament because of an ankle injury.

The remaining two games of the round ended drawn. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave v. Bogdan-Daniel Deac did not move far from equality, while Anish Giri v. Wesley So saw the US star once again demonstrate strong defensive ability. So chose the unusual 11...Bb7?!, a novelty, instead of the more logical 11...Bd7, a move previously tried by players such as Andrey Esipenko and Max Warmerdam. The point of 11...Bd7 is that it keeps an eye on the idea Giri introduced in the game: 12.Nf5

Giri thus obtained a positional advantage and later converted it into a superior endgame. So, however, again showed why he is regarded as one of the hardest players to beat in the circuit. Despite the pressure, he found enough defensive resources to hold the position and escape with a half point.

Wesley So

Wesley So | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Keymer, Caruana and Van Foreest are now tied for first place on 4½/7, with Giri half a point behind. All four frontrunners will play the final two rounds, as they have already either faced Firouzja or received a forfeit win against him. Keymer is scheduled to face fellow co-leaders in the last two rounds: Caruana first, then Van Foreest.

Giri is also close enough to the lead to remain in contention, and will likely look for winning chances in Friday's game against Bogdan-Daniel Deac. However, it should be noted that the Romanian representative has consolidated his position in the standings by drawing his last four games against elite opponents.

Round 7 results

Bo. Rtg White Result Black Rtg
1 2733
GM Praggnanandhaa, R 0 - 1 GM Caruana, Fabiano
2788
2 2776
GM Sindarov, Javokhir 1 - 0 GM Keymer, Vincent
2759
3 2717
GM Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime ½ - ½ GM Deac, Bogdan-Daniel
2650
4 2759
GM Firouzja, Alireza - - + GM Van Foreest, Jorden
2735
5 2767
GM Giri, Anish ½ - ½ GM So, Wesley
2754

Sindarov 1-0 Keymer

Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer

Javokhir Sindarov got the better of Vincent Keymer | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Praggnanandhaa 0-1 Caruana

Fabiano Caruana

Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Standings after round 7

Rk. Name Pts. TB1
1 Van Foreest, Jorden 4,5 0
Keymer, Vincent 4,5 0
Caruana, Fabiano 4,5 0
4 Giri, Anish 4 0
5 So, Wesley 3,5 0
Praggnanandhaa, R 3,5 0
Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime 3,5 0
Sindarov, Javokhir 3,5 0
9 Deac, Bogdan-Daniel 2,5 0
10 Firouzja, Alireza 1 0

All games

Links

<< Anna Cramling to play six-game classical match against Odin Vea at Svarta Hästen in Stockholm
Precision >>
Topics: Fabiano Caruana, Grand Chess Tour 2026, Javokhir Sindarov, Super Chess Classic Romania 2026
Carlos Colodro is a Hispanic Philologist from Bolivia. He works as a freelance translator and writer since 2012. A lot of his work is done in chess-related texts, as the game is one of his biggest interests, along with literature and music.
Discussion and Feedback Submit your feedback to the editors

See also

Super Chess Classic Romania: Four draws, Keymer extends lead thanks to forfeit win

5/21/2026 – Vincent Keymer extended his lead at the Super Chess Classic Romania after receiving a forfeit win following Alireza Firouzja’s withdrawal with an ankle injury. The four games played on Wednesday all ended drawn, leaving Keymer a full point ahead of Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Jorden van Foreest. Caruana also revealed he had been struggling with illness during the event. | Photo: Lennart Ootes
More...
 3

See also

Super Chess Classic Romania: Caruana beats Firouzja in postponed encounter

5/20/2026 – Fabiano Caruana defeated Alireza Firouzja in their postponed round-four game at the Super Chess Classic Romania, played on the tournament's free day after being rescheduled. Firouzja, recovering from an ankle injury, again played from a bed in the hotel. Caruana gained a clear edge in a sharp Slav Defence and converted after Firouzja made a decisive mistake on move 37. | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Video

60m English A practical repertoire against the scotch

For a long time the Scotch opening was considered harmless and rarely played. This changed in 1990 when Garry Kasparov successfully employed the Scotch opening in his World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov. But that was 25 years ago. Now, there is no need to panic if you want to play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 and need a line against the Scotch. On this 60 Minutes renowned and successful coach Adrian Mikhalchishin gives simple practical tips how to neutralize and counter the Scotch.