U.S. Grandmaster Wins Second Leg of the Grand Chess Tour; Takes Home $68,750 Prize
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA AND SAINT LOUIS, MO. (July 7, 2024) – Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana from the United States sealed the win as the 2024 Superbet Chess Classic Romania champion during the second of five legs of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT), claiming the title for the second year in a row.
Caruana secured the victory after a dramatic final day of the tournament in Bucharest where he first lost his classical game to GM Anish Giri, but then won all three games in the playoff round to finish the tournament on top after the tiebreaks.
“Maybe we were making it a bit boring, but on the final day at least we added some excitement,” said Caruana. “I played terribly. Anish punished me. I played a poor game but he played well and then I wasn't even thinking about winning the tournament anymore. I feel good at the moment but, overall it was a pretty bad day.”
After having a chance to convert a position to give him the outright win, GM Alireza Firouzja as well as GMs Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh Dommaraju all finished in a tie, each winning $58,750.
“It seems like a good tradition in Bucharest to have long tiebreaks. It was a long and nerve-wracking grand finale but we congratulate Fabiano Caruana from the United States for clinching the win in the first classical event and thank you Superbet Foundation for sponsoring the event,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Executive Director.
Superbet Chess Classic Romania Results
| POSITION | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE MONEY |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-1 | Fabiano Caruana | USA | $68,750 |
| T-1 | Alireza Firouzja | France | $58,750 |
| T-1 | Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa | IND | $58,750 |
| T-1 | Gukesh Dommaraju | India | $58,750 |
| T-5 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | FIDE | $21,833 |
| T-5 | Anish Giri | Netherlands | $21,833 |
| T-5 | Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | France | $21,833 |
| T-8 | Wesley So | USA | $14,500 |
| T-8 | Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Uzbekistan | $14,500 |
| 10 | Bogdan-Daniel Deac | India | $10,500 |
"Congratulations to Fabiano Caruana for another outstanding victory at the Grand Chess Tour-Superbet Chess Classic in Romania. This tournament showcased ten days of thrilling games, highlighting the incredible talent of all participants,” said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation. “At the Superbet Foundation, we are committed to bringing top chess talents to Romania, Poland, and Croatia. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of chess players by providing them the opportunity to learn from the best. We believe in the power of chess to educate, challenge, and inspire. Next week, we continue our journey in Croatia, promising another exciting chapter in promoting and celebrating chess.”
Up next, GCT heads to Zagreb for SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz. Due to an urgent family matter, GM Magnus Carlsen has regretfully withdrawn from the upcoming event and will be replaced by American GM Levon Aronian as a wildcard at this tournament. Round 1 starts on July 10 with live commentary from GMs Yasser Seirawan and Evgenij Miroshnichenko, as well as IM Jovanka Houska, starting at 7:20 AM CDT on the Saint Louis Chess Club's Twitch & YouTube channels.
Following Croatia, the GCT heads back to the United States for the final two events: Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz (August 11-16, 2024) and Sinquefield Cup (August 18-29, 2024), both hosted by the Saint Louis Chess Club.
Tour participants are competing for an overall tour prize fund of $1.5 million over the course of the 2024 season. Total cash prizes for each of the two classical tournaments are $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. In addition, a bonus prize fund totaling $275,000 will be awarded at the end of the 2024 season.
The prize fund is provided by the 2024 GCT major sponsors Superbet Foundation and the Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess globally. For more information, visit grandchesstour.org.
