Grand Chess Tour, Poland Rapid 2025: Praggnanandhaa second, Chithambaram slips to third; Fedoseev leader

Vladimir Fedoseev delivered a commanding performance on the opening day of the Blitz segment at the 2025 Grand Chess Tour: Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland.

The Russian Grandmaster remained unbeaten through nine rounds, extending the momentum from his flawless showing in the Rapid rounds. The reigning European champion in both Rapid and Chess960 formats continued to be among the most formidable names in the game.

However, the day also saw contrasting fortunes for the two Indian contenders — R Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram. Chithambaram struggled in the Blitz rounds, managing only two wins and suffering four losses.

Nevertheless, his strong performance in the Rapid section kept him in third place overall, tied with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Levon Aronian.

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Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, posted four wins and three losses, propelling him to second overall. With the final nine Blitz rounds happening on April 30, all eyes will be on whether the young prodigy can bridge the gap to Fedoseev, who sits comfortably at the top with 19 points.

The 2025 Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland features a single round-robin Rapid segment followed by a double round-robin Blitz segment.

The Blitz format uses a 5+2 time control, with players earning 1 point for a win, 0.5 for a draw, and 0 for a loss. The player with the most points at the end of the tournament wins.

The tournament is being held at the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw, Poland.