In one of the most dramatic finishes in Grand Chess Tour (GCT) history and the first ever to be decided by an Armageddon tiebreak, Grandmaster (GM) Alireza Firouzja from France captured the Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2026 title, the third stop of the 2026 GCT, after surviving a stunning final-day comeback by Wildcard GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov from Uzbekistan.
“When the world’s best players meet, chess wins,” said Augusta Dragic, President of the Super Foundation. “Congratulations to Alireza Firouzja on an outstanding victory, and thank you to every participant for making Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia an exceptional showcase of elite chess. We look forward to the next stop on the Grand Chess Tour in Saint Louis.”
Firouzja looked destined for victory after building a commanding three-point lead heading into the final day, but Abdusattorov produced a remarkable comeback to force a playoff. After two playoff games without a winner, Firouzja prevailed in the decisive Armageddon game to clinch the title and earned $47,500. Abdusattorov finished in second place and earned $42,500.
“The Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia was an exciting event and the perfect way to conclude the European legs of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, Executive Director of the GCT. “Now we are looking forward to the second half of the tour in Saint Louis, Missouri. Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz and the Sinquefield Cup will determine the top four players who will ultimately compete in the Final for the 2026 GCT title.”
Final standings for the 2026 Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia:
1-2 GM Alireza Firouzja France $47,500
1-2 Nodirbek Abdusattorov Uzbekistan $42,500
3-4 GM Praggnanandha R. India $25,000
3-4 GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave France $25,000
5 GM Vincent Keymer Germany $15,000
6 GM Gukesh D. India $11,000
7 GM Anish Giri Netherlands $10,000
8 GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac Romania $9,000
9 GM Jorden van Foreest Netherlands $8,000
10 GM Ivan Saric Croatia $7,000
“Today was probably the worst Blitz day of my career. I scored just three out of nine, which was a horrible performance, but these things happen. The important thing is that I managed to win the tiebreak, said Firouzja. “Going into the last round, I knew I had to beat Gukesh just to force the playoff, and fortunately I found the chances when I needed them. I’ve definitely had smoother tournament victories, but I’ll gladly take this one.”
With three events complete, the race for the 2026 GCT Finals is beginning to take shape. Despite not competing in Croatia, GM Fabiano Caruana retains the overall Tour lead, while GM Vincent Keymer moved into second. Firouzja’s victory vaults him into third in the standings, with Wesley So rounding out the current top four as the Tour heads to the United States for its second half.
The 2026 GCT Finals will conclude in Saint Louis, Missouri—the Chess Capital of America—where the Saint Louis Chess Club will host the final two regular-season events before the season culminates with the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz will kickoff with Round 1 on August 2. In the third and final speed chess event, 7 full tour players and three wildcards will fight for a prize fund of $175,000 as the GCT regulars aim to finish at the top of the GCT standings. The format will see nine rounds of Rapid followed by eighteen rounds of Blitz, for a total of 135 games spread across five days.
The last regular season stop and signature event of the GCT circuit, the Sinquefield Cup continues its traditional classical format. Hosted annually by the Saint Louis Chess Club with a $350,000 total prize fund, the strongest tournament on American soil will be the final opportunity for competitors to earn points in the 2025 GCT, aiming to finish in the top four to qualify for the GCT Finals. The tournament will feature one wildcard – GM Levon Aronian from the United States. The event will take place from August 8-19, 2026.
The tour will come to a dramatic conclusion during the GCT Finals, set for August 21-28, 2026. The top four full-tour players will battle for a $450,000 prize fund in an intense knockout competition featuring two Classical games, two Rapid games and four Blitz games. With the 2026 GCT title on the line, only one player will emerge as champion.
For more information, visit grandchesstour.org.
