6 May 2023

First Stage of Grand Chess Tour Kicks Off in Bucharest

Ding Liren and Ian Nepomniachtchi have entered the field.

Photo: Lennart Ootes
Photo: Lennart Ootes


The 2023 Superbet Chess Classic Romania, the first stage of the Grand Chess Tour, began in Bucharest. The event features Ian Nepomniachtchi (2794), the World Champion Ding Liren (2789), Alireza Firouzja (2785), Anish Giri (2768), Fabiano Caruana (2764), Wesley So (2760), Richard Rapport (2745), Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2742), Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2724), and Bogdan-Daniel Deac (2700). 

In the first round, Wesley So defeated Alireza Firouzja as Black, while the games Ding - Vachier-Lagrave, Caruana - Deac, Nepomniachtchi - Rapport, and Duda - Giri were drawn. 

Round 2 pairings:

Vachier-Lagrave - So, Giri - Firouzja, Rapport - Duda, Deac - Nepomniachtchi, Ding - Caruana

Official website