GM Alireza Firouzja has had an incident-packed year so far after being kicked out of the French national team and having to play two tournaments with his leg in a cast.
Firouzja's run of drama continued last week after the 23-year-old captured one of the most spectacular victories of his career, defeating GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the first-ever Armageddon playoff in Grand Chess Tour history to win the 2026 Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia in Zagreb.
The France-based star appeared to have the tournament under control after opening a three-point lead before the final day, but the closing rounds produced a stunning reversal.
Abdusattorov mounted an inspired comeback in the blitz section to catch Firouzja at the top of the standings, forcing a playoff after both players finished tied on points.
Two rapid tiebreak games failed to separate them, sending the contest to an Armageddon decider—the first such finish in the history of the Grand Chess Tour. Firouzja held his nerve in the winner-takes-all finale to secure the title and the $47,500 first prize, while Abdusattorov earned $42,500 for his runner-up finish.
The victory came despite what Firouzja described as one of the poorest blitz performances of his career.
"Today was probably the worst blitz day of my career," he said after the match. "I scored just three out of nine, which was a horrible performance. These things happen. The important thing is that I managed to win the tiebreak."
His collapse on the final day nearly erased three days of excellent chess, but when everything came down to a single game, Firouzja delivered.
"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," he said. "I've definitely had smoother tournament victories, but I'll gladly take this one."
The Croatian event marked the third stop on the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and concluded the European leg of the circuit before the Tour heads to Saint Louis for its American swing.
GMs Praggnanandhaa R and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave shared third place, followed by GM Vincent Keymer in fifth. Reigning World Champion GM Gukesh D finished sixth after yet another uneven blitz performance.
Final Standings
- GM Alireza Firouzja (France) — $47,500*
- GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) — $42,500*
3=. GM Praggnanandhaa R (India) — $25,000
3=. GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France) — $25,000 - GM Vincent Keymer (Germany) — $15,000
- GM Gukesh D (India) — $11,000
- GM Anish Giri (Netherlands) — $10,000
- GM Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania) — $9,000
- GM Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) — $8,000
- GM Ivan Saric (Croatia) — $7,000
*Firouzja won the title via playoff.
Race for the GCT Finals Tightens
With three events completed, GM Fabiano Caruana continues to lead the overall Grand Chess Tour standings despite sitting out the Croatia event. Keymer moved into second place overall, while Firouzja's victory propelled him into third. GM Wesley So currently occupies the fourth and final qualifying position for the season-ending Finals.
Attention now shifts to Saint Louis, Missouri, where the final two regular-season events will determine the four players who qualify for the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, running from July 31 to August 7, will feature seven full-tour players joined by American wildcards GMs Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez and Awonder Liang.
The prestigious Sinquefield Cup follows immediately afterwards from August 8 to 19, with Firouzja joining a field led by Caruana, GM Javokhir Sindarov, Keymer, So, Giri, Praggnanandhaa, GM Jorden van Foreest and Vachier-Lagrave. Aronian will compete as the event's wildcard.
The Tour concludes with the Grand Chess Tour Finals in Saint Louis from August 21 to 28, where the top four full-tour players will compete in a knockout format for the 2026 title and a $450,000 prize fund.