Super Chess Classic Romania: Caruana beats Firouzja in postponed encounter

Caruana joins the chasing pack

The postponed round-four game between Fabiano Caruana and Alireza Firouzja was played on the tournament’s free day, after being rescheduled for Tuesday at 4 pm local time. Firouzja, who had suffered an ankle injury before the original date of the game, played from a hotel bed for a second day in a row.

The game soon became a sharp fight, as the encounter arose from a sharp variation of the Slav Defence, with the kings castled on opposite flanks. Caruana obtained a clear edge after a positionally weak knight move by Firouzja left the minor piece out of play for much of the game. Caruana’s conversion was not flawless, but he kept setting practical problems, while Firouzja had to defend for a long period under pressure and with limited time on the clock.

Firouzja finally made the decisive mistake on move 37, allowing Caruana to collect a ful point.

The result brought Caruana into the group tied for second place, half a point behind sole leader Vincent Keymer. The four-player chasing pack also includes Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Jorden van Foreest.

Time to play | Photo: Lenart Ootes

A one-of-a-kind setting for an elite chess encounter | Photo: Lennart Ootes

Standings after round 5

Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.

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