Duda Recovers To Win Titled Tuesday

Chess.com Open runner-up GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who qualified for the 2026 Esports World Cup with the result, followed up by winning Titled Tuesday on April 28. Propelled by an 8/8 start, Duda would only score half a point in the next two rounds, but pulled out a clutch final-round win over GM Pranav Venkatesh. Tiebreaks favored the Polish player over GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov and IM Khuong Duy Dau, giving him his second victory in the last five weeks.

CCT Standings

Because he’s already qualified for the EWC with his Chess.com Open finish, Duda did not really need the result, but he moved into third place in the spring split standings. GM Sina Movahed finished in seventh place this week to take a slim lead on Nihal for first in the split.

Full Standings | Titled Tuesday Info | CCT Info | CCT Standings

Tournament Recap

Through five rounds, only six of the original field of 372 players still had a 100% score. Of the three sixth-round games between them, only one was decisive, as Duda smoothly dispatched GM Volodar Murzin to become the final perfect player.

Seven players trailed on 5.5/6, and Duda took Black against GM Denis Lazavik. Duda developed a slight pull for much of the game, but more important was being ahead on the clock. By the end of the game, Duda had an extra pawn and more active pieces, and moved to 7/7. Only Khuong and GM Matthias Bluebuam remained half a point back.

Duda took White against Bluebaum in the eighth round, while Khuong had Black against GM Arjun Erigaisi. With the shot 29.Rc7!!, Duda soon induced resignation from Bluebaum and moved to 8/8, while Khuong stayed within striking distance when Arjun allowed him to get both a rook and a passed pawn on the second (Black’s seventh) rank.

Abdusattorov, after coming back from a fourth-round defeat to fellow countryman GM Shamsiddin Vokhidov, was now alone in third on 7/8 entering the break, followed by 12 players on 6.5/8. But all eyes in the ninth round went to Khuong vs. Duda. Duda took control of the d4-square, but the game wound up quickly drawing after an unusual forced repetition—Khuong playing his knight between f5 and g7 and Duda his rook between e8 and f8—ending his chances at a perfect score. Meanwhile, Abdusattorov was struggling on the d-file against Movahed, but he turned the tide and joined Khuong in second place.

Emerging behind them with outside chances still at first were Pranav, GM Fabiano Caruana, and IM Faustino Oro on 7.5/9. For some time in the three key games in the 10th round, no player took control, until Khuong sacrificed a bishop for an attack on Caruana’s king. Then, in time trouble, Duda blundered in the endgame against Abdusattorov.

Pranav also won out in the time scramble against Oro, and Khuong vs. Abdusattorov was now the top game of the last round with both players on 9/10. A decisive game—somewhat humorously, between Chess.com handles @ChessWarrior7197 and @chessfighter_2011—would give the victor the tournament. Duda and Pranav on 8.5 points needed a draw on the first board and to win their game to have a chance, and that’s exactly what happened; after 40 moves, the warrior and the fighter made a draw by repetition, and then Duda broke through against Pranav.

Duda’s fast start helped him face the strongest slate of opponents, giving him the tiebreak win, with Abdusattorov taking second. Arjun, Murzin, and FM Havard Haug took fourth through sixth place while GM Alexandra Kosteniuk took home the women’s prize. 

April 28 Titled Tuesday | Final Standings (Top 25)

Full final standings.