New Delhi: Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa has continued his steady run at the Grand Chess Tour’s Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2026 after securing a composed draw against Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest in Round 4.
Playing with the black pieces, Praggnanandhaa absorbed early pressure and gradually neutralised Van Foreest’s attacking intentions in a tightly contested battle that eventually ended in repetition, according to chess.com.
The match opened with the English Opening before quickly transitioning into a strategic middlegame without queens on the board. Van Foreest attempted to control more space and maintain initiative through active piece placement, but Praggnanandhaa responded with disciplined defence and timely counterplay.
As the game progressed, the Indian grandmaster slowly improved his position by activating his rook and knight. His accurate coordination prevented White from converting the slight positional edge into anything concrete.
The turning point arrived in the later stages when Praggnanandhaa began creating continuous checks around the white king. The pressure forced Van Foreest to abandon hopes of pushing for victory, and both players eventually repeated moves to split the point.
The draw helped Praggnanandhaa maintain an unbeaten record after four rounds in the prestigious tournament.
The 19-year-old has enjoyed a strong campaign so far. He began the event with a draw against Alireza Firouzja before producing one of the standout results of the tournament by defeating Javokhir Sindarov in Round 2. That victory also ended Sindarov’s impressive 53-game unbeaten run in classical chess.
Praggnanandhaa then followed it up with another draw against German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer in Round 3.
With consistent performances against elite opposition, Praggnanandhaa has once again underlined his growing maturity and stability at the highest level of international chess.
