Vachier-Lagrave`s stunning victory over Gukesh highlights fierce competition at the 2025 Superbet Chess Classic in Romania.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave showcased his chess prowess at the 2025 Superbet Chess Classic Romania, defeating reigning World Champion D Gukesh in a thrilling encounter. After four rounds, Gukesh finds himself at the bottom of the leaderboard with just 1.5 points, unable to secure a win. Vachier-Lagrave`s aggressive queenside castling and subsequent kingside attack forced Gukesh to resign after 31 moves, highlighting the French grandmaster`s tactical brilliance.

In the current standings, Vachier-Lagrave shares the lead with Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana, each holding 2.5 points. Praggnanandhaa managed a cautious draw against local favorite Bogdan-Daniel Deac, while Caruana, a strong contender, prepares to face Wesley So in the next round. The tournament, featuring a time control of 90 minutes for 40 moves plus 30 minutes for the remainder of the game, boasts a prize fund of $350,000.

As the competition heats up, upcoming matches promise more excitement, with Gukesh set to face Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Praggnanandhaa going head-to-head with Vachier-Lagrave in round five. The event is part of the prestigious 2025 Grand Chess Tour and is broadcast live with expert commentary from renowned grandmasters like Yasser Seirawan and Peter Svidler.

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