Superbet Classic Romania 2026 - after 6 round

The 2026 Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest—the second leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT)—has reached its critical shifting point. Following the conclusion of Round 6, the tournament has been completely reshaped by a dramatic, unexpected turn of events off the board.

🚨 The Big Headline: Alireza Firouzja Withdraws

The tournament suffered a heartbreaking blow when Alireza Firouzja officially withdrew from the event due to a severe ankle injury.

Firouzja’s exit came after some incredible, gritty drama: in Round 5, he actually played his classical game against Javokhir Sindarov from a bed in a specially arranged hotel room because he was unable to sit at the board. Though he managed to hold a 5-hour draw in that game, the pain proved too much, forcing his withdrawal before Round 6.

The Forfeit Rule Impact: Because this is a single round-robin tournament, all players who had no* yet faced Firouzja automatically receive a forfeit win (1 point).

🏆 Standings & Leaders After Round 6

Vincent Keymer (GER) sits alone at the top. The young German grandmaster has been in spectacular form, highlighted by sharp, decisive early wins—including a beautiful double-fianchetto trap against Bogdan-Daniel Deac and a masterclass against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Heavy hitters like Anish Giri, Jorden van Foreest, and India's teenage prodigy R Praggnanandhaa remain within striking distance. Praggnanandhaa’s tournament highlight so far was a brilliant "revenge" victory in Round 2 against Javokhir Sindarov, accurately defending against a piece sacrifice to overturn their recent Candidates results.

With three rounds left to play in Bucharest, the pressure is immense as the remaining 9 players fight for vital Grand Chess Tour points.