Praggnanandhaa dodged a bullet in round one. Firouzja had him on the ropes but failed to convert, allowing the defending champion to escape with a draw. Caruana squandered an extra pawn against van Foreest. So and Keymer played a wild, double-edged affair that also ended level.
All five games drawn. The pattern screams missed opportunities rather than solid preparation.
This is the opening round of the Super Chess Classic Romania, and the tournament already shows its teeth. Firouzja created genuine winning chances against Pragg, the kind of position where you expect a decisive result at this level. Instead he settled for half a point. That's the story here. Defending a title is hard; escaping with draws against strong opposition is harder still.
Caruana's failure to convert an extra pawn speaks to the tournament's competitive depth. Van Foreest defended precisely when a lesser opponent might have collapsed. The So-Keymer match deserves attention for its complexity and mutual combat, but it too ended peacefully.
The first round reveals a field where everyone plays for two results. Firouzja had the clearest chance to take control early. He didn't. That matters in tournaments where draw rates run high and breaks become decisive. Pragg keeps his title hopes alive, but narrowly. The Real battles start now.