Sindarov found his groove in Romania. The Uzbek grandmaster notched his second straight victory in round 11, outplaying Jorden van Foreest as Black. That back-to-back success signals he's heating up at exactly the right moment.
Deac finally broke through. The Romanian host had been winless until the penultimate round, but he dismantled Anish Giri to register his first triumph of the Super Chess Classic. Home-field advantage can cut both ways, but Deac converted when it counted.
Keymer and Caruana split the difference in their head-to-head matchup, leaving them deadlocked at the top going into the final round. Both need to navigate the last game without false moves if either hopes to claim the title.
Three players trail by half a point, making the finale genuinely competitive. This isn't settled yet. Sindarov's recent form and Deac's confidence off a victory set up a chaotic final round where rating favorites and momentum players both have realistic chances.