Praggnanandhaa swept day three at the 2026 Super Rapid & Blitz Croatia, winning all three games to surge into a tie for the lead with Firouzja. He beat Ivan Saric, Bogdan-Daniel Deac, and Anish Giri in succession, a perfect day that erased what must have been a significant deficit after the first two rounds.
This is the kind of run that changes a tournament. Praggnanandhaa played the kind of practical chess that separates the hunters from the hunted. Three straight wins against solid opposition, including Giri who doesn't give away free points, shows his form is peaking at exactly the right moment.
The blitz section looms next, and that's where Praggnanandhaa can hurt Firouzja most. The Indian has become one of the blitz elite in recent years, comfortable at rapid speeds but genuinely dangerous when the clock gets tight. Firouzja holds the lead, but he won't have any margin for error with Praggnanandhaa breathing down his neck.
The battle between these two has shaped the tournament narrative. Firouzja was stronger early. Praggnanandhaa weathered the storm and fought back. Now they head into the final phase level on points, and whoever plays the sharper blitz chess will claim the trophy. The momentum clearly favors the player who just won three straight.