Sindarov Defeats Tournament Leader Keymer at Super Chess Classic Romania
Uzbekistan’s grandmaster Javokhir Sindarov secured a victory in the seventh round of the Super Chess Classic Romania. The chess star defeated the tournament leader Vincent Keymer.
This result altered the tournament landscape with only two rounds remaining. Keymer’s defeat means he now shares the top spot in a tense three-way tie alongside Fabiano Caruana and Jorden van Foreest. All three leaders currently sit on 4.5 points.
Meanwhile, Sindarov has catapulted himself into the chasing pack. He now holds a 50% success rate and trails the frontrunners by a single point, placing him in a broader tie for fifth to eighth position.
To have any chance of snatching the ultimate victory, the Uzbek grandmaster faces a steep uphill battle. He must win both of his remaining fixtures to stay in contention for first place. His eighth-round clash will see him face current co-leader van Foreest before he takes on Wesley So in the final round.
The Super Chess Classic Romania is currently taking place in Bucharest and runs from May 14 to 24. Operating as the first classical stage of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour, the elite competition features ten grandmasters battling it out in a nine-round round-robin format. All points accumulated during the event will contribute to the overall tour standings to determine the grand finalists.
