Caruana makes big statement on Praggnanandhaa after ending his unbeaten run: 'We both kind of provoke each other'

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa suffered his first defeat of the 2026 Superbet Chess Classic Romania after losing to Italian-American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in round 7 on Thursday. The 20-year-old went down in just 33 moves despite playing with the white pieces.

The defeat was a major setback for Praggnanandhaa, who had remained unbeaten in Bucharest for a long time. He had won the tournament in 2025 without losing a game and had only suffered defeats in playoffs during the 2024 edition. Before this round, he had gone 24 classical games unbeaten at the Bucharest event.

Caruana praises Pragg

After the game, Caruana praised Praggnanandhaa’s fighting spirit and spoke about the intense battles they usually have against each other.

“I think we've always had very big fights with Pragg. Even the draws, they happen, of course, but they've always been very tough draws. But he's just a very fighting player, and I also don't back down from a fight, I think. So we both kind of provoke each other,” Caruana said after the win.

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The game started with a Queen’s Gambit Declined opening and things looked balanced in the early stages. However, Praggnanandhaa later made a questionable move, which allowed Caruana to gain control of the game. Caruana increased the pressure as Pragg’s king became exposed. The Indian star was eventually forced to resign.

The loss has also pushed Praggnanandhaa out of the title race, but he can still finish on the podium. After eight rounds, he is tied for third place with two other players on 3.5 points. Caruana, Wesley So, Vincent Keymar and Jordan van Foreest are tied for first place with 4.5 points each. Anish Giri is in close second with 4.0 points.