BUCHAREST, ROMANIA AND SAINT LOUIS, MO. (May 18, 2023) – Grandmaster (GM) Fabiano Caruana from the United States sealed the win as the 2023 Superbet Chess Classic Romania champion during the first leg of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT).
“The tournament went as well as I could have hoped for, and I survived a difficult game today, so it’s a great feeling to win. The Superbet organization is fantastic, it was great to be back in Bucharest and I’m glad to have won for the first time here,” said GM Caruana. “The win means a lot to me because more and more people are getting into chess. It’s an international game with people watching from all over the world, so it’s a great feeling to know people are watching these events, and we’re able to give chess back to the public.”
GM Caruana, the current No. 2 American player, led for most of the event, and secured the title after his nearest rivals all drew their final round games, leaving him half a point ahead of the field.
“The last nine days have provided thrilling matchups and nonstop action for chess fans watching live in Bucharest and through our broadcast worldwide,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, Grand Chess Tour Executive Director. “It is exciting for an American GM to win the 2023 Superbet Chess Classic Romania. Fabiano has won many tournaments in his career, and I believe this will be one of the most memorable.”
Tied for second place, just a point behind GM Caruana, was GM Alireza Firouzja from France, GM Wesley So from the United States, GM Anish Giri from the Netherlands and GM Richard Rapport from Romania.
“We’ve had a remarkable start to the Grand Chess Tour 2023, with an incredible audience turnout at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania. As the Superbet Foundation, we remain committed to bringing top chess talents to Romania, acknowledging the profound impact of chess on education, intellect, social integration, and cultural cohesion. Our dedication lies in nurturing the next generation of chess stars, providing them with the essential resources and opportunities they need to succeed”, said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.
GCT, a leading global circuit of international chess tournaments featuring the world’s best players, continues this week with the second leg – Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, starting on May 21, 2023. The commentary team for Poland will again feature GM Yasser Seirawan, IM Nazí Paikidze, GM Varuzhan Akobian and GM Christian Chirila.
There has been a change to the field as GM Ding Liren from China has withdrawn from the tournament and has been replaced by GM Levon Aronian from the United States.
