Pranav Anand Wins the Brasov Grand Prix Classic 2026

India's GM Pranav Anand won the Brasov Grand Prix Classic 2026 in Romania with 7.5/9, finishing ahead of top seed Igor Kovalenko on tiebreak.

India's GM Pranav Anand has won the Brasov Grand Prix Classic 2026 in Romania. He scored 7.5 points from 9 games and took first place on tiebreak ahead of the top seed, GM Igor Kovalenko of Ukraine, who also finished on 7.5.

The tournament was a 9-round Swiss at a classical time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move, so every game was a long, serious battle.

Pranav's finish was excellent. In round 7 he won with the black pieces against GM Mamikon Gharibyan in the Sicilian Defense. In round 8 he drew with Kovalenko in a key game between the two leaders. In the last round he won again, beating GM Cristobal Henriquez Villagra in a Taimanov Sicilian, while Kovalenko won his own final game in 95 moves.

Spain's GM Jaime Santos Latasa took third place with 7 points, ahead of China's GM Xiao Tong and America's IM Maximillian Lu, who also scored 7.

Winning a strong open tournament ahead of higher-rated players is a big achievement. Pranav is one of a number of young Indian grandmasters who are travelling widely and gaining experience in international events. Playing many strong opens is one of the best ways to grow, because every round brings a new opponent and a new challenge.

There is a lesson in how Pranav handled the final rounds. Against his main rival he played safely and drew, keeping the title race under his own control. Then, in the last round, he played for a win and got it. Knowing when to play safe and when to push is an important skill in tournament chess. If you are leading, there is no need to take big risks against the strongest player. Save your energy for the games where a win is most realistic.

Congratulations to Pranav Anand on a fine victory in Brasov.