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NEW DELHI: A highly unusual scene unfolded at the Grand Chess Tour’s Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2026 on Monday when French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja played his classical game against Uzbek prodigy Javokhir Sindarov in a special room while confined to bed because of an ankle injury.The rare moment quickly grabbed attention across the chess world after visuals surfaced online showing Firouzja competing from a specially arranged setup inside the tournament hotel during Round 5 in Bucharest. Despite not being physically present at the venue, the game continued under official supervision in the presence of an arbiter, creating one of the most extraordinary images seen in elite over-the-board chess in recent years. Tournament organisers confirmed that Firouzja had suffered an ankle injury, making it difficult for him to attend the playing hall. Special arrangements were then made to ensure the game against Sindarov could still take place under classical tournament regulations. The incident came shortly after Firouzja had earlier been unable to face Fabiano Caruana because of medical reasons.Watch:The bizarre but memorable setup added another dramatic chapter to a tournament already packed with high-profile clashes involving some of the world’s best young grandmasters.Sindarov, one of the breakout stars of world chess and a recent World Championship challenger to D Gukesh, had earlier suffered a defeat against defending champion R Praggnanandhaa in the second round of the event.That victory carried extra significance for Praggnanandhaa, who had lost both his games against Sindarov during the 2026 Candidates Tournament. In Bucharest, however, the Indian teenager turned the tables brilliantly with the black pieces. Sindarov attempted another aggressive approach involving a knight sacrifice, but Praggnanandhaa defended accurately before converting his material advantage into a full point.The Superbet Chess Classic Romania is the second event of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour and features a 10-player classical round-robin format involving many of the biggest names in global chess.
