New Delhi: A highly unusual scene unfolded on Monday at the Grand Chess Tour’s SuperBeat Chess Classic Romania 2026 when French grandmaster Alireza Feruzja played his classic game against Uzbek prodigy Javakhir Sundarov in a special room while confined to bed due to an ankle injury.The rare moment quickly attracted attention in the chess world when footage surfaced online showing Feroza competing in a specially arranged setup inside the tournament hotel during Round 5 in Bucharest. Despite not being physically present at the venue, play continued under official supervision in the presence of an arbiter, creating one of the most unusual images seen in elite over-the-board chess in recent years. The tournament organizers confirmed that Feroza has suffered an ankle injury which has made it difficult for her to enter the playing hall. Special arrangements were then made to ensure that the match against Sandroff could still be played under classical tournament rules. The incident came shortly after Feroza was previously unable to face Fabiano Caruana due to medical reasons.See:The strange but memorable setup added another dramatic chapter to a tournament already packed with high-profile clashes featuring the world’s best young grandmasters.Sandroof, one of the breakout stars of world chess and D Gokesh’s recent World Championship challenger, had earlier lost to defending champion R Praganandha in the second round of the event.The victory carried added significance for Praganandha, who had lost both her games against Sandarov during the 2026 Candidates Tournament. However, in Bucharest, the Indian youngster turned the tables brilliantly with the black pieces. Sundaroff attempted another offensive move involving a knight sacrifice, but Praganandha defended correctly before converting his material advantage into a full point.The Superbet Chess Classic is the second event of the Grand Chess Tour of Romania 2026 and features a 10-player classical round-robin format featuring many of the biggest names in world chess.
