Zagreb is about to become the centre of the chess world again. The Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2026, the third stop on the Grand Chess Tour, begins on June 29 and runs until July 6 at the Westin Zagreb Hotel.
It is a 10-player round-robin event featuring nine rounds of rapid chess followed by two sets of nine rounds of blitz chess, which means 27 rounds in total with a prize fund of $200,000.
The part that makes it more interesting is that the World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, who has had a difficult 2026 so far, returns to a venue where he was dominant a year ago. And Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the hottest player in the world right now after winning the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament, arrives as a wildcard.
Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2026 Players List
There are 10 players in this tournament, six full-tour members and four wildcards.
Full-Tour Players
- Vincent Keymer (Germany)
- Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France)
- Anish Giri (Netherlands)
- Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands)
- Alireza Firouzja (France)
- Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India)
Wildcard Players
- Gukesh Dommaraju (India)
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan)
- Ivan Saric (Croatia)
- Bogdan-Daniel Deac (Romania)
It is worth noting that Gukesh is playing as a wildcard because he stepped back from his full-tour spot in March following a difficult run of results. Javokhir Sindarov, who had originally been a wildcard, took his place as a full-tour member.
What to Expect from Gukesh?
Gukesh arrived in Croatia just a year ago as a rising superstar who had just become the youngest Candidates winner in history.
He dominated the rapid section of the 2025 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia, finishing on 14/18 in the rapid stage, and although Magnus Carlsen overtook him in the blitz to win the overall title, Gukesh still finished third overall and made headlines when he beat Carlsen in a standout classical-style rapid game.
But 2026 has been hard for Gukesh so far; he finished last at Norway Chess 2026, suffering three classical losses, including defeats to Magnus Carlsen and Alireza Firouzja. In the 2026 Tata Steel Chess Tournament earlier this year, he also had a difficult time.
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He withdrew from the Grand Chess Tour’s full-tour lineup in March, citing a need to reduce his playing schedule after poor results. He has also spoken openly about the mental challenge of staying at the top after achieving the sport’s biggest prize so young.
Now, Zagreb represents a real opportunity for him to make a comeback. This is a venue and a format Gukesh knows well. Rapid chess specifically suits his style as he tends to be precise, deep, and composed under time pressure, which is exactly what the rapid format rewards.
A strong performance here, particularly in the rapid section, is what we can expect, and if it goes his way, this can be a great push for his confidence ahead of his World Championship defence against Javokhir Sindarov later this year.
What to expect from Nodirbek Abdusattorov?
Nodirbek Abdusttorov is the player who is coming with his best form so far. In January and February 2026, he won the 88th Tata Steel Chess Tournament in Wijk aan Zee, which is one of the most prestigious classical tournaments in the world, often called the ‘Wimbledon of chess.’
He finished it with 9/13 points, scoring six wins and six draws with just one loss, clinching the final title by defeating Arjun Erigaisi.
Abdusattorov has a remarkable historical record in rapid and blitz chess. He won the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2021, when he was just 17, becoming one of the youngest ever to win that title.
He has been a consistent top performer in faster formats ever since, and fans have noted that his tactical sharpness, fighting spirit, and nerveless blitz play make him one of the most feared speed chess players in the world right now.
He is arriving in Zagreb just as Gukesh, which means as a wildcard player, so his results will not be counted in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings, but he will definitely fight for the title and prize.
His direct rival here is Gukesh. The two have met many times, including at the 2025 Croatia tournament itself, and their encounters tend to be sharp and decisive. If they meet in a critical round of blitz in Zagreb this week, it could be a nail-biting game of the tournament.
So, if we see overall, then if Gukesh arrives recharged and plays the way he did in the 2025 rapid section, he is the strongest player at this specific venue and format. But Nodribek Abdusattorov’s current form is simply impossible to ignore.
Also Read: FIDE Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2026: Schedule, Format And Prize Money
