BUDAPEST: The Fast Classic group stage of the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot began in Budapest with an action-packed opening day on Thursday, as 24 of the world’s leading players contested two games each across four groups.

Day 1 produced 10 decisive games from 24, immediately putting the tournament’s three-points-for-a-win scoring system into focus. Each player faced the same opponent twice, with colors reversed in the second game.

After the opening day, Alireza Firouzja and Jan-Krzysztof Duda share the lead on four points in Group A, Fabiano Caruana and Liem Le are level on four in Group B, while Ian Nepomniachtchi and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave are the outright leaders of Groups C and D respectively. The pre-event Blitz ranking is used to separate players tied on points, placing Firouzja and Caruana at the top of their respective groups.

Alireza Firouzja made a strong start against Nodirbek Abdusattorov, winning his first game after a long battle. Firouzja took advantage of a critical mistake by his opponent and converted the resulting winning position. Their return encounter was much tighter. Abdusattorov generated chances and at one stage held an advantage, but Firouzja defended and the game eventually ended in a draw. The four points leave Firouzja at the top of Group A.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda matched Firouzja’s four-point total. After drawing his opening game with Andrew Hong, the Polish grandmaster won the return game with White, gradually taking control before converting his advantage into a win.

Levon Aronian and Jorden van Foreest produced the most symmetrical result of the group. Aronian won their first encounter with the black pieces, before Van Foreest responded by winning the return game, also with Black. Both finish the opening day on three points.

Fabiano Caruana began his Fast Classic campaign with an important victory over local star Richard Rapport. Playing with Black, Caruana emerged on top after a tense struggle. The return game developed differently, with neither player ultimately able to create a decisive breakthrough. The draw took Caruana to four points and, thanks to his higher Blitz ranking, first place in Group B after Day 1.

Liem Le also collected four points from his two games against Vladislav Artemiev. Their first encounter ended in a draw, but Le struck in the return game.

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Vincent Keymer could not be separated, drawing both encounters and finishing the day on two points each.

Group C produced one of the most intriguing opening-day stories.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri drew both of their games. Their first encounter remained balanced throughout, and the return game followed a similar pattern, with neither player able to create a winning advantage. Both therefore finish Day 1 on two points.

Ian Nepomniachtchi made the strongest start in the group. He defeated Abhimanyu Mishra in the first game after a long battle before Mishra held the return encounter to a draw. Nepomniachtchi’s four points give him sole possession of the Group C lead.

Shakhriyar Mamedyarov and Haik Martirosyan split their two games with Black winning both encounters. Mamedyarov struck first with the black pieces, before Martirosyan immediately answered in the return game after capitalizing on a mistake. Both end the day on three points.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was the only player in Group D to record a decisive result on the opening day. Facing Vaishali Rameshbabu with Black in their first game, Vachier-Lagrave remained patient in a balanced endgame before a late error allowed him to seize the advantage and convert. Their second game ended in a draw, giving the French grandmaster four points and the outright group lead.

Every other Group D game was drawn.

The Fast Classic group stage continues in Budapest with another two games per player on Thursday as the race for the knockout brackets begins to take shape.