Bedside Chess: Firouzja Staves Off Sindarov From Hotel Room After Ankle Injury | WATCH

Last Updated:May 19, 2026, 12:38 IST

In one of chess’ strangest scenes, Alireza Firouzja played a Romania Classic match against Javokhir Sindarov from a hotel bed after an ankle injury forced special arrangements.

Alireza Firouzja was quite literally forced to make moves without moving on Monday.

In one of the most bizarre scenes seen in elite chess, the French GM played his fifth-round game at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania from a hotel bed after suffering an ankle injury earlier in the tournament.

Chess, But Make It Bedside

The unusual encounter took place during Round 5 of the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest, the first classical-format stop of the ongoing Grand Chess Tour.

Firouzja’s opponent, Javokhir Sindarov, also skipped the official playing hall at the Museum of the National Bank of Romania and instead arrived at the hotel room where the special setup had been arranged.

Photos and footage from the game quickly went viral online, where Firouzja was seen stretched out on a bed while Sindarov sat beside him with a chessboard placed between them.

The French-Iranian star ditched the usual formal attire required at FIDE and Grand Chess Tour events, opting instead for casual lounge clothing.

Why Firouzja Played From A Bed

The extraordinary arrangement became necessary after Firouzja injured his ankle following his third-round loss to Anish Giri.

Although scans confirmed there was no fracture, the injury was serious enough for Firouzja to miss his fourth-round clash against world No. 3 Fabiano Caruana.

Tournament organisers later confirmed that special permission had been granted for Firouzja to continue playing from a separate room, provided his opponents agreed and an arbiter remained present.

Sindarov accepted the arrangement, and the two eventually played out a 58-move draw, with Firouzja handling the white pieces.

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