Praggnanandhaa creates history, becomes first Indian to win Grand Chess Tour

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu completed a remarkable turnaround against Fabiano Caruana to win the Grand Chess Tour Finals in St. Louis on Thursday, August 27. With that, the Chennai-born grandmaster secured his maiden title in the competition and prize money of nearly Rs 2 crore. The victory also gave the Indian grandmaster a place in Grand Chess Tour history. According to Chess.com, Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian player to win the Grand Chess Tour.

Notably, his opponent Caruana entered the final day with a six-point advantage, leaving Praggnanandhaa with a substantial deficit to overcome. The Indian player responded by winning both rapid games, overturning the balance of the match and moving ahead. The momentum continued into the blitz section, although Praggnanandhaa was unable to add another win. The two players finished the blitz games level, which was enough for Praggnanandhaa to secure the championship with a 15-13 overall victory.

The opening blitz encounter provided a late scare for the eventual champion. Praggnanandhaa had opportunities to press for a win but made an error during a time scramble. His



position then worsened, yet Caruana could not convert his advantage and the game ended without a winner.

Praggnanandhaa's decisive push came after a difficult start to the match. Caruana had dominated their opening classical encounter, winning 6-0. The second classical game on Wednesday produced a 3-3 draw, leaving Caruana six points ahead before the final day's rapid and blitz contests.

Elsewhere in St. Louis, Wesley So secured third place after overcoming Vincent Keymer in their third-place match. So and Keymer exchanged victories during the rapid games, keeping the contest competitive. So then produced a dominant display in blitz, winning all four games and putting the result beyond doubt before the match had to go the full distance. So eventually completed the contest with an 18-12 victory over Keymer, finishing third.

For Praggnanandhaa, the result capped a dramatic final day in which he transformed a significant deficit into a championship-winning advantage. His success against Caruana delivered both his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title and a landmark achievement for Indian chess.