Praggnanandhaa Makes History, Wins First Grand Chess Tour Title

Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu won the Grand Chess Tour Finals title on Thursday in St. Louis, defeating GM Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling final match. He claimed the $200,000 first prize and made history as the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour.

Starting the day six points behind Caruana, Praggnanandhaa mounted a remarkable comeback. He won both rapid games to take the lead, then held Caruana to draws in blitz, securing victory with a final score of 15-13. In the first blitz game, Praggnanandhaa recovered from a blunder in time scramble after Caruana failed to capitalize on the advantage.

GM Wesley So also completed a comeback in the third-place match against GM Vincent Keymer, dominating the blitz portion to win all four games and clinch the match with a game to spare.