Praggnanandhaa Becomes First Indian to Win Grand Chess Tour Title
Praggnanandhaa overcame a six-point deficit by winning both rapid games and held Caruana level in blitz to secure the $200,000 top prize.
- On Thursday, August 27, 2026, Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated defending champion Fabiano Caruana in St. Louis, securing his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title.
- Entering the final day with a six-point deficit, Praggnanandhaa trailed 3-9 after the classical leg but turned the match around during the rapid games.
- Securing the title with a 15-13 score, the Indian grandmaster forced a threefold repetition in the last game to dethrone the champion.
- Praggnanandhaa claims the $200,000 first prize for this victory, having earned $404,354 across the entire 2026 Grand Chess Tour circuit.
- Elsewhere in St. Louis, American GM Wesley So defeated German GM Vincent Keymer 18-12 to finish third, securing spots in next year's Grand Chess Tour for both finalists and the third-place winner.
28 Articles
28 Articles
CM Revanth congratulates Praggnanandhaa on Grand Chess Tour win
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday, August 28, congratulated Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa on becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title. Praggnanandhaa defeated Fabiano Caruana of the US with a stunning comeback win in the grand finale in St Louis, USA. Congratulating Praggnanandhaa on his historic victory, Reddy said his success is a great source of inspiration for sportspersons and young men and wome…
Greater Kashmir
Khel NowPraggnanandhaa becomes first Indian to win Grand Chess Tour title
St. Louis, Aug 28: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to clinch the Grand Chess Tour title, beating Fabiano Caruana of the USA with a stunning comeback win in the grand finale here. Praggnanandhaa made a remarkable turnaround on Thursday after trailing Caruana by six points at the start of the day at the Saint Louis Chess Club here. The Indian eventually prevailed 15-13 to win his maiden GCT title and pocket USD 200,000 as the …
Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa made history by winning the Grand Chess Tour Finals title. He defeated Fabiano Caruana of the United States 15-13 in the final, becoming the first Indian player to win this prestigious title.
Praggnanandhaa scripts history as first Indian to win Grand Chess Tour
R Praggnanandhaa completed a stunning comeback against Fabiano Caruana to become the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour. The historic triumph capped a remarkable 2026 campaign for the Chennai Grandmaster.
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