Praggnanandhaa scripts history with maiden Grand Chess Tour title

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa produced a remarkable comeback against Fabiano Caruana to win the Grand Chess Tour Finals and claim his maiden title in St Louis on Thursday.

Praggnanandhaa, who started the final day six points behind Caruana, turned the contest on its head by winning both rapid games. The victories put the 20-year-old Indian in front before the match moved into the blitz section.

Caruana managed to avoid defeat in the blitz games, but that was not enough to stop Praggnanandhaa from sealing a 15-13 victory and taking home the $200,000 first prize.

According to Chess.com, the triumph also made Praggnanandhaa the first Indian player to win the Grand Chess Tour.

The final looked to be heavily in Caruana's favour after the American took a commanding lead in the earlier stages.

Praggnanandhaa had lost the opening classical game 6-0 before fighting back to hold Caruana to a 3-3 draw in the second classical encounter on Wednesday. The result left him six points behind heading into the decisive final day.

However, the Indian produced a brilliant response when it mattered most. He won both rapid games to erase the deficit and move ahead in the match.

The first blitz game then appeared to offer Praggnanandhaa another chance to extend his advantage. He had a promising position but made a mistake during a tense time scramble. His position soon became difficult, but Caruana could not find the winning continuation and the game ended in a draw.

Praggnanandhaa held his nerve through the remaining games to secure the overall victory.

American grandmaster Wesley So also completed a comeback in the third-place match against Germany's Vincent Keymer.

So and Keymer shared the rapid games, with both players recording a win. So then took control in the blitz section, winning all four games to settle the contest with a game still remaining.

He completed an 18-12 victory to finish third.

Former world champion Garry Kasparov congratulated Praggnanandhaa after his historic victory. The Russian chess legend posted clapping emojis on X in response to a post announcing the Indian's Grand Chess Tour triumph.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay also congratulated Praggnanandhaa, describing the victory as recognition of his "extraordinary talent and unwavering perseverance".

Taking to his official X handle, Vijay said Praggnanandhaa had shown "remarkable mental fortitude and strategic brilliance" while competing against the world's leading players.

The 2026 Grand Chess Tour featured six events, including competitions in Poland, Romania, Croatia and St Louis, followed by the Sinquefield Cup and the Grand Chess Tour Finals.

Praggnanandhaa earned his place in the final after an impressive run in the Sinquefield Cup, where he finished as joint top scorer with Wesley So on 5.5 points.

His strong showing in the Sinquefield Cup, combined with his victory in the St Louis Rapid and Blitz event, helped secure his place in the season-ending finals.