The 21-year-old Chennai chess star overcame a six-point deficit after more than 50 games during a gruelling August
New Delhi: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has added another historic achievement to his remarkable year, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Grand Chess Tour after producing a stunning comeback against Fabiano Caruana in the final in St Louis, United States.
The 21-year-old had entered the four-player Grand Finals as the top qualifier after a strong run through the regular tour. He defeated Vincent Keymer in the semifinals before facing Caruana, the 2025 champion and one of the world’s highest-rated grandmasters.
Caruana initially took control of the final, winning the opening Classical game and building a 6-0 lead. He maintained the advantage after the second Classical game and carried a 9-3 lead into the Rapid section.
Praggnanandhaa, however, mounted an extraordinary fightback. After cutting the deficit to three points with a win as White, he produced an aggressive performance with Black to gain the advantage and reduce the gap further.
The contest entered the Blitz section with Praggnanandhaa only two points behind. Caruana levelled the match at 12-12 after winning the second of four Blitz games, but Praggnanandhaa responded by winning with the White pieces.
With the Indian leading 14-12, Caruana needed victory in the final game to force overtime. Under immense time pressure, both players made mistakes before agreeing to a draw after 50 moves, handing Praggnanandhaa the title.
The triumph capped an exhausting month for the young grandmaster. During August, he played more than 50 competitive games across formats, accumulating over 70 hours of playing time in addition to preparation.
His coach Vaibhav Suri said maintaining such a high level throughout the demanding schedule was a significant achievement. “We have pretty much been talking every day,” Suri said, explaining that their strategy against Caruana was to apply pressure early and remain ahead on the clock.
According to Suri, Praggnanandhaa’s practical decision-making forced Caruana into several self-inflicted errors. He said the Indian had managed to maintain his standards despite the physical and mental fatigue of almost a month of continuous competition.
The Grand Chess Tour victory comes just two months after Praggnanandhaa won Norway Chess, further underlining his emergence as one of the leading young players in world chess.
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