R Praggnanandhaa has become the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour after defeating defending champion Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in the final in St Louis, Missouri, on Thursday night.
The 21-year-old Indian grandmaster entered the final day six points behind Caruana but overturned the deficit by winning both rapid games. He then held his advantage across four blitz games to complete the comeback and secure the $200,000 first prize.
Praggnanandhaa’s route to the title included a difficult opening in the classical portion. Caruana won the first classical game 6-0, while the second ended in a 3-3 draw. The Indian player’s rapid performance changed the match’s direction before his blitz discipline closed it out.
The victory also guarantees Praggnanandhaa a place in next year’s Grand Chess Tour. He had already entered the 2026 final as the top seed after a strong season that included his first Rapid & Blitz title in Saint Louis earlier in August.
Wesley So defeated Vincent Keymer 18-12 in the third-place match. Praggnanandhaa’s win places him at the centre of India’s expanding presence in elite international chess, alongside world champion D Gukesh and five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand.
