R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, completing a remarkable comeback to defeat Fabiano Caruana in the finals in Saint Louis. The 21-year-old from Chennai overturned a six-point deficit to seal a 15-13 victory and claim the season title.
A six-point gap erased in one day
He began the final day trailing heavily after losing the opening classical game 6-0. He steadied himself with a 3-3 draw in the second classical encounter but still faced a mountain. On Thursday, he won both rapid games to seize control of the match.
Nerves held in a tense blitz finale
Caruana won the second blitz game to level the overall score at 12-12 with one game remaining. Praggnanandhaa had earlier survived a time scramble in the first blitz game, where a blunder nearly cost him. He held the final game to a draw, securing the crown.
The title caps a dominant season. Just weeks earlier he won the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz with a round to spare, scoring 23/35 points to finish 1.5 points clear. In June, he triumphed at Norway Chess, defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen twice during the event.
"Honestly, I didn't think I had many chances today," he told reporters afterwards. The American grandmaster had looked imperious early in the match, but the Indian's rapid victories rewrote the script entirely.
He collected a $200,000 first prize and guaranteed his place in next year's tour. This season began with his first tour event win in Romania in 2025 and ended with his name etched into the series' history books.
No Indian had stood on this summit before. Now one does, and the trophy travels to Chennai.
