Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu staged a stunning comeback against GM Fabiano Caruana to win the final match and claim his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title
Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu staged a stunning comeback against GM Fabiano Caruana to win the final match and claim his maiden Grand Chess Tour Finals title, along with the $200,000 first prize on Thursday (local time) in St.Louis. With this win, Praggnanandhaa scripted history, becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, as per Chess.com. The Indian grandmaster began the day six points behind Caruana but quickly turned the match around, winning both rapid games to take the lead. He then held Caruana to an even score in blitz, securing the title by a final score of 15-13.
In the first blitz game, Praggnanandhaa had winning chances but blundered in a time scramble. His position quickly deteriorated, but Caruana failed to capitalise, and the game ultimately ended in a draw.
🏆 PRAGGNANANDHAA IS THE 2026 GRAND CHESS TOUR CHAMPION! 🏆♟️
Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on winning his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title! 🎉
Pragg defeats Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling final match to cap off an incredible season and claim the GCT crown for the first time… pic.twitter.com/joROgGaOxH— Grand Chess Tour (@GrandChessTour) August 27, 2026
GM Wesley So also staged a comeback in the third-place match against GM Vincent Keymer.