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Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov and Indian grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi congratulated R Praggnanandhaa after his Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title win.
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. Following the win, Kasparov, a former world champion and world number one, congratulated the Indian grandmaster, posting clapping emojis on his X handle to a post announcing him as the winner. https://x.com/Kasparov63/status/2093097597850501221 Vidit also posted on X, saying that he "could sense Pragg changing his style over the past two years." "Incredible achievement! Amazing performance for the last couple of months. But the seeds were sown much earlier, I could sense Pragg changing his style over the past 2 years. Initially it wasn't easy, but now we can see the results!," posted Vidit. https://x.com/viditchess/status/2093192692209734020 He beat USA's Fabiano Caruana in the title clash 15-13, despite trailing 3-9 by the end of two classical games. In the first rapid game, the Indian won 0-4 and then followed it with a win in the second rapid game as well by 4-0, making it 11-9 in his favour. The first blitz game was a draw, bringing the scores to 12-10, and the drama was heightened with Fabiano winning the second to level the scores. Praggnanandhaa won the third rapid game, bringing back the lead 14-12, and drew the final game to make it 15-13 and to complete a memorable win. Praggnanandhaa, USA's Wesley So, USA's Fabiano Caruana and Vincent Keymer were four players taking part in the Grand Chess Tour finale from August 22-27. The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a six-tournament affair, consisting of Super Rapid and Blitz Poland, Super Chess Classic Romania, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia, St Louis Rapid and Blitz, Sinquefield Cup and finally the Grand Chess Tour Finals. The Indian Grandmaster was the leading point-getter in the Sinquefield Cup alongside the US's Wesley So, with 5.5 each. Praggnanandhaa's excellent performances in the Sinquefield Cup and the win in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition earned him a spot in the GCT Finals. (ANI)
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