Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian to win Grand Chess Tour title

He also bagged $200,000 in prize money from the event

Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has made history, becoming the first Indian player to win the Grand Chess Tour title after he defeated American star Fabiano Caruana in the final in St. Louis.

The 21-year-old pulled off a remarkable turnaround on Thursday, having trailed Caruana by six points at the start of the day. He eventually prevailed 15-13 to claim his maiden GCT title, along with a winning purse of $200,000.

Praggnanandhaa’s fightback began in the rapid section, where he won both games to seize the lead for the first time. An even score in the blitz games that followed was enough to seal victory with the final match ending 15-13 in his favour.

In the other big match of the day, Wesley So staged a similar comeback for third place against Vincent Keymer. The two had traded wins through the rapid stage but So swept all four blitz games to clinch the match 18-12, with a game to spare.

Related: Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess title

A habit of late-tournament heroics

This isn’t the first time Praggnanandhaa has found his best form when it matters most. At the 2026 Norway Chess tournament, he produced an extraordinary run of four consecutive classical wins to take the title outright, beating the likes of Alireza Firouzja, Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh Dommaraju and Vincent Keymer along the way.

Thursday’s comeback followed a similar pattern. After losing the first game against Caruana on Tuesday and settling for a draw in a game he could have won on Wednesday, few would have backed him to walk away with the title.

But his choice of the Ragozin Defence in the first rapid game proved decisive as he broke down Caruana’s pawn structure and put the American under serious time pressure. He backed that up with a attacking display in the second game, eventually forcing Caruana to resign.

The blitz stage brought its share of drama too, with both players trading chances in tense, fast-paced games. In the end, though, it was Praggnanandhaa who held his nerve, forcing a perpetual check in the final game to secure the draw he needed and won the title.

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