New Delhi, August 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title, defeating Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in the final at the Saint Louis Chess Club in the United States.
The 21-year-old Indian staged a remarkable comeback after falling behind in the classical segment to secure the championship in the season-ending event, which tests players across classical, rapid and blitz formats.
Praggnanandhaa began the final with a 3-9 defeat to Caruana in classical chess but produced a dominant response in rapid, winning 8-0. The Indian then held Caruana 4-4 in the blitz section to finish with an overall 15-13 victory.
Under the scoring system, a classical win earns six points and a draw three, while a rapid win is worth four points and a draw two. In blitz, players receive two points for a win and one for a draw.
The title earned Praggnanandhaa $200,000, while Caruana received $125,000 for finishing runner-up. American Wesley So secured third place after defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the playoff and earned $75,000, while Keymer received $50,000.
Praggnanandhaa had booked his place in the final by defeating Keymer 19-9 in the first semifinal. Caruana overcame Wesley So 18-12 in the other semifinal.
The Chennai-born player became a Grandmaster at the age of 13 in 2018. He currently has a classical rating of 2750 and is ranked 12th in the FIDE world rankings in the August 2026 list.
Praggnanandhaa also topped the 2026 Grand Chess Tour season, which culminated with the grand finale at the Saint Louis Chess Club from August 21 to 28. He entered the knockout stage as the No. 1 seed after finishing among the four highest-ranked full-tour players.
Wesley So was the No. 2 seed, followed by Caruana at No. 3 and Keymer at No. 4. The top three finishers also earned invitations to the 2027 Grand Chess Tour.
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