Praggnanandhaa Secures Grand Chess Tour Finale Spot; Wesley So Triumphs At Sinquefield Cup

Last Updated:August 28, 2025, 12:39 IST

R Praggnanandhaa qualified for the Grand Chess Tour finale after finishing runner-up to Wesley So at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, with Caruana and Aronian also advancing.

Grandmasters R Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So (X)

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa clinched qualification for the prestigious Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finale after finishing runner-up at the Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis. The tournament was won by American Wesley So, who edged past a star-studded field with a dramatic playoff victory.

So defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the ninth and final classical round to reach 5.5 points, joining Praggnanandhaa and compatriot Fabiano Caruana in a three-way tie at the top. In the ensuing rapid playoff, So scored 1.5/2, beating Praggnanandhaa in one game and holding Caruana to a draw to seal the title.

“I knew going into the playoff that I had to keep things solid and avoid risks," So said. “It’s always special to win in St. Louis, and this one was tough with so many players fighting until the end."

Praggnanandhaa’s Breakthrough

The 19-year-old Indian prodigy kept his composure throughout the event and raised hopes of lifting the trophy after beating Caruana in the first tiebreak. However, he fell short against So in the second game, finishing second overall with one playoff point. Caruana, who could only manage a single draw in the tiebreakers, settled for third place.

Earlier in the day, Praggnanandhaa drew comfortably with Levon Aronian, a result that confirmed his place in the GCT finale regardless of the playoff outcome. Aronian, who played safely with White in a Four Knights opening, secured his own qualification with a solid fourth-place finish on 5 points.

In the classical section, So, Caruana, and Praggnanandhaa shared first on 5.5/9, followed by Aronian on 5. Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Samuel Sevian, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda tied for fifth on 4.5, a half-point ahead of reigning World Champion D Gukesh, who finished a disappointing eighth on 4. France’s Alireza Firouzja ended ninth on 3.5, while Abdusattorov struggled throughout and finished last with 2.5.

Road to the Candidates

With Vachier-Lagrave already the highest GCT scorer, the four qualifiers for the grand finale are So, Caruana, Praggnanandhaa, and Aronian. For Praggnanandhaa, the result adds to a growing list of achievements, including becoming the only Indian to have qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, which will decide the next challenger to World Champion Gukesh.

The Grand Chess Tour now shifts to Uzbekistan for the Grand Swiss (Sept. 3), regarded as the strongest Swiss-format tournament in history. The top two finishers will secure a place in the Candidates, making it another crucial stop on the road to the world championship.

(with PTI inputs)

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

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First Published:

August 28, 2025, 12:39 IST

News sports Praggnanandhaa Secures Grand Chess Tour Finale Spot; Wesley So Triumphs At Sinquefield Cup

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