'Coaches, Family, And...'! Pragg Expresses Gratitude After Punching Candidates Ticket

Last Updated:December 09, 2025, 20:08 IST

The 20-year-old Indian took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express his gratitude to family and supporters after punching his ticket to the Candidates event.

R Praggnanandhaa (X)

Indian GM Praggnanandhaa R secured the top spot in the FIDE Circuit 2025, earning his place in the 2026 Candidates Tournament after an impressive season. His victories included the Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup Masters, and London Chess Classic Open. He also placed second in the Stepan Avagyan Memorial and 12th in the Sinquefield Cup.

The 20-year-old Indian took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express his gratitude to family and supporters after punching his ticket to the Candidates event.

“Happy to have won the FIDE Circuit 2025, securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. Thanks to coaches, family, and everyone who’s supported me," the Indian said.

“Will keep working hard and giving my best," he added.

In May, the Indian prodigy took the lead in the race by surpassing Ding Liren and maintained his advantage throughout the season. By the end of November, his key competitors—Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, and Javokhir Sindarov—had already secured their spots in the 2026 Candidates through other means, while Vincent Keymer had no remaining classical events scheduled for the year. Only Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who was participating in the points-heavy London Chess Classic Elite, had a theoretical chance of closing the gap.

Despite Abdusattorov’s outstanding performance in the London Chess Classic Elite, which resulted in one of the highest TPRs in chess history and earned him 19.62 circuit points, Praggnanandhaa’s results ensured he remained out of reach and secured his place in the 2026 Candidates.

Praggnanandhaa will compete in a formidable eight-man lineup at the main event, alongside players such as Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko, Fabiano Caruana, Anish Giri, Matthias Blubaum, and Hikaru Nakamura.

News sports chess 'Coaches, Family, And...'! Pragg Expresses Gratitude After Punching Candidates Ticket

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