Praggnanandhaa Secures Grand Chess Tour Finale Spot

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa earned his place in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finale in São Paulo, Brazil, after a stellar runner-up finish at the Sinquefield Cup. American Wesley So emerged as the champion, winning a thrilling three-way playoff against Praggnanandhaa and compatriot Fabiano Caruana.

In the final round, So defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov, joining Praggnanandhaa and Caruana at the top with 5.5 points. The trio entered a tiebreaker, where So clinched the title with 1.5 points, defeating Praggnanandhaa in the second round and drawing with Caruana in the final game. Praggnanandhaa, after a draw with Levon Aronian in the ninth round, beat Caruana in the first tiebreaker but fell to So, securing second place. Caruana settled for third.

Praggnanandhaa’s performance, including earlier wins against Alireza Firouzja and world champion D Gukesh, ensured his qualification for the GCT finale alongside Caruana, Aronian, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, the tour’s top point scorer. Aronian finished fourth with 5 points, while Vachier-Lagrave, Samuel Sevian, and Jan-Krzysztof Duda tied for fifth with 4.5 points. Gukesh, with 4 points, placed eighth, followed by Firouzja (3.5) and Abdusattorov (2.5).

Also Read: Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa Target Glory at Sinquefield Cup

The final round saw Gukesh draw with Caruana in a balanced Italian opening, while Praggnanandhaa’s draw against Aronian in a Four Knights opening led to a swift bishops’ endgame. The GCT finale, set for September 27 to October 3, awaits the top four. Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa heads to the Grand Swiss in Uzbekistan, aiming to defend his Candidates tournament spot.

Also Read: Chess Titans: Velammal Vidyalaya Strikes Gold Again