Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu secured his first Grand Chess Tour title in St. Louis on Thursday, defeating Fabiano Caruana with a final score of 15-13. Despite trailing by six points entering the final day, Praggnanandhaa staged a comeback by winning both rapid games before maintaining his lead through the blitz portion of the match.
The victory marks a historic milestone as Praggnanandhaa becomes the first Indian player to win the Grand Chess Tour. The achievement earned him the $200,000 first-place prize, capping off a season that saw him recover from an initial 6-0 deficit in the classical games against Caruana.
In the third-place match, Wesley So also mounted a successful comeback against Vincent Keymer. After trading wins in the rapid games, So dominated the blitz section to secure an 18-12 victory.
