Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour (GCT). In a thrilling final match in St. Louis, the 21-year-old overcame a 6-point deficit against defending champion Fabiano Caruana to secure a 15–13 victory. Pragz earned the top prize of $200,000 (approx. ₹1.68 crore) and an automatic spot in the 2027 Grand Chess Tour.

Ramesh Babu Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian chess player in history to win the prestigious Grand Chess Tour title. By defeating world number two Fabiano Caruana in the finals hosted in St. Louis, Missouri, the young Grandmaster cemented his standing among elite international chess players and automatically qualified for the 2027 Grand Chess Tour circuit.

Praggnanandhaa Wins with 15–13:

Pragz started the final day trailing 3–9 after the classical leg of the multi-format final. He turned the match around by winning both rapid games back-to-back to take an 11–9 lead. Despite Caruana leveling the score briefly during the blitz section, Pragz won the third blitz game and secured a draw via perpetual check in the final blitz game to seal a 15–13 match victory.

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Pragz received $200,000 (approximately ₹1.68 crore) for winning the 2026 GCT Finals. Across the six stops of the 2026 circuit—including his tournament victory at the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz—his total earnings reached $404,354.