Superbet Classic: Praggnanandhaa wins first Grand Chess Tour title

Indian chess sensation GM R Praggnanandhaa claimed his first Grand Chess Tour title by winning the Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2025.

After a tense final round where three players tied for the lead, it was the 18-year-old from Chennai who held his nerve in a blitz playoff, defeating French GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (MVL) in the decisive game.

With this win, Praggnanandhaa takes home $77,667 in prize money, along with 10 GCT points and a bonus of $10,000 for emerging on top in the tiebreaker.

Pragg's measured final round

Praggnanandhaa, playing white against GM Levon Aronian, opted for a risk-free French Defense setup. A draw would secure at least a shared first place, and the Indian star did just that—holding a solid position throughout and never letting Aronian gain a foothold.

“I just wanted a safe position, and I got that pretty early,” Pragg said after the game. “I didn’t want to push unnecessarily. I knew a draw would keep me in contention.”

As he walked away from the board, he was met with a mob of fans—a sign of his growing popularity, especially with Indian supporters following closely.

Firouzja and MVL force playoffs

What looked like a relatively quiet end to the tournament turned chaotic when both MVL and Alireza Firouzja scored must-win victories in their final-round games—over Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Bogdan-Daniel Deac, respectively—creating a three-way tie at the top with 5.5/9.

Firouzja’s win was particularly stunning, as he emerged victorious from a worse position with Black in a complex King’s Indian Defense. MVL, too, capitalized on Duda's missteps in a tense Ruy Lopez endgame.

With all three leaders finishing on equal points, the title came down to a blitz round-robin playoff.

This was not the first time Praggnanandhaa had reached a GCT playoff—but it was the first time he came out on top. Last year, he had lost all his tiebreak games. This time, he was better prepared—both mentally and physically.

“I had a few hours to rest before the blitz. That helped a lot,” he said, smiling at the trophy presentation.

After draws in the first two blitz games (Firouzja vs Pragg and MVL vs Firouzja), the final showdown came down to Praggnanandhaa vs MVL. In a tense, heavy-piece endgame, Pragg exploited an error (36...a5??) to launch a swift tactical attack and secure the decisive victory.

“It was a messy position, but I knew I had chances if I kept pushing. MVL is a very dangerous blitz player, so I just tried to keep it practical,” he explained.

A proud moment for Indian chess

After lifting the trophy, Praggnanandhaa was quick to thank his support system—including his family, coach GM Ramesh R.B., second GM Vaibhav Suri, and sponsor Adani Group.

“I’m grateful to everyone who stood by me. This title means a lot—not just for me, but for Indian chess,” he said.

The win sees Praggnanandhaa gain nine rating points, keeping him at World No. 7 and strengthening his case as one of the leading contenders for the upcoming Candidates cycle.

World Champion GM D Gukesh, who could have forced his way into the playoffs with a win in the final round, was held to a draw by GM Fabiano Caruana. Playing with White, Gukesh had some pressure but was unable to break through Caruana's defenses.

The result left both players just outside the playoff spots, despite being in contention throughout the tournament.