Praggnanandhaa Wins His First Grand Chess Tour Title in Bucharest!
18.05.2025 07:37 | NewsIndia’s 19-year-old chess sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa has reached a new milestone in his already remarkable career. After a thrilling final round and a dramatic blitz playoff, he emerged victorious at the prestigious Superbet Chess Classic 2025
Three Players on Top, Only One Champion
The tournament, held in the Romanian capital, featured ten of the world’s top grandmasters, including reigning World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh. Praggnanandhaa entered the final round as the sole leader and secured a solid draw against Levon Aronian, ensuring at least a shared first place. Two players managed to catch him—Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja, both winning their last-round games.
A three-way blitz playoff followed, played at a time control of 5 minutes + 2 seconds. After two tense draws (Pragg–Firouzja and MVL–Firouzja), the final game between Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave proved decisive. In a sharp endgame, the young Indian capitalized on a crucial mistake and sealed the win – and with it, the title.
The Team Behind the Triumph
Praggnanandhaa’s rise is no solo effort. He is backed by a powerful support network that includes the Adani Group, a major Indian conglomerate that began sponsoring him in 2024. His mother remains a constant presence at events, and his chess preparation is led by legendary trainer GM R.B. Ramesh, along with GM Vaibhav Suri, who assisted him on-site in Bucharest.
“Without these people, none of this would be possible. We’ve been working hard, especially after last year didn’t go my way. Now we’re seeing the results,” Pragg said after his win.
He also credited the recent successes of his fellow Indian prodigies for fueling his motivation. “Gukesh becoming World Champion, Arjun crossing 2800... we're all pushing each other forward. It’s inspiring, and that’s why results like this are happening.”
From Prodigy to World Top 10
Praggnanandhaa became a grandmaster at the age of 12, the second-youngest in history at the time. In 2022, he shocked the world by defeating Magnus Carlsen, and since then he has climbed steadily toward the top. The year 2025 is shaping up to be his breakthrough season – with major victories at Tata Steel Masters and now at Superbet Chess Classic, he has secured 18 GCT points and sits atop the current series leaderboard.
His victory in Bucharest also brought him $77,667 in prize money, as well as growing global attention as one of the most exciting players of the new generation.
Next up: Praggnanandhaa will compete in the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz tournament in Croatia this July, the third leg of the Grand Chess Tour 2025.