Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa wrote himself into the history books by claiming his first Grand Chess Tour title at the Superbet Classic 2025 in Bucharest, Romania. The 18-year-old won over a star-studded field, edging past France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave in a thrilling blitz tiebreaker to take home the winner’s prize.
After pulling his last classical round from Levon Aronian, R Praggnanandhaa finished with 5.5 points, level with Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja. This three-way tie paved the way for an adrenaline-fueled tiebreaker in which each player had five minutes and a two-second increment per move.
The Tiebreak Drama Unfolds
In the first blitz game, Praggnanandhaa held Firouzja to a tense draw despite facing pressure with the black pieces. Firouzja then drew with Vachier-Lagrave, setting up a decisive final blitz encounter. Rising to the occasion, the young Indian grandmaster unleashed a calculated attack that broke through Vachier-Lagrave’s defences, securing 1.5 points in the mini-series—enough to edge out both opponents.
“It’s a nice revenge,” quoted Praggnanandhaa during the award ceremony. “I didn’t play so well the last time. I suppose getting to rest beforehand, a couple of hours before the tiebreak, helps.” He had retreated to his room after his early draw with Aronian, a decision that worked wonders.
From Setback to Success
The victory is a dramatic reversal from the despair of last year, when Praggnanandhaa lost all his playoff matches during the Grand Chess Tour. This time, though, he arrived with a steely determination, strategic savvy, and the priceless assistance of his second, GM Vaibhav Suri, as well as coach RB Ramesh.
As a reward for his brilliant performance, Praggnanandhaa received a cash award of $77,667 (approximately ₹66 lakh), highlighting his increasing stature in the global chess fraternity.
