Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025: Format, schedule, prize money, pairings; Praggnanandhaa in action in GCT Final in Brazil
India’s R Praggnanandhaa will be in action in the Grand Chess Tour 2025 Final, starting on Sunday at the WTC Events Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Praggnanandhaa will be part of a four-man field, alongside Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (France), Fabiano Caruana (USA) and Levon Aronian (USA). The tournament will run from September 26 to October 3.
What is the format of GCT Finals 2025?
The Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025 will be played out in a single-elimination knockout format with mixed time controls. Each tie will consist of two classical games, two rapid games and four blitz games.
Scoring system
Classical Games – 6 points for a win, 3 for a draw, and 0 for a loss
Rapid Games – 4 points for a win, 2 for a draw, and 0 for a loss
Blitz Games – 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss
What are the pairings for the semifinals?
In the semifinal round, Praggnanandhaa will face Vachier-Lagrave and Caruana will take on Aronian.
Schedule
Semifinals
Classical Games
Game 1 — Sep 28, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST
Game 2 — Sep 29, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST
Rapid Games
Game 1 — Sep 30, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST
Game 2 — Oct 1, 2025 | 1:00 AM IST
Blitz Games
Game 1 — Oct 1, 2025 | 3:00 AM IST
Game 2 — Oct 1, 2025 | 3:30 AM IST
Game 3 — Oct 1, 2025 | 4:00 AM IST
Game 4 — Oct 1, 2025 | 4:30 AM IST
Finals / 3rd Place Match
Classical Games
Game 1 — Oct 1, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST
Game 2 — Oct 2, 2025 | 11:30 PM IST
Rapid Games
Game 1 — Oct 3, 2025 | 9:30 PM IST
Game 2 — Oct 3, 2025 | 11:00 PM IST
Blitz Games
Game 1 — Oct 4, 2025 | 1:00 AM IST
Game 2 — Oct 4, 2025 | 1:30 AM IST
Game 3 — Oct 4, 2025 | 2:00 AM IST
Game 4 — Oct 4, 2025 | 2:30 AM IST
What is the prize money for GCT Finals 2025?
GCT Finals 2025 will have a $350,000 prize fund. The winner will gain $150,000, while the runner-up will pocket $100,000.
Published on Sep 28, 2025