Praggnanandhaa finishes fourth in Grand Chess Tour Finals 2025, Caruana crowned champion
Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa wrapped up his 2025 Grand Chess Tour Finals campaign with a fourth-place finish, earning $40,000. The 20-year-old faced a tough test against the experienced GM Levon Aronian in the third-place match, where the Armenian star sealed victory with three games to spare after a dominant run of three consecutive wins.
Despite the result, Praggnanandhaa’s qualification to the elite four-player finals underlined his rapid rise, as he stood alongside world-class names GM Fabiano Caruana, GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Aronian. The trio, finishing in the top three, secured their places in the 2026 Grand Chess Tour.
The title went to Caruana, who staged a remarkable comeback. After dropping the opening game to Vachier-Lagrave, the American reeled off three straight wins to seize control. Vachier-Lagrave nearly forced playoffs in the final game, but a costly slip under pressure allowed Caruana to clinch the crown and the $150,000 top prize. MVL settled for $100,000, while Aronian took home $60,000.
The Saint Louis Chess Club now shifts its focus to October, hosting three marquee events: Clutch Chess: Kasparov vs. Anand (October 6–11), the U.S. Championships (October 11–25), and Clutch Chess: Carlsen, Nakamura, Caruana, & Gukesh (October 25–30).
Published on Oct 04, 2025