Grand Chess Tour: Praggnanandhaa crushes Keymer 9-3 in GCT finale

Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa kicked off the Grand Chess Tour finale with a dominant 9-3 win over Vincent Keymer. He is one of four players, including Caruana and Wesley So, competing for the title in the knockout tournament in Missouri.

Indian chess grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa started his Grand Chess Tour finale campaign with a 9-3 win over seed four Vincent Keymer of Germany on Monday.

GCT Finale Format

Praggnanandhaa, USA's Wesley So, USA's Fabiano Caruana and Keymer are four players taking part in the Grand Chess Tour finale from August 22-27 and are battling for the GCT title in a knockout tournament after the regular season. The Grand Chess Tour 2026 is a six-tournament affair, consisting of Super Rapid and Blitz Poland, Super Chess Classic Romania, Super Rapid and Blitz Croatia, St Louis Rapid and Blitz, Sinquefield Cup and finally the Grand Chess Tour finals.

Praggnanandhaa beat Keymer 9-3 in a classical match while Caruana came out on top against Wesley So by 8-6 in a classical match, as per GCT's official website.

Praggnanandhaa's Road to the Finale

The Indian Grandmaster was the leading point-getter in the Sinquefield Cup alongside the US's Wesley So, with 5.5 each. Praggnanandhaa's excellent performances in the Sinquefield Cup and the win in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz competition have earned him a spot in the GCT finale.

Upcoming Matches

Later on, the rapid and blitz games will take place in the semifinals, with the finals set to take place on August 25. The top three finishers will get invitations to the 2027 Grand Chess Tour. (ANI)

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