Advertisement
If you thought Indian chess was on fire with Gukesh holding the world title, because R Praggnanandhaa has got the entire chess world buzzing. The 19-year-old prodigy has clinched the FIDE Circuit 2025 crown, going straight to the 2026 Candidates Tournament in Cyprus, and spoiler alert, he’s the first Indian to do it this way. After seizing the lead back in May by dethroning Ding Liren, Pragg held off a tough pack to win the FIDE circuit.
R Praggnanandhaa In London Chess Classic Open 2025
The drama peaked in London at the Chess Classic Open, where R Praggnanandhaa made a last-minute entry to seal the spot. Only Nodirbek Abdusattorov had a chance to challenge him after his insane Elite section run, netting 19.62 points with one of chess history’s highest TPRs.
But Pragg wasn’t taking risks; he stormed to 7/9, tying for first with Velimir Ivic and Ameet K Ghasi in a stacked field. That fetched him 8.17 crucial circuit points, putting him out of reach no matter what happens at FIDE Rapid and Blitz. A gritty draw against Ilya Smirin in the finale and co-champions it was, and the title was his!
R Praggnanandhaa’s Sheer Dominance
This isn’t luck; it’s pure dominance. R Praggnanandhaa won big at Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup Masters, and now the London Chess Classic Open. Count in runner-up spots at Stepan Avagyan Memorial and 12th Sinquefield Cup, and you’ve got the standout performer of 2025. His rivals? Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, and Javokhir Sindarov already qualified elsewhere, while Vincent Keymer sat out classics. Abdusattorov fought hard, but Pragg’s smart move shut the door.
Now the Candidates lineup shapes up: Pragg joins Giri, Caruana, Bluebaum, Sindarov, Wei Yi, Andrey Esipenko, with one spot left via ratings. For India, it’s massive, Pragg makes his second straight Candidates appearance, and whispers say reigning champion D Gukesh wants him as the next challenger. Will the Chennai duo battle for world supremacy next year? Only time will tell, so stay tuned!