Daijiworld Media Network - Bucharest

Bucharest, May 17: Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa etched his name in history on Friday by clinching his maiden Grand Chess Tour (GCT) title at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2025. With nerves of steel and sharp endgame play, the 18-year-old overcame stiff competition and triumphed in blitz playoffs, taking home a prize of $77,667 and 10 GCT points, along with a bonus of $10,000 for emerging ahead in a three-way tie.

Though Praggnanandhaa only drew his final classical game against seasoned grandmaster Levon Aronian, the tournament's conclusion turned dramatic as both Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja pulled off wins on demand. Vachier-Lagrave defeated Jan-Krzysztof Duda, while Firouzja managed to outplay local favourite Bogdan-Daniel Deac from a seemingly inferior position in a sharp King’s Indian Defence.

With the scores tied, a unique three-player blitz playoff was conducted — a rare round-robin tiebreak due to the tight schedule. After three games failed to produce a clear winner, a final showdown was set between Praggnanandhaa and Vachier-Lagrave.

In a tense high-stakes blitz finale, what appeared to be a drawn heavy-piece endgame spiraled into a whirlwind of tactics. The young Indian grandmaster kept his composure under pressure and capitalized on late-game inaccuracies to seal a memorable win.

Reflecting on his performance at the award ceremony, Praggnanandhaa said, "I didn't do so well last time. Resting for a few hours before the tiebreak definitely helped."

With this triumph, he not only secured his first-ever GCT title but also gained nine rating points, reinforcing his position as World No. 7 in classical chess.

This marks the third playoff finale in five years for the Grand Chess Tour, adding yet another dramatic chapter to the tournament’s legacy.

The next leg of the Grand Chess Tour — the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2025 — is set to take place from July 1 to 6.