Six points down, facing the defending champion and with little going in his favour, R Praggnanandhaa had every reason to write off his chances on the final day of the Grand Chess Tour 2026 in Saint Louis, USA. Instead, the Chennai-born chess star turned the deficit around to lift the trophy, becoming the first Indian to win the championship since its inception in 2015. “My chances weren’t high but I wanted to give it a fight on the last day. I wanted to make sure that I don’t give it easy for my opponent and I just turned with confidence.
Winning the whole tour, the final, it feels amazing.” says Praggnanandhaa
And while Pragg is now back among the names ruling the chess world, he has had his share of setbacks. That period, however, also forced him to look at what was holding him back. I was not being ambitious when it is required. This is something I worked on towards and it is now showing in my game. The support from my family, coaches and Adani Sportsline has also been important in giving me the freedom and stability to focus on my chess and keep improving.”
In 2024, he had spoken about being unhappy with his performances. “I felt towards the end of 2024 there was something that was pulling me back from going for it in every game.
