 "Praggnanandhaa is making his case stronger for Candidates spot. Image: PTI")
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has strengthened his grip at the top of the 2025 FIDE Circuit leaderboard after his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title at Superbet Classic 2025_._ He is now leading with a solid 28-point margin over the rest of the players.
The 19-year-old has emerged as a serious contender for next year’s Candidates Tournament, thanks to his consistent performances this season.
The FIDE Circuit is a points-based system introduced to decide one of the spots for the Candidates Tournament, which decides who will play in the World Chess Championship.
Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh is the current world champion title holder after he defeated China’s Ding Liren last year. The player who wins the Candidates in 2026 will challenge Gukesh.
He has now collected valuable points from multiple tournaments throughout the season, building a strong case for a Candidates seat. The gap between him and the second-placed Ding Liren is 27.76 points. With several events still left in the year, Praggnanandhaa will be hoping to keep the momentum going.
Praggnanandhaa’s latest boost in the rankings came after he won the Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2025. Although he finished the classical segment tied for first with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja, he kept his calm and beat Vachier-Lagrave in the final blitz tiebreaker game to seal the title.
“I have always dreamt of winning a GCT event, Winning the Superbet Chess Classic is indeed dream come true. I’m grateful to my coach, team, family, and supporters for their unwavering belief in me,” Praggnandhaa said after the win in Bucharest.
This was his second big title of 2025 after winning the Tata Steel Chess tournament earlier in the year. His prize money for the Superbet win was $77,667 (approx. Rs 66.5 lakh). Earlier this month, Praggnanandhaa contested in the Poland leg of the Superbet Chess Classic, where he secured a strong third place.