Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu captured his maiden Grand Chess Tour title at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania, emerging victorious in a thrilling three-way playoff against Alireza Firouzja and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. The 19-year-old from Chennai secured his second major title of the year, further consolidating his top position in the FIDE Circuit 2025.
The 2025 GCT Superbet Chess Classic Romania took place in Bucharest from May 7–16, featuring ten elite grandmasters. It was a tight race from the start, with no clear leader for most of the tournament. However, after a crucial win against Wesley So in the penultimate round, Praggnanandhaa pulled ahead, entering the final round half a point ahead of Fabiano Caruana, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Alireza Firouzja.
In the final round, Praggnanandhaa secured a solid draw against Levon Aronian, guaranteeing at least a share of first place. Three players had a chance to catch up, but only two succeeded. Facing World Champion Gukesh D with the black pieces, Caruana was unable to generate winning chances and settled for a draw.
In contrast, Firouzja, taking significant risks against Bogdan-Daniel Deac, found himself in a worse position—but his persistence paid off. Deac cracked on move 52, blundering the game away.
Meanwhile, Vachier-Lagrave capitalized on a misstep by Jan-Krzysztof Duda in a complex position, securing a full point and joining Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa in a three-way tie for first.
To determine the champion, a single round-robin playoff was held with a 5-minute + 2-second increment time control.
The first game between Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa was a complex battle in Giuoco Piano which ended in a draw. In the second game Vachier-Lagrave and Firouzja split a point after Alireza held his ground on the black side of the Caro-Kann.
The third game Praggnanandhaa vs. Vachier-Lagrave proved to be decisive. In an endgame with a pair of rooks and the queens Maxim first missed a chance to trade the rooks (likely leading to a draw) and just three moves later committed the decisive mistake. Praggnanandhaa seized the opportunity, clinching the win and the title.
Photos: Lennart Ootes