The London Chess Classic Open 2025 saw yet another remarkable performance from India’s chess prodigy, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. With his recent win, Pragg has not only added another prestigious trophy to his collection but also moved an inch closer to securing a coveted spot in the Candidates Tournament.
London Chess Classic Open 2025 Joint Win
Pragg started with a bang, with three straight wins against Stanley Badacsonyi, Eldar Gasanov, and Nico Chasin. The 20-year-old Indian GM was flying high. But chess being chess, draws crept in against Pranav Anand and Hungary’s Tamás Jr Fodor. He then bounced back like a boss with a win over Israel’s Eytan Rozen in round six.
Then came the real fireworks. Round seven: joint leader showdown with Serbia’s Velimir Ivić. Stalemate city, but both held the top spot. Praggnanandhaa kept the pedal down, crushing Romania’s David Gavrilescu to go sole leader into the finale. Israel’s Ilya Smirin played gatekeeper with a draw in round nine, forcing a shared throne with Ivić and England’s Ameet K Ghashi. All three?
The London Chess Classic Open 2025 wrapped up in a three-way thriller at the top, with Pragg, Serbia’s Velimir Ivic (2618), and England’s Ameet K. Ghasi (2500) all hitting 7 points. No tiebreaks meant shared glory, and a cool £10,000 share of the £33,000 prize pot for the trio. Other Indians shone too: Pranav Anand (6.5, tied 4th) and P Iniyan (6, tied 9th).
Praggnanandhaa Gets Closer To Candidate’s Spot
Now, here’s the real deal: Pragg’s win crushes his FIDE Circuit rivals. He’s 63 points clear of Abdusattorov, miles ahead of Anish Giri (81), Fabiano Caruana (65), and others already qualified elsewhere. Pragg could add more points at World Rapid/Blitz, but London basically gift-wrapped his Candidates ticket, setting up potential all-Indian World Championship vibes against D Gukesh.
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