Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa kicked off the excitement at the Grand Chess Tour 2025 Finals in Sao Paulo with a fun exhibition match. The event starts Sunday at the World Trade Center, drawing top players from around the globe.
Praggnanandhaa earned his spot here after finishing as runner-up at the 2025 Sinquefield Cup. He shared his thrill on X after joining an alternative simultaneous exhibition: “Had a great time at the alternative simultaneous exhibition here at Sao Paulo Grand Chess Tour! All the players joined in and played a few moves each. Indeed a fun and different experience over the board.”
In the semi-finals, Praggnanandhaa takes on France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. Meanwhile, USA’s Fabiano Caruana faces fellow American Levon Aronian. Praggnanandhaa and Caruana will start with the white pieces in their opening classical games, then switch colors for rapid and blitz rounds. Each semi-final packs in two classical, two rapid, and four blitz games, blending formats for high-stakes action.
Praggnanandhaa sounded pumped about the challenge during a Sunday chat. “It’s going to be an exciting event with all three formats… I have followed GCT Finals in the past, and it’s going to be a challenge. I’m looking forward to it, as this is what I was hoping for at the start of the tour; to be here in Sao Paulo and fight for the top spot. The field is extremely strong as usual with the top three guys who are really experienced. I have played all three formats for a lot of years.”
Organizers plan to play every match to the end, no matter the score, with a total of up to 28 points on the line per matchup.
The opening ceremony added star power as chess legend Garry Kasparov and Superbet Brazil CEO Alexandre Fonseca made the ceremonial first moves on stage. Fans can’t wait to see how Praggnanandhaa and the rest battle it out in this premier chess showdown.
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