R Praggnanandhaa Secures Spot In 2026 Candidates Tournament After Winning FIDE Circuit 2025

R. Praggnanandhaa has secured himself a spot in the 2026 Candidates tournament after he emerged triumphant in the FIDE Circuit 2025.

The 20-year-old grandmaster from Chennai will be the only Indian competitor in the upcoming Candidates tournament after putting up one of his finest performances in 2025.

Pragg has topped the FIDE Circuit leaderboard with 115.17 points, with Anish Giri in second and Nodirbek Abdusattorov in third spot. The Indian grandmaster will be in action at the prestigious tournament next year.

R Praggnanandhaa's FIDE Circuit 2025 Triumph Guarantees 2026 Candidates Entry

Praggnanandhaa entered the London Chess Classic Open at the last minute and put up a solid performance, scoring 7/9 and tied for first place. He collected 8.17 circuit points, which was beneficial for him in securing a spot in the 2026 Candidates.

The Indian Grandmaster's gamble to feature in the London Chess Classic Open was fruitful as he reaped immense benefits by securing himself a spot in the prestigious tournament.

The 20-year-old grandmaster had some competition in terms of points from Nodirbek Abdusattorov, whose brilliant outing at the London Chess Classic Elite helped him secure 19.62 points.

But Pragg's points kept him out of reach as the Indian grandmaster punched his way into the 2026 Candidates. He is the seventh entrant out of the eight spots in the tournament. Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, Javokhir Sindarov, Wei Yi, and Andrey Esipenko have already punched their tickets into the competition.

Also Read: India's FIDE World Cup Hopes End As Arjun Erigaisi Gets Knocked Out By Wei Yi In Quarterfinals Stage

Praggnanandhaa Had A Strong Showcase In 2025

In 2025, R Praggnanandhaa emerged as a dominant candidate, having won titles at the Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup Masters, and most recently at the London Chess Classic Open.

Pragg also picked up a second-place finish at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial and 12th Sinquefield Cup.

Also Read: Chess Federation Files Complaint Against Former World Champion Who Accused Naroditsky Of Cheating

Praggnanandhaa will be the sole Indian male representation at the 2026 Candidates tournament, courtesy of his brilliant outing throughout the year.

In the Women's Candidates tournament, Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy and R. Vaishali will represent India at the event, which will take place next year between March and April.