Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu Wins 2025 Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Thrilling Playoff
BUCHAREST, Romania & SAINT LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a thrilling playoff finale, Indian Grandmaster (GM) Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu emerged victorious as the 2025 Superbet Chess Classic Romania champion, capturing his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title during the second leg of the elite global series.
Indian Grandmaster Wins Second Leg of the Grand Chess Tour; Takes Home $77,667 Prize
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'It feels great to win a Grand Chess Tour event,' said Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. 'Last year, I came close but fell short in the tiebreak, so having a few hours to rest beforehand this time made a real difference—the games can get so intense. I've been working on playing more ambitiously, and I'm incredibly grateful to my support team for helping me get here.'
GMs Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alireza Firouzja won in the final round to squeeze into a three-way tie for first. It was only after three playoff blitz games that Praggnanandhaa won the title. Firouzja and Vachier-Lagrave both won $67,667.
'Superbet Chess Classic 2025 was a truly exciting tournament from the very first round. The mix of experienced grandmasters and rising young talents created an atmosphere of fighting chess that lasted throughout the event. For the second year in a row, the final round brought a dramatic climax, with a tie-break among the top three players. This tournament once again proves our concept: bringing together established champions and emerging stars from around the world, many of whom are already part of the chess elite. We are proud to be part of such a remarkable event,' said Michael Khodarkovsky, GCT Executive Director.
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1 Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu won the event playoffs to secure first place.
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'Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on his first Grand Chess Tour victory at the Superbet Chess Classic in Romania. Over nine days of intense competition, the tournament showcased the extraordinary talent of every participant. We are especially proud of Romanian player Bogdan Deac and his impressive performance. A heartfelt thank you to all the players for making this an unforgettable event, and to the chess fans around the world who followed each move with enthusiasm,' said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.
Next up, marking the midway point of the Grand Chess Tour, the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia —sponsored by the Superbet Foundation —kicks off on July 1 in Zagreb. Following the same fast-paced format as the Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland, this major tour stop will feature seven full-tour players and three wildcards, including World #1 GM Magnus Carlsen.
Live commentary begins at 8:00 a.m. CDT with GMs Yasser Seirawan, Cristian Chirila, and Peter Svidler, IM Nazi Paikidze, and WGM Anastasia Karlovich on the Saint Louis Chess Club's Twitch & YouTube channels.
The remaining 2025 tour schedule will include:
SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: June 30-July 7, 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 9-17, 2025 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
Sinquefield Cup: August 16-29, 2025 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
GCT Finals: September 26-October 4, 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil
GCT participants are currently competing for a recently increased prize purse of $1.6 million over the course of the 2025 season. The prize fund for each of the two classical tournaments will be $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. Top four finishers of the regular season of five tournaments will compete for the purse of additional $350,000 in the knockout matches at the GCT finals.
For more information, visit grandchesstour.org.
About the Grand Chess Tour
The Grand Chess Tour is a circuit of international events, each demonstrating the highest level of organization for the world's best players. The legendary Garry Kasparov, one of the world's greatest ambassadors for chess, inspired the Grand Chess Tour and helped solidify the partnership between the organizers. For more information about the tour, please visit grandchesstour.org.
About the Superbet Foundation
Since 2019, Superbet Foundation has made chess one of its core initiatives by organizing the first tournament of the Grand Chess Tour in Bucharest. The Foundation is committed to establishing a tradition of Grand Chess Tour tournaments within the Romanian and Polish chess communities. For more information, visit www.superbetfoundation.com.
About the Saint Louis Chess Club
The Saint Louis Chess Club is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is committed to making chess an important part of our community. In addition to providing a forum for the community to play tournaments and casual games, the club also offers chess improvement classes, beginner lessons and special lectures.
Recognizing the cognitive and behavioral benefits of chess, the Saint Louis Chess Club is committed to supporting those chess programs that already exist in area schools while encouraging the development of new in-school and after-school programs. For more information, visit saintlouischessclub.org.
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