As fatigue creeps in, Praggnanandhaa’s uncharacteristic mistake hands Caruana lead in GCT Final

Praggnanandhaa then traded his first knight to enter a queen-and-rook endgame, where he held a knight against Caruana’s active bishop. Both players had just over 13 minutes left on the clock. In the tricky endgame that followed, Praggnanandhaa’s rook move to c8 on the 28th move proved costly, the first time he had conceded a significant edge. It let Caruana force the exchange of queens and one set of rooks, leaving him with a highly active bishop and an extra pawn against Praggnanandhaa’s knight.

There was hardly any defence that could have stopped Caruana’s impending attack, his a-pawn running down the flank to kill the game. Praggnanandhaa sacrificed his knight in a desperate attempt to salvage something, but the position was too hopeless. He resigned on the 48th move.

Praggnanandhaa has emerged as one of the most consistent players on the circuit. Having become the first Indian to win the Norway Chess event, beating Magnus Carlsen twice in two Classical games, he showed his range even in shorter formats by winning the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz. He then finished joint top of the Sinquefield Cup, where he defeated arch-rival and new World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov.

The toll of excessive games is beginning to show on Praggnanandhaa. (Lennart Ootes/Saint Louis Chess Club)

While all these results are impressive, Praggnanandhaa has had to play non-stop chess, event after event. He has been relentless in his second year as a full tour player on the GCT, but the toll of playing so many games is beginning to show. He made uncharacteristic mistakes in both games against Vincent Keymer in the semifinals, though the German made even bigger blunders that allowed the Indian to hit back. The mistake against Caruana was yet another sign of fatigue creeping in.

Commentating on the match, grandmaster Peter Svidler, who has previously worked as Praggnanandhaa’s second, pointed to the same thing. “It feels like we’re making excuses for the best players in the world. You know, poor babies, they had to play chess for three weeks straight, but it does accumulate… things like this start slipping in,” he said.

The 2026 Grand Chess Tour Finals, featuring a $450,000 prize pool, sees Caruana, So, Keymer and Praggnanandhaa competing in a single-elimination knockout. Each match consists of eight games across three time controls: two Classical (6 points for a win, 3 for a draw), two Rapid (4/2/0), and four Blitz (2/1/0). The winner takes home the title and a $200,000 prize.

Caruana leads the final 6-0 after winning the first Classical game, but things aren’t done yet. Twenty-two more points are on offer across the next seven games, including the second Classical match with reversed colours, where Praggnanandhaa will have the advantage of playing White.

The American isn’t too bothered about what comes next. He just wants to get through the next Classical game with the dark pieces. “If I survive that game, then it’s a really good situation… the six-point lead is really nice. I wouldn’t say that it’s guaranteed anything, but it’s a really nice situation,” Caruana said.

Earlier, Praggnanandhaa obliterated Keymer in the semis, dominating the tie 19-9 after winning one Classical, both Rapid, and one Blitz game out of eight possible. The first Classical match was a draw, while the last three Blitz games went Keymer’s way.

Caruana toppled compatriot Wesley So in the other semifinal, a more closely fought contest. After both Classical games ended in draws, Caruana took the lead in the mini Blitz tiebreak. Both Rapid clashes were shared, but Caruana again showed his class in the shortest format, winning two of four Blitz games to reach the final with an 18-12 scoreline.

The third-place match between So and Keymer started quietly. Both players moved with identical accuracy of 98.3, and the game ended in a threefold repetition in an already drawn position.