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GM R Praggnanandhaa is the 2025 UzChess Cup Masters Champion!
GM R Praggnanandhaa is the 2025 UzChess Cup Masters Champion! He won the title after defeating both GM Arjun Erigaisi and GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the final rounds. He then outplayed both rivals again in blitz tiebreaks. This win makes him India’s number-one and world number-four.
Rapport Shocks Praggnanandhaa With ‘Game of the Year’
In Round 6, GM Richard Rapport stunned Praggnanandhaa in a masterpiece. The Hungarian sacrificed a knight with 15…Nxd5! and never looked back. He called it a dream King’s Indian-style game. Chess legend Garry Kasparov praised the game, comparing it to his own classics. GM Anish Giri also called it a “masterpiece.”
Despite the loss, Praggnanandhaa later admitted he had seen the sacrifice in prep. He regretted not playing 23.Nd4 and instead blundered with 23.Bc4?, allowing 23…Bc2!!
Abdusattorov Loses 132-Move Marathon
GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov also suffered a blow in Round 6. He lost a long endgame to GM Nodirbek Yakubboev in 136 moves. He was just seven moves away from a draw but blundered with 129…Rc2? Still, he bounced back in Round 7 with a clean win over GM Parham Maghsoodloo.
Praggnanandhaa’s Comeback Begins
Pragg’s comeback began in Round 7 with a solid draw against GM Ian Nepomniachtchi. In Round 8, he crushed world number-three Arjun Erigaisi. He called Arjun’s 13…d5? a key mistake and sealed the win with 24.Rxe6!
In the final round, Pragg faced Abdusattorov in a must-win game. He took control early and won convincingly with Black. Sindarov had drawn his game, which forced a three-way tie at the top.
Tiebreak Drama Unfolds
The tiebreaks were intense. A double round-robin blitz playoff was held between Pragg, Abdusattorov, and Sindarov. Pragg started strong with a win over Abdusattorov. But he then lost to Sindarov and drew the rematch in a nail-biting escape.
The blitz playoff ended in a deadlock again. Another round-robin followed. This time, Pragg held Abdusattorov in a 74-move draw and beat Sindarov to clinch the title. Sindarov beat Abdusattorov in the final game to secure second place.
Pragg Reflects on Victory
After a long day, UzChess Cup Masters Champion Praggnanandhaa said,
“I just want to go to bed badly… but I’m happy.”
He credited his coach GM Ramesh R.B. and teammate GM Vaibhav Suri for their support. Pragg also shared that he’s become more confident and ambitious this year.
Ratings Shake-Up
The event caused major changes in world rankings:
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Pragg is now world number-four and Indian number-one
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Aravindh dropped from world number-nine to 25
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Nepomniachtchi fell out of the top-10 for the first time since ratings began
What’s Next?
Pragg now leads the FIDE Circuit standings and is on track for the 2026 Candidates Tournament. He heads to the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz in Croatia next. There, he’ll play more thrilling games against Magnus Carlsen and Gukesh D.
Don’t miss the action!
Photos: Shahid Ahmed, UzChess Cup
Source: CHESS.com
