Praggnanandhaa Wins FIDE Circuit 2025, Qualifies for 2026 Candidates
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu has officially won the FIDE Circuit 2025, earning a valuable spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
He took the lead in May after overtaking Ding Liren and stayed ahead for the rest of the season. By late November, most of his closest competitors — Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, and Javokhir Sindarov — had already qualified for the Candidates through different routes. Vincent Keymer also had no classical events left to play. This meant only one player, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, still had a chance to catch him through the points-rich London Chess Classic Elite.
To secure his qualification beyond doubt, Praggnanandhaa joined the London Chess Classic Open at the last moment. His decision worked perfectly. He scored a strong 7/9, tied for first place, and earned 8.17 circuit points — enough to stay ahead no matter what happened in the Rapid and Blitz events.
Abdusattorov delivered a brilliant performance in the Elite section, achieving one of the highest TPRs in chess history and earning 19.62 points. Still, it wasn’t enough to overtake Pragg. The Indian superstar remained out of reach.
With this triumph, Praggnanandhaa firmly claimed one of the eight spots in the 2026 Candidates, becoming the year’s most consistent FIDE Circuit player. His 2025 season was packed with top results — victories in the Tata Steel Masters, Superbet Chess Classic Romania, UzChess Cup Masters, and London Chess Classic Open, along with runner-up finishes in the Stepan Avagyan Memorial and the 12th Sinquefield Cup.
Fans can find detailed information, standings, and regulations for the FIDE Circuit 2025 on the official page.
Photos: FIDE_Chess
Source: FIDE CHESS NEWS
