Praggnanandhaa Beats Keymer to Lead GCT Grand Finale Semi

R Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer to open a 9-3 lead in their Grand Chess Tour Grand Finale semifinal, moving closer to a place in the final of the season-ending event. The Indian grandmaster won a fluctuating classical contest after recovering from early trouble and eventually forcing Keymer’s resignation on move 55.

The result leaves Praggnanandhaa six points short of the 15-point mark required to qualify for the final. The Grand Finale has 28 points available across the semifinal mini-match, with two rapid games still to come and four blitz games also remaining.

Praggnanandhaa turns the game after early pressure

Praggnanandhaa had the white pieces and began with a Bishop’s Opening, but Keymer initially took control of the game. The German had a legitimate opportunity to press against the white king as Praggnanandhaa encountered difficulties in the early stages.

The balance changed when Keymer fell for a tactical trick that cost him a rook for a knight. Praggnanandhaa then took over the position, gaining an advanced passed pawn while Keymer’s rook was trapped. What had begun as a difficult game for the Indian became a favourable position as the contest developed.

Both players were running short of time, and Keymer found a way to keep the game going. However, Praggnanandhaa was more decisive after the second time control. He pressed the advantage, came close to checkmating Keymer’s king and secured the win when Keymer resigned on the 55th move.

The classical result gives Praggnanandhaa a substantial 9-3 advantage. Wins in the remaining rapid games are worth four points, while a blitz victory carries two points. With that format still ahead, the current margin could prove decisive in the mini-match, although the qualification target has not yet been reached.

The event carries major significance beyond the immediate semifinal. The winner of the USD 450,000 tournament will receive USD 200,000, while the runner-up is set to earn USD 125,000. Third place is worth USD 75,000 and the fourth-place finisher will receive USD 50,000.

Caruana and So remain level in the other semifinal

The other Grand Finale semifinal remains even after Fabiano Caruana drew with Wesley So. Their classical game lasted 50 moves and left both players on six points.

Caruana, playing a Berlin Defence, held a major advantage after the opening and had been in command for much of the game. So was outplayed early but remained in contention amid complicated variations. Caruana later made judgmental errors, allowing So to escape into a drawn king-and-pawns endgame.

That draw means the second semifinal is level at 6-6, in contrast to Praggnanandhaa’s six-point cushion over Keymer. The next phase will include two rapid games, followed by four blitz games, as the players pursue the 15 points needed for a place in the final.

The losing semifinalists will play each other to determine the third-place finisher. As well as the prize money on offer, the top three finishers at the Grand Finale will receive direct invitations to next year’s Grand Chess Tour.

For Praggnanandhaa, the immediate objective is clear: convert the 9-3 lead into the six more points required for qualification. His classical win over Keymer has put him in a strong position, but the rapid and blitz portion of the mini-match will decide whether he reaches the final.