Pranesh M wins Kanizsa Open 2026 chess title in Hungary

Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M won the Group A title at the Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary. The 19-year-old finished the tournament with seven points from nine rounds, securing the top spot via a tiebreak.

In the final round, Pranesh defeated Germany’s Vadim Petrovskiy using the white pieces. He shared the seven-point total with Or Bronstein of Israel, Andrei Volokitin of Ukraine, and Karthik Venkataraman of India, but claimed the championship based on superior tiebreak performance.

Pranesh, who is currently ranked 44th in the FIDE World Rankings, hails from Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu. The Indian Embassy in Hungary congratulated the Grandmaster, noting his success in one of Central Europe’s most competitive open tournaments.