R Praggnanandhaa to face Fabiano Caruana in Grand Chess Tour final

Grand Chess Tour R Praggnanandhaa Fabiano Caruana chess semifinals St. Louis

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has advanced to the Grand Chess Tour finals after a dominant semifinal performance in St. Louis. He secured his spot with a 19-9 victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer, building on a 9-3 lead from the classical games by winning consecutive rapid encounters.

Praggnanandhaa will face defending champion Fabiano Caruana in the tournament finale. Caruana secured his place in the final by defeating Wesley So with an 18-9 score, utilizing strong blitz play to overcome a draw in their earlier encounter.

The Grand Chess Tour finale features a total prize pool of USD 450,000, with USD 200,000 awarded to the winner and USD 125,000 to the runner-up. The top three finishers in the event will receive direct invitations to next year's Grand Chess Tour.