Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Tuesday hailed the achievements of Indian chess players, praising Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa for his triumph in the FIDE Circuit 2025 and his qualification for the 2026 Candidates Tournament
In a post on X, Adani wrote, "Unstoppable. Unbreakable. World-Class. Heartiest congratulations to Praggnanandhaa for conquering the FIDE Circuit 2025 and sealing his spot in the 2026 Candidates!"
Adani praised Praggnanandhaa's impressive performance throughout the FIDE Circuit. He is now among the elite players contending for the World Chess Championship.
Adani also made note of the women champions making history. "With Divya Deshmukh, Humpy Koneru, and Pragg's own sister Vaishali all qualifying for the Women's Candidates, India has truly arrived at the pinnacle of the sport."
Unstoppable. Unbreakable. World-Class.
December 9, 2025
Heartiest congratulations to @rpraggnachess for conquering the FIDE Circuit 2025 and sealing his spot in the 2026 Candidates! 🇮🇳
History continues to be written by our queens! With @DivyaDeshmukh05, @humpy_koneru and Pragg's own sister… https://t.co/tsdxP7hX2iHe also comentored a generation of stars, amid India's rapid growth from 30 grandmasters in 2014 to over 85 by 2025. "A massive salute also to Coach @Rameshchess, whose masterclass mentorship continues to shape India's champions."
Concluding with a message of encouragement, Adani said, "The future of chess is Indian. Go for glory, my champions! The entire nation is rooting for you."
Praggnanandhaa's Win
Praggnanandhaa won the FIDE Circuit 2025, securing his spot in the 2026 Candidates Tournament. He took the lead in May by overtaking Ding Liren and maintained it throughout the season. By November, his main rivals Anish Giri, Fabiano Caruana, Matthias Bluebaum, and Javokhir Sindarov had already qualified via other routes, and Vincent Keymer had no more classical events scheduled. Only Nodirbek Abdusattorov, competing in the London Chess Classic Elite, had a chance to overtake him.
To guarantee his qualification regardless of upcoming Rapid and Blitz events, Praggnanandhaa entered the London Chess Classic Open last minute.
He scored 7/9, tying for first and earning 8.17 circuit points. Although Abdusattorov had a remarkable performance with 19.62 points and a historic TPR, Praggnanandhaa's result kept him out of reach, ensuring a ticket to the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
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