Grand Chess Tour 2025: Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa named full tour participants for the second year in-a-row
Grand Chess Tour 2025 season full tour participants names have been revealed. Out of the nine full tour participants, there are two Indians - D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa. The remaining seven are - Alireza Firouzja (FRA), GCT 2022 and 2024 winner, Fabiano Caruana (USA), World no.2 and GCT 2023 winner, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (FRA), World Blitz 2021 champion, Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB), World Rapid 2021 champion, Wesley So (USA), GCT 2021 winner, Levon Aronian (USA), only two-time World Cup winner in history and Jan-Krzysztof Duda (POL), World Cup 2021 winner. For the second consecutive year, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa have been named as full tour participants. However, the World no.4, Arjun Erigaisi's name is shockingly missing from the list. Photo: Grand Chess Tour
2025 Grand Chess Tour celebrates its 10th anniversary with Elite field battling for $1.6 million in prize money with return of the GCT Finals
Tour Showcases one of the strongest lineups featuring the reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and GCT Champion Alireza Firouzja
Saint Louis, MO, Feb. 26, 2025 – Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the 2025 Grand Chess Tour (GCT) returns this April and promises even more excitement and exceptional chess from the world’s top players, including a purse of $1.6 million dollars and the return of the GCT Finals, which will be held for the first time in South America in São Paulo, Brazil.
“The 10th anniversary of the Grand Chess Tour is a testament to a decade of excellence, bringing together the world’s strongest players in a showcase of skills, strategy and resilience. This year’s field is among the most competitive we’ve ever seen, proving that the tour remains a pinnacle of elite chess,” said legendary World Champion Garry Kasparov. “None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of the Saint Louis Chess Club and the Superbet Foundation, whose dedication to the game continues to elevate chess on the global stage.”
Players selected to compete in the full 2025 tour include:
| Player Name | Highlights | Country | FIDE Standard Rating (Feb ’25) | URS Rating (Feb ’25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM Gukesh Dommaraju | Reigning World Champion | IND | 2777 | 2744 |
| GM Alireza Firouzja | 2022 and 2024 Grand Chess Tour Champion | FRA | 2760 | 2789 |
| GM Fabiano Caruana | Ranked No. 2 in the world, 2023 Grand Chess Tour Champion, Reigning Four-time US Champion | USA | 2803 | 2807 |
| GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave | 2023 Grand Chess Tour Runner-up Winner, 2024 GCT 3rd place | FRA | 2729 | 2761 |
| GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov | 2021 World Rapid Championship Winner | UZB | 2766 | 2780 |
| GM Wesley So | 2022 Grand Chess Tour Runner-up Winner, 2021 Grand Chess Tour Winner | USA | 2747 | 2772 |
| GM Praggnanandha Ramesh Babu | 2025 Tata Steel Champion | IND | 2741 | 2749 |
| GM Levon Aronian | 2024 American Cup Winner; Two-time World Cup Champion | USA | 2745 | 2762 |
| GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2021 Fide World Cup Winner; GCT Full Tour Wild Card | POL | 2739 | 2768 |
Player Selection
Full tour player invitations for the 2025 GCTs edition were extended to nine players. Three players qualified by finishing 1st through 3rd in the 2024 Grand Chess Tour. The remaining players were invited based on a number of factors, including URS rating, FIDE rating, fighting spirit and sportsmanship.
The full tour participants will play in both classical events as well as in two of the three rapid and blitz tournaments. The wildcard participants for the three rapid and blitz events scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Zagreb and Saint Louis will be announced at a later date.
Prize Purse
Tour participants will compete for a recently increased prize purse of $1.6 million over the course of the 2025 season. The prize fund for each of the two classical tournaments will be $350,000 and $175,000 per event for rapid and blitz. Top four finishers of the regular season of five tournaments will compete for the purse of additional $350,000 in the knockout matches at the GCT finals.
The prize fund is provided by the 2025 GCT major sponsors Superbet Foundation and The Saint Louis Chess Club, both non-profit organizations that support chess education and the mission to expand the game of chess to a worldwide audience.
Sponsors’ Statements
“The Superbet Foundation is proud to support another exciting edition of the Grand Chess Tour, reaffirming our commitment to championing chess worldwide. Chess is more than a game—it’s a test of strategy, discipline, and resilience, values we deeply believe in. Last year, more than 20 million people followed the tour, and we hope to inspire even more this year. By supporting world-class competitions like the GCT, we aim to make chess more accessible and showcase its power to unite and inspire people from all walks of life”, said Augusta Dragic, President of the Superbet Foundation.
“Saint Louis has firmly established itself as a global chess capital, and we are incredibly proud to once again host two legs of the GCT. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of this prestigious event, we recognize the impact it has had—not just on elite chess but on the broader chess community,” said Tony Rich, Technical Director of the Saint Louis Chess Club. “We look forward to welcoming the world’s best players to Saint Louis later this year and hope to continue inspiring the next generation of chess enthusiasts.”
New Leadership
“The GCT continues to evolve, and we are thrilled to welcome Grandmaster Alex Onischuk as GCT Deputy Executive Director. Alex’s leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the tour’s global impact and will be beneficial for players and fans alike,” said Michael Khodarkovsky, Executive Director of the GCT. “This year also marks an exciting milestone with the return of the GCT Finals, making history with our first-ever stop in South America before an electrifying grand finale in the vibrant Brazilian City of São Paulo. This is a testament to the Grand Chess Tour’s growth and our commitment to bringing world-class chess to new audiences around the globe.”
2025 Tour Schedule
• Superbet Rapid & Blitz Poland: April 24 - May 1, 2025 in Warsaw, Poland
• Superbet Chess Classic Romania: May 5-17, 2025 in Bucharest, Romania
• SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia: June 30 - July 7, 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia
• Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz: August 9-16, 2025 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
• Sinquefield Cup: August 16-29, 2025 in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
• GCT Finals: September 26 - October 4, 2025 in Sao Paolo, Brazil
2025 Tour Participants
