Pranesh M Clinches Group A Title in Hungary

India's 19-year-old Grandmaster Pranesh M won the Group A title at the Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary, according to multiple reports. Pranesh defeated Germany's Vadim Petrovskiy with the white pieces in the ninth and final round on Sunday, sealing the championship with what ANI described as an "impressive performance."

Pranesh, who hails from Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu, is rated 2673 and ranked 44th in the FIDE World Rankings for August 2026, as reported by ANI, Lokmat Times, and The Tribune.

Tiebreak Decides the Champion

Pranesh finished with seven points from nine rounds, sharing the top spot with three other players. According to Lokmat Times, he claimed the title on a better tiebreak, finishing ahead of Or Bronstein of Israel, Andrei Volokitin of Ukraine, and India's Karthik Venkataraman, who finished second to fourth in that order.

The same report noted that Karthik Venkataraman could have won the title outright but was held to a draw in the final round by Volokitin, while Bronstein jumped into a share of the top spot by beating compatriot IM Benny Aizenberg in the ninth round.

Indian Embassy Congratulates Pranesh

The Indian Embassy in Hungary congratulated Pranesh on his victory, posting on X: "Meet the new Indian Chess Champion!! Pranesh M. Huge Congratulations! to Indian Grandmaster Pranesh M on his brilliant victory at the prestigious Kanizsa Open 2026 in Nagykanizsa, Hungary!"

The embassy's post continued: "After a thrilling 9th round, Pranesh secured the top spot in one of Central Europe's most competitive open tournaments. We are incredibly proud to see Indian talent shining so brightly on the global stage. Hungary continues to be a happy hunting ground for Indian Chess. Wishing him continued success in his chess journey."

Other Indian Finishers

Lokmat Times also reported on other Indian finishers in Group A, which had a field of 226 players. Neelash Saha finished 10th with 6.5 points, Nitish Belurkar was 20th with 6 points, Ajay Santhosh Parvathareddy took 21st with 6 points, and Bhattacharyya Soham was 23rd with 6 points.