In St. Louis, renowned Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa excelled in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, achieving an impressive score of 12 out of 18. This performance bolstered his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour finals scheduled for later this year.
Event Context
The Indian participant, who is no longer competing in the 2026 World Championship, showcased remarkable skill, precision, and determination during the nine-round rapid section of this long-standing event in the professional chess calendar.
Praggnanandhaa concluded the rapid rounds with a loss in the ninth and final match against Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest. Nevertheless, he secured a one-point advantage, finishing ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who will face D. Gukesh in the upcoming World Championship title match later this year.
It’s important to note that the last rapid and blitz event of the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) includes 18 additional blitz games, from which the overall winner will emerge, vying for a prize pool of USD 200,000, with USD 50,000 earmarked for the champion.
With four victories, each worth two points, and four draws, Praggnanandhaa topped the leaderboard with 12 points despite his final-round defeat. Having completed the rapid section, he will now shift his focus to the 18-game blitz segment, where every win is awarded one point.
Final standings after the rapid rounds were as follows: 1. R Praggnanandhaa, 2. Javokhir Sindarov, 3. Wesley So, 4-7. Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer (all with 9 points), and 8-9. Fabiano Caruana and Jorden Van Foreest (with 8 points each), followed by 10. Awonder Leong.
Player Focus
Sitting at the top of the leaderboard is Sindarov, closely pursued by Wesley So from the United States, who has amassed 10 points. Right behind them are four competitors: Levon Aronian (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Cuban-American Leinier Dominguez Perez, and Germany’s Vincent Keymer, each with 9 points. These players will be eager to capitalize on their performance in the faster-paced format of the game.
Sindarov poses a significant threat, trailing just one point behind Praggnanandhaa. Keymer, in particular, is known for his ability to take down formidable opponents when he is performing at his best.
The current 10-player round-robin will lead into the prestigious Sinquefield Cup, which will feature classical chess competition.
Match Outlook
If Praggnanandhaa had triumphed over van Foreest, he would have advanced to the blitz section with a stronger lead—an advantage that could have been vital in his quest for the overall championship.
