Bengaluru: Following his victory at the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, Praggnanandhaa is currently concluding a series of interviews.
Event Context
Praggnanandhaa’s older sister, Vaishali, who is also a grandmaster and a contender for the upcoming Women’s World Championship, is nearby. Typically, their mother, Nagalakshmi, travels with Praggnanandhaa to tournaments. However, with Nagalakshmi unable to attend this time, Vaishali came a week early for the Cairns Cup—the top women’s invitational tournament in the US—starting in Saint Louis on August 8.
When asked how his sister’s support impacted his performance during the tournament in the Midwest, Praggnanandhaa responded with a mix of humor and sincerity. “Maybe we should kick her out before I answer,” he joked, before getting serious. “I usually have my mom here, but this time she had obligations, so my sister joined me. It’s beneficial to have someone who understands chess because we can discuss mistakes and strategies more easily. So, it’s been great to have her here.”
Praggnanandhaa delivered an impressive performance, maintaining the lead throughout and clinching the tournament title with a round to spare. He navigated a challenging pawn-down endgame against World Championship contender Javokhir Sindarov in the second-to-last round, competing in a field that included three of the world’s top five players: Fabiano Caruana, Sindarov, and Vincent Keymer.
This victory propelled Praggnanandhaa to second place in the Grand Chess Tour standings, trailing only Caruana. He will remain in Missouri to compete in the upcoming Sinquefield Cup, which features nine rounds of classical chess, serving as the final event before the Grand Chess Tour finals.
Reflecting on his performance, Praggnanandhaa told the Saint Louis Chess Club, “When you look at the score, everything seems smooth, but it was intense. Credit to Javokhir; he fought hard until the end.”
On the last day of Blitz, Praggnanandhaa faced pressure from Sindarov, who was closing in on him. His mantra was to “not do anything foolish.” However, he began the final day with a shaky start, playing the Black pieces. After declining a draw against Awonder Liang—despite having no chance for a perpetual check or checkmate—he lost that match. He rebounded with a victory against Anish Giri and defeated Leinier Dominguez on time. His pawn-down drawn game against Sindarov was sufficient to secure the title.
Sindarov lamented, “Sometimes playing well isn’t enough; you also need a little luck,” as he finished 1.5 points behind Praggnanandhaa. The Uzbek Grandmaster is set to challenge defending world champion Gukesh for the title later this year.
Praggnanandhaa’s journey has been remarkable. In 2024, he placed last in the Saint Louis Rapid and Blitz, but now he is returning home with a $50,000 prize and a large silver trophy for first place in the same event.
He started the year feeling disheartened after an underperforming stint at the Candidates tournament in Cyprus. However, his sister Vaishali captured the title at the Women’s Candidates occurring alongside his event, becoming only the second Indian woman after Koneru Humpy to qualify for the championship match. Her triumph somewhat eased his disappointment as he supported her at her recognition events.
Their first international trip together was back in 2012 for the Asian youth championship in Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka, where they struggled to gather travel funds for themselves and their mother. Both siblings returned home as champions—Vaishali in the under-12 category and Praggnanandhaa in the under-8 category.
Nearly fifteen years later, while their surroundings may have evolved, their bond and commitment to supporting each other continue, now accompanied by larger trophies in their luggage.
Match Outlook
“It’s a significant enhancement,” he stated. “Last year, due to the Rapid and Blitz format, I had to excel in the Sinquefield Cup. This time, my performance in Rapid and Blitz resulted in strong scores, and I’m pleased with my progress in that area.”
His remarkable performance across different formats has been noteworthy this year. In June, he clinched the title at Norway Chess, a classical event where he secured two victories against world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. Currently, he has emerged as the leader in both the rapid and blitz categories in Saint Louis.
