MISSOURI: Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa finished atop the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament, strengthening his bid for a place in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals later this year. The 21-year-old scored 12 points from a possible 18 across the nine-round rapid competition, despite losing the final-round game to Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest. The result left Praggnanandhaa one point clear of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov heading into the blitz section. Praggnanandhaa produced four victories and four draws in the rapid format, showcasing consistent form and precise play throughout the event. A victory over van Foreest in the final round would have given him a bigger cushion before the 18-round blitz competition, where each win is worth one point. Sindarov, who is set to challenge India’s D. Gukesh for the world championship later this year, remains Praggnanandhaa’s closest rival on 11 points. American Wesley So is third on 10 points, while a group of four players — Americans Levon Aronian and Leinier Dominguez Perez, Dutch Grandmaster Anish Giri and Germany’s Vincent Keymer — are tied on nine points and remain in contention as the tournament shifts to the faster blitz format. The St. Louis Rapid & Blitz, the final rapid and blitz event of the 2026 Grand Chess Tour, carries a prize purse of $200,000, with $50,000 awarded to the overall winner. Following the completion of the blitz section, players will remain in St. Louis for the Sinquefield Cup, the classical event that concludes the Grand Chess Tour season.
