ST. LOUIS : India’s Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa won his first Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title on Friday, topping an elite field at the Grand Chess Tour event and strengthening his bid to qualify for the season-ending GCT Finals.
Praggnanandhaa built the foundation for his victory by finishing first in the rapid section with 12 points from a possible 18 before maintaining his lead through the blitz competition.
The 21-year-old earned $50,000 for the overall title, while his rapid performance also lifted him into the live top 10 of the world rapid rankings for the first time.
“I was just trying to stay calm and play. I wanted to win the Rapid and Blitz separately, which I think I managed, so that’s good,” Praggnanandhaa said.
“Last year, the Rapid & Blitz put me in a situation where I had to perform in the Sinquefield Cup, but this time the Rapid & Blitz has helped me go into the 2026 Sinquefield Cup with a good score, so I’m happy that I managed to improve in that area.”
Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov finished runner-up and earned $40,000, while American Wesley So took third place and $30,000.
“Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on an outstanding performance throughout the week,” said Yasser Seirawan, chief commentator and spokesperson for the Saint Louis Chess Club.
“He set the pace in the rapid section and continued to play with remarkable consistency in the blitz against one of the strongest fields in the world.”
The victory moved Praggnanandhaa into second place in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings, behind Fabiano Caruana. So and Germany’s Vincent Keymer occupy third and fourth respectively.
The final regular-season event, the Sinquefield Cup, will be held in St. Louis from Aug. 10-19 and will provide the last opportunity for players to earn points toward qualification for the GCT Finals.
The classical tournament carries a $475,000 prize fund and will feature U.S. wild card Levon Aronian and fellow American Sam Sevian, who replaced France’s Alireza Firouzja after his withdrawal last month.
