Chess: Praggnanandhaa clinches St.Louis Rapid and blitz title
St. Louis, Aug 7
Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has clinched the Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz title with a round to spare.
A draw between Praggnanandhaa and Javokhir Sindarov in their final head-to-head secured the title for the Indian Grand Master. The 20-year-old India secured the championship after finishing with 23 points out of a possible 35.
Sindarov claimed second place with 22 points after a fantastic tournament, while Wesley So finished third on 20.5.
Levon Aronian took fourth with 19, and Fabiano Caruana, Leinier Dominguez, and Jorden van Foreest shared fifth place on 17.
He earned USD 50,000 and 13 Grand Chess Tour points for winning outright, avoiding a playoff. The result moved Praggnanandhaa into second place in the Grand Chess Tour standings ahead of the Sinquefield Cup. Fabiano keeps leading the overall Grand Chess Tour standings.
Praggnanandhaa maintained the lead throughout the five-day event, while Sindarov mounted a strong challenge in the final stages but fell short, finishing runner-up with a 1.5-point deficit.
In June, Praggnanandhaa scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.
The 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz brought ten elite grandmasters to the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 31 to August 7. Across five days of play, the field contested nine rapid rounds and eighteen blitz rounds; 135 games in all, with critical Tour Points on the line before the Sinquefield Cup and GCT Grand Finals.
The tournament combines two fast-paced disciplines: a 9-round single round-robin Rapid tournament (played at a time control of 25 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one) and an 18-round double round-robin Blitz tournament (played at 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment from move one).
Rapid wins count for 2 points and draws for 1 point, while Blitz wins count for 1 point and draws for 0.5 point.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Absolutely brilliant! The way he held his nerve against Sindarov when the pressure was on is so impressive for a 20-year-old. And to think, he didn't even need to win that last game—he just stayed calm and collected. So proud of him! 🙌
This is fantastic news but I wish our sports media gave chess the same coverage as cricket. Praggnanandhaa is doing extraordinarily well, yet most people only find out about these wins through social media or niche sports sites. Anyway, congratulations to him and the entire team behind his success! 🏆
So happy to see an Indian dominating international chess tournaments! His consistency across both Rapid and Blitz formats is what makes this title even more special. The way he maintained the lead for the entire five days shows incredible mental strength. What a superstar!
Impressive performance by Praggnanandhaa. With the Sinquefield Cup coming up, this puts him in a strong position in the Grand Chess Tour standings. It's exciting to see this new generation of Indian chess players challenging the traditional powers. Well deserved!
What a remarkable journey! From being a child prodigy who stunned the chess world in 2019 to now systematically collecting top-tier trophies. The ₹40+ lakh prize money is a nice bonus too! 😄 Next stop—Sinquefield Cup. India is watching, Praggu!
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