R. Praggnanandhaa Triumphs at Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz

Indian Grandmaster Shines in St. Louis

In an impressive display of skill, Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has secured the title at the Grand Chess Tour St. Louis Rapid and Blitz with one round remaining.

The championship was confirmed after a draw against Javokhir Sindarov in their final match, allowing the 20-year-old to finish with a total of 23 points from 35 possible.

Sindarov finished in second place with 22 points, while Wesley So took third with 20.5 points.

Levon Aronian came in fourth with 19 points, and Fabiano Caruana, Leinier Dominguez, and Jorden van Foreest shared fifth place with 17 points each.

For his victory, Praggnanandhaa earned $50,000 and 13 Grand Chess Tour points, thus avoiding a playoff. This win elevated him to second place in the Grand Chess Tour standings, just ahead of the upcoming Sinquefield Cup, while Fabiano Caruana remains the overall leader.

Throughout the five-day event, Praggnanandhaa consistently held the lead, although Sindarov made a strong push in the final rounds, ultimately finishing 1.5 points behind.

Earlier in June, Praggnanandhaa made headlines by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title.

The 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz event featured ten elite grandmasters competing at the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 31 to August 7. Over five days, they played nine rapid rounds and eighteen blitz rounds, totaling 135 games, with crucial Tour Points at stake ahead of the Sinquefield Cup and GCT Grand Finals.

The tournament format included a 9-round single round-robin Rapid tournament, played with a time control of 25 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one, and an 18-round double round-robin Blitz tournament, played with 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment from move one.

In this format, Rapid wins are worth 2 points, draws are 1 point, while Blitz wins are worth 1 point and draws yield 0.5 points.