R Praggnanandhaa tops at St. Louis rapid and blitz phase

Praggnanandhaa (File pic)

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa claimed victory in the rapid segment of the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz, collecting 12 points out of a possible 18. The strong performance keeps his qualification hopes alive for the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals scheduled for later this year.

Out of contention for the 2026 World Championship, the young prodigy demonstrated technical skill, accuracy, and competitive drive across the nine-round rapid event.

Despite suffering a loss in the ninth and final round to Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa maintained a single-point advantage at the top of the standings.

He finished ahead of Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, who is set to challenge D. Gukesh in the upcoming World Championship title match later this year.

18 Blitz Rounds will decide the winner

The tournament champion will not be determined by the rapid segment alone. Competitors now transition to an 18-game blitz stage to decide who claims the top share of the $200,000 prize pool, which features a $50,000 top prize.

Had Praggnanandhaa defeated van Foreest in the ninth round, he would have entered the blitz rounds with a far more substantial buffer, a margin that might have proved vital in his quest for the overall championship.

Nevertheless, four victories (worth two points each) and four draws were enough to secure him sole first place on 12 points despite the late setback. In the upcoming 18 blitz games, each victory will be worth one point.

Trailing closely behind Praggnanandhaa are Sindarov (11 points) and America's Wesley So (10 points). They are followed by a four-way tie at 9 points featuring Levon Aronian (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands), Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA), and Vincent Keymer (Germany), all of whom remain in contention.

Following the conclusion of this 10-player round-robin event, the players will compete in the Sinquefield Cup, which will feature a classical chess format.

Final standings after rapid:

1. R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 12); 2. Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb, 11);3. Wesley So (USA, 11); 4-7: Levon Aronian, Leinier Dominguez Perez (USA), Anish Giri (Ned), Vincent Keymer (Ger) 9 each; 8-9; Fabiano Caruana (USA), Jorden Van Foreest (Ned) 8 each; 10. Awonder Leong (USA, 5)

(With inputs from PTI)