St Louis, Aug 6:
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa topped the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and blitz, scoring 12 points out of a possible 18 to keep his hopes alive for a place in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finals to be held later this year.
The Indian, who is no longer a part of 2026 World Championship, displayed some immaculate technique, precision and the will to win in the rapid section that spanned over nine rounds in this annual edition that is a part of professional chess for several years now.
Praggnanandhaa lost the ninth and final round in the rapid section to Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest but still managed to retain a one-point lead, finishing ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who will challenge D. Gukesh in the World Championship title showdown later this year.
However, the GCT’s last rapid and blitz event is not just based on the rapid section but there are 18 more blitz games to be played before the winner is determined for the USD 200,000 prize pool out of which USD 50,000 goes to the champion.
Had Praggnanandhaa defeated van Foreest, he would have entered the blitz section with a more comfortable lead, a margin that could have proved crucial in his pursuit of the overall title.
Four wins, each worth two points, and four draws helped Praggnanandhaa finish atop the standings with 12 points despite a solitary loss in the final round. With the rapid section behind him, the Indian will now turn his attention to the 18-game blitz segment, where each win carries one point.
Sindarov is followed by Wesley So of the US on 10 points followed by a pack of four players — Levon Aronian of United States, Anish Giri of Holland, Cuban-turned-American Leinier Dominguez Perez and Vincent Keymer of Germany — who all have nine points apiece and will fancy their chances in the faster version of the game.