Praggnanandhaa leads as St. Louis Rapid & Blitz moves into blitz phase
R Praggnanandhaa remained on top of the standings on Thursday at the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament as the event entered its blitz section. The 20-year-old sits on 18.5 points from 29, holding a half-point lead over Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, who has 18 points.
Praggnanandhaa reached the blitz portion after topping the rapid standings with 12 points from a possible 18. He finished the rapid segment with four victories and four draws across nine rounds, despite losing the final rapid round to Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest.
The change in scoring between formats has tightened margins: each blitz victory is worth one point, whereas rapid wins carried double value. With numerous blitz games still to be played, the fight for the St. Louis title remains open and every result is consequential for the overall standings.
Sindarov, the closest pursuer on 18 points, remains within reach of Praggnanandhaa. The report notes Sindarov will challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship later this year, identifying him as the most immediate threat to the lead.
American Grandmaster Wesley So occupies third place behind the front two, while Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Vincent Keymer all sit within striking distance of the leaders. The coverage singles out Keymer as particularly dangerous in faster time controls.
The St. Louis event is the final Rapid & Blitz tournament of this year's Grand Chess Tour, with players competing for qualification into the season-ending Grand Chess Tour Finals and the USD 50,000 winner's prize. Those stakes add importance to each game as the blitz rounds decide the overall standings.
With 18 blitz rounds determining the champion, Praggnanandhaa remains in control of his own destiny but faces a narrow margin for error; the chasing pack is separated by only a handful of points, and he will need another composed finish to convert his early advantage into the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title.