Praggnanandhaa tops rapid at St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, 18-game blitz to follow
R Praggnanandhaa topped the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz in St. Louis on August 6, 2026, scoring 12 points out of a possible 18. The result kept his hopes alive for a place in the Grand Chess Tour finals to be held later this year.
The Indian, who is no longer a part of the 2026 World Championship, produced strong play across the rapid portion, which comprised nine rounds. He lost the ninth and final rapid round to Dutch GM Jorden van Foreest but still finished one point clear of Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, who will challenge D. Gukesh in the World Championship title showdown later this year. The rapid phase was part of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz, the last rapid-and-blitz event on the Grand Chess Tour calendar this season.
Praggnanandhaa accumulated his 12 points through four wins—each worth two points under the rapid scoring system—and four draws, with the solitary defeat coming in round nine. The report noted that 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.
Final standing 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).
The event is contested as a 10-player round-robin. With Sindarov a point behind Praggnanandhaa, the standings leave several players within striking distance going into the faster time control.
Eighteen blitz games remain in this tournament, with each blitz win counting for one point, and the overall prize pool set at $200,000, of which $50,000 goes to the champion. The rapid and blitz results together will determine the event winner.
With the rapid phase complete, players advance to the 18-game blitz segment next; the 10-player round-robin will be followed by the Sinquefield Cup, which will be a Classical event.
