Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa boosted his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals after finishing on top of the rapid section at the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz tournament on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old scored 12 points from a possible 18 across the nine-round rapid event, showcasing remarkable consistency despite suffering his only defeat in the final round against Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest. The result allowed Praggnanandhaa to retain a one-point lead heading into the decisive blitz segment of the tournament.
Praggnanandhaa’s campaign featured four victories and four draws before the closing-round loss, leaving him narrowly ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who sits second with 11 points. American Grandmaster Wesley So occupies third place with 10 points.
BLITZ TO DECIDE CHAMPION
While topping the rapid standings gives Praggnanandhaa a crucial advantage, the tournament is far from over. The St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title will be decided after 18 blitz games, where each win is worth one point, unlike the rapid section where victories earn two points.
Had the Indian defeated Van Foreest in the final rapid round, he would have entered the blitz phase with a bigger cushion. Instead, he begins the final stretch with only a slender lead over Sindarov, who remains firmly in contention.
The event carries a prize pool of USD 200,000, with the winner taking home USD 50,000. More importantly for Praggnanandhaa, a strong finish could significantly strengthen his hopes of securing a place in the prestigious Grand Chess Tour Finals later this year.
TOUGH CHALLENGE AHEAD
Sindarov is expected to be Praggnanandhaa’s biggest challenger during the blitz rounds, while Wesley So also remains within striking distance. A group comprising Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Vincent Keymer are all tied on nine points and could make significant gains in the faster format.
Keymer, in particular, is regarded as a dangerous opponent in blitz chess and could emerge as a dark horse if he strings together a series of victories.
Once the rapid and blitz event concludes, the players will shift their focus to the Sinquefield Cup, the final classical tournament on the Grand Chess Tour calendar.
For Praggnanandhaa, however, the immediate objective is clear. Having laid a solid foundation by topping the rapid section, the Indian now faces the tougher challenge of converting that advantage into an overall title and keeping his Grand Chess Tour Finals aspirations firmly on track.
Final Standings
- 1. R Praggnanandhaa (India) – 12 points
- 2. Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) – 11 points
- 3. Wesley So (United States) – 10 points
- T-4. Levon Aronian (United States) – 9 points
- T-4. Leinier Dominguez Perez (United States) – 9 points
- T-4. Anish Giri (Netherlands) – 9 points
- T-4. Vincent Keymer (Germany) – 9 points
- T-8. Fabiano Caruana (United States) – 8 points
- T-8. Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) – 8 points
- 10. Awonder Liang (United States) – 5 points
– Ends
