New Delhi: Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has claimed his first-ever Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title, pocketing a USD 50,000 prize after a commanding five-day performance that saw him hold the tournament lead from start to finish.
Praggnanandhaa sealed the win with a round remaining, grinding out a draw from a pawn-down endgame against closest challenger GM Javokhir Sindarov in the penultimate round, according to reports.
The Uzbek grandmaster pushed hard throughout the event but could only close the gap to half a point before Praggnanandhaa’s early finish put the title out of reach. The Indian star ultimately closed the tournament with a 1.5-point cushion over Sindarov.
For his outright victory, Praggnanandhaa earns 13 Grand Chess Tour points – one more than he would have collected had the event gone to a playoff. He also achieved a personal milestone, topping the leaderboard in both the rapid and blitz segments individually, a goal he had set for himself going into the event. Across the nine-round blitz portion, he won three games, drew five, and suffered just a single loss.
Sindarov’s late push included a draw against GM Levon Aronian in round 10, followed by a round-11 win over GM Jorden van Foreest after Van Foreest gave up a piece – a mirror of the earlier moment when an opponent’s slip had helped Praggnanandhaa’s cause.
Elsewhere in the standings, GM Vincent Keymer finished second from bottom, narrowly avoiding last place, which went to Sindarov despite his runner-up finish on points.
The Grand Chess Tour moves straight into its next stop, with the 2026 Sinquefield Cup set to begin Monday, August 10, in Saint Louis. It will be the final regular-season event before the Grand Chess Tour Finals, with the top four finishers advancing to that stage – where qualification alone guarantees a minimum USD 50,000 payout, and the winner stands to collect USD 200,000.
