Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa claimed his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title in dominant fashion, wrapping up the championship with a round to spare in St. Louis.
The 20-year-old finished on 23.5 points, comfortably ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov (22), while American Wesley So secured third place with 20.5 points.
Praggnanandhaa entered the blitz section with a slender lead after winning the rapid event and maintained his advantage by losing just one game, collecting 11.5 points from a possible 18 in the blitz competition.
Boost In Grand Chess Tour Race
The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to second place in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings, significantly improving his chances of qualifying for the season-ending Grand Chess Tour Finals later this year.
The Indian now needs another strong performance in the final Classical tournament of the season, which begins this weekend, to secure his place in the finale.
His prospects have also been boosted by the withdrawal of France’s Alireza Firouzja from the remaining Grand Chess Tour events. As per tournament regulations, Firouzja’s accumulated points have been removed from the overall standings after he opted out because of scheduling issues.
Momentum After Norway Chess Success
Praggnanandhaa heads into the Classical event in excellent form after a remarkable season that also saw him win the Norway Chess title ahead of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
A top-three finish in the upcoming Classical tournament would further strengthen the Indian’s credentials ahead of the Grand Chess Tour Finals.
Final Standings:
- R Praggnanandhaa (India) – 23.5
- Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) – 22
- Wesley So (USA) – 20.5
- Levon Aronian (USA) – 19
5.= Fabiano Caruana (USA), Lenier Dominguez Perez (USA), Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands) – 17 - Anish Giri (Netherlands) – 15.5
- Vincent Keymer (Germany) – 14.5
- Awonder Liang (USA) – 14
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