Archive · 13 Aug 2026
Praggnanandhaa beats Sindarov to share Sinquefield Cup lead
Chess is a board game where two players try to trap each other's king.
R Praggnanandhaa is a very strong chess player from India who is 20 years old.
He played against Javokhir Sindarov, another excellent player from Uzbekistan.
Their game lasted 95 moves, which is a very long game.
For most of the game, it looked like nobody would win and it might end in a draw.
But near the end, Sindarov made a mistake, and Praggnanandhaa took advantage to win.
Now he is tied for first place with four other top players at the Sinquefield Cup.
The tournament is happening in St. Louis in the United States.
Praggnanandhaa has also won other big chess tournaments recently, so he is having a great few months.
He even received a big reward of Rs 50 lakh from the Chief Minister of his home state, Tamil Nadu.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated Javokhir Sindarov in a 95-move second-round game for his first Sinquefield Cup victory.
Sindarov erred on the 82nd move in a seemingly drawn endgame, and Praggnanandhaa forced his resignation 13 moves later.
Praggnanandhaa reached 1.5 points from two rounds, moving into a five-way share of the lead.
Four of the five round-two games were decisive; Fabiano Caruana was the only overnight leader to draw, against Anish Giri.
Praggnanandhaa recently won the St Louis Rapid and Blitz (23/35 points) and Norway Chess 2026, and was felicitated with Rs 50 lakh by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
- Who
- Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa; Javokhir Sindarov, who will face world champion D Gukesh later this year; co-leaders Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
- What
- Praggnanandhaa won a 95-move second-round game for his first Sinquefield Cup victory, taking 1.5 points from two rounds and a share of the lead.
- When
- Second round of the ongoing Sinquefield Cup; the articles give no exact calendar date.
- Where
- St. Louis, United States; Praggnanandhaa was also felicitated at the Chief Secretariat in Chennai, India.
- Why
- Sindarov erred on move 82 in a seemingly drawn endgame, and Praggnanandhaa converted with precise play to force the win.
- Event
- Sinquefield Cup - penultimate event of the Grand Chess Tour
- Location
- St. Louis, United States
- Result
- R Praggnanandhaa beat Javokhir Sindarov in 95 moves
- Praggnanandhaa's score
- 1.5 points from two rounds (shared lead)
- Co-leaders
- Praggnanandhaa, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave
- Prize fund
- US $475,000, with seven rounds remaining
- Recent titles
- St Louis Rapid and Blitz (23/35 points); Norway Chess 2026 in Oslo
- Tamil Nadu reward
- Rs 50 lakh from Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay
