Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Praggnanandhaa Tops St. Louis Rapid, Keeps GCT Finals Dream Alive
Chess is a board game that people play all over the world.
R Praggnanandhaa is a very good chess player from India.
He played a fast kind of chess called rapid chess in St. Louis.
In fast chess, players don't get much time to think, so they must make moves quickly.
Praggnanandhaa played nine rapid games in a row.
He won four games, drew four games, and lost only the very last one.
A win gives two points and a draw gives one point.
That gave him 12 points, the most of anyone, so he finished in first place.
He still has 18 even faster games, called blitz games, to play.
If he does well, he could win prize money and a spot in the Grand Chess Tour final later this year.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa topped the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz with 12 points out of 18.
He won four games and drew four in the nine-round rapid section despite a solitary loss in the final round.
The result keeps his hopes alive for a place in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finals later this year.
The event continues with 18 blitz games, offering a USD 200,000 prize pool with USD 50,000 going to the champion.
Javokhir Sindarov and Wesley So (USA) are tied on 11 points, ahead of four players on nine points.
- Who
- Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, alongside rivals including Javokhir Sindarov, Wesley So, Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez, Vincent Keymer, Fabiano Caruana, Jorden van Foreest and Awonder Leong.
- What
- Topped the nine-round rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz with 12 points out of 18.
- When
- At the time of reporting, with the Grand Chess Tour finals and the 2026 World Championship scheduled later this year.
- Where
- St. Louis, at the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz event.
- Why
- To keep his hopes alive for a place in the Grand Chess Tour finals, which carries a USD 200,000 prize pool with USD 50,000 for the champion.
- Player
- R Praggnanandhaa (India)
- Event
- St. Louis Rapid and Blitz (Grand Chess Tour)
- Rapid result
- 12 points from 9 rounds - first place
- Rapid record
- 4 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss
- Remaining
- 18 blitz games to decide the winner
- Prize pool
- USD 200,000; USD 50,000 to the champion
- Next event
- Sinquefield Cup (classical)
- Final rapid standings
- Praggnanandhaa 12; Sindarov, So 11; Aronian, Dominguez Perez, Giri, Keymer 9; Caruana, van Foreest 8; Leong 5
