Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa Leads St. Louis Rapid and Blitz Tournament After Nine Rounds Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa secured the top position in the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, finishing with 12 points out of a possible 18 after nine rounds. The result keeps him in contention for a spot in the Grand Chess Tour (GCT) finals, which will be held later this year. Despite losing the final round to Dutch grandmaster Jorden van Foreest, Praggnanandhaa maintained a one-point lead over Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who will face D. Gukesh in the 2026 World Championship title match. The tournament, a key event in professional chess, combines both rapid and blitz formats. While the rapid section concludes with Praggnanandhaa’s 12-point total, the GCT’s overall winner will be determined by 18 additional blitz games, with a total prize pool of $200,000. The champion will receive $50,000, while the remaining $150,000 is distributed among other participants. Praggnanandhaa’s loss to van Foreest in the final rapid round could have altered his position in the blitz section, where a stronger lead might have provided an advantage in the faster-paced games. Praggnanandhaa’s performance in the rapid section was marked by four decisive wins, each worth two points, and four draws, totaling 12 points. His solitary defeat in the ninth and final round did not derail his lead, as Sindarov, who finished with 11 points, remains a formidable contender. The Indian’s focus will now shift to the 18-game blitz segment, where each win earns one point, and the competition is expected to intensify. The standings after the rapid section highlight a tightly contested race. Sindarov, with 11 points, trails Praggnanandhaa by one, while U.S.#r_praggnanandhaa #javokhir_sindarov #grand_chess_tour #st_louis_rapid_and_blitz_tournament #jorden_van_foreest
