Praggnanandhaa Finishes Rapid Section on Top With 12 Points

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa finished at the top of the rapid section of the St. Louis Rapid and Blitz tournament, scoring 12 points from a possible 18. His performance kept alive his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour Finals, scheduled to be held later this year.

Praggnanandhaa recorded four victories and four draws across the first eight rapid rounds, building a lead before suffering his only defeat in the ninth and final round. Dutch Grandmaster Jorden van Foreest handed the Indian his first loss, but the result did not prevent Praggnanandhaa from finishing the rapid phase one point clear of his nearest rival.

Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov occupied second place with 11 points, while American Grandmaster Wesley So followed with 10. Levon Aronian, Anish Giri, Leinier Dominguez Perez and Germany’s Vincent Keymer were tied on nine points each, leaving several players within striking distance of the leader before the tournament’s decisive blitz section.

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A victory over Van Foreest would have given Praggnanandhaa a more comfortable advantage entering the faster stage of the competition. His one-point lead remains narrow because 18 blitz games are still to be played, with every victory carrying one point. Sindarov therefore poses the most immediate challenge, while Keymer and the other contenders also remain capable of moving up the standings.

The tournament features a total prize pool of $200,000, with $50,000 reserved for the overall champion. Results from both the rapid and blitz portions will determine the winner, meaning Praggnanandhaa must maintain his consistency during the remaining games. A strong finish would also strengthen his bid to earn a place in the season-ending Grand Chess Tour Finals.

The 10-player round-robin event is the final rapid and blitz competition on this year’s Grand Chess Tour calendar. It will be followed by the Sinquefield Cup, which will be played in the classical format. Praggnanandhaa will now attempt to convert his rapid-stage lead into the overall title against a field of accomplished international Grandmasters.

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