R Praggnanandhaa clinches maiden St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title
New Delhi: India’s Grandmaster won his first-ever St. Louis Rapid & Blitz title after drawing the penultimate round against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov on Friday, August 7. The 20-year-old sealed the title with one round still to play. He finished on 23.5 points, comfortably ahead of the rest of the competitors.
The victory also strengthens Praggnanandhaa’s bid for a spot in the season-ending Grand Chess Tour (GCT) Finals. The Chennai-born Grandmaster has continued his sensational run in 2026 after lifting the prestigious Norway Chess title earlier this year. Speaking after the win, Praggnanandhaa said that he’s super happy with the result and thanked his team and family for their support.
“I am super happy with the result and overall about the game quality. This is my first major rapid victory, so I’m really happy about it,” Praggnanandhaa said.
“I want to thank my whole team, my family for the amazing support. I also would like to thank all the fans out there for cheering and supporting me throughout the tournament. Really great to have so much support,” he added.
Maiden Rapid and Blitz title
Praggnanandhaa set the stage for victory by finishing at the top of the rapid section standings before carrying the same momentum into the blitz event. He remained consistent throughout the faster format and lost just once, collecting 11.5 points out of possible 18 in the blitz rounds.
Praggnanandhaa’s draw against Sindarov in the penultimate round was enough for him to mathematically seal the title, with the Uzbek eventually finishing second on 22 points. American Grandmaster Wesley So claimed third place with 20.5 points.
With this win, Praggnanandhaa also moved to second position in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings, improving his chances of advancing to the Grand Chess Tour Finals later this year.