R Praggnanandhaa Secures Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Crown

Indian grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa, 20, clinched the Grand Chess Tour Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title with a round to spare, finishing with 23.5 points out of a possible 35. His victory earned him $50,000 and 13 tour points, moving him to second place in the overall Grand Chess Tour standings.

The five‑day event, held July 31–August 7, 2026 at the Saint Louis Chess Club, featured a rapid round‑robin followed by a blitz double round‑robin with ten elite players. Praggnanandhaa outperformed Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov (22 points) and American Wesley So (20.5 points) to claim first place. The win follows his historic Norway Chess triumph earlier in the year and comes as Alireza Firouzja has withdrawn from the remaining tour events, reshaping the points race ahead of the season‑ending Sinquefield Cup.