R Praggnanandhaa clinches Grand Chess Tour St Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026 title

Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, 20, secured the Grand Chess Tour St Louis Rapid & Blitz 2026 championship. He finished the nine‑day event with 23 points out of 35, 1.5 points ahead of Uzbek GM Javokhir Sindarov, who took second place, and American GM Wesley So, who placed third. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa $50,000 in prize money and 13 GCT points, marking his first rapid‑and‑blitz title on the tour.

Praggnanandhaa also topped the rapid section earlier in the tournament, scoring 12 points from nine rounds, which gave him a one‑point lead entering the blitz phase. The win improves his standing in the 2026 GCT season, moving him to second place overall behind Fabiano Caruana and strengthening his chances of qualifying for the Grand Chess Tour Finals at the upcoming Sinquefield Cup.

Earlier in June, Praggnanandhaa had claimed the Norway Chess 2026 crown in Oslo. Following his St Louis triumph, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay presented him with a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu.