Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu emerged as the winner of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz, clinching the title with a round to spare. The Indian GM finished 1.5 points ahead of runner-up Javokhir Sindarov and moved into second place in the Grand Chess Tour standings.
Launching the Grand Chess Tour’s final stretch in the Chess Capital of America, the 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz brought ten elite grandmasters to the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 31 to August 7. Across five days of play, the field contested nine rapid rounds and 18 blitz rounds – 135 games in all – with critical tour points on the line ahead of the Sinquefield Cup and the GCT Grand Finals.
The 10-player lineup consisted of seven full-tour competitors and three wild-card selections. Full-tour players Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Jorden van Foreest were joined by wildcards Leinier Domínguez, Levon Aronian, and Awonder Liang.
The total prize fund for the event was $200,000, with $50,000 awarded to first place. Full-tour players also competed for tour points that help determine qualification for the 2026 GCT Grand Finals.
Praggnanandhaa seized the lead as early as Round 2 and never relinquished it, although Sindarov was hard on his heels. The Indian GM won the rapid segment of the competition, scoring 12/18, and he carried the momentum into the first day of blitz, slightly increasing his lead over Sindarov.
The World Championship Challenger pushed hard on the final day of blitz in an attempt to catch Praggnanandhaa, and it all came down to their duel in the penultimate round. Praggnanandhaa needed a draw to secure the title, achieving the result after successfully defending an endgame a pawn down. Notably, the champion won both the rapid and blitz segments of the tournament.
Sindarov finished 1.5 points behind Praggnanandhaa, while Wesley So rounded out the podium.
Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz Final Standings
Photos: Lennart Ootes and Crystal Fuller / Grand Chess Tour
Official website: https://grandchesstour.org/