Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has added another achievement to his career after winning his first St.Louis Rapid & Blitz Championship, securing the title with one round to spare. The 20 year old finished the tournaments with 23.5 points, ahead of Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov, who finished second with 22 points. American Grandmaster Wesley So took third place with an overall score of 20 points.
Praggnanandhaa entered the blitz section with a narrow lead over Sindarov after finishing on top of the rapid event. He continued his strong performance in the blitz, losing only one game and collecting 11.5 out of a possible 18.
He also went unbeaten on the final day, which allowed him to win the championship before the final round.
Praggnanandhaa Moves up in Grand Chess Tour
The victory also helped Praggnanandhaa move to second palace in the overall Grand Chess Tour (GCT) standings, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the grand finale later this year.
His place is not confirmed yet, however, his performance in the final tournament of the season will still be important. The last event will be played in the Classical format.
Praggnanandhaa is currently the only Indian competing in the tour. His position in the standings received a boost following the withdraw of France’s Alireza Firouzja, who pulled out due to scheduling issues. Under the tour’s rules, Firouzja’s points earned so far were removed following his withdrawal.
Praggnanandhaa will now be focusing on his upcoming Classical event, where a top-three finish would further strengthen his impressive season. The victory follows another achievement earlier this year when Praggnanandhaa won the Norway Chess tournament ahead of world No.1 Magnus Carlsen.
Sources: Firstpost
