Praggnanandhaa secures rapid section win at Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu concluded the rapid section of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz in first place, accumulating 12 points over the initial three days. This achievement came despite a loss to Jorden van Foreest in the ninth and final rapid round. He maintained a one-point lead over Javokhir Sindarov, with Wesley So trailing by an additional point.
The Indian grandmaster delivered a strong performance during the rapid phase, recording four victories, four draws, and one defeat. His results also led to his entry into the top ten of the live rapid world rankings for the first time in his career. The scoring system for the upcoming blitz section will differ, with victories being worth one point instead of two.
Key Matches and Standings
Two players secured their first wins of the tournament in round seven. Fabiano Caruana defeated Awonder Liang, focusing on the e5-pawn. This victory brought Caruana back to an even score. Vincent Keymer also ended a series of six consecutive draws by beating Van Foreest. Keymer’s win temporarily placed him within two points of the leader, though both he and Caruana experienced defeats in the subsequent round.
Round eight featured three decisive games. Praggnanandhaa overcame Keymer in a complex match involving connected passed pawns for both players. Although the tournament leader held an extra exchange, the position became less clear, and Keymer had defensive opportunities before ultimately losing. Sindarov remained near the top by defeating Liang, exploiting a collection of isolated pawns after Black’s kingside structure was weakened. So also stayed close to the lead with a victory against Caruana.
In the ninth and final rapid round, only one game was decisive. Van Foreest defeated Praggnanandhaa using a prepared idea in the French Defence, marking Praggnanandhaa’s first loss of the tournament. Van Foreest had also previously beaten So in the rapid section, but still finished behind the leading group.
Caruana missed an opportunity to defeat Anish Giri in the final round, resulting in a draw. Giri and Leinier Dominguez completed all nine rapid games without a decisive result, each recording nine draws.
Tournament Format and Player Achievements
The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is part of the Grand Chess Tour and takes place at the Saint Louis Chess Club. The event features ten elite grandmasters, comprising seven full-tour competitors and three wildcards. The full-tour players include Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov, Vincent Keymer, Wesley So, Anish Giri, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, and Jorden van Foreest. Wildcards are Leinier Dominguez, Levon Aronian, and Awonder Liang.
The tournament combines two fast-paced disciplines: a 9-round single round-robin rapid tournament and an 18-round double round-robin blitz tournament. Rapid wins contribute 2 points and draws 1 point, while blitz wins count for 1 point and draws for ½ point. The total prize fund for the event is $200,000, with $50,000 awarded to first place.
Praggnanandhaa’s strong performance has elevated his live Rapid rating to a career-high of 2714.5. This achievement places him in the World Top 10 in FIDE Live Rapid Ratings for the first time. With this, India now has three Grandmasters in the Rapid Top 10, alongside Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi.
Praggnanandhaa began his tournament with a draw against Leinier Dominguez in Round 1. He then secured his first full win against Levon Aronian in Round 2 and defeated Awonder Liang in Round 5. He also had a 117-move draw against Wesley So in Round 6.
Praggnanandhaa enters the blitz portion with a narrow lead, with Sindarov and So remaining within reach. The 18 blitz rounds still to be played, with each result carrying less weight than in the rapid section, mean the gaps at the top are manageable.
The 2026 Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is scheduled to run from July 31–August 7.
Source: en.chessbase.com
