Praggnanandhaa wins maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz titleIndian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa won his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title with a round to spare, finishing on 23.5 points. The victory lifted him to second in the Grand Chess Tour standings and strengthened his chances of qualifying for the season-ending finaleBy PTI Published Date - 7 August 2026, 09:37 AMSt. Louis (USA): Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa clinched his maiden Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz title in emphatic fashion, sealing the championship with a round to spare here. The 20-year-old finished with 23.5 points, comfortably ahead of Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, one of the contenders in the World Championship cycle. Without losing a game on the final day of the last Rapid & Blitz event in the Grand Chess Tour, Praggnanandhaa jumped to second spot in the GCT standings, which almost guarantees him a place in the grand finale scheduled later this year. The withdrawal of Alireza Firouzja of France from the GCT has worked in favour of the lone Indian in the tour.