Overview
- Praggnanandhaa secured the championship by holding a pawn-down draw against Javokhir Sindarov in the penultimate round, creating an insurmountable 1.5-point lead.
- He finished the event with 23.5 points and collected the $50,000 first-place prize for the 10-player Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz.
- The result moves Praggnanandhaa up the Grand Chess Tour leaderboard and strengthens his chances to qualify for the season-ending GCT Finals.
- The Saint Louis event combined a nine-round rapid (25+10, rapid wins = 2 points) and an 18-game blitz (5+2, blitz wins = 1 point), a format that let early rapid gains shape the final standings.
- Praggnanandhaa’s win continues a breakout 2026 that includes the Norway Chess title and sends him into the Sinquefield Cup with momentum and higher expectations.