Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu concluded the rapid section of the Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz in first place, accumulating 12 points over the initial three days. Despite a loss to Jorden van Foreest in the ninth and final rapid round, he maintained a one-point lead over Javokhir Sindarov. Wesley So finished a further point behind.
The Indian grandmaster delivered a strong performance during the rapid phase, achieving four wins, four draws, and one defeat. This performance also propelled him 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 Performances
In round seven, two players recorded their first victories of the tournament. Fabiano Caruana defeated Awonder Liang by focusing on a vulnerable e5-pawn, bringing the world number-two to an even score. Vincent Keymer also ended a sequence of six consecutive draws by beating Van Foreest, a game decided by a blunder from the Dutch grandmaster. Keymer’s win briefly placed him within two points of the leader, though both he and Caruana were defeated in the subsequent round.
Round eight saw three decisive games. Praggnanandhaa overcame Keymer in a complex match that featured connected passed pawns for both players. Although the tournament leader held an extra exchange, the position became increasingly unclear, and Keymer had defensive chances before ultimately losing. Sindarov remained close to the lead by defeating Liang, exploiting a collection of isolated pawns after Black weakened the kingside. Liang later sacrificed his h-pawn to alleviate pressure, but his remaining pawns continued to be targets. So also stayed near the top with a victory over Caruana.
Final Rapid Round and Standings
Only one game in round nine was decisive. Van Foreest defeated the tournament leader with a prepared strategy in the French Defence, marking Praggnanandhaa’s first loss of the tournament. The Dutchman had previously defeated So earlier in the rapid section, but still finished well behind the leading group. Caruana missed an opportunity to defeat Anish Giri in the final round, settling for a draw. Giri and Leinier Dominguez completed all nine rapid games without a decisive result, each recording nine draws.
Praggnanandhaa enters the blitz portion with a narrow lead, with Sindarov and So in close pursuit. With 18 blitz rounds still to be played, and each result carrying less weight than in the rapid section, the differences at the top remain manageable. The Saint Louis Rapid & Blitz is part of the Grand Chess Tour, featuring ten elite grandmasters competing for a total prize fund of $200,000, with $50,000 awarded to first place. The event is hosted at the Saint Louis Chess Club from July 31–August 7.
The tournament combines a 9-round single round-robin Rapid tournament, with a time control of 25 minutes plus a 10-second increment from move one, and an 18-round double round-robin Blitz tournament, played at 5 minutes plus a 2-second increment from move one. Rapid wins contribute 2 points and draws 1 point, while Blitz wins are worth 1 point and draws ½ point. Praggnanandhaa’s performance has also elevated his live Rapid rating to a career-high of 2714.5, securing his position in the World Top 10 in FIDE Live Rapid Ratings for the first time.
This achievement means India now has three Grandmasters in the Rapid Top 10, alongside Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi. The tournament continues to offer critical Tour Points for full-tour players, which are essential for qualification for the 2026 GCT Grand Finals.
Source: en.chessbase.com
